High School Game Review: IMG Academy vs Venice

High school football is in full swing and with ESPN airing the game Friday night we were able to get a look at quite a few prospects. IMG has so many top prospects it’s difficult for all of them to make plays and get noticed in the same game. Here are our thoughts on the prospects we saw in the IMG Academy vs Venice game Friday night.

Top Prospect

Offensive tackle JC Latham is an Alabama commit in the 2021 class from IMG. He has good height and length at the tackle position and looks the part of an elite tackle prospect. He was overpowering in the run game in this contest, there were few players on the Venice defensive line who could provide much resistance to Latham up front. The Venice pass rushers were not able to challenge Latham often, he was able to rely on his physical tools to hold them at bay. His technique needs work, but the tools scream off the screen. Latham has quick feet and showed excellent bend and flexibility at his size, dominating up front all game for IMG. He was the best prospect on a field full of stars and played an excellent game.

Committed 2021 Prospects From IMG

JJ McCarthy is a 2021 quarterback prospect for IMG who is committed to Michigan. He has decent height at the position but is still very slim and needs to continue to get bigger. McCarthy was under very little pressure in this game as his offensive line was in control most of the night. He was accurate underneath and allowed his receivers and backs to make plays after the catch. McCarthy threw 5 touchdowns on the evening to four different receivers. McCarthy only made one mistake on the night, where he didn’t see a safety in coverage but fortunately the potential interception was dropped. He was an effective runner and made defenders miss while scrambling on third down to pick up a first down on two different occasions. McCarthy had a good game overall as IMG was not really challenged much Friday night.

Malik McClain is a 2021 WR prospect committed to Florida State. He is tall and long but does need to fill out some for the college game. McClain had a wonderful game on Friday night. He caught two touchdown passes and both were impressive. The first came on a receiver screen on the outside where he was able to make a defender miss and then turn on the jets to streak down the sideline for a score. The second was in the back of the endzone where he leaped and caught a high throw, took a shot but held on for the touchdown. He made a few other catches as well including a long catch early where he got behind the defense on a miscommunication and would have scored if the ball was not under-thrown. McClain showed good speed and hands throughout the game and was a big play threat all night.

DT Anthony Hundley is a 2021 prospect committed to LSU. He has good size with some room to fill out and get stronger. Hundley made several nice plays this game and was able to get in the backfield and be disruptive. He sniffed out a screen early and closed quickly on the ball carrier for a tackle for loss. He had three tackles for loss on the game, the other two coming against run plays where he was able to quickly get penetration in the backfield and get off the block to make the play. He showed good quickness off the ball and was a handful for the Venice offensive line this game. Hundley is a disruptive player who should do well in Baton Rouge.

Lovasea Carroll is a 2021 running back prospect who is committed to Georgia. Carroll has the build of a college running back and his strength is evident on the field. Carroll ran with good balance and power all game, making him very tough to bring down at the second level. He is not a burner, but showed decent speed and burst through the holes his offensive line was creating. Carroll ran in a touchdown in the first quarter from about 10 yards out accelerating through the hole and scoring. Carroll was excellent as a receiver out of the backfield throughout the game and has the hands to be a contributor in the passing game at the next level. Carroll has a well rounded game and should be a complete college running back at Georgia.

WR JaCorey Brooks is committed to Alabama in the 2021 class. He has good size and is a physically impressive receiver out on the field. Brooks ran a crisp slant route and got open for a touchdown early in the game. He has soft hands and catches the football well, then makes defenders miss after the catch. Brooks had a good punt return in the first quarter where he was shifty and smooth in the open field. He did muff a punt later in the game but that was the only negative play Brooks had this game. Brooks wasn’t asked to do much this game with IMG dominating throughout, but he is clearly very talented.

Greg Crippen plays center for IMG and is committed to Michigan. Crippen has a good frame and has the size and strength to be a college center. Crippen was good most of the night but did have a few things to work on. He had two poor snaps, one of which resulted in a big loss when the team was driving. He also missed a block where he had to seal off an outside player, which resulted in a tackle for loss. There were a lot of positives on the night as well, Crippen was excellent at the point of attack, quickly blocking and sealing off his defender. On Carroll’s touchdown run, Crippen sealed off the defensive linemen and opened up a wide running lane for the score. He was stout on the inside in pass protection and did a good job of engaging defenders quickly and neutralizing them.

Committed 2021 Prospects From Venice

Charles Brantley plays cornerback for Venice and is committed to Michigan State. Brantley has good height and length at cornerback but is still very thin and needs to get stronger. Brantley was good in coverage most of the night, and had a couple of pass breakups in the game. He was able to stick with the talented IMG receivers and showed good speed and quickness. He was fast in pursuit and was able to get to the ball quickly. Brantley did miss a tackle early on a swing pass, and will need to get stronger in run support. Brantley has good coverage ability and finds the football well, he should excel in East Lansing.

Weston Wolff of Venice is a 2021 tight end prospect who is committed to Maryland. He has good height but will need to get a lot stronger to be an in-line tight end in college. Venice flexed Wolff out at receiver most of the game and he was there go-to option in the passing game. Wolff was up to the challenge and made a few nice plays against a quality group of defensive backs. He caught a first down against Markevious Brown in tight coverage where he was able to position himself well to shield off Brown and make the contested catch. He also scored a touchdown late in the second quarter when he caught a slant route, then broke a tackle to score. He showed the ability to get yards after the catch on another play in the fourth quarter. Wolff did drop a pass on third down in the third quarter, but was able to compete against a high quality secondary and won his share of plays.

OT Ethan Mort is a 2021 prospect committed to UCF. Mort has good height and the frame to play tackle in college. He held his own against a very talented defensive line for IMG. Early in the game Mort was able to chip the defensive linemen for IMG then climb to the linebacker to open up a big hole on a long run for Venice (unfortunately the RB fumbled at the end of the run). Mort was sound as a run blocker and showed his ability to engage defenders and open up running lanes throughout the game. For the most part he was good in pass protection as well, but did struggle at times against some of the quicker edge rushers. Mort showed he could open up holes against a good defensive line and held his own on passing plays as well, he should be a good one at UCF.

2021 Prospects Who Are Not Yet Committed

Markevious Brown is a 2021 cornerback prospect for IMG whose offers include Arkansas, Auburn, Miami, Mississippi and Virginia Tech. He has good height and a good frame to bulk up in college. Brown was able to stick to the Venice receivers all game long. He forced an incomplete pass on third down with tight coverage on an out route in the first quarter. On another play he jammed the receiver so well, it threw off the timing of the play resulting in a sack. Even when Brown allowed a catch he was in tight coverage and it was on a short pass underneath where he was able to make the tackle. Brown was excellent in coverage all game on Friday night.

Steffan Johnson is a 2021 cornerback prospect for Venice who has offers from Michigan State and FAU among others. Johnson is built similar to Brantley, with good height and length but needing to add a good amount of bulk. He plays some quarterback and some cornerback in high school though he projects at cornerback in college. Johnson has good speed and quickness which allowed him to break contain for a few nice runs on offense. In the secondary, Johnson was solid in coverage and had a nice pass break up downfield. He was able to stay with the IMG receivers and make the tackle when they caught the ball underneath. Johnson needs work on his technique but has the athleticism and tools to play cornerback in college.

2022 Prospects Who Shined

Tyler Booker is a 2022 offensive tackle for IMG Academy whose early offers include Florida, Georgia and LSU. He has the length and frame to develop into a quality college tackle. Booker showed good athleticism and flexibility at his size. He was able to open up holes as a run blocker, and to get downfield to find defenders at the second level. He has the length and quickness to be good in pass protection, and for the most part was able to keep his quarterback clean. He even had a five yard touchdown run but that was called back because of a holding penalty. Booker needs to work on his technique and the few plays he struggled were because of this, though those were few and far between. Booker may be a bit raw right now, but he has the tools to be an excellent blocker in college.

Daylen Everette is a 2022 cornerback for IMG Academy who has early offers from a host of schools including Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. He has good size for a junior and should grow into an excellent prospect. Everette showed his speed and playmaking ability early in the game when he ran down the Venice RB from behind and punched the ball out for a fumble. He has a good blend of size, speed and quickness that makes him tough to beat on the perimeter. Everette was excellent in coverage over the course of the game and we did not see him get beat. Everette was not tested often but still found a way to stand out Friday night.

S Kamari Wilson of IMG is a 2022 prospect whose early offers include Florida, LSU, Miami and South Carolina. Wilson has good size and the frame for a safety prospect. He is an impressive athlete with speed and explosiveness to be a star at the position. He made an excellent play on special teams when he ran down the field on a kickoff and made a strong tackle inside the five yard line. He wasn’t tested in coverage but showed good closing speed on plays underneath and came up to make the hit quickly. Playing for a team like IMG can limit your opportunities because there are so many good players on the field but Wilson showed well in the chances he got to make plays.

2023 Prospects Who Showed Promise

Malik Bryant is a 2023 defensive end prospect for IMG who already has a litany offers from schools across the country. Bryant has good length and athleticism on the edge and made his presence known throughout the game. He was able to get pressure on the quarterback consistently. Bryant was quick off the edge and showed the ability to turn the corner and close on the quarterback for a sack. Later in the game he ran a stunt inside and was able to explode through the gap and make another sack. Byrant is a young player who has a very high ceiling and could be a college star in a couple of years.

Damon WIlson is a 2023 prospect for Venice who played linebacker and as an edge defender on Friday night. He was an effective tackler against the IMG running backs making good tackles on both at or near the line of scrimmage on a few occasions. He was also able to get pressure on the quarterback on a couple occasions as well. He showed good speed going against star 2022 tackle Tyler Booker and forced him to commit a holding penalty on the play. He was also effective blitzing off the edge where he got pressure on McCarthy in the third quarter to force an incomplete pass. Wilson is far from a finished product, but showed flashes of his ability and if he continues to develop and get stronger should be a power five prospect in the 2023 class.

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