Another day, another set of ballers you need to be on the lookout for this fall. A couple of them you probably already know, and three of them you better know. Enjoy!
- ‘Hound On The Rise: Auburndale’s Alex Bledsoe leads things off today. He is a 2021 LB by trade, but came to camp in January working with the tight end group in an effort to cross-train for the upcoming season. Bledsoe is just a sophomore at the moment, but checks-in at a healthy 5-11/189. Bledsoe posted 11 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery for the Bloodhounds this past season. On Sunday, he covered TE’s/RB’s really well in 1v1’s, showed good quickness, as well as closing speed. He also did a great job in the open field tackling drills.
- No! Days! Off!: Wiregrass Ranch’s Dylan Ridolph was *just* anointed as our Defensive Player of the Year in December, and that was only one of a litany of awards for the 6-0/210 Class of 2020 stud. With all of those accolades and some time to rest and recuperate from the season, you’d think he’d chill for a hot minute, right? Nah. In the immortal words of Bill Belichick, “No days off”. Ridolph did a fantastic job of closing down space between him and ball carriers, as well as showed his explosiveness that pops on his film consistently. Ridolph finished his 2018 campaign with 82 tackles, 33 of those for loss, and 22 sacks good for 186 yards lost among other accomplishments.
- Wingin’ It: Pinellas Park is known for their meat-grinding mentality on offense from the Wing-T, and this year was no exception to the tune of 3,300+ yards. What *might* surprise you is they also had a QB throw for 1,600+ yards, with 22 touchdowns and JUST ONE interception. The young man behind that? Brandon Coppola, a 2020 signal-caller that checks-in at 6-0/195 and was good for a 62% completion rate (85-for-137) for 1,623 yards exactly, plus another 153 yards on the ground. We can see why the Patriots like to throw it from the formation though, because Coppola’s accuracy is fantastic, and given that’s not exactly the prototypical characteristic of a Wing-T QB, we are very intrigued by this young man’s skills.
- Packin’ Some Size: He checks-in at 300+, but showcases the hand speed of an elite boxer. He’s also a certified bully. He’s Delton Hall, and he’s a 2020 DT from Largo. Hall posted just 38 tackles for the Packers this season, but things look to be in skyrocket mode heading into 2019.
- The CHIEF: James Ash (6-3/275) has some who’s-who of schools that have offered, but for now, he’s fully focused on domination of whatever opponents are in front of him. The Chamberlain 2020 DL showcased great footwork, did a great job of turning speed into power, and perhaps the best thing about his was his performance during 1v1’s against the best O-Lineman at the camp. To put it short, he did work. BIG WORK. This past season, Ash tallied 45 tackles–40 solo– plus 19 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 hurries, an interception, and a pass defensed.