PRZNE 2023 Rankings Update: Newcomers
The Prep Redzone Nebraska 2023 rankings have been released and one thing that the update brought us is several newcomers to the rankings. In this feature, we will take a look at players that earned a spot in the rankings…
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Continue ReadingThe Prep Redzone Nebraska 2023 rankings have been released and one thing that the update brought us is several newcomers to the rankings. In this feature, we will take a look at players that earned a spot in the rankings since the initial release of the 2023 rankings. Some of these players were new to us or had strong spring/summer camps. Check out here to see the full class of 2023 rankings, and stay tuned for any upcoming updates.
Trace Marco Trace Marco 5'10" | 200 lbs | LB Papillion-La Vista South | 2023 State NE (LB/FB) | Papillion-La Vista South | 5’10” 200 lbs
Trace was a player that I was 100% sure I had already added to the first rankings but somehow missed him completely. Nonetheless, he made a splash in the rankings update as a top 50 player (#43) and 7th LB in the 2023 class. Trace is a very versatile player that can be lined up anywhere from outside linebacker, to middle LB, and even at safety in some packages. He has great sideline-to-sideline quickness and delivers bruising hits when he makes contact. Marco is a high football IQ player that read-and-reacts to plays quickly and is always in the right place at the right time. Trace recorded 59 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, forced two fumbles, and recovered one. Trace has gone on junior day visits to Southwest Minnesota State and South Dakota State but is still waiting on his first offer. You’re going to want to get this hard-hitter on your roster.
Kaleb Axmann Kaleb Axmann 5'11" | 175 lbs | LB Waverly | 2023 State NE (LB) | Waverly | 6’0″ 175 lbs
Waverly Viking’s Kaleb Axmann Kaleb Axmann 5'11" | 175 lbs | LB Waverly | 2023 State NE might be one of the more underrated LBs in Class B. Axmann fits the Waverly mold of rugged, tough-nosed, throwback football. Kaleb has a non-stop motor and plays with tons of intensity. Axmann plays outside linebacker and proved to be a menacing edge presence with his ability to use both power and speed moves to make plays in the backfield. Kaleb accumulated 21 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and forced a crazy five fumbles in 2021. He is on the leaner side for a linebacker, but he makes up for it by being fast and physical. He fills his gaps quickly and is a thumper when he gets the ball carrier in his grasp. Kaleb has yet to receive his first offer, but once coaches get a look at his tape, I think he’ll be a hot commodity.
Cole Jarrett Cole Jarrett 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Creighton Prep | 2023 State NE (OL/DL) | Creighton Prep | 6’2″ 270 lbs
The talent in the Creighton Prep 2023 class is outrageous. One of the biggest strengths in their class is their big guys in the trenches. Interior OL Cole Jarrett Cole Jarrett 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Creighton Prep | 2023 State NE may not be as heralded as some of his trench mates, but he is every bit as mean and tough. Jarrett played left guard for the Jr. Jay’s O-line that helped the offense rack up nearly 2,000 rushing yards. Cole plays with a mean streak and can be seen finishing his block through the whistle on several plays. He is a beast on pulling plays and packs a mean punch on first contact. Cole maintains a great pad level and a low center of gravity with his feet square. Cole picked up his first offer from Grand View last month and has since added offers from Peru State and the University of Mary (ND.) and took junior day visits to South Dakota State and Augustana. If Cole and crew get rolling, this will be a scary squad.
Mark Anderson Mark Anderson 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Bellevue East | 2023 State NE (WR) | Bellevue East | 5’10” 170 lbs
Mark is just now being introduced to the rankings, but it already looks like he’s earned himself a jump in the next update. The Chieftain’s budding receiver has been very impressive this summer and has shown lots of improvement since last season’s conclusion. I recently watched him at the Iowa Western and Friday Night Lights camp and both times I thought Mark’s route running was top-notch. He does such a great job sinking his hips when he changes direction. He was absolutely killing defenders at the Friday Night Lights camp with his double move and head fakes. Mark currently sits as the tenth-ranked receiver(#103 overall), but if he continues to show out how he has been, we should expect a rise in the update. Anderson has been picking up steam with recent offers from Northwestern College and Doane College but with a busy summer schedule, I think we’ll see more before the season starts.
Hunter Palmer Hunter Palmer 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Wisner-Pilger | 2023 State NE (RB/ATH) | Wisner-Pilger | 5’10” 175 lbs
How I missed out on Wisner-Pilger’s Hunter Palmer Hunter Palmer 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Wisner-Pilger | 2023 State NE in the release of the initial rankings is beyond me, but he’s here now and looks like a can’t-miss player. Hunter is a very elusive and twitchy player that terrorized 8-man defenses during his junior year. Palmer is a powerful runner in between the tackles with the speed to bounce out to the edge and explode for a homerun. He was also used as a receiver either coming out of the backfield or as a slot receiver. He runs a pretty polished route tree and can make plays at all levels of the fields. Hunter is a player that you will want to feed the ball to in as many situations as you can because he is that explosive. On top of being able to pick up yards, he has a mean streak when he’s asked to block and will finish his blocks with INTENT. He also played corner for the Gators where his athleticism continued to flash. His elite play earned his 1st team All-District honors. Hunter is drawing attention from Chadron State, Concordia, Midland, and a few other schools but has yet to land that first offer. Don’t sleep on this 8-man prospect, his reel speaks for itself!
Leighton Weber Leighton Weber 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Adams Central | 2023 State NE (DE) | Adams Central | 6’4″ 220 lbs
Deep, deep sleeper coming from Adams Central, defensive end Leighton Weber Leighton Weber 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Adams Central | 2023 State NE is a very under-recruited prospect with lots of potential. He is second in returning tackles for the Patriots with 69 total tackles and was huge in their run defense. Leighton does a great job setting the edge and making sure backs don’t break to the outside. He is very patient and reacts very well once he diagnoses the play. What I really like to see is that Weber also recorded 6 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks which show flashes of his ability to collapse the pocket and make plays in the backfield. He was a team captain for Adams Central and earned All-District first-team honors as a DL and OL. Watch out for this big-time player in central Nebraska.
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