Austin had a big-time game and proved that he could be the one to take the top off the defense. 2 catches in particular were deep bombs that swung the momentum back in Saline’s favor. He’s quick. Can absolutely fly. He has great hands and runs clean routes. Rockford struggled to contain him, and I am going to say a TON of others will struggle to contain him as well this season. HUGE weapon to balance out Keyes for this Saline team.

Austin Abbate Austin Abbate 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Saline | 2026 State MI is another big-play guy with plenty to offer. Another solid athlete who can run clean routes and deal some damage after the catch. Abbate possesses good hands and the ability to secure some difficult catches.

Typically lining up outside the numbers, Abbate poses a tough matchup for defensive backs as his burst of speed off the line allows him to get position on slants or double moves. After the catch, he has some grit to grind out some extra yardage. Out of the slot Abbate can also deal damage on short and intermediate routes that can go the distance. With a big 2025, Abbate could shoot up the rankings quite a bit.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Austin has an incredible connection with QB Tommy Carr Tommy Carr 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Saline | 2026 State MI . Several plays where Austin doesn’t get open, but improvises with Tommy to earn an off-schedule completion. Should lean on IQ. Routes are consistently OK, but improve during non-game workouts. Struggles to win separation against press.

I’m extremely interested in seeing what kind of recruiting attention Austin receives this offseason. I don’t see any offers on his Twitter, yet he had an incredibly productive season and WILL eventually earn offers.

The question is, where? If Austin doesn’t test well and runs sloppy routes, I think he’s still good enough to earn D3 offers. But I don’t think that will happen. His excellent tape, combined with his good on-field route running make me confident he’ll show up and perform very well at camps. Is he a GV/Ferris guy? I lean no. Could it be an SVSU or Tech guy? I lean yes.

You really never know with WRs- it’s one of if not the most saturated position out there. Super difficult to be recruited, but Austin was one of the best receivers I watched this year, so I’d be shocked if colleges don’t like what they see.

#132 –> #54

Does Abbate deserve a significant boost? Absolutely. Am I jumping the gun on him? Time will tell.

Early this season, I watched Austin dominate a very good Division 2 defense (Dexter). I watched Austin for a few drives and came away consistently impressed with his release and route running. On top of that, Austin had very sure hands and flashed his abilities after the catch.

If I had to guess, I’d say that Austin has good D2-type athleticism. I go back and forth, but I definitely lean towards Austin eventually earning D2 offers after several college camps. I hope to see Austin this offseason!

I am extremely high on Austin after watching his Week 2 performance against Dexter. With zero offers, I have him ranked as a great division 2 prospect.

I think that D2 coaches will like his tape. Austin’s midseason tape is a whopping 9 minutes long and is filled with just about every touch and good block he’s had. Condense that down to 3-5 minutes of the best plays against the best competition, and it’s going to be gold.

I’ll nitpick a little- Austin isn’t always super disciplined with his routes, and I still don’t know just how good of an athlete he is. Projecting as a slot receiver in college, Austin needs to have good athletic testing numbers, and he needs to run great routes consistently.

Even with average testing numbers, I could easily see Austin’s tape being enough for a GLIAC to offer. Time will tell, and I cannot wait to see what colleges think of Austin this spring, assuming he decides to attend camps.

Abbate is another guy who has earned a rankings boost. Yes, he’s another sub-6ft receiver, and I know there are a lot of those out there. Though Austin has earned the right to be called WR1 on a pass-heavy offense with a very crowded receiver room. With that, you better bet that him and Tommy have incredible chemistry.

Route-running is Austin’s greatest strength. I was consistently impressed with Austin’s footwork on several comeback (and other) routes.

I was also highly impressed with his off-schedule playmaking. When the play broke down, Austin had a knack for finding open space, and Tommy did a great job at finding him. I remember one 3rd-down in particular where the play broke down, the pocket collapsed, then Austin found an opening at the sideline and made a sensational toe-tap catch.

Austin is also solid after the catch, and he rarely came off the field. Great football player who should be a GLIAC prospect at the very least.