Player Spotlight 2015: Free State RB Sam Skwarlo

Photo by LJWorld, 2015

Name: Sam Skwarlo
School: Lawrence Free State
Year: Senior (SR.)
Position: RB/LB
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 210 lbs.

2015 Statistics (as of Week 4):

Rushing: 55 Carries; 387 Yards; 4 TD; 96.75 Yds/Game;
7.06 Yds/Carry

Season-So-Far:

After seeing this kid play twice agaisnt Lawrence High and Olathe North, I can personally say he may be one of the fastest players in this league. Seriously, the kid is averaging more than seven yards an attempt mainly because nobody even touches him until he's already past the linebackers or juking around corners.

Despite the loss, Skwarlo actually had his best game against Olathe North, where he sprinted his way to 196 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles. Most of his yards came on when he broke free on a few long runs and out ran almost everybody on the defense.

The one issue I noticed is his ability to smash through the middle on inside runs. That isn't to say he doesn't hit the holes at top speed. When the line can manage the smallest gap for him, you can safely bet he will slip through for at least five yards 90% of the time.

We've yet to see anything from him in the passing game, which is surprising given his speed. It would be interesting to see some screen passes or maybe watching him operate as a slot receiver (I believe Free State has run some swing passes, but my memory escapes me).

Summary:

Skwarlo didn't see a lot of time last year behind a big stable of running backs, but he exploded in Week 2 and has yet to slow down. He currently has a streak of four games with a touchdown and you can't be unsatisfied with him earning almost a hundred yards per game. In terms of speed and wow-factor, this guy is one of the best in both departments.