QBWON Group workout standouts
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The Illinois season is rapidly approaching and this past Friday night, I was able to head out to Northbrook and caught QBWON’s workout led by Byron Dawkins. The group of players consisted of quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs,…
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Continue ReadingThe Illinois season is rapidly approaching and this past Friday night, I was able to head out to Northbrook and caught QBWON’s workout led by Byron Dawkins. The group of players consisted of quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, linebackers and defensive backs. Here are the players that stood out at evening.
2022 Quarterback Brandon Rogers Brandon Rogers 5'11" | 205 lbs | QB Mt. Carmel | 2022 IL , Mt. Carmel (5’11” and 187lbs) @Brandon_Rogers8
I’ve seen Rogers since the summer and he continues to develop, getting better and better each time. He shows great footwork with an extremely strong arm, his baseball background shows.
Don’t be surprised when @Brandon_Rogers8 blows up after the spring season pic.twitter.com/diRCmGhrv5
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
Rogers has a traditional arm-slot, but when he’s on the move, the arm angles can change without the accuracy suffering. Rogers even took a few reps as a wide receiver, showing his impressive athletic abilities. I’m really excited to see how he fares this spring.
2022 Quarterback Carson Vandello, St. Francis (6’ and 150lbs) @CVandello
My first time seeing Vandello and what shows right away is his arm strength and how the ball just flies out of his hands. He’s a bit slight in stature but very good footwork and ball placement.
.@CVandello can sling it pic.twitter.com/zruExLfDRE
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
Short and compact arm motion and his feet never stop moving, putting him in great position to get the ball out of his hands. Excited to see what he can do this spring.
2022 Wide receiver / running back Tommy Latka, Libertyville (5’11” and 185lbs) @TommyLatka
Very well put together, Latka showed a very nice skill set. He’s got enough speed to get behind defensive backs and very good hands.
Tip drill @TommyLatka pic.twitter.com/xeqhFF49nX
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
Great concentration after trying to high point the ball, Latka is a very impressive athlete. Another guy that I’m excited to see how much he has improved since last season.
2023 athlete Justin Taylor, Nazareth (6’ and 180lbs) @__justintaylor
Taylor works and works and works, a great attribute for such a young player. He worked out on both sides of the ball, showing that position coaches at the next level are going to fight over what room Taylor eventually ends up in.
Rising 2023 athlete @__justintaylor is a name to watch. Supremely talented pic.twitter.com/9WQYzmkwOy
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
I feel like wide receiver is his future because he’s got the hands your looking for at the position, but if that doesn’t workout, Taylor has the skill set to play cornerback as well. He needs to be on everyone’s radar, Taylor has a very high ceiling that should take him to the Power 5 route as his next destination in his football journey.
2022 Wide receiver Luke Jones Luke Jones 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Deerfield | 2022 State IL , Deerfield (5’11” and 164lbs) @lukej237
Another player I have seen numerous times, Jones is a technician with his routes. His great footwork in and out of breaks gets him separation from defenders. Jones also has good hands and enough speed to stretch a defense. Shows very reliable hands as well, Jones has gotten some interest from his brothers school Iowa along with a few MAC schools.
2022 Defensive back Khary Shaw, Brother Rice (6’2” and 205lbs) @KharyShaw
Coming off of a very strong MLK Showcase performance, Shaw keeps grinding to get better. He was another player who repped both on offense and defense, but I see Shaw as a safety at the next level.
Big time player on both sides of the ball @KharyShaw pic.twitter.com/88HUYmlMMN
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
Shaw has the attitude you’re looking for from a corner on an island, he wants to be challenged and is certainly up for it. A great frame with a very high ceiling, Shaw should eventually be a Power 5 prospect.
2022 Safety Saveon Brown Saveon Brown 6'1" | 195 lbs | DB Thornwood | 2022 State IL , Thornwood (6’1” and 196lbs) @SaeNext
Although Brown projects as a safety, he showed that playing in the slot or corner in a pinch isn’t out of the question. The defender has a great frame and has just gotten better during the long offseason.
Always up for the challenge @SaeNext pic.twitter.com/9MNK6D3ktD
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
Brown went to the workout with the intention to get better and did, consistently facing the best receivers in attendance (which included a few college players) and didn’t back down. I wouldn’t be surprised when Brown gets some new tape for his junior season and blows up. He’s that talented.
Defensive end Derrick Parker II Derrick Parker II 6'4" | 245 lbs | DL Rich Township | 2022 State IL , Rich Township (6’3” and 245lbs) @DP2Different
Parker joined this group to continue to get better and once again he showed why he’s a big time prospect. He worked with the safeties and showed that he wasn’t out of place for such a larger player.
Versatility is a very strong attribute to @DP2Different game pic.twitter.com/PJv7RymQ0Q
— "The" Mike F Chen (@MikeFChen) February 16, 2021
I missed recording the rep where Parker broke up a pass, but it still was a glimpse of what he can do. A defensive lineman that can drop back and defend the pass is an offenses nightmare and that’s exactly what Parker is.