Week 4 Top Performances: Class of 2023
Week four gave some of the best athletes in the Class of 2023 the stage to highlight their best attributes and post impressive numbers along with must watch film! Today we are going to dive into that film, and breakdown…
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Continue ReadingWeek four gave some of the best athletes in the Class of 2023 the stage to highlight their best attributes and post impressive numbers along with must watch film! Today we are going to dive into that film, and breakdown what these juniors have to offer with still a year of high school ball ahead of them to further develop. These are all athletes that college coaches will want to know. There are kids for every level on this list, so I highly recommend checking out the tape for yourself. Let’s get it started!
Michael Alexander, LB- De Pere
Stat Line: 7 Tackles, 1 Sack, 5 Carries, 32 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Michael has taken the next step in his development at the ILB position this season. His week four film perfectly demonstrates his skill set. The 5’11” 185 lbs junior has developed the instincts needed to win at the position. Michael quickly reads and reacts to blocking schemes and play flow and he moves with that flow making sure not to lose his gap or leverage. I do believe that Alexander will be able to be a serviceable three down LB at the next level as he continues to fill out his frame. He has proven he can shed blocks and avoid them at the line of scrimmage, he is very hard to get a hat on at the second level because of his lateral agility, and you will see in his first clip that he has the range and closing speed to cover routes anywhere in the short to intermediate depths. That clip will also show off the sound tackler he is as he perfectly runs right through the chest of the receiver breaking up the pass. Alexander’s blitzing looked good as well this week. He timed it well, showed off the burst, and even though he was tripped up still got the sack. Michael’s Week 4 Highlights
Najeh Mitchell Najeh Mitchell 5'9" | 175 lbs | ATH West De Pere | 2023 State WI , RB- West De Pere
Stat Line: 45 Rushing Yards, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 112 Yards, 2 TDs
This week’s highlight tape really emphasizes Najeh’s rare, elite speed. It’s very apparent that Najeh plays the game at a different speed than every player around him. Any way that you want to break it down his play speed is elite. He accelerates to top speed quicker than everyone else on the field, and he can maintain that sub 4.4 speed for very long bursts. We also got to see how he uses that speed in the passing game. Najeh is clearly too fast for LBs and safeties at the high school level as he quickly ate up cushions and then flew right by them for scores. Mitchell has natural soft hands, and he tracks the ball well in the air. Najeh is one of the most dangerous playmakers in the Class of 2023. He makes these special plays look easy because of how superior of an athlete he is. The FBS level will want to know this name and watch this film.
Nate Kollath Nate Kollath 6'4" | 235 lbs | QB Sussex Hamilton | 2023 State WI , QB- Hamilton Sussex
Stat Line: 20/28, 232 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 Rushing TD
Nate is one of the athletes making the Class of 2023 QB group one of the state’s most impressive position groups. The 6’3″ 210 lbs QB has an exciting blend of athleticism and arm talent that has gotten the attention of the D1 level. Nate is accurate to every level of the field, but where he separates himself from just being an accurate high school QB is he has the exceptional arm strength to make throws that you don’t see often at this level. Just this week alone, Kollath was able to drive the ball with ease as he hit closing windows between defenders, attacked deep without having to put any loft up the ball, and he was able to deliver passes using just his arm as he was falling away and taking hits. Speaking of taking hits, Nate made some solid throws while taking some big hits. Nate is no doubt a tough athlete as he had no problem standing tall in the pocket and taking those hits while keeping his eyes downfield, or keeping it himself and powering his way for yards with his legs. Check out one of the state’s best junior QBs! Nate’s Week 4 Highlights
Dawson Rud Dawson Rud 5'7" | 170 lbs | RB Mondovi | 2023 State WI , RB- Mondovi
Stat Line: 19 Carries, 324 Yards, 4 TDs, 6 Tackles, 1 Pass Defensed
Rud is in the middle of a special season and just posted his second straight 300 yard rushing game this past Friday night. The 5’8″ 165 lbs RB has strong instincts and vision with the ball in his hands. His reaction between seeing the lane, or cutback, and his acceleration to top speed happens in the snap of a finger. He is a decisive runner that has a good amount of contact balance and ruggedness despite his small frame. He does a good job of absorbing and bouncing off hits while keeping his feet squarely under him. At the next level Dawson will have to find his fit as more of a change of pace back, and that should fit him perfectly as his best traits shine when he is able to play out in space. Dawson’s Week 4 Highlights
Tak Tateoka Tak Tateoka 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Waukesha South | 2023 State WI , QB- Waukesha South
Stat Line: 13/22, 222 Yards, 4 TDs, 9 Carries, 28 Yards
What a night for another one of Wisconsin’s impressive junior QBs! This is the best I have seen out of Tak in his career at Waukesha South. The 6’3″ 185 lbs QB displayed a perfect balance of pinpoint accuracy, especially deep down field, and arm strength. Over and over, Tak delivered WOW throws as he dropped the ball perfectly over the shoulder, or on the back shoulder depending on the leverage of the DB that he was attacking. He was also able to carry that same impressive accuracy and velocity to his throws while on the run. Even while on the run Tak still attacked down the field with great success, and it didn’t matter if he was rolling left or right on those passes. Tateoka also showed off his clutch play as he delivered the TD pass that gave Waukesha South the lead, as well as converting on a key 4th down. Tak has made huge strides this season, and his best is still yet to come. He is at a great spot in his development so far, though! Tak’s Week 4 Highlights
Anthony Corona Anthony Corona 6'2" | 210 lbs | DB Wilmot | 2023 State WI , DB- Wilmot Union
Stat Line: 18 Tackles, 89 Yards on Offense, 1 TD
This was a great game to get a look at how well Anthony attacks downhill and the type of range he has, as well as how consistent of a tackler he is. Wilmot Union took on Badger, and Badger loves to run the ball with their two studs at QB and RB, so Corona and Wilmot Union had their work cut out for them. After watching through the film it is clear that Corona was up to the challenge. The 6’2″ 195 lbs athlete has an elite frame for the safety position, and when you pair it with 4.53 speed you get a safety that has the ability to get himself to the ball anywhere on the field. Now it is one thing to be able to get to the ball, but to do that you need to be able to find it. Anthony did that very well this week. He was able to easily locate the ball and move with the flow of the offense as he simultaneously would fly downhill with that impressive speed. At the point of contact, Anthony does a great job of combining that speed and his size to generate solid hits that were able to put those talented Badger ball carriers on the ground. His wrap up tackling was very reliable as well. Very good game for Anthony! Check him out! Anthony’s Week 4 Highlights
Mason Desrude Mason Desrude 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Nicolet | 2023 State WI , DL- Nicolet
Stat Line: 5 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Pass Defensed
I have been following the development of the 6’3″ 225 DE the past year, and I like where he is at. Mason and his Nicolet teammates had a tough matchup with Whitefish Bay and their talented offensive line. Desrude was up for the battle. Against the run, Mason has gotten his strength to the point where he is able to set the edge and be a stout run defender when the offense attacked his edge. He did a good job of stuffing the OL trying to block him and even drove his guy into the backfield causing a lot of disruption. When he wasn’t walking the OL back he was shedding the block with his long arms and making the tackle. Against the pass, Mason didn’t get home for a sack, but he was still able to be disruptive and pressure the QB. His pass defense came after he used his pass rush repertoire to beat two different blocks before getting his hands on the ball. Keep an eye on this dude! Mason’s Week 4 Highlights
Brent Hoppe, DL/TE- Turner
Stat Line: 4 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 2 Fumble Recoveries
This is my first time watching Brent, and the junior DE/OLB/TE has talent to offer the next level. Hoppe has all the length you could want coming off the edge checking in at 6’4″ 210 lbs with long arms. The first thing that you notice from the week’s film is his pursuit and motor are what got him his two fumble recoveries. His constant pursuit put him in the right place at the right time on both plays. I was also impressed with Brent’s play on the edge setting the edge against the run. He did a good job to not take himself out of position by overpursuing and he was stout enough to not get knocked off the line or allow contain to be broken. On offense, Brent was used as lead blocker. The TE/FB consistently hit his targets and had the strength to either put the defender on the ground or knock them out of the running lane. Solid night on both sides of the ball for the junior. Brent’s Week 4 Highlights
Deshon Griffin, RB- Racine Horlick
Stat Line: 22 Carries, 229 Yards, 3 TDs, 7 Tackles, 1 TFL
The 5’7″ 175 lbs bowling ball of a running back carried the load for Racine Horlick during their high scoring battle with Kenosha Tremper. Griffin lines up at the FB position in the Horlick offense and is assigned with doing the majority of his work between the tackles among the trench monsters. This puts a priority on Deshon’s vision as he has to quickly be able to find lanes, utilize his blocks, and then show off his low center of gravity as he powers his way to tough yardage. His big workload allowed Griffin to wear down the defense, which then allowed him to break off bigger runs. Stamina is not a question when it comes to the rugged back out of Racine Horlick. Take a look at the film. Deshon’s Week 4 Highlights
Avery Kurth Avery Kurth 6'0" | 200 lbs | ATH Slinger | 2023 State WI , ATH- Slinger
Stat Line: 19 Carries, 67 Yards, 1 TD, 5 Receptions, 62 Yards, 2 TDs, 5 Tackles, 1 INT
Avery put his playmaker abilities on full display last Friday. He scored all of his offense’s touchdowns and added an INT on defense. On offense, Avery proved that he could be a three down option in the backfield. The 6′ 195 lbs safety/RB/WR is a legitimate threat out of the backfield as a receiving option as well as from the slot. His soft hands, and play speed that DBs/LBs couldn’t keep up with allowed him to turn little swing routes into big plays and scores for his offense. Kurth has solid natural instincts as a ball carrier as well. He has good feel and vision as he is able to work to green grass and pick up tough yards after contact. On defense, Kurth showed off his range as he made tackles at the line of scrimmage starting from his deep safety position. He also used that range and quick recognition skills to be in the right place at the right time for his INT. Check out his dominant night here! Avery’s Week 4 Highlights