North Central Iowa: Top Unsigned Class Of 2021 Prospects (Part 2)

Dana Becker

December 13, 2020 @ 08:00 AM

We are now into the long days of the winter, but for those Class of 2021 prospects looking to find a new home, each hour is critical. Early-morning workouts, late-night film sessions and more all come together to make for an interesting time right now. We’ll do our best to spotlight those still searching for homes here, so feel free to message us any prospects that we miss. [player_tooltip player_id="23876" first="Sam" last="Daniel"], Fort Dodge Opposing offenses and quarterbacks were limited when playing Fort Dodge this past fall because of the presence of [player_tooltip player_id="23876" first="Sam" last="Daniel"]. The senior recorded 31.5 tackles with 25 of those being solo stops. While that was impressive, his Class 4A-leading eight interceptions really are what shows off his abilities. Daniel was able to handle man-to-man coverage against anybody. Daniel has incredible ball-hawking skills. Snagging eight interceptions is just the tip of the iceberg for this 6-foot future college athlete. Dayson Clayton, Fort Dodge Nobody was having a better senior year than Dayson Clayton before injuries hampered the Fort Dodge senior. Clayton, who has been part of the varsity roster for the majority of his career, ran for 1,055 yards with nine touchdowns, averaging over seven yards per carry. He also caught five passes for 83 yards, finding the end zone twice. As a Dodger, Clayton was the perfect back for the spread offense, handling QB duties at times out of the wildcat. When he was on the field, Clayton was a dominating force. He has the ability to change a game with one run, showing incredible speed, field vision and awareness for the end zone. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-25951" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/06/Brayden-Johll-188x300.jpg" alt="Brayden Johll" width="188" height="300" /> Brayden Johll, Manson Northwest Webster Injuries limited Brayden Johll, but when he was on the field, he was one of the best in uniform. Johll ran for 492 yards with three touchdowns, averaging just over five yards per carry. He is also a talent in the return game, averaging 21 yards per kickoff return. He had his best game of the season on an injured ankle, running 31 times for 312 yards with two scores vs. St. Edmond. A straight-forward runner, Johll sees a hole and hits it, using his elite speed to break free. For someone with his size, Johll is tough to bring down. Ryan Lang, North Union Over the past few seasons, North Union has relied heavily on a handful of players to dominate both sides of the ball. Recently, that player has been Ryan Lang. Lang finished off his career with 1,220 yards and 17 touchdowns on 183 carries, handling the bulk of the Warrior load. He also recorded 41.5 tackles on the defensive side. A strong athlete, Lang has good size and appears to have the frame to add on even more strength to his body. He is an excellent tackler with game-changing speed. Jake Paysen, East Sac County As Jake Paysen went this past fall, so did the East Sac County offense. Paysen ran for 704 yards with eight touchdowns, adding 11 receptions in the passing game. Paysen also has great return skills, posting 14 yards per kickoff return. Strong, hard-nosed runner, Paysen also has excellent speed and quick feet. His abilities to catch passes out of the backfield make him a tremendous dual-threat. James Wartick, Algona Checking in at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Algona’s James Wartick looks the part of a college-level tight end. And he has all the abilities to shine at that level. Wartick caught 14 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns this past season, averaging almost 15 yards per catch. He also caused problems on defense, recording seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Big target, soft hands and the ability to bring the ball down in traffic. Wartick has all the tools of a standout tight end at the next level.