Recruiting Report: Jack Hansen (2019)

Despite a knee injury that wiped out half of his season, Lakeville North's <strong>Jack Hansen</strong> still returned in time to not only get back into the starting lineup but also to help the team by showing position flexibility both before and after his injury. Going into his senior year – healthy – will allow him to expand even further his position flexibility to not only help the Panthers but also help a college to be named later. After a 5-3 regular season, the Panthers advanced to the section finals. "The season went pretty well," Hansen said. "It was a disappointing end. We are always trying to make it passed the same point." The team excelled by running the ball and playing great defense. "As a team, our offense struggled a bit, but when we got together, it worked pretty well. Our defense was consistently good throughout the year. We had some great players on that side of the ball. On offense running the football was our forte." Hansen had an uneven season. "It could have gone better. I had a knee injury and was out for four games. I had a tough time coming back. The first two games – before I got hurt – went well. The last two games I thought went well." "I got rolled up on and sprained my MCL," Hansen continued. "I was going to physical therapy three times a week. It was tough. I thought I would be able to come back after three weeks, but I made it back to practice, but mentally the first game back was tough on me." When healthy, the 6'3" 315-pound Hansen feels his power is his best attribute. "I think my strength is run blocking – just straight up manhandling someone. That was one thing I struggled with when I came back from my injury. I just didn't feel stable or have confidence in my leg to be able to dominate someone. I felt good at the end of the year. I have moved past it." Another one of Hansen's strengths is his versatility. "Sophomore year the coaches moved me up to varsity to be kind of a sixth man on the line. I would come in at certain positions and take the left tackle spot," NFN's 23rd ranked junior said. "During my junior year, my coaches wanted me to start taking some snaps and had me trying out different positions just to see how it felt. I started taking snaps, and I fell in love with the center position. After my injury, the coaches decided to move me back to left tackle." Playing center was an experiment that almost went bad. "At first, I faced some adversity at center," Hansen admitted. "At a scrimmage, it was raining, and for some reason, I was having trouble getting the snap back. Our coach came over and said forget it; we are moving you back to tackle. I said ‘just give me one more chance. I won't let another one hit the ground.' That is when it clicked for me, and I fell in love with the position." Hansen expects to play a series here and there on defense next year, but he assumes center will be his primary position. Because of that, he has a type of block he needs to work on before the season. "What I always had trouble with at center was when a nose tackle would line up wide," the junior said. "I would have trouble getting the snap and getting out to block that guy. I had trouble snapping the ball and moving quickly laterally." This winter Hansen focused on his strength and agility and flexibility. This spring he will continue with the workouts and will also throw shot put and discus – something he has done since he was a freshman. Moving into the summer Hansen hopes to get to camps at North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Minnesota, Wisconsin and possibly more. "Recruiting has been going well," Hansen said. "It is mainly coaches reaching out to me on Twitter. A lot of the schools have been DII schools. SDSU and Drake are the biggest schools that are looking at me right now." Hansen is a guy who can play both left tackle and center. That is a combination the Panthers' coaching staff – or any coaching staff – would love to have in a lineman. It is a combination that should serve him well at the next level too.