The European League of Football is largely going to rely on the younger generation as the reputation of the league develops and stabilizes. For now, it’s a large mixture of pioneers – young, talented and established European athletes.
Today, we’re highlighting the best U25 Offensive “Skill Position” players in the league who have made a big impact throughout the season so far. Let’s get straight into it.
Dawid Brzozowski – Wroclaw Panthers
Photo: Lukasz Skwiot
Dawid Brzozowski has been the biggest surprise of the season and his breakout has been incredible. The Polish back rushed for 580 yards and three scores in the 2022 season which is a respectable rookie year, but this year he’s taken it into overdrive. He has 832 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games, reaching levels that very few players can match. His 213 yards in week three against the Berlin Thunder is the highest ever by a European player and the most by any player not named London or Crawford. His ability to be versatile in the Panthers’ offense has been key. He’s physical, has good footwork and doesn’t get greedy trying to extend plays that aren’t there. Brzozowski is 180 yards ahead of any of his peers and is on course for one of the best seasons for a running back in the short history of the league. To put it into perspective, he needs 168 yards in the next four weeks to get to the 1,000 yard level, a mark that only three players have achieved (Glen Toonga, Madre London, Jocques Crawford x2).
Robin Wilzeck – Berlin Thunder
Photo: Eric Muehle
It’s no surprise that the first team All-Star receiver has made this list. A lot of people forget Wilzeck is a young talent because he has been such an excellent player for so many years. This season there were some doubts due to the other receivers in the team taking up his catches, however, he is on course to easily eclipse all of the stats from last season’s All-Star selection. He ranks second in yards for Europeans and fourth for touchdown. When you consider he has Aaron Jackson and Max Zimmermann around him, and the offense still largely run through him, it becomes even more impressive. This season’s game against the Wroclaw Panthers where he accumulated 209 yards, and two touchdowns is one of a handful of games where he looked like he could be crowned as the best European receiver in the league.
Theodor Landström – Barcelona Dragons
Photo: Luciano Bisi
Coming into the season Landström was not considered by many to be in the discussion for the best European players of the season. That certainly has changed, he already has a vote for being one of the best deep-threat players in the league. The Swedish international has put up 655 yards and seven touchdowns this season for the Dragons, and although they have fallen into a streak of losses, Landström is a bright spark they should attempt to seek for the coming seasons. Third in reception yards, second in touchdown catches among Europeans, he’s been productive and has saved the Dragons offense many times with his ability in traffic, strong hands, and concentration on the outside routes. He is another player that is expected to be in the running for an All-Star selection in his rookie year in the ELF.
Tomiwa Oyewo – Munich Ravens
Photo: Justin Derondeau
Oyewo is criminally underrated in the league, this could be because of the production of his teammate Markell Castle having an OPOTY season. However, Oyewo has been equally fantastic. The only Irish player in the league has 917 yards if you combine his rushing and receiving production, with an 81.48% catch rate, 6.03 yards per carry and multiple long touchdowns. He is the catalyst for the Munich Ravens. If he is taken out, it simply doesn’t work the same. He’s explosive, has quick movement and can make something out of nothing in an instant. It’s not a jump to say that he is the most versatile and flexible player in the league in terms of what he can bring to an offence, add that to the fact he is second in the league for Rushing yards and 3rd for rushing touchdowns and his value just keeps increasing. If he hits free agency in the off-season, there isn’t a team that wouldn’t be blowing up his phone.
Louis Geyer – Stuttgart Surge
Photo: @zwenjazwenja.
Geyer’s progression as a receiver has been the most documented of all the young talents in the league. He was the 2021 Rookie of the Year and progressed in Cologne for a year before returning to the Surge blossoming into a gifted homegrown player that every team in the league covets. The improvements are evident in the numbers and on the eye test, he’s bigger, creates separation better, and has a more diverse route tree and stats like his catch %, yards and touchdowns are all on an upward trajectory. His recent performance against Milano highlights this, he went for 217 yards and a score. Showing the combination of his short, intermediate, and deep routes and proving that he is a multi-level receiver who could end up being an All-ELF level talent in the next few seasons. He is currently 5th for Europeans in yards and touchdowns.
Honorable mentions
Like with other instalments of these evaluations of the league’s players, many players didn’t make the top 5 but still deserved to be mentioned. Juan Flores-Calderon of the Milano Seamen has been a young superstar in the making this season, his catch rate and short game are what could be improved to catapult him into the next level. He is undoubtedly going to be featured in future evaluations, at only 19 he is the most talented player the league has seen in a while at such a young age. Karri Pajarinen of the Vienna Vikings has put up solid numbers in the backfield with the Wegan brothers and Harlan Kwofie deserves a mention as well, he’s put up very respectable numbers behind the Rhein Fire offense.