Make sure to check out video and photos from the 2nd annual EDGYTIM Underclassmen Showcase powered by EFT Football Academy. All Video and Photos are posted for free on the EDGY Free Football Board.
The second year for this event went well overall I felt. We had good numbers (100 OL/DL 15 K and roughly 240 skills) and overall featured a very good level of competition.
I make this disclaimer every year from these events....I do my best to watch 100-200 kids at a time however I can and will miss some kids. Throw in the fact that I'm also co-host of this event and I have multiple responsibilities that can pull me away at times.
All players listed are Class of 2018 unless otherwise noted.
1 Bryce Hellgeth St. Viator QB/K- won the kicking portion of the Showcase and also fared well with the skills here. Good sized kid who is just a very solid all around athlete.
12 Samson Evans Prairie Ridge- worked out here as a quarterback and well overall. Evans, who has 9 offers and counting this winter is a pure athlete type who will draw offers for several different spots. I see Evans as potentially a receiver at the high D1 level but again Evans has the ability to play at a few different spots if needed.
32 WR Nick Calacagno Naperville North- good sized kid who shows good hands and body control. Calcagno is a bigger receiver type who could also develop into say a tight end at the college level? Colleges will be intrigued here.
43 RB Craig Elmore Phillips- junior worked out here at running back and Elmore also can play a pretty strong linebacker as well. Runs hard and was fluid in various drills. Elmore is already a strong inside running and seemed a bit faster here than I remembered last fall.
46 QB Drew Dawkins Evanston- good arm and spins it pretty well. Also ran well in drill work and is athletic/fluid.
53 DB Julian Haynie Rockford Guilford- very long and athletic corner. Could also play safety and has the overall speed and quick twitch you look for in a higher level DB. Looked good in one on ones and closed very well.
58 QB Mike Hohensee St. Charles North- was able to show well and did some nice things here. Has decent size and throws it well and was pretty accurate in drills and some reps I saw. Had to sit behind a multi-year starter in 2016 and summer one days will be big here.
65 RB Henry Geil Preble High (Wisc).- maybe one of the best eye-ball passing kids all day. Big and very strong and well built kid with some speed and burst. I have no idea about Wisconsin football but from the talent I saw from Preble High...they have some serious talent in 2017.
63 LB Jacob Ommen Prairie Ridge- I'm still not sure if Ommen will be a safety or OLB at the college level but I do know he's a player. Great ball skills and very good quickness. More than held his own in coverage here here against a very high level of com petition.
66 LB Joe Perhats Prairie Ridge- good sized kid..and actually a bit bigger on the hoof then I expected. Much like Ommen, Perhats also just has game and does a lot of thing well. Fundamentally sound linebacker.
100 LB Luke Weerts Batavia- another sophomore to watch. Big inside linebacker here whop I have a feeling could wind up playing on the defensive line before it's all said and done.
104 RB Dre Thomas Glenbard West- Really good sized kid who is also pretty versatile. I felt looked his best in various drills. Has good speed and wiggle and also took to coaching well.
105 QB Justin Kolzow Hinsdale South- I've liked Kozlow's game since last summer. Justin looks to have made nice progress in his overall mechanics and fundamentals, makes good throws and has a very good arm. Has good size as well.
119 QB Brandon McPherson Marmion Academy- Really impressive looking athlete on the hoof. I can see McPherson also draw various position looks at the college level. Was impressive in drills and also does some good things in the passing game.
153 QB Christian Perez O'Fallon- Perez is another hard worker who will travel anywhere to compete. Perez to me just does a lot of good things from touch to arm strength to also being a true dual threat type. I have no doubts Perez will be one of the top QB's in the 2018 class in Illinois. Very smooth.
161 WR I'Shawn Stewart Bolingbrook- Stewart is another regular on the showcase/camp circuit. Stewart's calling card is his speed and ball skills. Stewart can just flat out beat people and also ran good routes in one on ones. Easy to see why he's already touting offers.
162 WR Shaneal Greene Carmel- I've seen Greene now in person a few times and this was easily the best I've seen him. Greene has great size, is very athletic and also a disciplined route runner. Greene also showed some speed along with an ability to just go get the football in traffic against tight man coverage.
163 LB Garrett Turner North Chicago- very athletic kid where who easily passes the all important eyeball test. Didn't get to see him a ton in one on ones but was intriguing enough for me to look into him a bit more.
164 DB Devin Blakely Nazareth Academy- only a sophomore. Blakey has great speed and was able to really shine in drills and also in one on ones. Was able to close well and I was impressed at how well he was able to track the football. Lots of upside here and Naz is loaded in the 2018 and 2019 class.
200 QB Drew Clippart Aurora Christian- I mean does anyone really like lefty quarterbacks anyways (kidding here folks)? Clippart threw the football well here and also has impressive overall arm strength and touch. Needs to add a bit more weight but overall? Very solid performance.
204 DB Isaiah Morrison St. Laurence- Easily the best talker and also one of the better cover corners at this event. Has strong man skills and closes exceptionally well on the football. Never backed down to anyone in one on ones and had an overall strong day here.
212 RB Trey Malone Rockford Boylan- We had a few eye opening performances from freshman and Malone was easily one of the better young names here. Malone was working with EFT RB coach and former Notre Dame and NFL RB Robert Hughes and Malone at times reminded me of a younger Hughes from a size/frame development standpoint. Runs with really good speed and again size? Crazy for a 2020 kid.
232 LB BJ Graves Oswego East- Oswego East looks to have more talent on hand for 2018 and younger. Graves is a great on the hoof guy who no question looks the part. Graves also went toe to toe with some top level receivers and backs and was strong. Could wind up being a tweener type (OLB/S).
237 Nick Garlisch St. Charles East- Garlisch has already received an early offer and also showed well here. Garlisch is just a very smart and tough defender with bette than I expected length and reach. Seemed to get better as the showcase went on.
260 RB Kriston Davis Belleville West- I was a big fan of Davis's junior film and I'm still a big fan after his appearance here. Davis has very good speed and was able to show good change of direction/quickness and is also a very fluid runner. Davis also battled in one on ones and showed good hands and toughness.
262 TE Tyler Suddeth Rich South- Suddeth was easily one of the biggest/tallest skill kids at this event. Has length and reach along with good ball skills. Suddeth still has room for improvement but overall the raw tools are there
277 WR Devan Cross Aurora Christian- Caught my eye in drill work. Has very good change of direction and then showed some hands and wiggle in one on ones. A slot type of guy to watch here.
283 DB Giavion Mason Bishop McNamara- Big kid great size and also has a high levle of tools and talent. Passes the eyeball test and will be a potential S/OLB at the college level. Showed good strength and toughness in one on ones along with plenty of ball skills and speed. Has a chance to really blow up sooner rather than later.
285 DB Deshon Gavin Providence Catholic- Yet another veteran of the camp/showcase circuit so I was already very familiar with Gavin. I just like the overall size/length andf skills that Gavin brings to the table. Gavin was very good in one on ones and always seems to make plays.
293 LB Delonte Jones Thornton- passes the eyeball test easily. Jones has good size/frame and looked impressive in various drills. Didn't get to see much of his one on ones but no question is a name to watch.
311 DB Joseph Thompson Phillips - only a sophomore. I saw Thompson last summer and he was showing signs of much better days ahead. Thompson has the tools along with the physical makeup to become a D1 level. Thompson played mainly receiver in 2016 so it was interesting to see how well he did here at defensive back.
316 QB Kyle Neputy Stagg- Seems to add an inch and gain more size every time I see Kyle Neputy. Threw the football well here and did what he usually does at these indoor events, which is just perform well. Only question I have for now is could colleges look/evaluate him at multiple positions?
QB Athan Kaliakmanis- brought in by one of the Showcase coaches, Athan was more than capable in drill work and one on ones. Scary thing is...Athan is an 8th grader aka Class of 2021. Already looks and throws it like a varsity level player.
318 QB J'Bore Gibbs Phillips- Gibbs has made terrific strides in becoming more of a pocket passer and more of a true dual threat quarterback. Gibbs is again one of a handful of bigger, stronger athletes who could be a dangerous read option type under center or play elsewhere if needed. I keep seeing Gibbs making better throws and better decisions.
322 LB Jack Sanborn Lake Zurich- Sanborn is an elite level linebacker recruit with offers. I was happy to see Sanborn here and was impressed with his progress from this past season. Sanborn is a longer and bigger player this winter who looks to be starting to fill out his frame. Sanborn was impressive in coverage and that's no easy task for linebackers with offers at these showcases.
323 WR Micah Jones Warren Township- again another multi-offer kid who just loves to compete. Jones has exceptional reach and tools, can run past or over all defenders when required. Has thge frame/size to get even bigger and stronger at the college level.
338 OLB Terrance Taylor Mount Carmel- I was a big fan of Taylor's after I saw him live last summer. Taylor is just a long, lanky and highly athletic kid who will either play OLB or DE at the college level. Taylor was really on here and impressed all observers with his mix of quickness, power and overall cover skills.
