This is my extended review from yesterday. Felt very comfortable looking and evaluating the OL and DL group. Was thrilled with the overall numbers (upper 90's) and especially the talent level. The sophomore/freshman group had potentially as strong or even better overall talent.
Kevin Jarvis Maine South- was the consensus top OL performer on the day. Jarvis is just a great looking OG type. Jarvis plays with a ton of passion and has a very high motor. I'm impressed with Jarvis strength and balance and he has just developed a terrific punch. Again a high level recruit here.
Nick Bart Barrington- My first chance seeing Bart up close and he didn't disappoint. Bart is another interior OL with a great mix of size/strength and is very mobile. Bart's overall hands, technique and first step really stood out. Bart gets on a defender quick and has enough power/punch to finish well.
Chuck Walsh York- huge kid and a definite tackle body type. Looks to be 6-foot-7, 310 pound range and while Walsh still has work to do in the overall mobility department he did show well enough to make this list. Again a true tackle size and frame and has strength and decent feet for a kid his size. If Walsh can improve his overall quickness with his hands and feet he has a chance to draw lower to mid D1 looks and potential offers.
Meckah L\ester Simeon- good sized kid, long and lanky and also has some quick twitch. React well good first step. Still a work in progress fundamentally but the overall raw tools look to be there.
Jimmy Wormsley Jacobs (sophomore)- another physically impressive kid for his age. Big, strong kid with a very good motor and skills. Can move well for his size and will just get better from here on out. I see him as a high level OG type in the Class of 2018 and a definite early offer type.
Shane Walker St. Francis- another junior who looked impressive in person. Walker just has a pretty solid overall game. Lost a few and won a few in one on ones but overall looks to be pretty fundamentally sound. Can improve his overall pass pro but I like his overall upside. Could also be a bit of a tweener positionally between a tackle and being inside.
Jameez Kimbrough H-F- really liked Jameez game from the 2015 season. Just a really athletic bigger kid here. Moves exceptionally well has solid fundamentals. Came in a bit lighter than I expected from an overall weight standpoint but he also has a big frame and no question is still growing in my opinion physically. Could be potentially also become say a DE type? Has more of a look of say a DE right now. Will be a definite name to keep track of over the next few months.
Trevor Keegan Crystal Lake South- only a freshman and I'm not one to overly hype kids, especially linemen this young. However as a freshman Keegan already has great size and upside. Has the frame to eventually become say a 280-290 pounder. Moves well and is pretty sound for a freshman. Long term name to watch no question.
Adam Gago Taft- as raw as eggs but his overall frame, size and strength is pretty impressive. Will need to really work hard over the next 6 months but could become a real sleeper in the Class of 2017. Gago no question passes the eyeball test and has raw tools. A project type that could pay off.
Jeff Jenkins Prairie Ridge (sophomore)- again the Fox Valley area has a ton of big kids at the underclassmen level and some good big kids to watch as well. Jenkins is really interesting to me, He always has good size, length and could get even bigger and stronger. Right now Jenkins is a very polished blocker but he also looks like a kid that could draw a few camp looks at say DT or even DE? Very athletic kid here as well, really like his potential.
Verderian Lowe Rockford Auburn- seems like I've been watching Verderian since his freshman year....well that's because I have. Ever since his freshman year Lowe has had some impressive tools and game for a kid who's in the 6-foot-5 350 pound range. Lowe moves very well and the most impressive thing I saw is his body transformation. Lowe is still pretty close to that 350 pound range but has transformed a ton of body fat into muscle. Will be drawing more offers sooner rather than later at the D1 level.
Hunter Dauparas Providence (soph)- just another young guy here who did pretty well here. Still needs to add more size and strength but overall? Not too shabby for a sophomore.
Braden Foster Carmel (soph)- Braden is the younger brother of Sean Foster, who is one of the top recruits in the 2016 class. Braden had a good day here. He continues to drop body fat, moves pretty well and is more on an interior guy to me. Once you realize that Braden is still just a sophomore, you can see how much he can still improve and develop over the next year plus. A name to watch here no question.
Sam Ambrogio St. Charles North- saw Sam play live in 2015 so I was already familiar with him. Sam played both ways for North last fall but worked as an OL here. Has good size/frame and moves well and also has decent bend and feet. Will need to continue to add strength but no question has alot to offer here.
John Michael Schmitz H-F- really impressed me in one on ones. Looks to be around 260 pound range and will no question add more weight and size over the next few years. Strong kid, good balance and moves well. Also has good feet and like most H-F kids is just very, very athletic. No question improved his recruiting stock here.
Christian Nielsen Evanston- played center in one on ones and wound up being in the best of the best. No a huge kid here physically and will need to add more size and bulk but Neilsen is very strong in pass pro and just has a very strong overall game. Will be strictly an OC type at a bigger level school but is worth a look or three.
Josh Weichel Niles West- tackle body type who easily one of the biggest OL at this event. Still needs to cut weight and work on his overall quickness and feet but Weichel also has a ton of upside as well. Handled himself well in one on ones and you don't see such a big kid with as much mobility than this kid. Will be more of a camp offer type but will no question draw looks. Could be a nice project and a steal for say the lower D1 1AA level.
Next? Best of the DL
Kevin Jarvis Maine South- was the consensus top OL performer on the day. Jarvis is just a great looking OG type. Jarvis plays with a ton of passion and has a very high motor. I'm impressed with Jarvis strength and balance and he has just developed a terrific punch. Again a high level recruit here.
Nick Bart Barrington- My first chance seeing Bart up close and he didn't disappoint. Bart is another interior OL with a great mix of size/strength and is very mobile. Bart's overall hands, technique and first step really stood out. Bart gets on a defender quick and has enough power/punch to finish well.
Chuck Walsh York- huge kid and a definite tackle body type. Looks to be 6-foot-7, 310 pound range and while Walsh still has work to do in the overall mobility department he did show well enough to make this list. Again a true tackle size and frame and has strength and decent feet for a kid his size. If Walsh can improve his overall quickness with his hands and feet he has a chance to draw lower to mid D1 looks and potential offers.
Meckah L\ester Simeon- good sized kid, long and lanky and also has some quick twitch. React well good first step. Still a work in progress fundamentally but the overall raw tools look to be there.
Jimmy Wormsley Jacobs (sophomore)- another physically impressive kid for his age. Big, strong kid with a very good motor and skills. Can move well for his size and will just get better from here on out. I see him as a high level OG type in the Class of 2018 and a definite early offer type.
Shane Walker St. Francis- another junior who looked impressive in person. Walker just has a pretty solid overall game. Lost a few and won a few in one on ones but overall looks to be pretty fundamentally sound. Can improve his overall pass pro but I like his overall upside. Could also be a bit of a tweener positionally between a tackle and being inside.
Jameez Kimbrough H-F- really liked Jameez game from the 2015 season. Just a really athletic bigger kid here. Moves exceptionally well has solid fundamentals. Came in a bit lighter than I expected from an overall weight standpoint but he also has a big frame and no question is still growing in my opinion physically. Could be potentially also become say a DE type? Has more of a look of say a DE right now. Will be a definite name to keep track of over the next few months.
Trevor Keegan Crystal Lake South- only a freshman and I'm not one to overly hype kids, especially linemen this young. However as a freshman Keegan already has great size and upside. Has the frame to eventually become say a 280-290 pounder. Moves well and is pretty sound for a freshman. Long term name to watch no question.
Adam Gago Taft- as raw as eggs but his overall frame, size and strength is pretty impressive. Will need to really work hard over the next 6 months but could become a real sleeper in the Class of 2017. Gago no question passes the eyeball test and has raw tools. A project type that could pay off.
Jeff Jenkins Prairie Ridge (sophomore)- again the Fox Valley area has a ton of big kids at the underclassmen level and some good big kids to watch as well. Jenkins is really interesting to me, He always has good size, length and could get even bigger and stronger. Right now Jenkins is a very polished blocker but he also looks like a kid that could draw a few camp looks at say DT or even DE? Very athletic kid here as well, really like his potential.
Verderian Lowe Rockford Auburn- seems like I've been watching Verderian since his freshman year....well that's because I have. Ever since his freshman year Lowe has had some impressive tools and game for a kid who's in the 6-foot-5 350 pound range. Lowe moves very well and the most impressive thing I saw is his body transformation. Lowe is still pretty close to that 350 pound range but has transformed a ton of body fat into muscle. Will be drawing more offers sooner rather than later at the D1 level.
Hunter Dauparas Providence (soph)- just another young guy here who did pretty well here. Still needs to add more size and strength but overall? Not too shabby for a sophomore.
Braden Foster Carmel (soph)- Braden is the younger brother of Sean Foster, who is one of the top recruits in the 2016 class. Braden had a good day here. He continues to drop body fat, moves pretty well and is more on an interior guy to me. Once you realize that Braden is still just a sophomore, you can see how much he can still improve and develop over the next year plus. A name to watch here no question.
Sam Ambrogio St. Charles North- saw Sam play live in 2015 so I was already familiar with him. Sam played both ways for North last fall but worked as an OL here. Has good size/frame and moves well and also has decent bend and feet. Will need to continue to add strength but no question has alot to offer here.
John Michael Schmitz H-F- really impressed me in one on ones. Looks to be around 260 pound range and will no question add more weight and size over the next few years. Strong kid, good balance and moves well. Also has good feet and like most H-F kids is just very, very athletic. No question improved his recruiting stock here.
Christian Nielsen Evanston- played center in one on ones and wound up being in the best of the best. No a huge kid here physically and will need to add more size and bulk but Neilsen is very strong in pass pro and just has a very strong overall game. Will be strictly an OC type at a bigger level school but is worth a look or three.
Josh Weichel Niles West- tackle body type who easily one of the biggest OL at this event. Still needs to cut weight and work on his overall quickness and feet but Weichel also has a ton of upside as well. Handled himself well in one on ones and you don't see such a big kid with as much mobility than this kid. Will be more of a camp offer type but will no question draw looks. Could be a nice project and a steal for say the lower D1 1AA level.
Next? Best of the DL
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