Five 2023 Recruits Most Likely to Receive A Scholarship Offer
The high school stars of tomorrow… or maybe more like today. The 2023 graduation class has some impressive raw talent coming down the pipeline. There are going to be several kids that eventually land next level interest. With this article,…
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Continue ReadingThe high school stars of tomorrow… or maybe more like today. The 2023 graduation class has some impressive raw talent coming down the pipeline. There are going to be several kids that eventually land next level interest. With this article, I want to take a look at five of these athletes that I believe have some of the best chances to receive a scholarship to play at the next level. When you look at the athletes of this age it is more about the raw physical, mental, and athletic traits that they have to offer for development. So, when projecting who looks like they could play at the next level it is all about what the kid naturally has in those areas. Ahead we will look at the five that I believe have the highest combination of physical, mental, and athletic traits.
David Gauderman David Gauderman 6'2" | 225 lbs | ATH Wittenberg-Birnamwood | 2023 State WI – Wittenberg- Birnamwood, Linebacker
David is one of the players on this list who actually played on Friday nights. Furthermore, David had a role on both sides of the ball as a freshman on the varsity team. There are quite a few reasons why Gauderman was able to make the jump right to varsity football as a freshman. The first is his elite size. David is listed at 6’2″ 225 lbs and looks like it. He uses that frame perfectly as well. He is a hard and reliable tackler and a hard runner with the ball in his hands. He pairs that with an immense amount of athleticism for the LB/FB positions. David’s has an impressive first step quickness already and eye opening closing speed when he goes in for the tackle. He is going to be so fun to watch develop over these next three seasons and his recruitment should be full of options.
Austin Kutz Austin Kutz 6'7" | 200 lbs | QB Hartford | 2023 State WI – Hartford Union, Quarterback
Austin looks like a QB you would design in a lab. He already has elite size at 6’6″ 180 lbs, and he handles his frame well. Sometimes you see these young kids with longer limbs look like they haven’t grown into their body yet, but that isn’t the case here. Kutz looks comfortable and confident on the field. He doesn’t have a ton of varsity experience yet, but it is only a matter of time. Despite the minimum varsity time, Austin has already developed well. He has smooth footwork and does a good job already of keeping his feet connected to his eyes. When it comes to arm talent he has sufficient arm strength and effective accuracy, but I expect to see those become even stronger as time goes on. He has great building blocks to work with. I can’t wait until I can watch him against varsity level competition in the future.
Austin Eklund Austin Eklund 6'1" | 170 lbs | DB Sussex Hamilton | 2023 State WI – Hamilton, Athlete
Austin is an electric football player who can do everything on the football field from any of the skill positions. That is why I had to go with the Athlete label for his position group. He is so raw, yet so talented athletically and can do so many things that I didn’t want to say he is only a receiver or running back or defensive back. This past season it didn’t look like Eklund played any varsity football, which is what you expect from a freshman. What you did see from his film at the lower level is exactly what you wanted to see. Austin dominates over the rest of the players on the field from an athletic perspective. He can absolutely fly compared to the rest of the kids on the field and he changes direction fluidly. The potential is bursting at the seams with Austin. I can’t wait to see him continue to grow and fill out his frame and then see what he does against the varsity level. Also, see where he plays the most naturally at so we can maybe get rid of the Athlete label.
Drew Wilson Drew Wilson 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB Homestead | 2023 State WI – University School of Wisconsin, Defensive Back
Drew is another player that could be classified under the Athlete label. He does so much because he has so much natural ability that he doesn’t need a specific spot right now. He just needs to be on the field. He looks like he could be a defensive back, linebacker, or running back. That will come down to where he puts his focus more as he develops, his coaching, as well as how his body develops over the coming years. That will be interesting to track over the years. As for his athletic traits, Drew has the next level speed that makes him standout among the other players. His vision is strong too. That shows up both as a running back and as a defensive back. He can see and adjust quicker than the rest around him. When he plays on defense, Wilson already uses good tackling technique. He goes chest to chest and runs his feet consistently. Drew has the tools. I can’t wait to watch his development.
Connor Krznarich Connor Krznarich 5'10" | 170 lbs | DB Franklin | 2023 State WI – Franklin, Running Back
Don’t blink when you watch this film. Connor has great top end speed for the running back position. When he can get out in space and attack the edges he becomes an immediate threat to score on the defense. Not only is Connor fast, he also is able to change direction with ease while maintaining his speed or quickly getting back up to speed. That is thanks to his most impressive athletic trait. His acceleration is next level. The second he receives the hand off or pitch from the QB he looks like he is shot out of a cannon. It doesn’t look like Connor played varsity last season, but when you click on the tape you can see that he is different than the rest of the players on the field. He is going to one to keep an eye on as he continues to grow in size and strength. Franklin has several other studs in their program, so I am confident that Connor is going to be developed and will eventually become a dominant varsity player.