22′ Rankings: New Additions Still Available Pt. 1
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We’ve published our final version of the Class of 2022 Rankings here for Illinois totaling over 600 student athletes across ALL of IL (8A down to 1A Football). With this being the senior class and their recruiting process coming to…
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Continue ReadingWe’ve published our final version of the Class of 2022 Rankings here for Illinois totaling over 600 student athletes across ALL of IL (8A down to 1A Football). With this being the senior class and their recruiting process coming to an end here shortly we’re going to be diving into New Additions Still Available in this three part series to give them exposure as they try to find a place to call home. Without further ado, let’s dive into New Additions Still Available Part One.
Venson Newsom Venson Newsom 6'3" | 180 lbs | WR Marion | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Newsom is a very versatile player that can be used both in the return game as well as lined up at multiple spots as a receiver. He has the size and skillset to be a legit #1 receiver on the outside as he can win over the top with his speed and attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches. If need be, you can put him in the slot to get the matchup advantage against a linebacker where, in my opinion, he’ll win time and time again. This all happens as he’s quick off the line of scrimmage and uses that quick first step to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical where he’s slippery as he breaks weak arm tackles and keeps his feet driving. What’s most impressive to me is how well he can track the ball on deep shots downfield where he’s able to bring in catches over his shoulder as he maintains concentration to look the ball into his basket. All in all, he’s an FCS potential athlete that could potentially drop to D2/NAIA. If he does drop, whoever gets this young man is getting a STEAL. Highlights
Jamie McCabe Jamie McCabe 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB Loyola Academy | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. McCabe held down the middle of the field with University of Illinois Commit James Kreutz James Kreutz 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Loyola Academy | 2022 State IL this season as they worked as a one two punch. This young man takes on blocks head on where he can then shed the block to make the tackle at/near the line of scrimmage for no/little gain on the play as he fills holes in run support. He would be a solid fit for a 3-4 defense as an MLB to hold down the middle of the field and if you run a 4-3 I could see him either being on the inside or on the outside walked up on the line of scrimmage to further disrupt plays in run support. What’s nice about this young man is he can also drop back in coverage where he can undercut routes in the hook/curl to force pass breakups by getting a hand in the receiver’s basket. He can also cover sideline to sideline where he extends plays horizontally using his lateral quickness and limits the ball carrier’s chance of turning the corner. This adds value to this young man as you can use him on zone blitzes to fake the blitz and have him drop back into coverage no matter where he’s lined up in the box. In my eyes, I think he’ll have the most success at the D2/NAIA level at the linebacker position. I can however see him potentially getting FCS PWO interest as an Edge if you’d want to develop his skillset into a DL as he has the skillset to plug holes in run support and has room to fill out his frame more. Highlights
Rahmello Law Rahmello Law 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Centennial | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Rahmello is a new name to me this season and I have to say I can’t believe I missed this young man previously as he’s one heck of a defensive back that gets it done in both pass coverage as well as in run support. He can play both man coverage as well as zone coverage, both of which he can make a play on the ball. In zone coverage, he can peel off his deep third responsibility to the flat once he diagnoses the play going there as he delivers a heavy hit forcing pass breakups. In man coverage, he stays on the receiver’s hip pocket utilizing his smooth and fluid transitions to limit the chances of him being broken off at the top of the route. Here, he can undercut routes to come away with interceptions as well as get his hand in the receiver’s basket forcing pass breakups. Upon coming away with the interception, this young man showcases his ability to change gears quickly as he can return them for touchdowns. In run support, he triggers downhill quickly to secure the open field tackle on the perimeter. He mainly works out of the corner spot, I can also see him being transitioned into the S spot as he has good eyes to diagnose plays and has a strong skill set to be a rover in the box during Nickel/Dime packages. In my eyes, he has FCS PWO potential because of his versatility of being able to be used in a variety of packages as well as being used in the return game if need be. Realistically, he’ll most likely drop to D2/NAIA level and whichever team takes a chance on this young man is striking gold. Highlights
Rahmareon Roby Rahmareon Roby 5'10" | 165 lbs | RB Lena Winslow | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Roby is a newer name to me this season and WOW. For playing in the smallest class in Illinois he makes defenders look silly and his play looks effortless at times. I got the chance to see this young man in person during the IHSA 1A State Championship game and this young man not only scored 3 TDs in the FIRST half, he also got into the endzone a countless number of times throughout this game on two point conversions to win the 1A State Championship. He runs out of the double wing offense but don’t let that sway you away from this young man as he has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles and burst through the line of scrimmage upon doing so. He has that next level gear to outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by 2nd level defenders against his competition. This young man has the lateral quickness to turn the corner, finds cutback lanes, and maintains a low center of gravity by breaking arm tackles as he keeps his feet diving. What’s most impressive is his body control where he’ll put his hand into the ground as he’s about to fall down to stay up as well as the way he weaves in and out of defenders in open space where he’ll use quick cuts to make defenders miss. He’s one of the top players in 1A football here in Illinois that has a high ceiling and potential yet to come to light – in my opinion, he has FCS PWO potential if a team would want to take the time to develop his skillset further to bring out some of that untapped potential. Realistically, he’ll fall to a D2/NAIA prospect that is going to instantly impact a team for the better wherever he lands. Highlights
Seth Glatz Seth Glatz 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Morton | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Glatz was a man on a mission this fall season for his team. Coming into this season he wasn’t on my radar but after the first few weeks of the season he was making a name for himself with stellar performances. He has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles as he bursts through the line of scrimmage and has that next level gear to outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by 2nd level defenders against his competition. This young man uses a one cut and go as he can find cutback lanes as well as bounce plays outside using his lateral quickness to turn the corner. Upon clearing the first level of defenders, he maintains a low center of gravity as he keeps his feet driving to break weak arm tackles in the process and his elusiveness is showcased by him making defenders miss in open space. Just for perspective, he ran for 3,300+ yards this fall season and finishes with 45+ TD in the regular season in Class 5A. An overall playmaker that competes on every down where he fights for extra yards as he plays through the whistle. He primarily works out of the pistol and gun formations which gave him great success this fall, if your offense lines up under center he’ll be just as productive. If by chance, you’d like to cause a major mismatch in the air attack you could line him up in the slot where his skillset will transition into him being able to take short/intermediate routes the distance and could potentially win over the top if covered by a linebacker instead of a nickel corner. Overall, he poses a threat no matter where he’s lined up on the offensive side of the ball. In my eyes, he has the potential to be an FCS PWO prospect if a team would want to take the time to develop his skillset further. Otherwise, he’ll most likely fall to D2/NAIA where he can make an instant impact for the team. Highlights
Da’Kobie Wordlaw Da’Kobie Wordlaw 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Brother Rice | 2022 State IL
Mr. Wordlaw was a name I heard about coming into this season and one I was watching to see how he would perform this fall, upon his performance it earned him a spot in our rankings. He can run routes across all levels (short, intermediate, and deep shots downfield) where he constantly makes a play for his team to keep the chains moving. Upon securing bubble screens, he’ll get vertical quickly to gain extra yards on the play. This young man isn’t going to win over the top every time with his speed, rather he does so by understanding leverage as he gets to the defender’s toes before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. This is how he finds himself open on intermediate and deep routes downfield. What’s impressive is how he can use a toe tap to secure sideline grabs as well as having the concentration to bring in touchdown grabs along the side of the endzone. Piggybacking off of this, he understands the QB scramble drill well as he’ll immediately plant his foot into the ground to change direction and become an outlet for his quarterback to keep the chains moving. Let’s not forget that he can attack the ball at the highest point to come away with contested grabs either. The matchup problem he causes as he works out of the slot is one to keep an eye on, especially as he works against linebackers as he uses his leverage to get himself open. I believe he’ll be the most successful if your offense runs RPOs utilizing bubble screens off the option and if you incorporate flood concepts into your passing scheme as his understanding of leverage to attack the defensive player is impressive. In my eyes, he’s a D2/NAIA prospect that could potentially drop to D3/JUCO that has room to add to his frame over the next four years and once he does he could potentially turn into an outside receiver working one on one on the backside. Highlights
Reece Young Reece Young 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Wheaton Warrenville South | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Young is a name I was keeping tabs on heading into this season to see how he developed in the shortened offseason as I wanted to see a little bit more out of him before he got added to the rankings and he did just that. He gets hands on when pressing during man coverage where he’ll stay on the receiver’s hip pocket limiting the chance of him being broken off at the top of the route and putting him in a position to make a play on the ball. This is exactly what this young man does as he can jump routes to come away with the interception and is able to get his hand in the receiver’s basket forcing pass breakups. When he’s guarding deep shots downfield, he can go up for 50/50 balls where he contests the catch which forces incomplete passes off the pass breakup. This young man isn’t afraid to get up close and personal from the corner position putting himself on an island. He’s also used in the return game where he can set his team up in good starting field position. I do believe that he would transition well into a nickel corner with his ability to get hands on when pressing and stay on the receiver’s hip pocket. I see him as more of a man to man corner that plays physically at the line of scrimmage and will take risks at times to make a play on the ball. With that being said, he can also fit well into zone schemes. In my eyes, he’s a D2/NAIA caliber prospect that still has room to hone his craft and if by chance he drops to D3 or JUCO he’s going to make a name for himself quickly. Highlights
Jonathan Young Jonathan Young 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL Andrew | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Young was a new name to me this season and upon diving into his film he’s much deserving of being on our rankings. What stands out to me about this young man is how he fires off the ball and latches on quickly getting inside hand placement. Once he gets this inside hand placement, it’s all over with as he now controls the rep. This translates to him washing the defensive lineman down and finishing plays by keeping his feet driving through the whistle. When you watch his film you’ll also see him getting to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow creating running lanes for his ball carrier. All of this happens with him being aggressive at the point of attack. Switching over to his pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently wait for the rushing defensive lineman to get within arms length before closing the door and latching on to keep the pocket clean for his quarterback. This young man still has room to develop as he has untapped potential and has room to fine tune his skillset further. With that being said, he does possess a good foundation and has that aggressiveness to him that you just love to see out of offensive lineman. In my eyes, he’s a D2/NAIA caliber prospect that might drop to D3 from how late it is in the recruiting landscape for the Class of 2022. Either way, he can be a prototype OT at the next level and given further development could possibly become a three year starter for whoever picks him up. Highlights
Thomas Skokna Thomas Skokna WR Hinsdale Central | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Skokna is a name I was keeping tabs on this fall season and he didn’t disappoint in the slightest which is why he’s now on our rankings. What’s impressive about his young man is his versatility, he can line up outside as well as in the slot and can be a wildcat quarterback as well as used in the return game. In all these areas, his skillset is showcased and put to the test. When at receiver, he’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to gain a step on the defender before stacking and breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the route. Upon doing so, one of two things happen. He either gets vertical upon securing the catch or will go up for 50/50 balls by attacking the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch. Once he’s in open space, he showcases his elusiveness by making the first defender miss and keeps his feet driving breaking weak arm tackles in the process – this is showcased when he’s taking snaps as the wildcat quarterback. What’s also important to note here is that this young man understands spacing as he can find the soft spot in zone coverage where he’ll sit to become an outlet for his quarterback. Let’s not forget his ability to track the ball well either as he looks the ball in over his shoulder on deep shots downfield to keep the chains moving for his team. His versatility gives him an edge against other prospects as he can be utilized in an array of schemes as well as situational packages. With that being said, I could see him getting an FCS PWO off his skillset on top of the versatility that he brings to the table. Realistically, he’ll be a D2/NAIA scholarship prospect that could potentially become a three year starter for the respected program that he chooses. Highlights
Jacob Carnrite Jacob Carnrite 6'2" | 170 lbs | WR Crystal Lake Central | 2022 State IL Twitter
Mr. Carnrite was on my radar heading into this season and I even got a chance to scout one of his games online where he went OFF racking up over 100 yards receiving and coming away with either 2 or 3 touchdowns on the night. Safe to say, he deserves to be on this rankings list. So, you might be wondering what makes this young man so special? Well, I’ll tell you. He can line up both as an outside receiver as well as in the slot, both of which he can win over the top with his speed. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play by getting in and out of his breaks quickly. Here, he can attack the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch as well as get vertical upon securing the catch and use a toe tap to secure sideline grabs (even for sideline endzone TD grabs). This young man is also used in the return game where he weaves in and out of defenders as he changes his gears quickly to set his team up in good starting field position. To me, he’s a mismatch problem whether you line him up outside against the defensive back or even in the slot against the linebacker. What I could see happening, is using him out of the backfield on specific packages to use him as a receiving back to create further mismatches while incorporating him at receiver. With all of this being said, I believe he has the skillset to be an FCS PWO caliber prospect if that team would want to develop him further over the next few seasons. If not, he’ll fall to D2/NAIA scholarship where I believe he can become a three year starter with how versatile and dominant of a player he currently is as he still has room to develop further. Highlights
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