Hermantown is not in an area of the state known for football. The Hermantown Hawks' football team is often overshadowed in one of Minnesota's hockey hotbeds. Over the past three months, college programs have been visiting the northeastern town for…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inHermantown is not in an area of the state known for football. The Hermantown Hawks' football team is often overshadowed in one of Minnesota's hockey hotbeds. Over the past three months, college programs have been visiting the northeastern town for more than just hockey. They are heading to Hermantown to check out a fast rising prospect on the football field – Caleb Annis.
“It has been exciting. Right after basketball, everything ramped up,” Annis said. “I was getting emails. I was getting letters. I was getting invites to junior days.”
“I have been chasing this thing since freshman year,” Annis continued, “I have been doing camps at Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota (and a half dozen other campuses) and to see it finally pay off was huge for me. It showed me the light at the end of the tunnel and has made me work even harder. It has been fun. You have to enjoy it while it lasts. These are the things you will remember and will be telling your grandkids about.”
Before things ramped up for the soon to be senior, he was busy playing two ways in the trenches of the Hawks' offensive and defensive lines.
“We graduated fifteen starters. We didn't have a lot of experience,” Annis said. “With what we had we performed as well or better than we could. Toward the end of the season, we caught the injury bug. I think nine guys missed time with concussions. We had sophomores playing varsity and most of the guys who stepped up and played well, but when you don't have your best players out there, you can't win consistently.”
Before all the injuries they were a close knit group.
“We came up together and did our assignments. We trusted each other – all the bells and whistles you want on a football team.”
The Hawks run a Wing T offense and run the ball a lot.
“We had good running backs,” said Annis – who enjoys fishing for walleye and bass. “Our sweeps and counters were always good. We ran a 5-3 defense. We had a good front five, and all the groups played well together.”
Annis would rather talk about what he needs to do better rather than what he does well, but when pressed on it, he admitted he had a solid junior season.
“I think I had as good as or better of a junior year than anyone in the area.”
Annis – who NFN has as the 49th ranked player in the Class of 2018 – plays the tackle position on both sides of the ball.
“As an offensive tackle I think I can move better than anybody I play against,” said the 6'6″ 290-pound lineman. “I can get to the second level and think that I have good feet. My speed off the ball and my vision are my best assets.”
“On defense, I am hard to move,” continued Annis who lines up as the left side defensive tackle. “I don't let an offensive lineman tell me what to do on the field. I tell them what to do and move them where I need to.”
This winter he played center on the basketball team and in the spring worked and continues to work at a cross fit and Olympic lifting gym.
“I am not great at basketball,” Annis admitted. “I do what I can and am a rebounder and defender kind of guy. I do it mostly to stay in shape.”
In the gym, Annis is focusing on his explosiveness, footwork and his change of direction.
Annis is being recruited as an offensive tackle and has four Division II offers Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, Northern State University and the University of Sioux Falls.
“They say that they like my speed for how big I am. They like how I can get to the second level, and I finish plays. They like the toughness I bring onto the field.”
If Annis continues to impress on the field more and possibly bigger schools will be heading to hockey country to check out one of the state's top football prospects.
