South Dakota Offensive POY Award: The Nominees/Honorable Mention

With less than a week to decide, we’ll dive in with our shortlist of 12 deserving candidates for 11-man offensive player of the year in South Dakota. By next Monday at 8 PM, we will have this list cut down to 3-4 names in which we will name our inaugural "Prep Redzone Dakotas Offensive Player of the Year" award. Note: These names were handed out with much input from our staff! THE NOMINEES The Quarterbacks Austin Lake, QB, Tea Area (2021) Lake was one that indeed fell under our radar when evaluating quarterbacks in the Dakotas. Lake powered Tea Area to a lopsided victory in the state championship. Lake runs exceptionally well between the tackles and is a significant dual-threat that gets the ball out extremely quickly. No Tape. Taylen Ashley Taylen Ashley 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2023 State , QB Sioux Falls Roosevelt (2023) Ashley was amongst the leaders in passing yards for the RoughRiders as just a promising sophomore. Ashley’s mobility is off the charts, and he throws a darn good deep ball with great accuracy. It’s hard to believe he’s only a sophomore because he has so much poise in the pocket as just a 15-16-year-old and can stay in the pocket and make a strong throw over the middle. Ashley is the only 2023 that cracked our player of the year list, so the potential is undoubtedly high for Taylen. Future Division I prospect on our watch. So. Tape Jacob Knuth Jacob Knuth 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Harrisburg | 2022 State , QB, Harrisburg (2022) The stunner Knuth and Harrisburg pulled off against Roosevelt had my jaw dropped at the floor during halftime of the game I was scouting a few weeks back. When you watch Knuth, you need to look at the arch where he throws the ball, which is very close to as spot-on as you want. When I watched the state championship game, I saw a playmaker who always wants to make the big play every play. He reminds of Brett Favre growing up, of course, without the interceptions but a player who still wants to use that big arm to make a play for his teammates. Game 1-3 2020 Tape The Tailbacks Parker Phillips Parker Phillips 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Mitchell | 2021 State , RB, Mitchell (2021) Phillips might be the biggest surprise on this list. Although moderately undersized at running back, Phillips put video game type numbers for the Kernels this season. Phillips has an intense burst, and it was hard to stop as he rushed for well over 1000 yards rushing this season with his burner type legs he showed off for Mitchell. No offers yet to date. Tape Games 1-3 2020 Jaxton Schiller Jaxton Schiller 6'2" | 195 lbs | ATH Sioux Valley | 2021 State , RB, Sioux Valley (2021) Schiller had another fantastic year for the Cossacks. His slippery running ability and strong quirk in his feet made some noise in 11B and got him onto our POY list for the 11-man offensive team. It took until November for schools to notice Schiller’s versatility in his 6’2 190-pound frame, grabbing a Division II offer from Black Hills State a couple of weeks back. I think Schiller is due for some more offers coming his way in the upcoming winter months from local programs. Senior Tape Maguire Raske Maguire Raske 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Pierre T.F. Riggs | 2021 State , RB, Pierre (2021) Raske, who is now the Governor’s all-time record holder for touchdowns, had an explosive year in leading Pierre to another state title in Vermillion. Raske is a one-cut back that is very consistent in getting his yards and his touchdowns, logging a monster 31 touchdowns in this season alone. Raske is exceptionally versatile in the Governor’s rushing attack and logged nearly 600 yards in receiving yards. Raske doesn’t have blow away speed, but for how much of a do it all RB prospect he is, it surprises me to a high level that this multiple time state champion doesn’t have a college football offer yet. Sr. Tape Josh Buri Josh Buri 5'11" | 210 lbs | RB Brookings | 2021 State , RB, Brookings (2021) Just under a whopping 12 yards per carry is what Josh Buri Josh Buri 5'11" | 210 lbs | RB Brookings | 2021 State of Brookings added for the Bobcats this season. I’ve watched Josh multiple times throughout the season in my time in Minnesota and scouting the Dakotas, and out of the three states, I have yet to find a more physical runner than him in all the games I have watched across Prep Redzone in multiple seasons. Buri left Stewartville, Minn, chasing a Division I offer, and he made a move to Brookings and got what he wanted: Multiple Division I FCS offers. Buri rushed for over 1600 yards this season and should be one of the favorites to get the Offensive POY award next week. Reg Season Tape Tate Johnson Tate Johnson 5'9" | 165 lbs | RB Brandon Valley | 2021 State , RB, Brandon Valley (2021) Johnson was another player that outplayed his ranking this season, just starting outside the top 20 in our inaugural rankings. Johnson’s blitzing speed was extremely crucial in getting Brandon Valley to the championship again in 11AAA. Sometimes when you roll back the tape, you wonder if his film is accelerated, but nope that is how stinking fast Johnson is. Augustana got an absolute steal in Johnson, which somehow was his only offer for last year’s 11AAA Player of the Year. Jr. Tape Corbin Sohler Corbin Sohler 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Yankton | 2021 State , RB, Yankton (2021) A player who came back from a torn ACL last season to one posted up over 1100 yards for the Yankton Bucks this season is no small feat. Sohler’s vision in between the tackles and consistent ability to get consistent yards to carry after carry puts him on our shortlist as a player of the year candidate. Sohler is a fearless competitor that feeds off being a contact runner, not just one that bullets to the outside. Rankings are rankings, and I’ll be the first to say that Sohler will get a substantial bump in December’s update. If I named one, Sohler gets my award for Comeback Player of the Year in the entire Dakotas. I am sure this won’t be the last time we talk about Sohler in the coming week, as Sohler just yesterday joined one of the Mount Marty Lancers first recruiting classes as a football program in NAIA. Sr. Tape Game 1-6 The Receivers Dawson Schmidt Dawson Schmidt 6'4" | 190 lbs | WR Watertown | 2021 State , WR, Watertown (2021) Schmidt was the most prominent bright spot to the Watertown Arrows season. Logging 12 touchdowns, almost 800 yards on nearly 40 catches, Schmidt raised his stock substantially in his senior season. Schmidt has a long catch radius and long arms to grab a large number of balls that come his way. Schmidt is also a rigid body and one that needs multiple bodies to bring him down. Schmidt started his season getting NAIA and Division III offers and has risen to numerous local Division II programs, takings important notice of his talents. Schmidt is no slouch on the defensive side of the ball either, with five interceptions this season. Sr Tape Tyler Feldkamp Tyler Feldkamp 6'0" | 190 lbs | WR Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2021 State , WR, Sioux Falls Roosevelt (2021) Let’s start with Feldkamp being the most electric player in all of the Dakotas. His versatility in so many avenues of the game makes him such a threat in the football game. Feldkamp will be the only one you’ll see for both offensive and defensive POY out of these 11 players. His bolt off the snap, his ability to dodge traffic and bust for a significant gain, and his returning ability makes him a strong candidate for this offensive POY award. I don’t think it’s a stretch to call Feldkamp the closest thing the Dakotas have to Primetime, Deion Sanders. SR. TAPE The Tight Ends Tyus Hanson Tyus Hanson 6'4" | 225 lbs | TE Sioux Falls Washington | 2021 State , TE, Sioux Falls Washington (2021) Hanson remained in one of the top spots for tight ends in South Dakota with his outstanding play. He’s one that will be a next-level TE at Lindenwood but had the versatility and catch radius to line up anywhere on the field for Washington. Will have an excellent career at Division II Lindenwood University in Missouri. Jr. Tape NEXT MAN UP These are players who just missed the cut but still had outstanding seasons of note. Joseph Kolbeck, QB, Brandon Valley (2021) As a first-year starter, I would be lying to you if I didn't say I had some doubts in Kolbeck but he lived up to the hype and will find himself in the December update of our 2021 rankings. Tape vs. SF Lincoln Max Thomson Max Thomson 6'3" | 215 lbs | QB Sioux Falls Washington | 2022 State , QB, Sioux Falls Washington (2021) Jr. Tape Tommy Thompson Tommy Thompson 6'0" | 195 lbs | QB Sioux Falls Lincoln | 2021 State , QB, Sioux Falls Lincoln (2021) Jr Tape Carter Hogg Carter Hogg 5'8" | 190 lbs | RB Aberdeen Central | 2021 State , RB, Aberdeen Central (2021) Sr. Tape Joseph Turay Joseph Turay 5'10" | 195 lbs | RB Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2021 State , RB, Sioux Falls Roosevelt (2021) Senior Tape Kaden Johnson Kaden Johnson 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Tea Area | 2021 State , RB, Tea Area (2021) 90 Yard TD State Championship Kobey June Kobey June 5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH Dakota Valley | 2021 State , ATH, Dakota Valley (2021) So Tape Michael Paulson Michael Paulson 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2021 State , WR, Sioux Falls Roosevelt (2021) Sr. Tape Ethyn Rollinger Ethyn Rollinger 6'3" | 195 lbs | WR Harrisburg | 2021 State , WR, Harrisburg (2021) Sr. Tape John Noordsy John Noordsy 6'2" | 225 lbs | TE Brookings | 2021 State , TE, Brookings (2021) Senior Tape