Minnesota’s Best Non-Varsity Players from 2019 to Know

Although it is sometimes difficult to track, rank, and analyze junior varsity players, PrepRedzoneMN has been able to identify and bring some exposure to some prep studs that primarily played JV last season and are poised to make an impact on their teams varsity squads in 2020. Check out the over 2,000 words and almost 40 names of future varsity players that you should be aware of for next season. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy! (SMB) QB 6'2, 180 lbs. @CharlieJ0hns0n With the graduation of Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball - SMB's QB1 the past few seasons - the Wolfpack are in need of a new signal-caller. St. Paul Academy's rising junior QB looks to fill that role, and with a strong group of receivers in Savion Robinson Savion Robinson 6'0" | WR SMB | 2021 State MN , Judah Thomas, Drew Kittelson Drew Kittelson 6'4" | 185 lbs | QB Blooming Prairie | 2022 State MN , and TE Trent Finney Trent Finney TE SMB | 2021 State MN he'll have some weapons to throw to. vs. Fridley HS William Smith (MPLS North) c/o 2023. 3.72 GPA. RB. 5'11, 190 lbs. @Will_Smith24_ A big back with great balance, feet, and speed for his size, Smith had a dominant JV and Varsity highlight tape last season with the Polars and will be a great complimentary back to the speedy Terrance Kamara Terrance Kamara 5'9" | RB Minneapolis North | 2021 State MN . Thunder and lightning, baby! Freshman Year Highlights Jaxon Nelson (Wayzata) c/o 2022. 3.7 GPA. OC. 6'0, 255 lbs. @JaxonNelson3 The 2019 6A State Champion Trojans graduated senior interior lineman Jonas Waskosky and Joe Salonek this past spring, so there will be some competition on the OL. Rising junior Nelson has a great chance to fill that role as the 6'0, 255 lber. was a dominant JV lineman in 2019 and has the size, strength, and nastiness to find himself some playing time. Sophomore highlights Alex Thompson (Wayzata) C/o 2021. 3.6 GPA. DT. @thetompinator 5'11, 235 lbs. The Trojans also graduated pass-rushers Joe Demro Joe Demro 6'3" | DL Wayzata | 2020 State MN (Winona State), Malaki Jackson (St. Thomas), and Loshiaska Roques (NDSU), so there will be a lot of positions filled next season on the Varsity DL. Thompson, with his low-pad level and varsity ready size, will be vying for reps. Austin Berthiaume (Wayzata) C/o 2021. QB. 6'6, 170 lbs. @AustinBerthiau1 One of two Trojan QBs who are looking to fill in for the graduated QB1 Tom Schmidt, the 6'6 Berthiaume is the elder of the two, is mobile in and out of the pocket, and has a obviously high release point. I'm interested to see how this QB competition plays out. Junior highlights Ryan Harvey (Wayzata) C/o 2022. QB. 6'3, 175 lbs. @Ryan_harvey16 . The other QB in the Trojan competition, Harvey also possesses some good size and is an athletic QB who plays on the successful MN Heat AAU team in the offseason. He has a smooth release, a good arm, and great touch on the ball. Also played a lot of snaps for Wayzata's JV squad last season. Sophomore highlights (Wayzata) C/o 2021. WR. 6'3, 175 lbs. 3.9 GPA. @hrberthiaume . The twin of the aforementioned Austin Berthiaume, Hunter is a VERY physical blocker, has good hands and ball-skills, and has the size to break tackles after the catch and hold onto the ball in traffic. Has a full highlight tape on Twitter. With the graduation of St. Thomas commit Jacob Wildermuth and Minnesota State-Fergus Falls commit Daeshawn Bush, the Trojans will need Berthiaume to make some plays next season. vs. Eden Prairie Kristian Kaesviharn (Wayzata) C/o 2021. WR. 6'0, 180 lbs. 3.8 GPA. @KristianKaesvi1 . Kaesviharn got some varsity reps next season, and will fill into a much larger starting role in 2020. He's fast, has good hands, and is a good route-runner. He'll be a fun one to watch next season. Junior Highlights Gabriel Colnoe (Wayzata) C/o 2022. TE/WR/DB. 6'2, 215. @GColnoe . A versatile JV athlete who played a ton of positions for the Trojans last fall, I'm excited to see where he plays on the Wayzata Varisty next season. He's got great size and good speed for a 215 lber. 2019 Midseason Nate Graham (Wayzata) C/o 2022. WR. 6'5, 190. @Nate_Graham7 . Runs the 200 and 400 for the T&F team at Wayzata, his size will hopefully be utilized in the receiving room next season. Connery Wiecks (Duluth East) C/o 2022. WR/DB. 6'0, 180 lbs. 4.0 GPA. @ConneryWiecks An absolute playmaker for the Greyhounds who is a natural pass-catcher with great hands and ball-skills who made some impressive catches for the Greyhounds JV at both the WR and DB positions last fall. He'll ball out on Varsity next season. Just a heads up, his Twitter is about the epitome of an inappropriate account for a potential recruit. Be ready for A LOT of political beliefs. Sophomore SZN Noah Lindsay (Rosemount) C/o 2023. OL/DL. 6'1, 260. 3.85 GPA. @NoahLindsay18 Big #78 for the Irish looked out of place in his dominance on the freshman squad for Rosemount last fall. He's Varsity sized, physical, and threw defenders to the ground with an impressive amount of ease. Even though he's a rising sophomore I wouldn't be surprised if he got some varsity reps next fall, and is definitely a name to know going forward. 9th Grade Highlights Miles Townsend (Rosemount) C/o 2022. ATH. 5'11, 190 lbs. @milestownsend11 A big kid who got some varsity reps, blocked a kick, and recorded some TFLs last season for the Irish varsity at LB. He's got the size to play multiple positions, and should see an expanded role this fall. vs. Prior Lake vs. Lakeville South Rod Finley (Farmington) C/o 2022. RB/DB. 5'11, 190 . 3.74 GPA . @RodFinley3 Finley is a shifty, fast, athletic, and physical player who made a ton of plays for the Tigers JV last season. He's fun to watch with the ball in his hands, and with his playmaking ability I'd be really surprised if he didn't get some Varsity minutes this upcoming season. Sophomore year clips Evan Bearth (Park of Cottage Grove) C/o 2022. QB. 6'4, 185 lbs. @evanbearth A productive and athletic member of Park's basketball squad, it's looking like 2020 is going to be Bearth's year to take over as QB1 for the Wolfpack after graduating senior Jacob Kuemmel. Park didn't throw the ball much last season, but should think about passing the rock more in 2020 as Bearth has ideal size for a pocket-passer, possess a great arm with good accuracy, moves well in the pocket, and hangs in there tough when facing a big hit right to his face. Sophomore highlights Caeden Yliniemi (Detroit Lakes) C/o 2022. RB/DB. @caedenyliniemi Yliniemi got some varsity reps on both sides of the ball for the Lakers last year, and will play a lot more this upcoming fall as the Lakers graduated some studs that played both ways as well. vs. Wilmar Garrett Giles (Albert Lea) C/o 2022. QB/DE. 6'3, 170. @garrettgiles11 Has some great size and played JV QB for Albert Lea last year. His athleticism could see him playing a few positions on Varsity next year. Early Season 2019 Highlights Ty Winn (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. DE/ATH. 6'5, 190. @winn_ty14 Winn is a big kid with a lot more room to grow. Is also physical at the point of contact as a DE. Needs to play lower and get more aggressive when trying to beat blocks, but could play a lot of positions for the Cougars. vs. Burnsville vs. Lakeville North Bailey Wishart (Burnsville) C/o 2022. QB. 6'0, 190 lbs. @wishart_bailey A 4-sport athlete for the Blaze who played QB on JV last fall, Wishart is aiming to take over as Burnsville's QB1 with the graduation of Jordan Tompkins the spring. He's a duel-threat quarterback who can beat you with his arms or his legs, and I'd be surprised if he wasn't the varsity signal-caller next fall. Sophomore SZN Gavyn Schraufnagel (Lakeville North) C/o 2022. OL. @gavyn12540580 Played some varsity for the Panthers last fall, including in the state tournament, and will be a great addition to the Varsity OL of Lakeville North next year. He's a big bruiser and fits the mold of the classic LN lineman. Sophomore Season Charlie Broveleit (Holy Angels) C/o 2022. OL .6'0, 275 lbs. @CBroveleit63 Going to be a mover for the Stars next fall. Had some good blocks on varsity last season. vs. Hill-Murray vs. Orono (Rosemount) C/o 2022. 6'2, 200 lbs. DE. @ConnorArmborst2 Brother Trevor Armborst signed to UW-River Falls to play football next fall. Will take over on the Varsity DL of the Irish in 2020.Has a great 10th grade highlight film in which he played TE/LB/DE for the Irish and made a ton of plays. I'm excited to watch him next fall. 10th Grade Film Avery Boe (Buffalo) C/o 2022. 6'1, 160 lbs. QB. @AveryBoe Someone will need to replace Iowa State stud QB commit Aidan Bouman Aidan Bouman QB Buffalo | 2020 State MN next year for Buffalo. Boe may take on that role, as he was the primary JV QB last year for Buffalo. Mason Pelke (Woodbury) C/o 2022. 6'0, 170 lbs. WR/S . @Masonpelke1 I really like Pelke as a wideout, as he has great hands, gets open, and has some impressive YAC ability. He'll be a great slot receiver for the Royals this coming season. 10th Grade Film Jack Kinsey (Benilde-St. Margaret's) C/o 2022. 6'6, 210. QB. 3.95 GPA. @Jack_Kinsey3 The Knights will need to replace St. John's University QB commit Nicholas Peterson, and Kinsey - the gigantic gunslinger - looks to take his place. There isn't a lot of film on him, but I like what I've seen from his release and his arm in the film available. vs. Providence Academy vs. Holy Family Logan Gareis (Eden Prairie) C/o 2022. 5'10, 165 lbs. WR. @GareisLogan Gareis has one of the best sophomore tapes of anyone on this list. He's a natural athlete with a ton of playmaking ability and scored some impressive TDs during his JV campaign in 2019. I'm really excited what he can do on Varsity. Sophomore Highlights Jaiden Cook (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. 5'11, 160 lbs. TE/OLB/RB. @jaidencook45 Great hands and a knack and enthusiasm for blocking should help Cook see the field next fall. Sophomore Season Andrew McCalla (Minnetonka) C/o 2022. 5'10, 220 lbs. DL/MLB. @AndrewMcCalla8 Could play LB or on the DL for Skippers next season. Strong, physical, and uses his hands well. Also a good tackler. Sophomore Highlights Payton Schulz (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. RB/OLB. @SchulzPayton The Cougars need to replace RBs John Shabaz (Mankato State) and Hank English (UW-Lacrosse), so the backfield at South is looking a lot thinner. Look for Schulz to potentially fill one of those spots. Josh Jacobson (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. 6'0, 170. RB. @JoshJac91829414 Another potential RB that will look for Varsity minutes for Lakeville South. 2019 Season Camden Dean (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. 5'10, 160 lbs. QB/CB. The Cougars still have their QB in Reid Patterson Reid Patterson QB Lakeville North | 2021 State MN , so Dean may see some time in the defensive backfield. He's a good athlete who will eventually take over the QB1 job. Sophomore Highlights Alex Vazquez (Lakeville South) C/o 2022. 6'2, 190 lbs. LB. @Alex5Vaz Good size, physical at the point of contact, and reads/gets around blocks efficiently. 2019 Soph. Highlights (Burnsville) 6'5, 195 lbs. WR. 3.67 GPA. @jay_homuth Homuth is going to have a breakout season next year for the Blaze, as the 6'5, 195 lber. has great size, speed, and high points the football in a more than impressive fashion. He's been working his tail off this offseason too, so I am very pumped to see what he can do with some varsity reps this fall. Sophomore Season Peter Ladu Peter Ladu 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Rochester John Marshall | 2022 State MN (Rochester John Marshall) C/o 2022. 6'1, 170 lbs. WR/DB. @PeterLadu3 . Ladu is going to make some waves for the Rockets next season after balling out as a two-way player on their JV squad last year. He's fast and a natural athlete. Sophomore season (Rosemount) C/o 2022. 6'3, 210 lbs. DE. @tjedminson Edminson is a great kid who I have really enjoyed getting to know during my job with PrepRedzoneMN, and he's going to ball out this upcoming season as he's poised to start on the Irish DL and has a ton of upside on his 6'3, 210 lb. frame. He was almost unblockable last year on JV, and is a physical and aggressive pass-rusher. I'm really excited for TJ and his future. Sophomore Highlights (Rosemount) C/o 2022. 6'0, 170 lbs. QB/ATH. @VincentPyne The rising Irish junior had one of the most dominant seasons of any JV players in the state last season running the RPO offense for the Irish. He passed for 1,003 yards and 13 TDs while adding 840 rushing yards and 13 TDs on the ground last year, and is a very athletic quarterback who is going to make it very hard for the Irish to keep him off the field. With rising senior Jordan Modrynski looking to continue getting QB1 reps, there may be a QB competition on Rosemount's coaching staff's hands. Even if he doesn't play at QB, he's too athletic to keep off the field, and will definitely see Varsity minutes next season. sophomore season highlights Vicar Pyne (Rosemount) C/o 2022. 5'10, 160 lbs. WR/ATH. 3.5 GPA. @VicarPyne The twin of aforementioned Vincent Pyne Vincent Pyne 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Rosemount | 2022 State MN , Vicar is similarly athletic and could play as a wideout or defensive back next year on the Irish varsity squad. sophomore season Bryce Lund (Sauk Rapids-Rice) C/o 2022. 6'7, 180 lbs. QB. @BryceLund3 Split times last year at quarterback and has some good accuracy on his ball. If he can add some strength and weight on his frame he's going to be a really scary QB. sophomore szn (Burnsville) C/o 2022. 6'4, 215 lbs. DL/OL. @ZaneSchneider Big strong kid who will help a Burnsville defense that graduated some heavy-hitters.