PrepRedzoneMN Showcase Standouts: RB/LB/DB

Monday, January 18th - the day of our inaugural PrepredzoneMN Showcase - has finally come and gone, yet the memories and experience of seeing over 250+ of Minnesota and Wisconsin’s best still strongly occupy a home in my headspace. It was truly awesome to host hundreds of recruits, dozens of college coaches, and almost 20 collegiate programs in Savage last Monday, and the Showcase itself did its job of accelerating some prospects college looks, solidifying some recruits status as must-haves for the various DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCOs in attendance and the FCS and FBS programs receiving the results, and even acted as a catalyst to completely break some kids out onto the recruiting scene. I’ll be following up my first feature highlighting the individual performances of the QBs, WRs, and TEs with this newest article focusing on the standouts from the DBs, LBs, and RB positional groups. We saw some noteworthy size, speed, and athletic ability within the three groups, so I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading! Defensive Backs Bib #103: [player_tooltip player_id="22938" first="Sean" last="Appold"] (Rosemount) 2021. 5’10, 170 lbs. Ran in the high 4.7s and despite his 5’10 frame he had a ton of length in his arms and was a lean, mean, competition machine. I saw Appold take a ton of reps throughout the session, and something I’m always looking for is if DBs finish all of their reps and how they compete and respond to tough competition, and Appold checked every imaginary box I had as he didn’t stop until the receiver was in his grasp and never shied away from a tough matchup. He used his arms, hands, and length really well and had impressive closing speed and got out of his breaks with some force. He broke up a ton of passes and got himself some picks as well. He currently holds an offer from UMary but is still uncommitted. Bib #110: Joey Moberg (St. Paul Johnson) 2021. 5’10, 197 lbs. Where to begin with Moberg. My colleague Nate Wahl and I both believe that the Johnson Governor product is/was the best football player in the city of St. Paul this past year, and over his career he has put up some really impressive production and has a good Hudl tape to boot. He’s a multi-sport standout, so I was excited when he became a late signup and addition to both our PrepRedzoneMN as well as PrepRedzoneIA Showcases this January. The kid can compete. Although he won’t blow you away with his testing numbers, almost all of the traits I liked about Moberg’s film showed up during 1-on-1s last Monday. Recovery speed, instincts, ball skills, and some impressive overall athleticism kept him in receiver’s pockets all day long, and I saw him break up some well-thrown passes to sure-handed wideouts. He’s tough at the LOS and does a great job of using his hands at the release, and with his solid size the versatility that he shows on film would definitely translate to a college program. He could potentially play multiple DB spots, OLB, and can even mix in as a RB if needed. Thanks for coming, Joey. Bib #112: [player_tooltip player_id="49870" first="Micah" last="Runion"] (Park of Cottage Grove) 2022. 5’9.75, 176 lbs. Put up some really nice testing numbers as he ran a 4.71 40 and put up a 4.25 and a 4.32 in the 5-10-5 short shuttle. I wish I got to see him compete a little more during 1-on-1s but he’s poised for a really nice senior year. Bib #113: Parker Skelton (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) 2021. 5’9, 174 lbs. The highly-touted NAIA recruit competed well during 1-on-1s and had a few nice PBUs that showed me a good ability to play the hands on receivers. Bib #114: [player_tooltip player_id="31373" first="Drew" last="Trudell"] (Mukwonago, WI) 2022. 5’9.25, 173 lbs. The MVP of the defensive back positional group was no doubt the Wisconsin native [player_tooltip player_id="31373" first="Drew" last="Trudell"]. After posting a 4.69 in the 40 and a 4.34 in the short-shuttle the Mukwonago product put his speed and quickness to use and was the stickiest and most disruptive DB during the Showcase. I liked him at all levels of the field. At the LOS he was physical and patient to put his hands on, showed good technique and kept his eyes on the wideout until he was in-phase, and couldn’t get burned deep and used his hands well when the ball was in the air. He checked all my boxes and even had offensive coaches raving from the event. WRs were having a really hard time getting away from him and creating separation and he’s a fierce competitor who was coachable as well. Tons to like and I got my eye on him going forward. [caption id="attachment_99726" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99726 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-9-2-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="31373" first="Drew" last="Trudell"] - Mukwonago 2022[/caption]Bib #249: Cody Cotton (Union Grove, WI) 2022. 6’1, 165 lbs. A PrepRedzoneIA Showcase standout who turned into a late addition to the MN event, Cotton showed off all of the skills that made me and Jake Lemming stand out to us as a prospect in Iowa. He’s tremendous in press-coverage and looks like an absolute natural covering wideouts 1-on-1. He’s really patient at the LOS, both in his punch and reacting to a WRs release. He was able to show off his 4.6ish 40 ability and was never really pressured deep by opposing wideouts. He also got to show off his outrageous 4.16 and 4.1 flat short shuttle lateral quickness, and could read and react to double-moves, head-fakes, and different route-stems intended to fake DBs out from every WR at the event. He’s accurate and effective when playing the ball as well, and his timing and overall athleticism has really propelled him in my mind as a CB recruit. [caption id="attachment_99728" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99728 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-12-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Cody Cotton - Union Grove (WI) 2022[/caption] Linebackers Bib #56: [player_tooltip player_id="19008" first="Bryan" last="Cassellius"] (Winona) 2023. 5’11, 175 lbs .The Winona Winhawk is one of my favorite LBs in the rapidly aging 2023 class in MN, and I was excited to see him compete live on Monday, and he did not disappoint. Still an underclassman, Cassellius moves well and has the frame to add a ton of weight to his frame. You can tell he’s still growing into his body, but a lot of college coaches thought that he moved and competed well above his age. I’m inclined to agree, and the young buck efficiently and patiently covered ground when out in space guarding RBs, and his lateral quickness and acceleration are impressive. If he can add some more weight he’s going to have a lot of college coaches stopping by Winona to see him in a couple of years. Bib #64: Ian Hennen (Jordan) 2021. 5’11, 177 lbs. Posted a 4.73 in the 40 (the fastest of the LBs) and a 9’2 broad jump. Moves really well and has a great skill-set for a coverage LB for a potential college program. Bib #65: [player_tooltip player_id="18533" first="Mitchell" last="Jezierski"] (Rogers) 2022. 6’1, 215 lbs. Recorded some really impressive shuttle times of 4.5 and 4.56 at a legit 215, and his lateral quickness and explosiveness really translated on the field, as he could cut and start and stop with a ton of speed. Bib #66: [player_tooltip player_id="49884" first="Fox" last="Knutson"] (Wayzata) 2022. 6’0.75, 186 lbs. I was not ready for the individual performance during the testing portion from the Wayzata Trojan product. He timed out as the best tester of the LBs, and he looked really smooth when running his 4.75 40 and 4.47 & 4.44 short-shuttle. The kid is built too, and his numbers really stood out and had the coaches at the Showcase talking. Knutson plays at one of the deepest and most talented rosters in MN, and the level of competition he faces in practice helped him to make the most of the moment and really compete well during 1-on-1s as well. He could run and cut with RBs no matter what route they were running, and has some good hips and feet that he showed off during Indy as well. Atta kid, Fox! Running Backs Bib #79: Collin Beaudette (Chippewa Falls, WI) 2022. 5’9, 195 lbs. The Wisconsin native showed up and showed out on Monday, impressing coaches as well as myself with his quickness and short area burst. He looked great running drills in Indy, as he was impressively quick that showcased his 4.38 in the short-shuttle. He gets out of his stance with a ton of explosive power and can cut on a dime and get out of those cuts with some force. He’s got to be a load to bring down as RB, and after watching him catch the ball out of the backfield I was completely sold on Beaudette being a 3-down back. I’m a big fan now and he’s going to see himself ranked in our upcoming 2022 updates. [caption id="attachment_99730" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99730 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-7-2-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Colin Beaudette - Chippewa Falls 2022[/caption] Bib #82: Cristian Christensen (Mound Westonka) 2022. Had some really nice moves in the open field and put threw out some dirty jukes during Indy. He’s got some quick feet. Bib #85: [player_tooltip player_id="94798" first="Carter" last="Fonger"] (Superior, WI) 2021. 5’7, 195 lbs. I love Fonger’s size, build, and testing numbers for the RB position. He also caught my eye at our PrepRedzoneWI Showcase back in December due to his build and his burst, and he put in work once again and timed out at a 4.59 (!) 40-yard dash during testing, one of the fastest times on the day. He also tested at a 4.34 and a 4.17 in the short shuttle and jumped a 9’8 in the broad jump, so no one is going to be able to sit here and tell me the kid isn’t a scholarship level athlete. Those are some good numbers, and once again I found myself impressed with how much power Fonger generates at the snap of the ball as well as when he reaches top speed. He can also cut on a dime with ease, has some good vision and balance that allow him to dip, duck, dive, juke, and whatever else he needs to do in the open field. I really hope a coaching staff gets after this stud UNCOMMITTED senior soon. [caption id="attachment_99733" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99733 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-2-1-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="94798" first="Carter" last="Fonger"] - Superior 2021[/caption]Bib #86: Joseph Forsberg (Martin County West) 2023. Well built, especially for his age, with a ton of muscle in his lower-body and a stout, compact frame that makes for a load to bring down on film. In-person I really loved Forsberg’s agility and cutting ability, and he was a handful to wrap up in the open-field for LBs. He’s a nice combination of size, speed, and power and I’m excited to continue watching this outstate product grow! Bib #88: [player_tooltip player_id="49867" first="Gus" last="Gartzke"] (Mankato East) 2022. 5’8, 175 lbs. Came in and competed despite a end of season injury to the East product that has taken a considerable amount of rehab and hard work to overcome. To me, that just screams that Gartzke is a competitor, and I really liked his burst, balance, and quick feet that helped him stay elusive in short-are drills as well as 1-on-1s. Bib #90: [player_tooltip player_id="31215" first="Max" last="Grand"] (Ellsworth, WI) 2022. 5’9, 190 lbs. Our PrepRedzoneWI #1 running-back in the class of 2022 is a force on the field whether he’s padded up or just in shorts and a T-shirt like last Monday. The Ellsworth hammer, who ran a 4.4 flat on astroturf at our PrepRedzoneWI Showcase once again tested off the charts and put up a 4.5 flat and a 4.35 and 4.29 in the short shuttle, again reinforcing the fact that he’s a Division 1, FBS prospect at the RB position. With a ton of power packed into his compact frame, Grand looked like the smoothest and most natural cutter during RB individual drills, and could plant his foot in the ground and propel himself forward with some explosive power that I haven’t seen too often at the RB position. He is powerful, and not only is he quick but his top-end speed made him basically unguardable during 1-on-1s to end Session 2. If he wanted to run a deep route there was almost a 0% chance that the LB could run with him, and multiple times I saw him pull away from defenders like that GIF of Devonta Smith outrunning the Ohio State LB in the natty. He’s a smooth and effortless runner who can beat you with speed or pure force. I’m a big fan of his game and hope that Wisconsin and my home-state Gophers really check out the Ellsworth product. Bib #95: Anthony Moe-Tucker (Kasson-Mantorville) 2022. 5’11, 217 lbs. Another standout from our past PrepRedzoneWI Showcase comes from the dynamic and light-on-his-feet Kasson-Mantorville RB/LB/DE/wrestling extraordinaire once again impressed with his measurables and overall skill-set. He ran a 4.84 at almost 220 lbs. and once again displayed his unique versatility as he looked like a natural RB running through drills while his frame screams collegiate LB or DE. Either way he’s a smooth athlete for his size who can run, cut, and jump like a recruit much smaller than him. He’s got soft hands and some strong acceleration and looks good running the rock, I can’t lie. I’m looking forward to seeing how his wrestling season concludes this Winter. [caption id="attachment_99743" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99743 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/EsCez5OXMAMonoa-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Anthony Moe-Tucker - Kasson-Mantorville 2022[/caption] Bib #188: [player_tooltip player_id="22923" first="Eli" last="Gillman"] (Dassel-Cokato) 2022. 5’11, 190 lbs. Last but not least is the Dassel-Cokato explosive athlete [player_tooltip player_id="22923" first="Eli" last="Gillman"], who competed as a RB despite his ability to play WR or even DB in college. However, I think he’s best suited for offense, and his 190 lb. frame is well filled out and laced with muscle in his upper and lower body. He ran a sub 4.5 40 flat and a 4.39 in the short shuttle, and like Wisconsin classmate Grand he showcased a really dangerous skill-set that could accelerate with ease and get out of his cuts with power. Not only does he cut with force, the DC junior can take the top off of the defense with his speed and has great body control when making people. He was evert bit of the athlete I was hoping to see! [caption id="attachment_99732" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-99732 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-6-2-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22923" first="Eli" last="Gillman"] - Dassel Cokato 2022[/caption]