City Rankings: Mankato Area QB1 Rankings
MANKATO– We continue our city rankings for quarterbacks and this time we are headed to Mankato and the surrounding area around it. Over the past several years, Mankato has produced some quality quarterbacks in the past decide Starting with Phillip Nelson (Mankato East) from the class of 2011 who played for the Gophers, Rutgers, and East Carolina and had a professional career with the CFL, the defunct AAF and most recently in the XFL and Jack Foster Jack Foster QB Mankato West | 2020 State MN (Mankato West) who signed to play in the Ivy League at Brown next year.
For these rankings, we did our homework and watched several films from the area such as: Mankato East, Mankato West, St. Clair/Mankato Loyola, Maple River, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, St. Peter, Le Sueur-Henderson, Waseca, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial, New Ulm and many more. Here are my four names that round out our top QB1s in Mankato’s surrounding area.
HM) Karson Lindsay Karson Lindsay 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton | 2023 State MN , Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (2023)
Lindsay, coming off an excellent freshman campaign at cornerback and wide receiver for the Bulldogs, will step into the reigns of quarterback at JWP. Although his film at quarterback is pretty limited from last season, this kid can flat out move with tremendous speed up and down the field. I feel like being an established corner also gives him an advantage as far as reading where the corner is going on every play. At 6’1 around 200 pounds, Lindsay is a star in the making for an up and coming JWP football program, and a name you will see on our Class of 2023 rankings here real soon.
3) Zach Berndt, Le Sueur-Henderson (2021)
Berndt has excellent accuracy from sideline to sideline. Berndt also has a quick release, which you will see a few times on film where he’s getting pressured and he makes the same throw he would make if he had no defense in his wheelhouse. Berndt is #3 because of his athleticism, as he lacks the mobility you want your quarterback to have. Will need a quality senior year to up his chances to be higher on this list.
2) Ryan Dufault, Waseca, (2021)
Dufault is only 5’10 which QB critics love to scrutinize but the number of tools this prospect offers had him flying up my radar for QB1s in the Mankato area. Very consistent arm strength and can make a great range of throws on the field. Dufault also has a blessing with the top wide receiver in the area to throw to in 6’5 Kyreese Willingham Kyreese Willingham 6'5" | WR Waseca | 2021 State MN who holds three football offers from the NSIC and one basketball offer from the NSIC as well. Another word to describe Dufault is sneaky, as multiple times on his junior film, I thought the play was dead and then he came out of traffic from no man’s land and ran for a big gain. Also effective in the wildcat formation and runs back punts for the Bluejays who were state tournament participants last season with finishing 8-3 after a loss to SDSU commit Rudy Voss Rudy Voss 6'3" | QB Jackson County Central | 2020 State MN of Jackson County Central.
1) Jacob Eggert Jacob Eggert 6'1" | 195 lbs | QB Mankato East | 2022 State MN , Mankato East (2022)
Eggert makes the big throws look easy, which is why he’s the top-ranked QB in Mankato going into next season. It’s an absolute surprise this prospect didn’t start more games as a sophomore as he’s one that can make all the throws from deep balls, slant routes to the slot receiver over the middle, etc.. He also has great accuracy, and completed over 62% of his passes last season. My favorite play on tape was around the 1:35 mark, where he rolls to the outside while being chased, steps up and makes a big throw over the middle on a play that I thought would be an easy sack. Eggert will need to fill out, as according to Hudl only weighs about 165 pounds but he’s got plenty of time to do it is only a sophomore. Don’t be surprised in the coming weeks to see Eggert as one of our top quarterbacks in the Class of 2022 as he’ll have even better protection up front on the line with Eli Olson Eli Olson 6'5" | OL Mankato East | 2021 State MN who’s gotten tons of love from Division II and III programs thus far.