Indiana 2023 Recruits On The Rise
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The depth in Indiana is getting deeper each year. We’ve been going through the classes and now we’re stopping in 2023 to look at some recruits who are starting to garner more attention and what the road ahead could look…
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Continue ReadingThe depth in Indiana is getting deeper each year. We’ve been going through the classes and now we’re stopping in 2023 to look at some recruits who are starting to garner more attention and what the road ahead could look like for them.
Winston Berglund Winston Berglund 6'2" | 195 lbs | DB Carmel | 2023 State IN – Carmel – OLB/SS – 6’2″ 195 lbs
Berglund is fun to watch. He’s got great size, agility, and football instincts, especially for someone his size. He’s got a decent frame but I think when he gets into a college program, he will really take off. He actually looks a bit slender right now which is encouraging when you think about where his body can be in a few years. He’ll probably easily be able to put on 30 pounds of muscle in college and become a freak of nature. He knows when to use his body to his advantage and when to be more cautious with it. He’s got fantastic closing speed and almost always, attacks the outside hip. He’s got the speed to cover sideline to sideline which makes me think there’s a chance he’ll move to MLB in college. Well, his speed and football IQ are what could have him land at MLB. He appears to be a guy who plays very smart and understands the game. He’ll direct his teammates on when and where to shift along with making some live adjustments at the line. He has no issue calling out what he sees pre-snap and giving his teammates a heads up on what might be coming. He knows where he needs to be and when he needs to be there. He won’t miss very many assignments but yet has a good feel of when to come off of his job and make the play. He’s very instinctive and once he commits to something, there’s no going back. He’s tough and lays some big hits. When he blitzes, he’s able to split the gaps and get home. Dropping back in coverage, he’s decent. He’ll be able to run with pretty much every RB and TE at the next level. Berglund is going to make some college program very happy one day. I’m not sure who or where, but Berglund checks every box you want in a recruit at the LB position.
Gavin Oakes Jr – Center Grove – CB/SS – 5’11″ 170 lbs
Oakes is primarily Center Grove’s field side Safety and he does a great job. He’s able to cover his half of the field without an issue, and when they run cover 6, they’ll trust him with his half of the field by himself. Oakes is a very sound player and keeps everything in front of him. He trusts what he sees on the field and is able to either come down and make the play or stay back in coverage. When he comes downhill to make the play, he’s going to lay a decent hit on the ball carrier. Oakes is faster than people expect and he will hit you at full speed. Fundamentally for his age, Oakes is rather good. His footwork is solid and he doesn’t waste a ton of movement. He knows how to come to balance and he’s been taught how to properly tackle. Both sound so simple but can be the worst bad habits to break. Oakes has the speed to run with pretty much anyone on the field. Right now, my biggest knock on Oakes is sometimes he takes a poor angle. I think it’s because he’s so fast that he believes his speed can get him back into any play. While that isn’t quite the case, he’s not entirely wrong. He’s able to run down pretty much everyone. The problem is, you don’t want that to become a bad habit. However, we’re knit-picking right now. I do hope he’s able to bulk up some over the next year and get just a bit thicker. Oakes is a very sound prospect who is only getting better. My guess is by the time he graduates, he’ll have a handful of offers and he can pick the best one for him.
Jay Patterson Jay Patterson 6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH Taylor | 2023 State IN – Taylor – ATH – 6’2″ 175 lbs
Patterson is lightning in a bottle. He plays RB, Safety, and returns kicks for Taylor. In the return game, it’s a really bad idea to kick the ball to him. I lost count at 6 returns for Touchdowns in his tape from just this past year. I’m not sure why teams didn’t just kick it out of bounds, but it is what it is. He’s shown that he’s got fantastic vision and is able to find cutback lanes that barely even exist. He’s able to shoot through those tiny gaps and come out the other side full speed. At RB, footwork, pass protection, and pass-catching he’s raw, but it hasn’t proved to matter yet. If you get the ball in his hands, he’s a threat to score. He likes to get full speed as soon as he can. He doesn’t like to go East and West. He wants to get North and South immediately. He won’t break a ton of tackles at the next level, but he’ll be able to make guys miss. I will say, Patterson has a bad habit of letting the ball leave his body. He lets it hang around like Lesean McCoy. I would like to see him get that ball high and tight and make that a permanent thing. There were times I was holding my breath when he had the ball in his hands. I could only imagine how his coaches feel. I didn’t see any fumbles but in college, those DBs will get that ball out. Patterson is able to come out of the backfield and line up at WR. I’m not sure what position college coaches will want him at, but just with his kick return ability alone, schools will come knocking, everything else is a huge bonus for them. Patterson is fun and where he ends up could be key for his development and how far he can go.
Patrick Kendall III Patrick Kendall III 6'5" | 280 lbs | DL Cathedral | 2023 State IN – Cathedral – DT/DE – 6’5″ 270 lbs
Kendall weighs 270 and in all honesty, that isn’t baby fat. He’s very well built and looks like his frame only needs a tune-up for college. He lines up on the inside for Cathedral and very rarely loses his 1 on 1s. There are times he’s able to bull rush his guy right back into his QBs lap. He knows how to shed his blocks and fit to the side of the gap the ball carrier is on. I will say, his side-to-side agility isn’t the best. I do also think right now his upper body is a little bit stiff and he has a decent amount of wasted movement right off the line. When he doesn’t get home, he knows to get his hands up to try batting the ball down. He has success with it and is able to read the QBs eyes in the quick passing game so he knows when to jump. Like any DT would tell you, he impacts the game more than his stats. Kendall is usually able to get pressure up the A gap and force the QB out of the pocket. In the running game, they try to run away from him as well which is a huge compliment to any DT. However, Kendall is able to shed his blocks and will run down the ball carrier if he has to. Kendall doesn’t give up on any play and is a high motor player. His effort in the 4th quarter is the same as it is in the 1st. Not only does that show to me he’s in great shape, but it matches what you see on tape. He seems to never get tired and he’s on the field for pretty much every defensive down. He isn’t the most refined prospect, but there is a ton to like and what he can bring to college programs. When he graduates, he’ll have a handful of offers he can go through and find the best scheme fit for him.