South Dakota State Prospect Camp: Session 2 Standouts
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BROOKINGS, SD– We tap into Session 2 of our in-person evaluations in year two, evaluating the massive amount of talent at the SDSU Prospect Camp in Brookings, South Dakota. We had a vast plethora to choose from at SDSU, but…
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Continue ReadingBROOKINGS, SD– We tap into Session 2 of our in-person evaluations in year two, evaluating the massive amount of talent at the SDSU Prospect Camp in Brookings, South Dakota. We had a vast plethora to choose from at SDSU, but with so many prospect camps across the Midwest, over the summer, we try to break our evals into 2 or 3 sessions worth, meaning that these evaluations show even more value to our Prep Redzone subscribers and to the prospects as well. We flashback into the end of June and tell you who the best of the best prospects were at SDSU in Session 2. From Minneapolis, small town Iowa and the East River of South Dakota, these prospects showed a ton of potential for their upcoming 2022 seasons and their futures playing the game of college football. Take a look at who balled out in Brookings!
Isreal Moses, DB, Minneapolis DeLaSalle (MN) 2023
I loved watching the longevity in the steps from Isreal at the South Dakota State prospect camp. He makes strong use of his feet from point A to point B and showed off a massive coverage area in the 1v1 reps I watched him take in Brookings. His long strides at 6’3 show off a defensive back prospect that shows a wide net, especially with his length in his lower body to fly to the ball very quickly. In my eyes, his tape doesn’t even do justice to just how fast this young man really is. You, of course, can see the sideline to sideline distance that Isreal can cover on tape, but his quick trigger on catching wide receivers in their tracks with his short strides that go a long way when he is traveling 2-5 yards to make a tackle might get missed if you are not paying close attention. Isreal also does a great job with his reaching ability, as he has the stretch in his arms to make a tackle with that defender that might be out of range for the stereotypical corner that sits around 5’10-6’0. I also like his coverage ability on deeper routes guarding a bigger receiver, as he can reach high or low dependent on where the ball is placed to get the pass breakup. I would love to see in Isreal’s senior tape to grow on his physicality from the cornerback spot, as although he makes satisfying contact, I certainly think this young man can take it up a notch. Isreal is an excellent reason why I love camp season, as some prospects just flourish stronger in a camp setting, with him indeed being one of them as he set a high ceiling on his recruiting trail especially from the Division II level of his talents he showed in Brookings.
Anthony Powell Anthony Powell 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Rogers | 2023 MN , RB, Rogers (MN) 2023
Anthony showed off a lot of finesse when I watched him early in the testing sessions at SDSU and the reps from 1v1s. His versatility is what stuck out most for me when I got the chance to evaluate his tape. He shows a low center of gravity with the physical traits to lower his shoulder to take a second-level defensive player to the turf and shows a noticeable twitch from side to side. He is also a huge asset for the Royals in the screen game, as Anthony shows off superb hands catching the ball out of the backfield and patience waiting for the ball to come his way, as his quick instincts have the ability to adjust to the ball placement to give him an edge when he starts his run as a pass-catcher. Anthony also shows ample durability in his lower body when running thru contact, as the consistency with his carries comes from bulldozing a defender or one that attacks his lower body, but his legs just keep churning nicely running out of that contact. Anthony ran for 1600 yards last season for the Rogers Royals, and although not the biggest running back I have ever seen, I am very surprised how under-recruited he is based on the in-person evaluation and his junior tape.
CJ Smith CJ Smith 5'11" | 160 lbs | QB Dell Rapids St Marys | 2023 State , QB, Dell Rapids St. Mary (SD) 2023
CJ was another prospect at the SDSU prospect camp that was good to get an in-person evaluation as an incoming senior at Dell Rapids St. Mary. What did I like about CJ in Brookings? It certainly was his poise he showed off in 1v1s as this kid showed a lot of comfortability throwing the football inside and outside of the pocket. His touch on his ball is what struck a chord with our evaluation, as although he doesn’t have the most velocity on his ball, he has excellent ball placement and precision on his intermediate routes that we caught at SDSU. CJ also has an athletic build for his size, as his ability to use solid selection in RPOs sets him up nicely for either showing off that quick release or extending his plays with his legs to get the Cardinals there plenty of first downs. CJ already has one offer under his belt at the NAIA level, and I am sure the North Star Conference is undoubtedly not done recruiting this young man, as CJ also shows to be a high-character prospect as well off the football field.
Wil Neuharth, DB/WR, Harlan (IA) 2023
Wil was likely one the most off-the-radar prospect in my eyes from far Western Iowa at Harlan High School. This kid showed off not just blazing speed in his testing session but was explosive with his broad jump as well at the South Dakota State prospect camp. This kid plays one step ahead of the wide receiver when you get the chance to watch his tape, as he played exceptionally well at state this season in pass coverage for Harlan. His versatility in pass coverage on tape certainly caught my eyes as he could line up in press-man or give the wide receiver a cushion, and he showed physical endurance to show off that high vertical of his for plenty of pass breakups with his opened-up physicality. Wil also packs a punch off his first steps with the wide receiver, as he has the loaded physicality to knock the wide receiver he’s covering off balance and cause all sorts of problems before they can even get their early steps into play. He shows exceptional ball instincts on his deep routes. His change of direction speed has the trigger to certainly be a sideline-to-sideline cornerback that can also eat up the run inside on the early level of the field. Wil picked up a recent NAIA offer locally but based on the tape and his showing at SDSU, I believe that he has a higher ceiling that just hasn’t gotten the notice he deserves yet from the Division II level. Stay tuned to the 2022 season on Wil, as he will likely have a breakout year.
Bruce Soukup Bruce Soukup 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Prior Lake Highschool | 2023 MN , Linebacker, Prior Lake (MN) 2023
Bruce impressed me at South Dakota State with the elevated motor he showed off in 1v1 reps in Brookings. He showed a decisive change of direction with his open hips to adjust his line with the ball carrier to make darn sure he made solid contact with the ball carrier. I took a look into Bruce’s 2021 tape, and very early, it was easy to see this young man will go well out of his way to make a play on the ball. Bruce shows off an instinctive first step when approaching the backfield, and in my eyes, it looks faster in person than his junior tape might show off. His adaptable skillsets carry significant pressure when he gets into the backfield, and although he might not get all the way to the QB on some reps, he creates a momentous amount of pressure to cut off the poise levels the quarterback might have had before the play even started. Bruce’s timing with his footwork shows off keyed in distinctiveness to set his feet for the sound contact level on the ball carrier and an excellent football IQ even before the football comes his way. Big season coming up for this kid in 2022 out of Prior Lake.