Midwest Heavy In Talent

It’s always tough to pick the 100 best players in a region because there are just so many talented athletes that are deserving of the honor. This year, it’s even more difficult to receive Midwest “Hot 100” honors because Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska have all been added to the region.

Looking at this first installment of elite Midwest football prospects, it’s hard to believe that two young men from Wisconsin are holding down the two top spots. Racine’s John Clay is a truly gifted athlete that some schools are looking at as a linebacker but if you watch Clay’s film on Scout.com, you’ll see a big, fast, running back that knows how to get to the end zone.

Milwaukee’s Josh Oglesby has been receiving recruiting mail since he was a sophomore and in my opinion, is the most dominating tackle in the country. Oglesby has better feet, more athleticism and he’s stronger than former U.S. Army All-American Alex Boone. All Boone did was walk into Columbus, Ohio and make an immediate impact at Ohio State.

The deepest position in the Midwest is definitely safety. Indiana’s Jerimy Finch (committed to Michigan) is a missel that could end up playing linebacker in Ann Arbor. Ohio’s C.J. Peake is big enough to play linebacker and athletic enough to play corner. Cincinnati’s Eugene Clifford is a terrific football player that has the athleticism to get things done on either side of the football.

Illinois defensive Martez Wilson and Michigan’s Ronald Johnson are freaks and they are also the No. 1 prospect in the respective states. Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen is impressive on film, you won’t find too many linebackers that also play guard on the offensive side of the football. Have you ever seen an offensive guard out-run a tailback? Watch Nielsen on film and you’ll see why the ceiling is so high for this Hawkeye commitment.

Kansas defensive end Christian Ballard was also labled with the “freak” tag this spring as he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the Scout.com All-American combine. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder from Free State high in Lawrence has already given the Kansas Jayhawks his verbal commitment.

• East Regional Hot 100
• Midwest Regional Hot 100
• Wednesday: West 100
• Thursday: Southwest 100
• Friday: Southeast 100