Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

The Talent in Detroit is There, You Just Have to be Willing to Look

Jeffrey Robinson gives a look at some of the hidden high school talent in Detroit

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By: Jeffrey Robinson

Detroit, Michigan is making a comeback on the national football scene. Just last week Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS reported: “Detroit High Schools produced more Week 1 NFL Players this year than any other city in America.” 

Headlined by the Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner. Like Gardner, a modest three-star prospect from Detroit’s Martin Luther King High School, talent from the city is often slept on. Fortunately for Detroit athletes, that is starting to change. National scouts have begun to take notice of the talent in the area and at one position in particular, Wide Receiver. If you follow high school recruiting you’ve heard the name Bryce Underwood. Underwood is the quarterback for Belleville High School, just south of Detroit. He’s #1 Quarterback in the country for the 2025 Class. In this article, I will be highlighting a few pass catchers from the 2025 Class that will join Underwood in signing their NLI next December.

Kamren Flowers – West Bloomfield – 10 Offers

I’ll begin with my highest-rated receiver in the state of Michigan’s 2025 class: Kamren Flowers. He transferred to West Bloomfield High School this spring from Ann Arbor Pioneer. Flowers has all the tools you’re looking for in a modern receiver/running back hybrid. He has good size at 6’0 160 lbs which will translate well as a slot receiver in college. Flowers is a very fluid, quick-twitch athlete with a lot of upside. Flowers has very good speed and rarely sees press coverage with the fear of him taking the top off the defense. Flowers’ ability to accelerate impresses me. He can get to top speed in a hurry and once he catches the ball good luck tackling him. He has very good short-area quickness, making him tough to corral after the catch. Flowers has very good vision and is equally as dangerous in the return game as he is in the backfield taking handoffs to the house. He’s shown adequate strength to be able to run through arm tackles. As he transitions to the college game he will need to put an emphasis on blocking technique and polishing up his route tree. Flowers projects to be a slot receiver at the Power 5 level with the ability to contribute in year one.

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Deshaun Lanier – Chippewa Valley – 20 Offers

Lanier has solid size for an inside receiver at 5’11 160 lbs, his game reminds me of the Green Bay Packers 2nd round draft choice, Jayden Reed. Both are good athletes across the board but lack elite physical traits. What impresses me about Lanier is his route running is very good, and he’s got good quickness and he is elite at understanding spacing and leverage. He understands how to use his tempo to disguise his route, he also routinely finds a soft spot in the defense and makes himself available to his quarterback. I liken him to Reed because they are smaller X receivers with good speed, very good contested catch ability, great footwork on the sideline, great feel for zone coverage, and savvy route runners. Lanier will have to continue to add strength to improve his physicality in the run game and his ability to break tackles. Deshaun will fit in nicely at the Power 5 level. I believe he could contribute early in the lower levels of the Power 5 but he would be a redshirt candidate at a top 30 program.

https://twitter.com/DeShaunLanier_/status/1674470851104612365

Eric Slater – Roseville – 5 Offers

Slater is your prototypical X receiver with a good frame at 6’2 180 lbs. Slater is a good athlete with good speed. Slater is a physical mismatch for defensive backs. He’s a possession receiver with enough speed to take it the distance if you miss a tackle. On short to intermediate routes, he’s effective at winning off the line and giving his quarterback a big target to work with. On deep balls, he turns into a power forward going after a rebound. I would say his best attribute is his catch radius. He is very good at positioning himself while boxing out the defender and showing good leaping ability when making contested catches. Slater does lack elite speed and is a little stiff in and out of breaks. Improving his flexibility will be his main focus as he develops. I project that Slater will end up signing with a school in the lower half of the Big Ten. He has the potential to redshirt in year one but will contribute greatly in year two.

Adrian Walker Jr – Belleville – 4 Offers

Despite having poor size Walker is a two-way difference maker. Standing at 5’8 165 lbs doesn’t prevent his presence from being felt on the field. You notice Walker’s quickness as soon as you turn the tape on. His footwork paired with very good hands makes him an asset on both sides of the ball. Walker is a vertical threat and is very good at making you miss in open space. On the flip side, for someone with his measurables, you’d like for them to have elite speed. Walker’s speed is good, not quite elite. Walker will have to increase his strength and physicality in the run game. He will also need to expand his route tree and show he can do more than go-balls and flat routes. He projects to be a Power 5 slot receiver and I believe he’ll be a redshirt candidate but will be able to crack the rotation in year two.

Antwon Thomas – Belleville – 8 Offers

Thomas is an electric return man with marginal size at 5-9 160 lbs which will limit him to playing in the slot. Thomas is a very good athlete with elite short-area quickness. Thomas can accelerate quickly and has very good speed. Thomas can start and stop without losing speed, which makes him extremely difficult to tackle in the open field. He can turn a bubble screen from a two-yard gain into twenty yards easily. His traits make him an elite punt return and kick return option. Thomas is raw as a route runner. Continued development in the weight room and adding muscle mass will be paramount as he transitions to the next level. Thomas is a Power 5 slot receiver who will keep his redshirt on in year one.

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