Iowa’s 2021 4A District 4 Preview: Player Spotlight Capsules
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The new 4A class is stacked with perennial powerhouses and programs on the rise; all will be vying for the crown. Learn about some of the top returning prospects in the player capsules below as Prep Redzone highlights each district…
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Continue ReadingThe new 4A class is stacked with perennial powerhouses and programs on the rise; all will be vying for the crown. Learn about some of the top returning prospects in the player capsules below as Prep Redzone highlights each district leading up to the season. From the trenches to the backfields, Iowa boasts some of the best talent around.
Cedar Rapids Washington
Michael Blank, QB/WR, C/O 2023, 5’11, 155, hudl, Twitter
Blank has a sky is the limit athletic skill set and it is on display in everything he does. He runs excellent routes and makes difficult catches, takes direct snaps and makes great reads, and can throw an accurate ball. Blank appears to be settling in as a Quarterback naturally, but can dominate from anywhere and needs to be accounted for.
Jabari Dobbs, RB, C/O 2022, 6’1, 180, hudl, Twitter
Dobbs is so elusive in confined space and has the ability to make the best, most disciplined defenders miss. His contact balance and hip mobility is off the charts, which leads to a lot of big gains if he can stay clean beyond the line of scrimmage. Dobbs sees the field well and has the explosive, nimble moves to get to daylight.
Watts McBride Watts McBride 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , SS, C/O 2023, 6’0, 175 hudl, Twitter
McBride fills the role of the modern Strong Safety who can line up all over the field as well as anyone. He can plug in schematically wherever he is needed to neutralize an opposing offenses’ biggest threats. McBride finishes plays violently and is regularly the source of big collisions on ball carriers and unsuspecting receivers.
Tate Sykora-Mathis Tate Sykora-Mathis 6'3" | 285 lbs | DL Cedar Rapids Washington | 2022 IA -Mathis, DL, C/O 2022, 6’3, 285, hudl, Twitter
Sykora does such an outstanding job of using his length to separate through defenders and eat up space on the inside gaps. He is a game wrecker who commands the attention of additional blockers and forces an offense to adjust the way they block plays. Sykora also has an excellent bull rush that he uses to break the pocket regularly.
Chase Mahoney Chase Mahoney 6'3" | 185 lbs | LB Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , LB, C/O 2023, 6’3, 185, hudl, Twitter
Mahoney can line up at any of the Linebacker positions in his defense and excel; aligning in and out of the box successfully is no easy task. He does a terrific job inside fitting windows and avoiding blockers on his way there. Mahoney, with his frame, is also a monster on the edge and shows high level block destruction and reactions.
Clear Creek-Amana
Gage Freeman, RB/LB, C/O 2022, 5’11, 190, hudl, Twitter
Freeman’s game speed is next level and he uses it to perfection as one of Iowa’s top two-way players. He is a downhill menace at Linebacker and so difficult for blockers to get hands on; he often gets to the ball untouched. Freeman is so evasive as a back and has just as much burst and acceleration with the ball in his hands.
Harrison Rosenberg, WR, C/O 2022, 6’2, 170, hudl, Twitter
Rosenberg is a top notch X Receiver who can take the top off of a defense on vertical routes. He knows how to use the threat of his downfield game to sell his release and make plenty of catches wide open underneath. Rosenberg is physically impressive when coverage is tight: he can leap, is focused, and has strong hands.
Newton
Keith Moko, WR/CB, C/O 2022, 6’2, 170, hudl, Twitter
Moko is a superior athlete and it shows in how twitchy and explosive he is on both sides of the ball. He comes down with pretty much everything as a Wide Receiver and is so smooth in and out of his breaks. Moko is sticky in man coverage and has plenty of range in zones; his ability to run with a route or close in on one impresses.
Zayvier Arguello Zayvier Arguello 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Newton | 2022 State IA , QB, C/O 2022, 6’2, 207, hudl, Twitter
Arguello is a fierce dual-threat Quarterback and has impressive straight line speed that makes him very dangerous on plays like Power Read. He has a big arm that he can use to launch the ball downfield or let it rip underneath. Arguello is big, strong, and mobile; he absorbs contact and is difficult to take down anywhere on the field.
Reese Hammons, S, C/O 2022, 5’11, 190, hudl, Twitter
Hammons makes his presence known as a Safety flying into the box or alley as an extra hat or patrolling a deep zone. He is an impressive open field tackler and gets to the ball with a keen ability to key and diagnose. Hammons does a terrific job of keeping routes in front of him and picking up opponents if they enter his zone.
Braydon Chance, LB, C/O 2022, 5’10, 195, hudl, Twitter
Chance plays with a high-end motor and gets to the ball with urgency and effort regardless of what the offense does. He can diagnose quickly at the snap between the tackles and fill a gap, flow over the top when plays stretch, and break from coverage at a high level. Chance has a nose for the ball and plays without hesitation.
Oskaloosa
Colin Snitker, LB, C/O 2022, 6’0, 180, hudl, Twitter
Snitker does an outstanding job of defeating blocks with a shock and shed or avoiding blocks with impressive feet. He reads keys, sees space, and takes it; there is no hesitation whatsoever flying into gaps with great body control. Snitker is also a top-notch blitzer and puts himself on a beeline to the ball as he knifes through opponents.
Pella
Aidan Pollock, RB/DB, C/O 2022, 5’10, 180, hudl, Twitter
Pollock finishes plays with a boom on both sides of the ball showing off a lot of burst, footwork, and toughness. He is a big hitting defensive back who breaks well from zones and defeats blocks to get to the ball. Pollock runs angry and, if there is no daylight to be had, creates some of his own by lowering the shoulder.
Preston Rowe, TE/DE, C/O 2022, 6’1, 205, hudl, Twitter
Rowe is a force on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and plays with so much velocity. He has an incredibly quick step, especially when rushing the passer, and is the source of chaos in the backfield down after down. Rowe runs impressive routes from Tight End or the Slot and is a weapon after the catch.
Xavier
Aidan McDermott Aidan McDermott 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Xavier | 2023 State IA , DB, C/O 2023, 6’2, 185, hudl, Twitter
McDermott is so talented playing in reverse as a single high Safety keeping everything in front of him or rolling down to man up an Offense’s top weapon. He is technical and patient, which makes it very difficult for opponents to get him out of position. McDermott does a nice job of cleaning up the run as an extra hat.
Aiden Henry, RB/LB, C/O 2022, 5’9, 170, hudl, Twitter
Henry is a playmaker through and through who gets the job done at a high level in each phase of the game. He is an angry and elusive ball carrier, an electric and game breaking return man, and a rangy and violent defender. Henry is a firecracker on the field and has a dangerous skill set that is far more vast than most.