Northern State 2020 Recruiting Class Breakdown: MN Boys

One of my favorite storylines of the offseason - especially in-terms of the NSIC - is the positive and upward trajectory of the Northern State University Wolves in Aberdeen, South Dakota. After an underwhelming 6-5 2019 football season the Wolves athletic department decided to head in a new direction and hired former UW-Lacrosse head coach Mike Schmidt this past December. It’s a great hire. Schmidt led UW-Lax to become one of the most competitive teams in DIII’s toughest conference and in four seasons he finished with a 27-13 record overall, a .675 winning percentage which ranks third in school history. They also won 15 conference games the past three seasons - the most since 2004-06 -and in his time as head coach a total of 47 players were named All-WIAC selections, including nine first team honors. In 2019 he had thirteen players were named to the All-WIAC Team, including four first team selections, and this came off of a third place conference finish in ’19, including a 31-3 victory over eventual co-champion UW-Oshkosh. UW-Lax finished with a #25 ranking in the final regular-season D3football.com Top-25 Poll while receiving also votes in the final (AFCA) Top-25 Poll. I think this success will translate very well to the scholarship level - much like Coach Olszewski’s successful move from St. Olaf College to the NSIC’s Augustana University - and it’s an exciting time to be a member of the Wolves as the school is building a brand new football practice field as well as a state of the art on-campus sports complex. After hiring a new staff that includes former Golden Gopher greats Isaac Fruechte & Donnell Kirkwood, it is no surprise that Schmidt & company reeled in a heckuva 2020 recruiting class. This includes the 13 former MN prep standouts, and they are some STUDS! Get to know a little bit more about the MN boys signed to the Wolves 2020 recruiting class below, and thank you for reading. Go Wolves! Quotes from Schmidt come from here: <a href="https://nsuwolves.com/news/2020/2/5/football-28-student-athletes-join-the-pack-in-schmidts-first-signing-class.aspx">Commits</a> Overall, there’s a lot to be excited about for the group of MN kids. The group has a ton of upside, with playmakers on both sides of the football. Four of the 13 are transfers and will be able to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball for Schmidt & co, with former St. Cloud State athlete and MSU-Mankato graduate transfer WR/ATH Vance Barnes probably counting as the gem of the class in-terms of production next season as he was Second Team All-Americcan on the Mavericks track and field team. The remaining Minnesotans are concentrated mostly on the offensive side of the ball, with two stud quarterbacks in Winona’s Jackson Nibbelink and Delano’s Max Otto providing a ton of college potential on their 6’4 frames. These two will have a ton of receivers from their home state as well in the class, as Moorhead’s Lee Karfear (WR), Marshall’s Gabe Raini (WR), Mankato East & ASA Miami’s Richard Kamara (WR), Sauk Rapids-Rice’s Josh Schloe (TE), and Sauk Rapids-Rice + St. Cloud State transfer [player_tooltip player_id="2129" first="Braden" last="Tretter"] (WR) will all make for great offensive targets. Get to know these studs and the remaining commits a little bit better below. Vance Barnes (Minnetonka) 5’9, 190 lbs. Graduate transfer. WR/RB/ATH. @Vancebarnes_4 As a Minnetonka Skipper Barnes earned All-Conference honors as a senior after posting 1,287 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. He was also named team MVP for the Skippers that year. He was also named All-State twice in track and field. Before heading to Mankato, the Tonka grad played a season at St. Cloud State and played in nine games during the 2015 season in which he caught 12 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and also returned seven kickoffs for 213 yards and a touchdown. Barnes appeared in 12 games for the Mavericks in 2018, notching 140 yards receiving, 169 yards rushing, and 406 all-purpose yards. He focused on track last year and earned Second Team All-American status. According to the Northern State 2020 commitment article, Schmidt had this to say about Barnes: ""Vance is one of my favorite people on this planet. I admire him as a man. He is a program-changing player. He knows what it takes to win this conference and he is a great leader for our team. Vance is going to have a monster season for the Wolves!" <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/1562562/5721b9fa9a91677e748358d3">Senior Season Highlights</a> John Berry (Brainerd) 6’4, 220 lbs. DE. @BerryJ99 Selected All-District as a senior in 2019, Berry tallied 63 total tackles in his career, including 6.0 sacks. He also added two blocked punts and five punt returns. According to NSU’s 2020 commitment article, Schmidt had the following to say about the Brainerd grad: ""John is a huge addition to our defensive line. This is a premier player who will be a tremendous presence on the edge of our defense. John plays so hard and has tremendous bend for a big guy. He will be an elite player in this conference." <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12178297/5db628ccda51130c8088ca78">Senior Highlights</a> Nick Dengler (Mahtomedi) 6’4, 300 lbs. OL. @Dengler58 A two-year starter at Mahtomedi, Dengler played in two state tournaments with the Zephyrs in 2017 and 2018 and totaled 30 pancake blocks in his prep career. He also had a Culver-Stockton offer. According to Schmidt, ""Nick is another huge guy that we add to our offensive line in this class. He is a big guy who has played some good football. He is tremendously physical and plays hard." <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/9884585/5daa50e623480c0c143a5522">Senior Season</a> Jacob Drietz (Brainerd) 6’0, 205 lbs. LB. @JacobDrietz An absolute tackling machine who started two years for the Warriors and was named a team captain in his final prep season, Drietz totaled 258 total tackles in his final two seasons, as well as eight fumble recoveries. He was a 2x All-Conference, All-Area, and the 2019 North Central Red District Defensive Player of the Year. He played in the state tournament with Brainerd as a sophomore. According to Schmidt: ""Jacob is a tough, old-school linebacker. He plays physical and runs downhill. Jacob will be a force on the inside of our defense." <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CFkbM">Senior SZN</a> Trevor Johnson (Buffalo) 6’1, 180 lbs. DB. Also a two-year starter and team captain as a senior, Johnson was selected All-District twice and tallied 60 career tackles and six interceptions, as well as 724 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. In the 2020 commitment article, Schmidt said in-regards to Johnson: ""Trevor is a long, athletic cornerback. He comes from a strong program with good ties to Northern. He runs well and makes some great plays on the ball. He will develop into a great cornerback." <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CH7B1">Senior Highlight</a><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CH7B1">s</a> Jackson Nibbelink (Winona) 6’4, 180 lbs. QB. @jackson_12102 Nibbelink started four years for the traditionally successful Winona Winhawks, and was a team captain as a senior. He was twice selected All-Conference and was also named Big 9 Conference Offensive Player of the Year. he tallied 1,500 yards passing, 665 yards rushing, and 34 touchdowns in his senior campaign. He also held a Minnesota State University-Moorhead and visited UND and USF. Schmidt had this to say about the Winhawk baller: ""Jackson is a great athlete playing quarterback. He is great arm strength and makes a ton of plays with his feet. Jackson is a big tall guy who brings a lot of versatility to the quarterback position." <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7900622/5dd41082bd6b0a0f3cff1b44">Senior Year</a> Max Otto (Delano) 6’4, 195 lbs. QB. Yet another two-year starter and team captain, Otto was selected twice to the All-District and All-Conference teams and was also named his District’s QB of the Year. The Tiger grad recorded 3,817 yards passing with 47 touchdowns in his final two seasons. Schmidt kept it short and sweet about Otto in the 2020 commitment article: "Max is a big guy with a huge arm. He is a great baseball player also. He has elite arm talent and is a very good athlete." <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9871748/5dc86e245cb38e0d545e9df1">QB Highlights</a> Josh Schloe (Sauk Rapids-Rice) 6’6, 220 lbs. TE. @joshschloe A big boy who’s going to make a great looking NSIC TE, Schloe started three years and was a senior captain for the SRR Storm and totaled 334 receiving yards in his career to go along with two All-Conference HM selections and an All-Conference academic award. He also held MSUM and NDSCS offers and visited the University of Sioux Falls. His brother Jacob is also a member of the Wolves football team. Schmidt had this to say about Schloe in the recruiting class article: ""Josh Schloe is a huge guy and great addition to our tight end position. He’s a tremendous athlete for his size. Josh is a great student, from a great family and his brother is also on our team currently. We’re excited to have such a big guy who is such a great athlete who can add great versatility to our tight end position."<a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CMPCe">Senior Year</a> [player_tooltip player_id="2129" first="Braden" last="Tretter"] (Sauk Rapids-Rice/St. Cloud State University) 5’11, 180 lbs WR. @BradenTretter Coming out of high school Tretter visited UND and also had offers from SMSU, UMN-Crookston (rip), and Bemidji State before ultimately committing to the SCSU Huskies where he redshirted in 2019. After their program was cut, Tretter bounced back to land at NSU and will have four years of eligibility remaining. He was a three-year starter and senior captain who helped the Storm reach the state tournament his junior year. Schmidt had this to say about Tretter in the commitment article: "Braden is an explosive player from a great program. We were so excited to have Braden join our program. He’s a hard worker and will put in the time to be a great wide receiver." <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5646872/5bacf50bd226320b644bbd52">Senior Year Highlights</a> Late Additions Luke Chuol (Centennial/Iowa Central CC) 6’4, 255 lbs. DE. @FlyinDutchman56 A former MN All-Star who went the JUCO route after graduating from Centennial High School in Circle Pines, MN, Chuol is a strong and talented player who is going to make an immediate impact on the Wolves DL. He held a PWO from Missouri coming out of high school, and after his 2019 JUCO season with the Iowa Central Tritons, Chuol received scholarship offers from Eastern New Mexico, Wayne State, Winona State, UMD, East Central University, Colorado Mesa, Arkansas-Monticello, and Midwestern State University. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9642575/5d93b3f8bd6bc4105cf31f9c">Highlights</a> Lee Karfear (Moorhead) 6'0, 170 lbs. WR. @Swish5_ <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12857529/5dcf96e7d45e870d0c107d3e">Senior Year</a> Richard Kamara (Mankato East/Mainland HS [FL]/ASA Miami) WR. @richyrich_k <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3936058/581694f411fa7f7dc02b4b95">Junior Year Mankato East</a> His junior year of high school at Mankato East Kamara threw for 993 yards and 11 TDs to only 5 interceptions. During his junior year spring ended however, Kamara and his family moved to the Florida and the former Mankato East star enrolled at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. The then 6', 170 lber. immediately earned a spot on the schools track and field team - no easy task in the Sunshine State - and competed in the FL state championships where he ran the second leg of the 4 x 800 M relay. His senior year of high school he threw for 1,105 yards and 18 TDs, and committed to Arizona Western Community College, then one of the premier JUCOs in the nation - but after all Arizona junior college's closed he had to find a new home. He ended up at ASA Miami, and moved to receiver, and this past season was being recruited by Louisiana and South Alabama. He also took a visit to South Alabama, but unfortunately they needed a December graduate and Kamara graduated this spring. He then committed to NSU, and is heading back to the Midwest where I believe he will have three years of eligibility remaining.<a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CWE24">ASA Film</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3936058/5cd883caa02348124c53ea90">Spring Ball Film</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3936058/5a11c5df42061b0b6cb27e6a">Senior Year Highlights</a> Gabe Raini (Marshall) WR. @Gouibie <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8219432/5e9596909a916b0d38d4dd9f">Senior Year</a>