Recruiting Class Breakdown: Northern State

ABERDEEN, SD-- The up and coming Northern State Wolves brought in 44 new signees in their latest 2021 recruiting class. Of that 44, they signed 15 signees out of North Dakota and South Dakota which makes nearly 35% of their recruiting class if you are into the analytics side of their recruiting class. We take a look at those 15 new Wolves taking their talents to Aberdeen to offer some quick hitters on what kind of talent Head Coach Mike Schmidt and his staff has brought into Wolves Country. QUICK NOTES The Wolves Nailed the West River You hear it all the time about the talent gap from the East River vs. the West River. I won’t dive into it myself, but when I roll back the film of the three West Rivers linebackers coming out to Aberdeen, the Wolves couldn’t have gotten better linebackers from there in my opinion with the likes of Daniel Sedlacek, [player_tooltip player_id="56301" first="Ryan" last="Wojcik"], and [player_tooltip player_id="56276" first="Charlie" last="Larson"]. The Magic Number is Nine Nine of the 15 Dakotas prospects that the Wolves signed, were ranked by us at Prep Redzone Dakotas, including a couple of kids that I am kicking myself I didn’t have ranked. That adds up to 60% of their Dakotas class being ranked by us. THE SIGNEES [player_tooltip player_id="77465" first="Tristan" last="Abbott"], WR, Wosley-Wessington (SD) Abbott is one of the too-long wide receivers taking their talents to Aberdeen from the Mount Rushmore State. Abbott is a secondary’s nightmare once he gets by you as his burst off the line will take you deep if you are not careful. Abbott also has some excellent footwork to turn up some grass when he’s making his cut to get open. Abbott’s ability to lean a direction and then twist his hips in the opposite direction upfield will make him a fun player to watch. We had Abbott ranked as a top 50 prospect and the #7 best WR in the Dakotas. He is also a 2020 state champion for the Warbirds. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EazNm">Senior Tape</a> Brock Baker, LB, Aberdeen Central (SD) Baker does a fine job off the edge at linebacker. At Aberdeen Central, he had a significant step off the snap and a good reaction time getting to where the football was. Baker has a motor that doesn’t get tired quickly, which should be an asset for his hometown Wolves. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/5354738/5bd8de6419a5ed0aec5885b6">Senior Tape (2019)</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56272" first="Andy" last="Blazevich"], DB, Sioux Falls Lincoln (SD) Blazevich is one that, on film, is one step ahead of the wide receiver on most plays. He gives wide receivers a tiny cushion off the line because of his great speed. Not only does he have good speed, but he also has a good backpedal and stops like a sports car. Blazevich’s ability to stay level in coverage for the entirety of running with a wide receiver will do some great things at Northern State. Blazevich was our #7 defensive back in the Dakotas and was a top 65 prospect. Jaimen Farrell, RB, Groton (SD) Farrell is not a player I had on my radar this year, and I wish I did. Farrell will be a player at the next level that offers some versatility. He can line up as a pass-catcher, can use his bursty speed to get you the first down, or you can line him up in the wildcat formation and let him choose what he wants to do with the football. I also vision him as a return man at some point in his career with the Wolves. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EZseU">Senior Tape</a> Brandon Fodness, DB, Lennox (SD) Fodness played both ways at QB and DB for Lennox, but when you watch his physical tackling ability and add his speed, he’s an ideal fit at defensive back. He does a solid job in pass coverage on deep balls and can drop into the first level and make plays on the ball carrier. You have to love the measurables (6’3, 185) along with all that speed and zone coverage ability. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EZSxR">Senior Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56295" first="Carter" last="Hogg"], RB, Aberdeen Central (SD) When you watch Hogg, you would expect that he’d favor the outside run with his burst, but he’s extremely efficient inside. Another strength of [player_tooltip player_id="56295" first="Carter" last="Hogg"] is his motor as he shows off that he’s a player that will run hard on every play whether he has 80 yards to go or is punching it in from 1 yard out. Hogg isn’t the biggest back, but he’ll be one that will be a favorite for the next four-five years that will get lost between the tackles. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/9675679/5fa37b75e97b960ae4c4e057">Senior Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56284" first="Payton" last="Hughes"], DB, Sioux Falls Lincoln (SD) The Wolves are getting a human hit stick with [player_tooltip player_id="56284" first="Payton" last="Hughes"]. I would put Hughes up there as one of the hardest-hitting backs in the Dakotas. Hughes has a phenomenal range and can cover a large ocean of space at his front and behind him. When I rewatch the film, I would have moved Hughes way up the chain of our rankings and put him as one of the top 3-4 across the Dakotas. Hughes will be a two-sport athlete in Aberdeen, as he will join the Wolves baseball team. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/9461500/5faa0a7b8cd5641540f84960">Senior Tape</a> Wade James, Kicker, Bismarck Century (ND) James, I would have placed as my #2 kicker in North Dakota behind Stanford commit [player_tooltip player_id="56246" first="Emmet" last="Kenney"]. He has a monster kickoff leg that catches some good hangtime too. James has good range as a field goal kicker making kicks throughout the 40-yard mark last season for the back-to-back state champions from the Bismarck Century Patriots. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ee3Cw">Senior Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56333" first="Tyler" last="Kjetland"], OL, Bridgewater-Emery (SD) I have said it before, and I will repeat it, Kjetland is one of the toughest centers the Dakotas has to offer. His physical pancaking ability is almost unfair to those he’s blocking. When he throws his man to the ground, it reminds me of a body slam you might see in the WWE. Another big strength Tyler has is his finishing ability, making sure the man he placed on the ground isn’t going anywhere. When you can catch the eye of our national scout, you are a heck of a ballplayer. The Wolves got a big-time steal with this kid. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EBFiY">Senior Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56276" first="Charlie" last="Larson"], LB, Rapid City St. Thomas More (SD) The staff at Northern State could not have grabbed three of the West River’s best linebackers in [player_tooltip player_id="56276" first="Charlie" last="Larson"] and two players we will talk about shortly. Larson’s attacking ability into the backfield will cause some issues in the rushing attack the Wolves will go up against in the Northern Sun. Larson is one that has a strong frame but kind of gets lost in the middle of it all at linebacker. Fantastic inside tackler that’s tackling ability is quite smashing. One of two Spartans linebackers heading northeast to join the Wolves. Jackson McNeil, DL, Warner (SD) McNeil was a beast in the state championship game I watched this winter. His tackling ability was bone-crushing in the 9-man game and gave McNeil the man amongst boys ability to maneuver some bodies around with ease. McNeil lined up at linebacker from what his film from Warner shows, so it’ll be fun to see his physicality level moving up to the defensive line in Aberdeen. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ESPYE">Senior Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56267" first="Sam" last="Sather"], OL, Grand Forks Red River (ND) Sather was one of the first few offensive linemen I turned into a fan of before launching our site. His great strength is his ability to be a finisher on the blocking end until the whistle is blown. Sather is a gritty blocker you want on your offensive line as he might not have the fastest feet, but he loves to shove dudes around and put them on their rear end. This was a match made in heaven for Sather, as he returns to Aberdeen to play football after his dad Paul was the Head Coach of the Wolves basketball team a few years back before moving to Grand Forks to take the Fighting Hawks job. Sather was a top 50 prospect in the Dakotas on our 2021 rankings. Senior Tape [player_tooltip player_id="56274" first="Dawson" last="Schmidt"], WR, Watertown (SD) That other length wide receiver from the Mount Rushmore State is Watertown’s, [player_tooltip player_id="56274" first="Dawson" last="Schmidt"]. Schmidt makes unreachable balls seem simple when you roll back his film. I watched some games this year of him, saying, "wait, he caught that?!" Runs some fantastic deep routes and uses his extremely long reach to pull in anything that comes his way. Schmidt and [player_tooltip player_id="77465" first="Tristan" last="Abbott"] are two wide receivers to the films I plan on watching heavily in their college years as Wolves, as I think they are going to have fantastic careers. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/10543217/5dc25047a0226b0d702c21ad">Senior Tape</a> Daniel Sedlacek Jr., LB, Custer (SD) Sedlacek is the third linebacker from the West River, calling Aberdeen home the next four-five years. He is not the linebacker you want to pursue your quarterback, that is for sure, as his get up speed is remarkable. I’m not sure how offenses miss blocking this guy being his stature is very tough (6’1,220) and noticeable. Sedlacek’s ability to attack the backfield for a loss will do wonders for the Wolves in the coming years. This kid was a hidden gem coming out of Custer High School. [player_tooltip player_id="56301" first="Ryan" last="Wojcik"], LB, Rapid City St. Thomas More (SD) To me, Wojcik came in as more of a running back, but when you dive into his tape, you can see the sparks coming at the linebacker position. His ability to crash inside the tackles is a massive asset to his game. He’s very patient when he attacks the first level and takes what he can get. Wojcik was also a standout running back for St. Thomas More, being an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield. Wojcik is that third piece of West River linebackers headed east to Aberdeen after playing for Rapid City’s best football program. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EQe9Z">Tape vs. Douglas</a>