PRZ Next Midwest Camp: 2nd Team All-Camp Defensive Backs
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NORTHBROOK, IL— There was a HUGE crop of talent in the Willow Hill Dome this Saturday night for the second-ever Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase making its second year in the Chicagoland with junior high-level talent from all over the…
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Continue ReadingNORTHBROOK, IL— There was a HUGE crop of talent in the Willow Hill Dome this Saturday night for the second-ever Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase making its second year in the Chicagoland with junior high-level talent from all over the Midwest. We start with the defensive backs who made our 2nd Team All-Camp Team in Northbrook. Although we only had just under 10 defensive backs getting a ton of reps on Saturday night, the upside this first batch of prospects has is not to be overlooked, even though the list is smaller than the other groups. Just as a side note, every prospect on our Prep Redzone 2nd Team All-Camp is on an “as-watched” evaluation as we at Prep Redzone feel that is the best way to get these young men the exposure they deserve at this age. Time to hammer down and meet our 2nd Team defensive backs from the Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase.
Jakius showed off some quite intriguing length within his frame at Saturday’s Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase. He tested quite well amongst the rest of the defensive backs in the group. He showed off a developed lower-body with solid explosion when I caught his skillsets over at the broad jump. When working with the defensive backs in individual drills, Jakius showed some potential with the use of that length but certainly has more juice in the tank to grow on his physicality he showed off with his punch in those individual drills, as hopefully he can add more frame in the coming years to gain more strength. He also used that long stretch to the biggest test in 1v1s by showing enough reach to win the rep over some bigger wide receivers. Excited to watch this local prospect for me in the next several years as he grows on his skillsets and size.
Chase recorded one of the top 40 yard dash times in the group at Saturday night’s Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase in Northbrook, with a 5.16. What stood out when watching his 40 yard dash, was just the well-balance fluidity this young man possesses throughout the duration of the rep I caught, as you can tell this young man has that work-ethic that is going to rise up over the next several years. In individual drills and 1v1s, he showed off some great focus on what our defensive backs were showing him and I thought he used the skills he learned to his advantage once it was time for 1v1s. He is certainly a prospect that outsizes his measurables and he played with a chip on his shoulder going up against bigger competition on Saturday. If you asked me by next year’s Midwest Showcase, I would likely put Chase on my first team for defensive backs as that is how much upside I believe this young man will grow year after year.
Highlights
Thomas Nye Jr Thomas Nye Jr 5'7" | 135 lbs | ATH Indian Trail | 2027 WI .
Thomas Nye Jr Thomas Nye Jr 5'7" | 135 lbs | ATH Indian Trail | 2027 WI .
Thomas caught my eyes first in the individual drills of Prep Redzone NEXT Midwest Showcase. It was the reactive instinct this young man showed off with developing his ball skills in those drills that caught my eye, as I always love evaluating a prospect that even when the coach is working with another player in drills, continues to work on his craft from what his defensive back coach showed him during his rep and how he can work thru that drill in real time on his own. Thomas also in 1v1s showed some solid length with his comeback speed, as this young man is the reason why they always say it’s not how you start your rep it’s how you finish. He also had some of the best ball vision I saw from this second team group on Saturday night.