RDAF Showcase Session 2 In Review

 

Session two of the RDAF NW College Showcase saw the RB/TE/LB’s take their turn in front of the various college coaches in attendance.

Below is a breakdown of session 2 athletes. This is a list of athletes that stood out to me, and not a list of every athlete.

To view a breakdown of Session 1, simply Click Here .

 

Runningbacks

 

It is tough to talk about runningbacks at an event and not mention Connor Wedington (’17 Sumner). While I did see him finally lose a rep, he was outstanding all day. Fresh off an offer from Easter Washington, Wedington showed no signs of slowing down, and looked great throughout the day.

I really liked what I saw from Dexter Carter (’16 Glacier Peak) and Damani Watkins (’16 Bothell). Carter has a nice frame and shows good speed. I thought he did very well in all phases of the second session, and looks to be a college level athlete. Watkins does little things really well and exceled in the one-on-one portion. He has good speed and you gotta like his quick feet.

John Lesser (’16 Liberty Christian) plays 8-man football over in the Tri-Cities. He showed tremendous all-around athleticism on Sunday and turned some collegiate heads. Lesser has good speed, hands and great leadership. Look for more on Lesser in the coming days.

Jesse Beringer (’16 Bellevue) and Fredrick Cooper (’17 O’Dea) both showed well throughout the day. Usually a LB, this is the most I have seen Beringer work at RB during one event, and thought he looked very good. He has good speed, nice hands and a good understanding for the position. Cooper was new to the circuit, having moved from Maryland a few months back. He has a nice frame, great all-around athleticism and is a name we will keep an eye on this season.

Two young RB’s I liked were Brennan Barberich (’17 Walla Walla) and Connor Gregoire (’18 O’Dea). Barberich is one of the top backs in eastern Washington and showed it on Sunday. He has good speed, nice hands and great vision. This was the first time I have seen Gregoire, and I was thoroughly impressed. He looked good in drills, showing nice hips, feet and a willingness to learn.

Lastly I liked the play of Aki Howell (’16 Everett) and Trey Woods (’17 North Bend, OR). Howell looks like a more polished back, with good feet and speed. Having never seen him before, he instantly stood out and did a great job throughout the session. Woods has great size at 6’3″ 190, and is a name to keep an eye on out of Southwest Oregon. He has good speed, nice hands and could project at multiple positions.

 

Tight End

 

Colton Swain (’16 Mount Si) and Ryan Crnkovich (’16 Bellevue) both had coaches talking. Swain continued a nice offseason showcasing his ability to get open and make plays. He has good size and a nice set of hands, that give him the look of a D1 athlete. Crnkovich has really started to come on lately, and showed his athleticism and playmaking ability throughout the day. He has a great frame, with good hands and showed the ability to play attached to the line or split out.

The top underclassmen in attendance was Monquel Glasow (’17 Marist, OR). He showed a physical side in the run game drills, but it was his ability as a receiver that really stood out. He made some really nice catches, and showed surprising speed and athleticism.

Nate Shubert (’16 Kamiak) is one of Washington’s top TE’s, and showed it his abilities on Sunday. He has good size, really nice hands and does a great job at creating separation. Shubert has good athleticism and is also a high academic student in the classroom.

Two 2016 TE’s that had nice days were Ian Van der Meer (Sam Barlow, OR) and Dylan Murphy (Newport). You could make a case that both project highest at other positions, but each made a case at TE. Each showed well in the run blocking, as well as in receiver drills.

 

Linebacker

 

Big time showing from Kaelin Himphill (’16 Liberty, OR), as he more than solidified his spot as an offered athlete. Himphill has a great frame and runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. He was all over the field with one head changing play after another. No doubt in my mind Himphill will be picking up more offers.

I thought Erik Glueck (’16 Bellarmine Prep) and Luke Lane (’16 Bellevue) had nice days. Glueck is a physical run stuffing MLB, but showed an ability in coverage I hadn’t seen from him before. Lane is really starting to grow on me. He is a very smart backer with great athleticism and a nose for the ball.

The top two underclassmen on the day were Alex Diegel (’17 Skyline) and Jack Weidenbach (’17 Mount Si). Diegel is really no surprise, as he is one of the top LB’s in his class, and has all the looks of a D1 athlete. He has size, speed, athleticism and is a very aggressive hitter. I don’t know much about Weidenbach, but he had a great day. He looked very good in the SAQ, Drills and One-on-Ones. Both players are definitely ones you will want to keep an eye on.

Another underclassmen with a nice showing was Brody Weinheimer (’17 Lynden). He showed good all-around athleticism and aggressiveness, and did better in the one-on-ones than I have seen from him in the past.

Hunter Haggerty (’16 Tumwater) and Dillon Fargo (’16 Monroe) continued their nice offseasons with a good showing on Sunday. Haggerty is an unknown to most people, but has put his name on my map with a nice showings at the NW Stars and RDAF Camps. He has good size, awareness and really flies to the ball. Fargo is flying under the radar right now, after a great junior season, but it is only a matter of time before he sees his interest soar. He showed good speed and a great understanding of the position.

Couple underclassmen with nice showings were DJ Hagler (’17 Eagle, ID) and Jhamante Woods (’18 Scappoose). Hagler made a very long drive to Interlake, and had a great showing once he got there. He showed well in the drills and good athleticism in the SAQ. Woods was a surprise as it isn’t typical of young linebackers to stand out. He still has a ways to go, but showed good athleticism and is one we will be keeping an eye on.

I have seen Maceo Thomas-Murphy (’16 Puyallup) a lot the last two offseasons, and think he has done a tremendous job setting himself up for his senior year. Maceo is a bit undersized, but plays fast and physical with a high motor. He has done a good job working on his hips and ability in pass coverage.