The Best That Never Were: MN Preps

I've been meaning to write this article for a while, so I figured that now is as good of a time as any. Throughout the last decade and then some some of Minnesota's best prep football players have for some reason or another stopped playing college football. A lot of these names I haven't thought of in years, and most of these dudes were the biggest and baddest in their recruiting classes in Minnesota. This isn't an article to reflect on why they stopped playing or to pass judgment, but rather to highlight their fantastic Minnesota high school football careers. I hope you enjoy! Tanner Sundt (Farmington) DE. 6'4, 240 lbs. A three-year starter for the Tigers who graduated in 2017 and played TE and DE, Sundt was an All-State and All-Conference pick as a senior after racking up 50 tackles, 18 TFLs, seven PBUs, seven sacks and two blocked FGs. Sundt was named Minnesota’s Defensive Lineman of the Year by your own Northstar Football News as well! In his career he had 150 total tackles with 30 TFLs, 20 sacks, 13 PBUs and four blocked kicks. The Farmington standout redshirted in 2017, then played the 2018 season but did not compete in any games. In an article published in March of 2019 on inforum.com it was reported Sundt had left the team and his twitter bio says he is still at NDSU. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3093602/5721d0109a91677e74a1f7b0">Junior Year Highlights</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/3093602/57dee8b10aff7bc8f83f8543">Senior Year Highlights</a> Ezekiel Ott (Caledonia) DL. 6'3, 235 lbs. A 2x All-Conferene pick as a junior and senior who came back from a torn ACL as a junior and was recorded 33 tackles and 13 sacks - which led the state his senior year. This resulted in him being named Minnesota Vikings All-State, A.P. All-State First Team, and a MN All-Star Game participant. He was also a PostBulletin All-Area pick and helped Caledonia win its then second straight Class AA championship. I don't think it's confirmed, but Ott was battling a gnarly knee injury and I think he has had to unfortunately hang up the cleats. Again, this isn't 100% confirmed. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/29z318">Senior SZN</a> Joe Russell (Totino-Grace) DB/LB. 6'2, 210 lbs. Signed with the Minnesota Golden Gophers as a PWO and is only listed on the U of M roster for the 2018 season, Russell was a key component of Totino-Grace's state championship run in 2016 when the Eagles went 13-0 and recorded 70 tackles that resulted in him being named All-State First Team by your own NorthstarFootballNews as well as the A.P. He was also Kare11 and StarTribune All-Metro, Academic All-State, and a Minnesota All-Star game captain who was named MVP of the North Team's defense. In 2017 he redshirted and in 2018 did not see any game action for the Gophers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3011069/58041c785caa5811807ce8ab">Senior Season</a> Max Bautch (Blaine) LB. 6'0, 225 lbs. Signed with NDSU as a PWO after starting for three years for the Blaine Bengals that finished with him landing in the Top-10 in career tackles at Blaine with 240. His senior season he recorded 122 tackles, 10 TFLs, four sacks, two FF, two INT, and two PBUs which netted him All-Conference and All-Distrct honors. Also helped the Bengals to their best season in a while as they appeared in the 6A state semifinal game, and was a team captain in both football and hockey. Also was selected to the MN All-Star game. As a Bison he redshirted in 2017, didn't see any action in 2018, and wasn't listed on the 2019 roster. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/29KbXG">Senior Season Highlights</a> Andre McDonald (Hopkins) WR. 6'2, 200 lbs. I actually got to play against a then senior Andre McDonald in the first round of sections as an underclassman at Southwest, and let me tell you we hadn't seen anything like that before or after. The kid was a freak, and you can actually see my good ol' Laker team in McDonald's senior highlights. He had an outstanding prep career that saw him finish with 138 catches for 2,699 yards and 39 TDs. His senior season he caught 60 balls for 1,253 yards and 17 TDs, and as a junior he tallied 64-1,144-19 TDs. This got him named AP All-State twice, Kare11 and StarTribune All-Metro twice, All-Lake Conference twice, and netted him a SemperFidelis All-American Bowl invite. He signed with the Golden Gophers, played as a freshman, then had some problems and had to drop out. He then tried to attend UWRF but never played for the Falcons. There are some highlights of him on Youtube playing for the Green Bay Blizzard from two years ago, so I think he did end up strapping up the pads again. [embed]https://youtu.be/dY0M2k9mFdA[/embed] Trey Volk (Blackduck) RB. 6'2, 200 lbs. The Blackduck product was the best prep player to ever come out of the school, and was named AP All-State, All-Conference thrice, Conference Player of the Year, and also totaled 200 tackles in his career on defense. He also scored 2,000 points on the basketball squad. Volk signed with Bemidji State, redshirted, I believe played another season, and then I can't find anything else on him. [embed]https://youtu.be/g_acsPYSz7w[/embed] Nick Leach (East Ridge) RB. 6'2, 210 lbs. The name Nick Leach should ring familiar to some, as his hot start during the 2013 season really hasn't been matched in a big-school Metro season since. The big-boy North and South runner opened the season by rushing for over 200 yards in each of the first three games, tallying 667 yards and 11 TDs in four games, averaging 10.8 yards per carry on a team which outscored its opponents 139-46 during that span. This came off a junior season wherein he earned HM All-State honors by the St. Paul Pioneer Press after he rushed for 1,222 yards and 13 TDs, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and earning All-Conference and team MVP award. Unfortunately four games into his senior season he tore his ACL, and was going to sign a PWO to the Gophers but ultimately chose the Iowa State Cyclones on a PWO offer. He played all four years, so his story is not one go giving up the game, but I had to include him just based on what could have been before that knee injury. He was truly doing something remarkable and was looking unstoppable. His career at Iowa State was worth it though, as in 2017 he rushed twice for three yards against Kansas. Heck, I'd take it! <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/940229/5721b16290eead5d90a78927">Senior Season 3 game Highlights</a> Mitch Underhill (Wayzata) RB. 5'10, 200. Speaking of knee injuries, Underhill had a similar story to Nick Leach in-that he was one of the best RBs in the state as a senior, but was hampered by a knee injury and never really got to reach his full potential. He had three years of varsity experience with the Trojans, and after his knee injury he tried his hand at JUCO ball at Citrus CC, but it didn't seem like football was in the cards. He was eventually listed on the University of St. Thomas track and field roster, so I don't think he gave up sports all together. Man, he was a fast one though. [embed]https://youtu.be/hhUixskNcqo[/embed] Mikias Alipate (Holy Angels) LB. 6'1, 225 lbs. Mikias Alipate belongs to one of the best MN prep athletics family and was an absolute force of nature of nature who hit harder than anyone I had ever seen at that point in my life. He was my age, and I got to see him and the Stars play quite a few times in high school, so I was very familiar with Alipate's flowing hair and reckless abandonment before he signed with South Dakota State after a knee injury shortened his senior season. At Holy Angels he was a 2x team captain, who as a junior recorded 113 tackles, three sacks, and two FFs that netted him All-Conference distinction. His 2013 class proved to be an interesting one as he was joined by Maple Grove great Jake Wieneke - who proved to be one of the best receivers in school history, Dallas Goedert - not from MN but now on the Philadelphia Eagles, and MN Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year in Osseo's Bridgeport Tusler, who joined Alipate in leaving the Jackrabbits after only a season in Brookings. Alipate then went to San Mateo CC in California, achieved NJCAA All-American status, and then stopped playing football. It may have been injury related, but no matter what I was really sad when I figured out he wasn't playing anymore. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3887183/5721c1df0dcb0d12f8621b2e">Freshman JUCO</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3887183/5721cfb3e984d413d4186bb6">Sophomore JUCO</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CbntL">Senior HS Highlights</a> Tyus DeBoer (Marshall) OL. 6'5, 275 lbs. DeBoer is another great mystery as to what happened to him, as the Marshall product had an NDSU offer but ended up committing to the Iowa Western CC Reivers out of high school. He was rostered, but there isn't any film of him or any of record of him past a year. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/612578/5721b69b4df6124b70f76c1f">vs. Pipestone</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/612578/5721b686dfe23b2d688f4598">vs. Luverne</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/612578/5721b684041ddc1b00437a21">vs. Waseca</a> Chris Williams (Delasalle) RB. 5'7, 165 lbs. A monster of a prep RB who started four years, captained the Islanders twice, and won All-Conference awards thrice. He was also named the StarTribune Athlete of the Week twice, All-Metro Second Team, and rushed for 1,701 yards and 26 TDs as a senior to help Delasalle to the state semifinals. In his career he rushed for 4,818 yards and 63 TDs, which then ranked him in the top-20 in state history for rushing yards. He signed with Southwest Minnesota State, appeared on their 2014 football roster, but unfortunately got himself in some legal trouble. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/777773/5721b5eedfe23b2d688e29cd">Senior Highlights</a> James Farrow (Minnetonka) DB. 5'10, 180 lbs. Absolute prep stud who signed with Virgina Tech as a senior and then transferred to the University of San Diego but never really got his football career off the ground at either institution. I linked Minnetonka's 2011 preseason hype video, which features a lot of Farrow. He's wearing #1 [embed]https://youtu.be/i4clFGiRFOg[/embed] Chris Wipson (Wayzata) LB. 6'2, 220 lbs. A very hard-hitting LB who won a state championship as a sophomore with the Trojans, Wipson was injured his senior season but still recorded 62 tackles and five TFLs and was named First Team All-State. As a junior he had 82 tackles and was named First Team All-Conference and All-State HM. He also had 19 career state championship tackles. He was a promising Gopher prospect who redshirted in 2013, played in four games and made a tackle as a RS freshman, and didn't see any game action as a sophomore in 2015. He then wasn't listed on the team's rosters anymore. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Cadc6">Highlights</a> Peter Westerhaus (Holy Family) LB. 6'3, 230 lbs. Westerhaus was a great Gopher signee who helped Holy Family to a 13-1 record in 2010 and an appearance in the state championship. He was also named Minnesota's Mr. Football for 2010 and was a Second Team All-American TE by Rivals.com. His senior year he also earned All-State honors from the Associated Press as well as the Minnesota Vikings. He had 139 tackles and scored 11 touchdowns playing both ways as a senior, recorded 121 tackles, blocked three kicks and caught 29 passes for 668 yards and eight scores as a junior, and registered 74 tackles, including a pair of sacks, as a sophomore in 2008. According to the Golden Gophers roster in 2013, "Peter Westerhaus was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis prior to the 2013 season, thus ending his football career. Westerhaus has remained part of the team and can often be found around the football office and at practices. He received the 2014 Courage Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Named Academic All-Big Ten in 2015." [embed]https://youtu.be/0z4_dp_dO9U[/embed] Jimmy Gjere (Irondale) OT. 6'7, 300 lbs. One of the most accomplished Irondale Knights of all time, Gjere was selected to play in the U.S. Army AA Game after being named AP All-State First Team and helped Irondale advance to the second round of the state playoffs. He was a 2x All-Conference pick, 2x Conference Lineman of the Year selection, 2x All-Metro pick, and was Second Team All-State as a junior. In his senior season he also threw two passes, completing both for a total of 84 yards and a TD. He signed with the University of Minnesota and after a redshirt year started in five games on the OL in 2011. In 2012 he "decided to retire from football during fall camp because of a recurring injury." [embed]https://youtu.be/F1Lx6QMAGNA[/embed] Devin Crawford-Tufts (Edina) WR. 6'2, 185 lbs. Another speedy WR I was (un)fortunate enough to play against as a prep, Crawford-Tufts was one of the fastest players I had seen in-person while in high school, and it was really cool seeing him play on Saturday's in the Maroon and Gold. He graduated from Edina in 2011 and caught a team-high six touchdowns for the Hornets as a senior, and led the team with 35 receptions for 540 yards, averaging 15.4 yards per reception. He also caught 21 balls for 534 yards and four scores as a junior in 2009. Also a distinguished track athlete, he won the Minnesota Class AA state championship in the 100 and 200 meters, while finishing as the state runner-up in the long jump. He signed with the U of M to play both football and run track, and after playing in 21 games, starting 8 and recording 24 catches he decided to focus solely on track and field at the U. The Gophers definitely missed his big-play ability at the wideout position after he left. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2DLGhy">Senior Highlights</a> Will Johnson (Osseo) TE. 6'7, 250 lbs. A two-year starter at Osseo who was ranked as the nations #26 TE by Rivals.com and was named the #5 ATH on Rivals.com MN Postseason Top-10 list, Johnson caught 16 balls for 199 and a TD in 2011 and caught 14 receptions for 169 yards and three TDs in 2010. He signed with the West Virgina Mountaineers and in 2012 he redshirted and was named WVU's Scout Team Player of the Week for the Kansas and Texas Tech games. He then moved to fullback the following spring, but then transferred and ended up at Liberty University and played in a good amount of games for the Flames. I'm not sure he finished all his eligibility though, as I could only find up until his junior year on a roster. [embed]https://youtu.be/JenEErIUXSA[/embed] George Behr (East Ridge) TE. 6'5, 245 lbs. Behr recorded 367 receiving yards on 27 receptions with one touchdown as a senior, and helped the Raptors to an 8-2 record. He played in three years for Rutgers, but unfortunately he suffered a career ending injury prior to his senior season and couldn't compete. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/940259/5721b1559a91677e7471753d">Senior Season</a> Carlton Djam (Totino-Grace/Central Lakes College) RB. 6'2, 210 lbs. A 2014 graduate of Totino-Grace High School, who, as a senior, rushed 54 times for 484 yards and four touchdowns and was named to the Pioneer Press All-East Metro First Team and earned AP All-State honors. As a senior DB he also recorded 71 tackles, six tackles for loss and three interceptions. His junior year he rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown and registered 61 tackles and three interceptions. He committed to DII Augustana, but redshirted and then left. He had to take the JUCO route and ended up at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, MN, where he played one season (2015) and rushed 199 times (10th nationally) for 1,087 yards (eighth nationally) and scored 19 touchdowns (second nationally) to earn some NJCAA national honors. He then committed to the University of Minnesota, played in one game in 2016 and and made Minnesota debut against Indiana State where he rushed seven times for 33 yards. His promising D1 career was cut short unfortunately, as he got in some legal trouble. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5594057/5721cbd40c5e681224a37e70">Juco Highlights</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2A9ucm">Senior Year Offense</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CvStb">Senior Year Defense</a> Robert Olson (Eden Prairie) OL. 6'5, 295 lbs. A 3x state champ on the gridiron for the Eagles, Olson was a Mr. Football Finalist, Minnesota Vikings All-State team pick, and an All-Conference selection. He signed with Oregon State, where he battled injuries and alignments before retiring from the game before the 2014 season. Check out this cool story ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/130091/through-injury-illness-and-tragedy-oregon-states-o-line-perseveres">wrote</a> about the Oregon State OL room when Olson was a senior. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2084655/5721b1dd64e96b6380ebc4ca">Senior Highlights</a> Braden Sikes (Minnetonka) ATH. 5'11, 195 lbs. An electric player for the Skippers who played QB and DB at Tonka and was a 2x All-Conference pick who set school records for punt return average, single-game total offense, and single-season total offense. Sikes signed with the Bison but is only listed on the 2015 roster, so he may have just spent a season there. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CrKUB">Highlights</a> Datrice Mulsumo (Champlin Park) RB. 5'9, 185 lbs. Another MN prep to sign with Southwest Minnesota State, Mulsumo was an All-Conference honoree as a senior after he rushed for 666 yards and eight touchdowns and also caught 15 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior as well. After signing with SMSU he spent a season in Marshall before leaving after the 2015 season. He attended El Camino College to try and make it big as a JUCO RB, but it wasn't in the cards. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/914127/5721ba3fe984d413d4fa4152">Senior Year</a> DT Williams (MPLS Southwest/Hopkins) ATH. 5'9, 200 lbs. A do-it-all athlete who transferred from Southwest - where we played together - after the 2013 season and ended up at Hopkins where he played RB and did some speed-rushing off the edge on defense. Had a host of DII offers including SMSU and Minnesota State-Mankato, but chose to commit to SMSU in Marshall, MN. He spent less than a season there and ended up in some kind of not ideal situation that made him want to leave. It all sounded weird from what I heard. Anyway, he transferred to Ridgewater CC but never would up anywhere after that. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2D26DK">Senior High School Season</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/1354914/5721cd6919a53e2a186e2efd">JUCO Highlights</a>