Jordan’s Notebook: Mid Season Report 23s
We’ve gone through 5 weeks of the season so far. There have been countless close matchups throughout the state, impressive performances each week, and highlight tapes being created by the student-athletes. We’re going to be evaluating some of these highlights…
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Continue ReadingWe’ve gone through 5 weeks of the season so far. There have been countless close matchups throughout the state, impressive performances each week, and highlight tapes being created by the student-athletes. We’re going to be evaluating some of these highlights that have been sent my way through Twitter for the Class of 23′. Without further ado, let’s dive into the midseason highlights of these student-athletes.
23s
Andrew Zook Andrew Zook 6'4" | 235 lbs | DL Yorkville | 2023 State IL Yorkville 6’4 230 DL Twitter Film
Mr. Zook does a good job of using his hands at the point of attack, as he does so he’s able to hold his gap responsibility and get off of the block to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage. This young man fills gaps in run support and takes pursuit angles straight down the line of scrimmage to make the tackle. He’s quick off the ball where he’s able to beat the offensive lineman by batting the hands down and mixing in a bull rush as well as a swim move to get pressure on the quarterback.
T.J. McMillen T.J. McMillen 6'3" | 305 lbs | DL St. Francis | 2023 State IL 6’3 270 St Francis OL/DL Twitter Film
Mr. McMillen is a P5 talent on both sides of the ball. On offense, he keeps his feet driving while drive blocking resulting in him pushing the defensive lineman back 7 yards downfield. When he pulls he creates running lanes with his kick-out blocks, works up to the 2nd level, and plays through the whistle. On defense, he’s quick off the ball using his hands at the point of attack to meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. He fills gaps in run support, pushes the offensive lineman into the backfield, and gets pressure on the quarterback. He has a handful of offers at the moment and is one of the Top 3 Class of 23′ players in Illinois.
John Kemp John Kemp 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB St. Ignatius | 2023 State IL 5’11 175 St Ignatius DB Twitter Film
Mr. Kemp attacks downhill to make open-field tackles where he squares up to the ball carrier before making the tackle showcasing his technique for run support. He has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline and stays with his man in coverage downfield. Once he diagnoses the play, he plants his foot and attacks the ball carrier.
Billy Bailey 5’10 150 Joliet West WR Twitter Film
Mr. Bailey is a speedster with his 4.49 40 yard dash time. He’s utilized in jet sweeps as he has the speed to turn the corner and is quick off the line of scrimmage. When he runs hitch routes he’s able to snap his routes off quickly creating separation from the defender.
Barah Abad Barah Abad 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Taft Highschool | 2023 State IL 6’2 185 Taft QB Twitter Film
Mr. Abad makes level 2 throws where he puts the ball between the linebackers and safety putting the ball in the receiver’s basket. He rolls out right on most of the plays in his highlight tape as he’s used to a moving pocket, this plays right into his strengths as his mobility is one opposing defense also have to key in on. When he pulls the ball down to scramble he bursts through th line of scrimmage with his quick acceleration and breaks weak tackles by keeping his feet driving. He can make something out of both nothing and can put zip on the ball.
Grzegorz Krupa Grzegorz Krupa 6'3" | 265 lbs | DL Taft | 2023 State IL 6’3 250 Taft OL Twitter Film
Stats: 24 pancakes
Mr. Krupa jeeps his feet driving resulting in the defensive lineman being pushed back 5 plus yards on a consistent basis. He blocks in open space, washes the defensive lineman down with a down block, and plays through the whistle. In pass protection, he gets hands-on quickly forcing the outside rush and neutralizes the pass rush at the line of scrimmage. Overall, he gets after it with his aggressive playstyle.
Kiefer Tarnoki Kiefer Tarnoki 5'11" | 210 lbs | LB Sycamore | 2023 State IL 5’11 195 Sycamore LB Twitter Film
Stats: 28 tackels (22 solos), 9 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 fum rec (1 for TD), 6 PBUs
Mr. Tarnoki is quick off the ball getting pressure on the quarterback off the edge, extends plays horizontally, and gets off the block to make the tackle. He fills holes in run support, takes on blocks head-on, and makes open-field tackles. This all happens with his read step where he creeps to the line of scrimmage playing the run first before bailing to pass coverage if it’s a pass. He gets his hands up resulting in passes being deflected, holds his C gap responsibility, and takes backside pursuit angles to make the chasedown tackle.
Mateo Casillas 5’11 205 Mahomet Seymour DL Twitter Film
Mr. Casillas gets pressure on the quarterback and crashes the B gap in run support by being quick off the ball by using his hands at the point of attack. He meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage occasionally, splits the guard/tackle to make the tackle for loss, and has the ability to blow up plays in the backfield.
Quinn Callaghan Quinn Callaghan 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Plainfield East | 2023 State IL 6’1 175 Plainfield East QB Twitter Film
Mr. Callaghan gets the ball off under pressure by utilizing his pocket footwork to make platform throws. He puts a touch on the deep ball when making level 3 throws downfield. When he makes level 2 throws he puts the ball between the linebackers and safety. If he gets flushed out of the pocket he can either throw on the run or pull the ball down to scramble showcasing his mobility and acceleration.
Dawson Piper 5’9 195 Peotone LB Twitter Film
Mr. Piper fills holes in run support where he meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage and gets off blocks to make the tackle. He takes backside pursuit angles to make the chasedown blocks and attacks once he diagnoses the play. On offense, he plays fullback/wingback position as he keeps his feet driving when he runs downhill.
Joshua Robinson Joshua Robinson 6'2" | 210 lbs | RB Montini Catholic | 2023 State IL 6’2 210 Montini Catholic RB Twitter Film
Mr. Robinson is an N/S runner that bursts through the line of scrimmage by changing gears quickly and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact. He keeps his feet driving breaking arm tackles, has the vision to see cutback lanes, and weaves in & out of defenders when in open space. Once the ball is in his hands, he plants his foot and goes. This is also seen in the passing game where he finds the soft spot in the defense and gets upfield once he secures the catch.
Brody Engel 5’9 150 Genoa Kingston DB Twitter Film
Stats: 30 tackles, 1 TFL, 8 PBUs, 2 INT
Mr. Engel gets hands-on when pressing pushing the receiver out of bounds and stays with his man in coverage putting him in a good position to deflect the pass. When he’s in pass coverage he high points the ball to come away with the interception and he takes pursuit angels to make the tackle downfield. He’s used in the return game where he further showcases his ability to change gears.
Sam Morgan Sam Morgan 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Dunlap | 2023 State IL 6’3 260 Dunlap OL Twitter Film
Mr. Morgan fires off the ball getting hands-on quickly resulting in driving the defender back 5 yards. He gets to the 2nd level blocks, overpowers the defensive lineman pancaking them by drive blocking, and plays through the whistle. In pass protection, he holds his own one on one keeping the pocket clean.
Tyler Burkley Tyler Burkley 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Lake Zurich | 2023 State IL 6’0 195 Lake Zurich LB Twitter Film
Mr. Burkley fills holes in run support where he meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage and squares up to the ball carrier before making the open field tackle. He holds contain on option plays, takes backside pursuit to make the chasedown tackle, and plays through the whistle.
Mike Barretto 6’2 260 OL Taft Twitter Film
Stats: 18 pancakes
Mr. Barretto creates running lanes when pulling, blocks in open space, and pancakes defenders by keeping his feet driving. He reach blocks, drive blocks, and will double the defensive tackle with the center in pass protection if there’s nobody rushing into his gap.
Javion Kizer 6’2 273 Carbondale DL Twitter Film
Mr. Kizer washes the defensive line down by keeping his feet driving and creates running lanes when pulling for his teammate. He can kick out block, drive block, and get to 2nd level blocks as well.
Phillip Carlton 5’9 185 Plainfield Central LB Twitter Film
Mr. Carlton fills holes in run support where he will occasionally meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. He uses his closing speed to cover sideline to sideline and make open-field tackles. This young man also doesn’t give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
Brandon Moorman 5’10 180 Reed Custer DB Twitter Film
Mr. Moorman has the speed to turn the corner, this is seen with him running jet sweeps on offense showcasing his quick acceleration and gets upfield once he secures the catch. On defense, he covers ground quickly to make open-field tackles and fills holes in run support.
Tyler Erkman 6’0 175 Lake Zurich DB Twitter
Mr. Erkman finds the soft spot in the defense, has the speed to turn the corner when running jet sweeps, and reads his blocks well. On defense, he stays with his man in coverage and breaks on the ball to undercut it for an interception. He covers ground quickly to make open-field tackles, delivers hits to force incomplete passes while in coverage, and doesn’t give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
Jake Metze Jake Metze 5'9" | 170 lbs | ATH Johnsburg | 2023 State IL 5’9 165 Johnsburg RB Twitter Film
Stats: 379 rushing yards (6 TDs), 35 receptions for 1 TD, 726 All Purpose yards
Mr. Metze is an N/S runner that bursts through the line of scrimmage where he keeps his feet driving to break arm tackles and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to fight for extra yards. He has the speed to turn the corner, once he’s in open space he weaves in and out of defenders for a big gain on the play. In the air attack, he can catch out of the backfield and once he secures the catch he plants his foot into the ground to turn upfield quickly.
Oshobi Odior Oshobi Odior 6'2" | 230 lbs | ATH Oswego East | 2023 State IL 6’2 238 Oswego East ATH Twitter Film
Mr. Odior is a downhill runner that changes his gears quickly, can catch out of the backfield, and creates running lanes as a lead blocker. On defense, he drops into pass coverage and once he sees a receiver coming into his zone he attacks laying the hard-hit resulting in an incomplete pass on the play. He fills holes in run support where he occasionally meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
Danny Novickas Danny Novickas 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB Mount Carmel | 2023 State IL 6’3 210 Mount Carmel LB Twitter Film
Stats: 36 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 fum rec, 1 PBU, 9 QB pressures
Mr. Novickas is quick off the ball getting pressure on the quarterback by using his hands at the point of attack and sinking his hips when utilizing an outside speed rush beating the offensive tackle one on one. He fills holes in run support, gets off blocks to make the tackle, and is walked up to the line of scrimmage as a linebacker. When he is, he poses a threat as he has a quick first step which gives him the advantage when pass rushing.
Mirko Jaksic 6’3 260 Fenwick DL Twitter
Mr. Jaksic fills gaps in run support where he holds down the A gaps and has the strength to push back the offensive lineman into the running lanes clogging them up. He gets off blocks to make the tackle and does the little things for this defense, such as taking on blocks to clear up the linebackers so they can make the tackle on the play.
DeAndre Neely 5’10 155 Grayslake North WR Twitter Film
Mr. Neely is a deep threat out of the slot, he makes contested catches by high pointing the ball and can change his gears quickly. He has the speed to turn the corner, this is seen in the return game where he sets his team up with good starting field position on more than one occasion.
Luke Griskey Luke Griskey 6'5" | 265 lbs | OL Huntley | 2023 State IL 6’5 260 Huntley OL Twitter Film
Mr. Griskey fires off the ball getting hands-on quickly, pair this with him keeping his feet driving and this results in the defensive lineman being pushed back 8 yards downfield. He washes the defensive lineman down, works up to 2nd level blocks, and can hold his own one-on-one in pass protection. This is where he forces the outside pass rush by staying square and has the strength to stop the pass-rushing defensive lineman in his tracks keeping the pocket clean for his quarterback.
Neal May 5’11 165 Bradley Bourbonnais WR Twitter
Mr. May is quick off the line of scrimmage out of the slot which sets him up to win routes over the top with a fly route. He can make contested catches by high pointing the ball, finds the soft spot in the defense, and can create separation from the defender with his break at the top of the route. Once he secures the catch he gets upfield quickly, can make the catch in traffic, and stalk blocks downfield for his teammates.
James Kwiecinski 5’11 175 Lincoln-Way East RB Twitter Film
Mr. Kwiecinski doesn’t have much film, with that being said he has put up impressive performances so far this season. With the film that this young man has sent me, he bursts through the line of scrimmage where he isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact and keeps his feet driving breaking arm tackles. He’s a name to keep an eye on moving forward.
Mike Barberi Mike Barberi 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Andrew | 2023 State IL 5’9 180 Andrew RB Twitter Film
Mr. Barberi bursts through the line of scrimmage changing gears quickly, as he does so he keeps his feet driving breaking arm tackles and is elusive making defenders miss. Once in open space, he weaves in & out of defenders and when he lines up on the slot he makes contested catches by high pointing the ball. He’s able to come down with the sideline grabs with his toe tap, lays out for catches, and gets upfield once he secures the catch. This young man also lays out for catches, has the speed to turn the corner, and is used as a lead blocker at times.
Nikolas Belski Nikolas Belski 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL LaSalle Peru Township | 2023 State IL 6’2 250 LaSalle-Peru OL Twitter Film
Mr. Belski fires off the ball getting hands-on quickly, once this happens it’s over for the opposing defensive lineman as he either drive blocks the defender 10 yards downfield or pancakes him by keeping his feet driving. This young man washes the defensive line down, blocks in open space where he is constantly finding work downfield and has an attacking playstyle. In pass protection, he holds his own one-on-one where he stays square and neutralizes the rushing defender at the line of scrimmage as shown in his highlights.
Steven Young Steven Young 6'2" | 305 lbs | OL Kankakee | 2023 State IL 6’2 305 Kankakee OL Twitter Film
Mr. Young creates running lanes when pulling, when this happens you will see him pancaking the defensive lineman in the process. He washes the defensive lineman down by keeping his feet driving and works up to the 2nd level blocks by firing off the ball. In pass protection, he holds his own one-on-one by staying square and getting hands-on. This results in him overpowering the defensive lineman where he throws him to the ground keeping the pocket clean.
Boston Bower Boston Bower 6'1" | 230 lbs | DL Huntley | 2023 State IL 6’2 255 Huntley DL Twitter Film
Mr. Bower gets pressure on the quarterback by using his hands at the point of attack and gets his hands up resulting in passes being tipped at the line of scrimmage. He fills gaps in run support by taking on blocks head-on to plug up the running lanes and doesn’t give up on plays by taking backside pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
Jacob Klink Jacob Klink 6'4" | 380 lbs | OL Hononegah | 2023 State IL 6’4 380 Hononegah OL Twitter Film
Mr. Klink does a good job of playing through the whistle on each play and looking for someone to block for that duration. Once he gets hands-on, he keeps his feet driving resulting in pushing the defensive lineman back 5 yards downfield (sometimes even farther). In pass protection, he keeps the defender in front of him by shuffling his feet to neutralize the pass rush. He still has room to develop further and hone his craft, that being said as the season progresses I look forward to seeing how he performs.
Jaden Bossie Jaden Bossie 5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH Mt Carmel | 2023 State IL 5’10 175 Mount Carmel ATH Twitter Film
Mr. Bossie is a slot receiver that gets upfield once he secures the catch, has the speed to turn the corner when running jet sweeps by changing his gears quickly, and stalk blocks downfield. On defense, he stays with his man in coverage resulting in him getting a hand in the receiver’s basket for a pass deflection, makes open-field tackles, and gets off blocks to make the tackle.
Johnie Robertson 5’9 170 Glenbard North WR Twitter Film
Mr. Robertson is a deep threat that can run a double move to beat the defensive back and gets upfield once he secures the catch. He lays out for catches, can make the catch in traffic, and finds the soft spot in the defense.
Anthony Birsa Anthony Birsa 6'5" | 260 lbs | OL Joliet Catholic | 2023 State IL 6’5 265 Joliet Catholic Academy OL Twitter Film
Mr. Birsa creates running lanes when pulling as he’s used as a lead blocker, as he leads through the hole he picks up the linebacker/safety that’s attempting to fill that hole and drive them back 5 plus yards during the play. He does so by keeping his feet driving after he fires off the ball and plays through the whistle. This young man gets to 2nd level blocks, knocks the defensive lineman down pancaking him when drive blocking, and gets after it.
Michael McNally Michael McNally 5'11" | 175 lbs | QB Von Steuben | 2023 State IL 5’10 179 Von Steuben QB Twitter Film
Mr. McNally is able to get the ball off under pressure for the completion downfield. When he escapes the pocket he’s able to make the throw on the run or he will extend the play by pulling the ball down to scramble showcasing his mobility. He also makes level 2 throws by putting touch on the ball.
Caron Johnson 5’11 170 Kankakee DB Twitter Film
Mr. Johnson stays with his man in coverage, when in coverage he communicates with his teammates to pass on his man and pick up his teammates as the offensive players run crossing routes to “pick” one of the defensive backs but this young man didn’t fall for it. He fills holes in run support where he’s able to make open-field tackles and gets his hand in the receiver’s basket resulting in pass defelctions.
Aiden Cyr 6’4 195 Hoffman Estates QB Twitter Film
Stats: 1,174 passing yards for 13 TDs
Charlie Newton Charlie Newton 6'3" | 195 lbs | WR Walter Payton | 2023 State IL 6’2 195 Walter Payton College Prep WR Twitter Film
Stats: 610 total yards, 7 receiving TDs, 26 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 fum rec
Ethan Wilnau 5’8 155 Genoa Kingston RB Twitter Film
Stats: 273 rushing yards, 5 TDs, 13.7 yards/carry
Jared Kniola 5’10 155 Woodstock WR Twitter Film
Stats: 14 receptions for 160 yards, 1 TD
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