Blitz and Outside the Huddle are counting down who they feel are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2025 season.
Today, we continue the march to No. 1 with positions No. 35-31.
No. 35: DE/TE Wyatt Shearer, senior, Huntington North
There aren’t very many pure tight ends around anymore, but Shearer fits the bill. At 6-foot-2 and close to 230 pounds, the senior plays with soft hands but also can be fierce and seal the edge on run plays.
On film, Shearer almost effortlessly floats into the second level of a defense and gets lost by defenders, leading to catch after catch.
Defensively, Shearer is perhaps even more of a menace. He routinely gets into opposing backfields to wreak havoc and will surely up the ante in 2025 for a Vikings team that is attempting to make 2024’s nine-win campaign not look like a fluke.
COACH’S QUOTE ON WYATT SHEARER
“Wyatt is a big, strong kid with great defensive instincts, great hands and a great feel for the game on both sides of the ball.” – Huntington North coach Mike Eshbach
No. 34: QB David Callison, senior, Northrop
Perhaps no one puts as much work into his craft as Callison, who despite missing several games last year due to injury threw for 1,506 yards and 12 touchdowns. Before he went down against Huntington North in Week 2, Callison was looking like a First Team All-SAC quarterback. But he was never able to regain that form while trying to come back from the injury sustained against the Vikings.
At 5-foot-11, Callison isn’t a towering presence in the pocket, but he has exceptional intuition and can make all the throws. He once again will have heavy weaponry to throw to on the outside, which could see some big numbers put up by the Northrop offense in general and Callison in particular.
COACH’S QUOTE ON DAVID CALLISON
“Nate is a tremendous leader and great talent. Nate will see time on both sides of the ball for us in 2024 at DB and RB.” – Northrop coach Quentin Bowen
No. 33: RB Gus Tippmann, senior, Bishop Dwenger
At 5-5, Tippmann may be the shortest player in our top 50. But he plays like he is 6-5, which makes him such a special player for the Saints.
Tippmann has no fear. He will take a handoff and burst right to the line, not worrying about how big defenders are or where the holes are.
A season ago, Tippmann was the majority of Bishop Dwenger’s offense as he rushed for 744 yards and four touchdowns. He is also a capable receiver, an aspect of his game that may come in handy with a new offensive scheme in place.
COACH’S QUOTE ON GUS TIPPMANN
“Gus – a grinder! He has tremendous work ethic, runs hard, is twitchy, very difficult to tackle and a dual threat in the slot. He is also very talented as a returner.” – Bishop Dwenger coach Jason Garrett
No. 32: OL Hunter Shire, senior, East Noble
An overlooked star of East Noble’s run to the state championship game last season was Shire, who really came into his own in October and November.
At 6-5 and 290 pounds, Shire has the bulk to be a really good offensive lineman, and he had definitely shown signs throughout last year. But it was in the playoffs that he really shined. Aggressive off the ball with long arms that get leverage before some defensive linemen can get their hands on him, Shire is a stalwart up front for the Knights.
A returning linemen like Shire, an anchor in the trenches, really sets the tone for the rest of the unit and the offense at large. Expect some serious dominance out of the senior this fall.
COACH’S QUOTE ON HUNTER SHIRE
“Hunter Shire had an outstanding year for us last year. He turned it up a notch during our state run and became a dominant force on the offensive line. He had a great offseason and is bigger, stronger and faster this season. We are excited to have his experience and leadership on the line this season.” – East Noble coach Alex Stewart
No. 31: RB Jordan Davis, senior, Snider
There is nothing that truly stands out about Davis at running back, but he does everything so well that he as well-rounded as they come in the area at the position.
A season ago, Davis led the Panthers in rushing with 702 yards and nine touchdowns on 147 carries. He also finished second on the team in receiving yards with 168 and a couple more scores.
The run game was key for Snider in 2024 as the passing game tried to find its way. With a battle for QB1 still ongoing for the Panthers as they prep for 2025, expect that whoever wins the fight will look to Davis to help shoulder some of the offensive load.
COACH’S QUOTE ON JORDAN DAVIS
“JD has had a good offseason of improvement. He has increased his linear speed along with his agility and footwork quickness. He is a stronger running back than his junior year. We need him to be a guy that can carry the ball a bunch of times and lead our offense. Although not the fastest back in the conference, he has the running back skills to make tacklers miss both in the hole and in the open field, but he has worked tremendously on being able to have breakaway speed to hit the home run touchdowns.” – Snider coach Kurt Tippmann
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