Minnesota's Top-10 Hardest Senior Hitters of 2020

I’m very excited to bring to our subscribers this newest PrepRedzoneMN feature highlighting the hardest hitters of the 2021 class from this past season. Hard hits are what makes football, football, and there are a multitude of reasons that the "biggest hits" videos on Youtube generate tens of millions of views, but it really boils down to the fact that people love them. They conjure animalistic feelings of excitement and pleasure, and big tackles and blocks can really shift the tide of momentum to one team’s favor and change the course of a football game. Additionally, players that are known and feared as big hitters make impacts throughout the course of 60 minutes that extend far past the pain a WR, RB, or QB feels after getting popped on a single play. They affect game plans, timing, adjustments, and the execution of plays, as well as work themselves into the consciousness of offensive players and throw them off their game. I took it upon myself to watch as film on as many 2021 seniors that I could find and rank the PrepRedzoneMN Top-10 Hardest Senior Hitters of 2020. Check out who made the list, who hits the hardest, where they’re going to play in college, and why I think they hit so hard. As a note, I made this list off of Hudl film available. I also included an Honorable Mention list! Thanks for reading. Top-10 1) [player_tooltip player_id="18040" first="Garrison" last="Solliday"] (St. Thomas Academy) DL/ILB. 6’1, 230 lbs. Still uncommitted! 2x All-Metro First Team, First Team AP All-State. It was really hard to pick between Solliday and Ratzlaff for the #1 hardest hitter spot in the state, but Solliday’s senior tape really did it for me. The first hit of the tape is just massive, and when he puts the pads on someone it rocks their entire body and they go airborne more often that not. Even on what would seem like clandestine hits, Solliday would crumple ballcarriers off of only a step or two, and when he gets ahold of you you aren’t going anywhere. Additionally, just about every kid who he popped was not anywhere near getting up as the play cut out on the tape, and I could tell those hits seriously hurt. His tape was just too hard to ignore in-terms of how he cracks people. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10117650/5f970a1ad45ee50990881ef2">Highlights</a> 2) [player_tooltip player_id="18027" first="Jake" last="Ratzlaff"] (Rosemount) 6’3, 220 lbs. Committed to the University of Wisconsin. Has been one of the hardest hitters since the 2019 season, Ratzlaff can put OL on their butts off only a couple of steps, and even when he is off balance or not running with a full head of steam he does not go backwards. When he does have a full head of steam it is game over for the ballcarrier, as he generates a ton of force at the point of contact and has the best foot drive of anyone on this list. He "drives for 5" and then some. Also an extremely talented athlete who has a mean stiff-arm, which I took into consideration for the hardest hitter Top-2 spots. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EjzF0">Top-15 plays of Senior Year</a> 3) [player_tooltip player_id="18030" first="Deven" last="Eastern"] (Shakopee) DL. 6’6, 285 lbs. Committed to the University of Minnesota. An incredibly explosive DL at for size, Eastern shows off why he’s a 4-star prospect on his senior tape and throws ball-carriers down with some unique tenacity and strength. He also completely envelops ballcarriers when he’s in pursuit, and that’s where a lot of his biggest hits came from. If he’s sprinting down the LOS and has a full head of steam then you are going to get crushed, and it is going to hurt. If you don’t get in his way at the LOS and put a hat on him he’s going to demolish your RB as well. He can make a big hit off of not a lot of momentum. Go Gophers, baby! <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ev1Gb">Senior Tape</a> 4) [player_tooltip player_id="18082" first="Shea" last="Albrecht"] (Orono) OL/DL. 6’4, 305 lbs. Mr. Football Finalist, PrepRedzoneMN Hog Molly OL of the Year Award winner. Still uncommitted! Due to his wrestling background Albrecht knows and understands leverage and knows exactly how to plant you on the ground and make sure you feel all 300+ lbs. of him as well. He’s a violent and crushing run-blocker who can make smaller defenders fly horizontally if he meets them in the open field. A lot of kids he hit came up looking quite dazed after he flattened them, and he can send smaller kids backwards with a simple push or a pop of the shoulder. There is a ton of power packed into his giant frame, and he’s extremely fun to watch hit people. 5) [player_tooltip player_id="18059" first="Eli" last="Mau"] (Chanhassen) LB. 6’2, 225 lbs. Signed to the University of Minnesota on a PWO. Just sends kids flying when he puts his pads on them. If he doesn’t feel like wrapping up then you can get sent upwards on five feet, and if he wraps up then he’s going to throw you down when a ton of violence. He’s a very special athlete for his size, with a 38" vert and a 10.2 broad jump, so he can generate a lot of velocity when he gets going and puts everything he has into every hit. I also like how he’ll literally fly around and leave his feet when needed as well. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/11422877/5fa722980c54df0af46b4b71">Highlights</a> 6) [player_tooltip player_id="18056" first="Tristan" last="Hoppe"] (Hutchinson) LB. 6’2, 225 lbs. All-Metro.Committed to the University of Sioux Falls. I liked Hoppe’s versatility in-terms of being a hard hitter, as he cranked a few kids from a fullback or halfback position and as a lead-blocker or on swipe-backs. He also made some huge hits going sideline to sideline in pursuit, and the has great technique when smacking people and consistently knocks them backwards or airborne. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EfiRY">Senior Highlights</a> 7) Noah Friedt (Apple Valley) LB. 6’3, 225 lbs. Committed to the University of St. Thomas. A hammer of a LB who I unfortunately did not have on my radar before the 2020 season was already in full swing, Friedt reminds me of the definition of inertia, particularly that an object in motion or rest will continue it’s state unless changed by an external force. Friedt encountered a lot of external forces trying to change his state in 2020, and I don’t think very many of them actually did anything to knock him off his path in the slightest. He’s a brick wall, and when he runs into people they react like they’ve hit a brick wall. There were some hits on his various game tapes on Hudl that were really violent, especially on WRs over the middle or QBs finishing getting the ball out, and those hits ultimately helped me rank Friedt this high. 8) Tyee Leske (Eden Prairie) DB. 6’2, 195 lbs. Committed to Iowa State on a PWO. Had some big-time pops on WRs over the middle and RBs breaking through a hole from the line. He’s a strong tackler who can hit you standing up and completely knock ballcarriers backwards. I recognize those hits, and they take the wind right out of you, and it was no surprise he knocked the ball out a couple of times. What really got me excited about his big hit capability though was his hits on wideouts over the middle. If you don’t have your eyes on him he is going to bounce you off the turf like a basketball, and brings a big pop to the point of contact when he’s got some steam behind him. I’m excited to see him as a Cyclone. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eg2cQ">Senior Year</a> 9) Nate Becker (Maple Grove) DL. 6’5, 255 lbs. All-Metro, All-State. Committed to the University of Minnesota on a PWO. Crushing DL who also laid some heavy hits as a lead-blocker on offense as a HB or FB. He’s maybe the breakout star of 2020 and was incredibly disruptive as a DL and when he hits you standing up and going forward he crumples people like he’s tackling a pillow. He also spins people to the ground faster and with more force than almost anyone else on the list, but what really made me want to rank him was how easy and powerful of a lead-blocker he was. He’d basically get hands on and the defender would crumple like it was his job too. Hopefully he keeps crushing kids in the B1G! 10) [player_tooltip player_id="18058" first="Trent" last="Jones II"] (Eden Prairie) DL. 6’3, 260 lbs. Committed to Iowa State University on a PWO. Explodes through lead-blockers and has a ton of power in his shoulders that allow him to knock people backwards without a lot of outward looking effort or even having to be the low man a lot of the time. He swallows up ballcarriers and stops them dead in their tracks, and uses his whole weight to crush and suffocate RBs and QBs. When he falls on you or throws you down it looks like it hurts. Honorable Mention - [player_tooltip player_id="18064" first="Ibk" last="Mafe"] (Blaine) LB. 6’3, 235 lbs. Still uncommitted, holds a PWO from Iowa State and offers from St. Thomas, UMD, St. John’s, Northern State, UMary, Bemidji State. Created big hits from a variety of positions, including on kickoff coverage, in-between the tackles, or out on the edge. Great frame who is a relentless competitor between the whistles and throws his entire body and weight into every hit. He also possesses a strong upper-body and can whip you down at an angle with some violence. - [player_tooltip player_id="18114" first="Daniel" last="Erlandson"] (Breckenridge) FB/LB. 6’, 220 lbs. Committed to University of Jamestown. My favorite fullback in the state, Erlandson is a crushing lead-blocker who hits defenders like a bowling ball hits pins. A lot of the time he’ll make crushing blocks and still maintain his momentum and stay on his feet, while the kid he hit is flat on his butt and looking up into the clouds. He also is a technically sound tackler as a LB and stops ballcarriers in their tracks, while usually finalizing things with a strong throw-down on the tackle. - Tanner Newlin (Prior Lake) LB. Second Team All-Metro LB. Committed to UW-Lacrosse - Cole Sandahl (Mounds View) OLB. 6’3, 190 lbs. Offered by Waldorf University, the University of Sioux Falls, and Santa Barbra CC - [player_tooltip player_id="18079" first="Jack" last="Bungarden"] (Woodbury) LB. Committed to Minnesota State University-Moorhead - [player_tooltip player_id="18116" first="Joey" last="Sorenson"] (Spring Lake Park) DB. All-District, All-Metro, All-State. No reported offers. - [player_tooltip player_id="18098" first="Reid" last="Patterson"] (Lakeville South) DB. All-District, All-Metro, All-State. Holds a football offer from Northern State and basketball offers from Concordia-St. Paul. Still uncommitted! - [player_tooltip player_id="18207" first="Nyle" last="Dickel"] (MPLS Washburn) LB. 6’3, 220 lbs. All-District, All-Metro, All-State. Committed to South Dakota on a PWO - [player_tooltip player_id="18087" first="David" last="Ayeni"] (Anoka) LB. 6’2, 220 lbs. Committed to the University of St. Thomas - [player_tooltip player_id="22927" first="Davon" last="Townley"] (MPLS North) DE. 6’7, 220 lbs. Holds offers from Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Arizona State, Penn State, amongst others - [player_tooltip player_id="18065" first="Jake" last="Schwinghammer"] (Tartan) LB. 5’11, 210 lbs. - [player_tooltip player_id="18071" first="Nick" last="Flaskamp"] (MPLS Southwest) LB. 5’11, 210 lbs. All-District, All-Metro, All-State. Committed to the University of St. Thomas - [player_tooltip player_id="22939" first="Noah" last="Nephew"] (Lakeville North) LB. All-District. Committed to UW-Eau Claire. Held two DII offers from UMary and MSUM - [player_tooltip player_id="18049" first="Brayden" last="Weber"] (Becker) LB. 6’2, 225 lbs. All-District. Committed to North Dakota State - [player_tooltip player_id="23683" first="Ryan" last="Wilson"] (Elk River) LB/FB. 6’, 220 lbs. Offered by Carnegie Mellon, Grand View - Ayden Davison (Robbinsdale Cooper) LB. 6’1, 210 lbs. Committed to Valparaiso University - [player_tooltip player_id="18070" first="Darnell" last="McCrea"] (MPLS North) DL. Committed to Bemidji State - [player_tooltip player_id="18159" first="Joey" last="Tilzer"] (Orono) LB. 5’9, 210 lbs. Committed to Macalester College - [player_tooltip player_id="18048" first="Carter" last="Otto"] (Elk River) LB. 6’, 210 lbs. 3x All-District, All-Metro. Still uncommitted!