2022 Rankings Update: Highest Debuts
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After many hours of gathering names, watching film, ranking & re-ranking preps, and then going to sleep to wake up and restart the process I was more than excited to release to our awesome subscribers an updated 2022 Minnesota high…
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Continue ReadingAfter many hours of gathering names, watching film, ranking & re-ranking preps, and then going to sleep to wake up and restart the process I was more than excited to release to our awesome subscribers an updated 2022 Minnesota high school football ranking this past Friday. This newest update added more than 100 players for a total of 334 players ranked and features a completely refurbished Top-150 that is particularly stacked with talent compared to the previous few years, so it was an especially difficult process this update to figure out where each prep should be ranked this offseason. If you’re in the Top-150 for this 2022 class, I think you’re an absolute stud, and every kid on the entire ranking is a talented football player, so I hope there aren’t too many disappointed high schoolers out there due to their current rank. Plus, we will update again soon and there is always room to climb up the rankings with hard work in the weight room and on the field. Additionally, there are always names I miss and can go back and add later, so feel free to contact me on Twitter or email at oliver@prepredzone.com if you think you or a teammate should be ranked. Enough of that though, let’s get into some content. With a revamped 2022 ranking and a ton of new players added, there were some noteworthy and high ranking Minnesota preps who made their first time debut on the rankings and deserve some more attention for their hard work. Coming from small towns or big Metro programs, these “Highest Debuts” are always fun to take a deeper look at and breakdown their game, so without further ado let’s get into it below. Thanks for reading!
#5: Tony Nelson Tony Nelson 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL Tracy-Milroy-Balaton | 2022 State MN (Tracy-Milroy-Balaton) OL. 6’6, 265 lbs. Holds offers from South Dakota, Central Michigan, Minnesota, and Dartmouth. The highest debut of any prep on the entire list, Nelson came to our January PrepRedzoneMN Showcase and blew the socks off those in-attendance, skyrocketing his stock and kickstarting his recruitment in a huge way. He’s a lean 265 lbs. with natural strength who moves like he’s 30 pounds lighter, with big hands and feet and a frame to add a ton more weight in a college strength and conditioning program. He also tested off the charts, clocking a 4.59 on the short shuttle and a 9’1 broad jump at 265 lbs., and in 1-on-1s showed he could handle big school defensive lineman as the technique to deal with speed and power rushes on the edge. On film he looks like a monster, playing stand-up DE/OLB at 6’6 and tossing kids around like it’s no problem. Coming from a small co-op like TMB the exposure you receive can be limited – hence why he wasn’t on our radar prior – but seeing Nelson perform in-person was another big reason why he debuted so highly in our new rankings. His recruitment is far from finished, and another season of great tape as a senior will only boost his stock, so there is a lot of good things ahead for the TMB standout.
#12: Ethan Fischer Ethan Fischer 6'9" | 265 lbs | OL Maple River | 2022 State MN (Maple River) OL. 6’9, 265 lbs. Another small school Southern Minnesota offensive lineman with enormous potential comes out of Maple River High School South of Mankato in the massive Ethan Fischer Ethan Fischer 6'9" | 265 lbs | OL Maple River | 2022 State MN . At a massive 6’9, Fischer also has some eye-popping tape that features him carrying his RB into the endzone, RBs getting thrown violently into the ground, and bodies getting pushed five years backwards by the long OT/DE. He would benefit exponentially from a college S&C program, as at 6’9 it’s got to be very difficult to add mass to your frame, but I really like what I see already in-terms of ability to move to the second level and overpowering small defenders. He’s still got a lot to prove and a strong senior season could help his stock tremendously.
#16: Blake Haus Blake Haus 6'5" | 265 lbs | OL Sartell-St. Stephen | 2022 State MN (Sartell-St. Stephen) DL/OL. 6’5, 265 lbs. The OL group of 2022 Minnesota preps is loaded with talent, size, and tenacity, and Sartell’s Haus is the perfect embodiment of all three of these traits. With a lot of experience on the DL this past season, Haus showed off some impressive lateral quickness, acceleration, and stoutness in his gap as he was incredibly hard to move backwards or keep engaged for opposing blockers. He lined up at the 3T, 5T, and even as a standup OLB/DE for the Sabers, and also was a punishing OT on offense as well. He can beat blockers with either speed or strength, and he also finishes tackles with power. There’s a ton to like, and it’s no wonder why the Wisconsin Badgers want to get an in-person look at the Sartell product this summer.
#18: Dom Dietel Dom Dietel 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL Litchfield | 2022 State MN (Litchfield) OL. 64, 275 lbs. Another offensive line product and a favorite of our National Scouting Director Jake Lemming comes from the Litchfield Dragons program in Dom Dietel Dom Dietel 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL Litchfield | 2022 State MN . Another PrepRedzoneMN Showcase Standout, Dietel is light on his feet and has a great build with wide shoulders, long arms, and a ton of power in his chest as well as lower-body. On tape you see Dietel has a natural and easy gait who can get to the second level with ease and put a hurtin’ on someone when he gets to them who will also play through the whistle each and every snap. He’s a punishing puller who is explosive at the point of contact who obliterates small defenders out in space who also has a great understanding of leverage and some natural strength in pass-pro. I like his versatility, as I think he could play OT or OG in college, and seeing him in-person backed up everything we saw on film. He’s still waiting on that first offer.
#20: Mason Wilson Mason Wilson 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Stillwater | 2022 State MN (Stillwater) DE. 6’3, 235 lbs. Yet again a favorite of our National Scouting Director Jake Lemming, as well an impressive PrepRedzoneMN Showcase Standout comes out of Stillwater and the explosive DE Mason Wilson Mason Wilson 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Stillwater | 2022 State MN . Man, I was excited to get him on the rankings, as his film pops as you get to see Wilson’s more than impressive first-step and get-off, the Stillwater Pony looks like he’s shot out of a cannon and closes on ball-carriers with some noteworthy speed as well. On film he also bull-rushed through a double-team and halts ball-carriers in their tracks, swallowing them up like he swallows up turf between him and the QB. He can beat blockers with speed or power, possesses a really strong initial punch, and uses his hands well to throw blockers off balance. In-person he’s got a fantastic frame, with huge quads, long arms with thick muscles, and a lot more room to keep growing. His pass-rush game is both nuanced and raw at the same time, and I think his potential as a pass-rusher is as high as anyone in the state. He’s still waiting on that elusive first offer, but I think he’s one of – if not thee – premier pass-rusher in the state of MN.
#23: Devin Lockerby Devin Lockerby 6'5" | 295 lbs | OL Faribault | 2022 State MN (Faribault) OL. 6’5, 300 lbs. Holds an offer from South Dakota. A great looking 300 lber. who balled out at January’s PrepRedzoneMN Showcase and was rewarded for all of his hard work with a February offer from the South Dakota Coyotes, Lockerby is a mauling run-blocker who showed at our Showcase that he’s a technically sound and strong pass-blocker as well, and his footwork and hand-placement are really sound. He’s explosive out of his stance when pulling and is violent out on the edge, and when he gets ahold of you it is game over. I think he’s also one of the best finishers of the OL in the 2022 class, who blocks like a man possessed when trying to get his opponent into the ground, and that nastiness will be a big pro to college coaches evaluating him. He’s got more offers coming, and from what I’m hearing the North Dakota State Bison are very much in-touch.
#24: Zach Juckel Zach Juckel 6'3" | 200 lbs | LB Lakeville South | 2022 State MN (Lakeville South) LB. 6’3, 200 lbs. Offered by Princeton. Had one of the most exciting and impressive first plays of his junior tape on anyone on the rankings, as Juckel catches your eye by starting things off with a play against arch-rival Lakeville North where he blitzes off the edge with burst, explodes through the RB and puts him on his butt, and then crushes the QB for a massive loss followed up an exciting celebration. Juckel has great strength for his size of 6’3, 200, moonlighting as TE for the Cougars run-heavy offense, and that strength helps him as a great tackler in space who is explosive at the point of contact and has great body control as a blitzer off the edge. He’s patient as well as great at diagnosing plays, is smooth at moving and operating in the open field, and is efficient at getting off blocks. He also had some absurd production in the COVID shortened 2020 season, posting 90 tackles, 10 TFLs, 7 sacks, and 3 FF in eight games. More offers coming for the Cougars backer.
#32: Colton Gregersen Colton Gregersen 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Burnsville | 2022 State MN (Burnsville) DL. 6’2, 230 lbs. Looked like a Mack Truck running the football on the first play of his junior film, running over and stiff-arming defenders on one of the Metro’s toughest defenses. What I like most about Gregersen is how violent and effective he is as an edge defender, as the standup Blaze OLB/DE is very physical at getting off blocks with excellent hand usage and an understanding of leverage that helps him toss big men to the side like they’re 100 pounds. He’s also explosive at the point of contact when tackling, swallowing up and exploding through ball-carriers in such a way that you know the offensive player can’t help but feel the full power of the tackle. He was disruptive against some of the best competition in the state of MN, and I think he’s got a lot of potential as a collegiate DE or OLB. The violence he plays with is pretty unmatched on this list.
#33: Mitchel Jaskowiak Mitchel Jaskowiak 6'4" | 225 lbs | RB Glencoe-Silver Lake | 2022 State MN (Glencoe-Silver Lake) RB/ATH. 6’3, 220 lbs. Offered by South Dakota. An extremely versatile athlete who earned his first D1 opportunity at the end of January, Jaskowiak has my vote for the least fun to tackle RB in the state of Minnesota for the class of 2022. He looks all of 6’3, 220 lbs. on film, with long legs and an obviously powerful lower-body that helps him run over and through would-be tacklers with ease in both his junior and sophomore tapes. With the ability to pound defenses through the tackles all game or bounce the rock to the outside if given an opening, Jaskowiak has good vision and some impressive speed for a man of his size. The most exciting thing about his tape is definitely how easy he runs through weaker tackle attempts, showing off great contact balance and the ability to continue running forward seemingly uninhibited. He’s also got a mean stiff-arm that he is ready to use whenever, and he finishes runs with authority whenever given the chance, something I don’t see a lot of RBs do anymore at the high school level. I’m assuming LB is his future position in college, but for now he’s a really difficult RB to gameplan for and he’s a really fun one to watch. More Missouri Valley offers are definitely on the horizon for the GSL stud.
#34: Michael Mankaka (Rochester Mayo) WR. 6’2, 180 lbs. Part of the three-headed Rochester Mayo Spartans 2022 monster, WR Michael Mankaka is firmly on the radar of multiple MVFC competitors thanks to his tremendous speed, moves in the open field, and burst out of his cuts. On film those are the three things that standout to me most, but there are also a multitude of other traits I find extremely promising, such as his affinity for the big hit on the defensive side of the football, natural range as a DB as well as man-coverage skills, and ball-skills both as a WR or DB. All in all I probably have to admit that I like his speed the most, and I really need to make my way to Rochester next Fall to see Mayo and Mankaka in-person.
#37: Toby Anene Toby Anene 6'3" | 230 lbs | LB East Ridge | 2022 State MN (East Ridge) OLB. 6’3, 230 lbs. With excellent size for the OLB position, Anene also brings speed to the position and can rush the QB with effectiveness. He’s a great athlete who had a crazy return as the second play of his junior tape, and that athleticism is a big asset for him as a LB as he also had a great third play of his Hudl that saw him patiently cover the RB out of the backfield, then run with him step-for-step as he takes off down the sideline on a wheel route, playing the ball great in the air and breaking up the pass. His prowess as a RB is a big reason why the East Ridge Raptors athlete made such a high debut, and that athleticism I already mentioned shows up all over his tape. I think that dynamic ability and athleticism make for a really high ceiling for the OLB, and I’m excited to see where his recruitment takes him.
#38: Alonzo Dodd Alonzo Dodd 6'2" | ATH South St. Paul | 2022 State MN (South St. Paul) WR/ATH. 6’2. An exceptional athlete who is also ranked #14 in the PrepHoops 2022 rankings, Dodd has great film and is a walking playmaker who dominates in open-field with great speed and jukes to get defenders out of their cleats. He’s got great body control and a huge catch radius as a WR, with the ability to make contested catches in traffic and some rare ability after the catch to extend plays and make people miss. He’s also got loose hips and great ball-skills as a DB, where he shows some easy and natural coverage ability in man-to-man as well as the size and physicality to potentially play safety at the next level as well. He’s also physical, and will run hard and try to run you over as a ball-carrier and is an asset in run-support as a DB, and is overall just a really complete football prospect with a ton of versatility and natural ability. I’m not sure how interested he is at playing football at the next level, but any D1 college coaches reading this should give Dodd a hard look, I’m sure the right opportunity can persuade anyone to play the awesome game of football.
#40 Brett Kelzenberg Brett Kelzenberg 6'4" | 255 lbs | OL Wayzata | 2022 State MN (Wayzata) 6’4, 255 lbs. The Wayzata Trojans are coming off an era that saw some really strong OL play led by the talented coach Sean Peterson, with high-profile prospects such as Tyler Magnuson Tyler Magnuson OL Wayzata | 2021 State MN (Syracuse commit), Alec Rasmussen Alec Rasmussen 6'6" | OL Wayzata | 2021 State MN (St. Thomas commit), and Joe Demro Joe Demro 6'3" | DL Wayzata | 2020 State MN (All-Metro pick) seeing their time come and go. With some slack needing to be picked up from these talents, I think we identified the next big Trojan talent on the OL in Brett Kelzenberg Brett Kelzenberg 6'4" | 255 lbs | OL Wayzata | 2022 State MN . With great size at 6’4, 255, he’s an active OG prospect who can pull, is powerful at the point of contact, and can wash out or down block DL with ease. He also made some big plays as DL for Wayzata, which I think is a huge plus, and his leg drive and and mobility are also noteworthy positives from his game. I think another big offseason will shoot him up our rankings and college recruiting boards as well.
#44: Andy Thomsen Andy Thomsen 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN (Grand Rapids) LB. 6’3, 215 lbs. In case you didn’t already know, it is much more difficult for Northern MN athletes to garner recruiting exposure, so I was very excited when I checked out the film of Grand Rapids Thunderhawks linebacker Andy Thomsen Andy Thomsen 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB Grand Rapids | 2022 State MN , because this kid can absolutely play and needs to be on a lot more college recruiting radars. He’s one of the hardest hitters on the list, with a natural ability to find and dislodge the football at the point of contact. He forced a ton of fumbles in 2020 in a variety of fashions, and is also very physical when getting off blocks, bringing the pain and the contact to the would-be blocker and inserting himself as the hammer and not the nail. He flows to the ball well and has good range, and with excellent size at 6’3, 215 and already a ton of strength packed into his frame I think his best football is still in front of him. It also looks like he has some versatility and could potentially play middle or outside backer at the next level, but overall my favorite trait of his is just how hard he hits. There’s a ton to like his skill-set and I hope college coaches start taking notice.
#47: Nate Schwinghammer Nate Schwinghammer 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Bemidji | 2022 State MN (Bemidji) DL. 6’4, 220 lbs. Bemidji has a really promising 2022 prospect in DL Nate Schwinghammer Nate Schwinghammer 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Bemidji | 2022 State MN , who already possesses great size for the position and has the film to put that size to good use. He’s got strong and active hands that he puts to good use as a pass-rusher, with a good first-step and some impressive lateral quickness and body control to pursue and adjust to a scrambling QB or shifty RB. He’s a good tackler who eats up space between him and the ball-carrier, and I can’t begin to exclaim just how impressive his overall speed is for a DE. He’s got the burst and sideline-to-sideline speed of a linebacker, and on top of that he’s ranked in the state at 220 lbs. as a wrestler, adding to his already noteworthy athleticism. He’s got a ton of potential and some really impressive and already noticeable positive traits. Big things coming.
#49: Mason South Mason South 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Maple Grove | 2022 State MN (Maple Grove) DL. 6’2, 220 lbs. Another DE prospect, South looks to continue the standout tradition of Crimson DL that Sam Renner and Nate Becker have forged ahead of him. In five games last season he posted 26 tackles, 7 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 3 FFs, and is effective hand-usage and placement were a big reason why he was so productive against some of the strongest competition the Metro has to offer. I’m also a big fan of South’s pursuit speed and how he takes on blocks, and on film he looks like a strong 220 lber. with some more room to grow. He’s powerful at the point of contact and a handful for blockers to take on.
#55: Blake Rohrer Blake Rohrer 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR Woodbury | 2022 State MN (Woodbury) WR. 6’2, 190 lbs. Man, I was so pumped after coming across the film of Woodbury Royal big-bodied wideout Blake Rohrer Blake Rohrer 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR Woodbury | 2022 State MN . The Woodbury football program pumped out some really physically mature and well-built prep football prospects, so I’m confident in the talent and upside of a nice sized WR prospect such Rohrer. The All-Conference wideout made a heckuva impression on the first play of his junior tape, taking a WR rocket screen to the house after breaking a tackle with a massive thigh and bursting through defending traffic like a much smaller slot prospect. That burst and top-end speed really caught my eye for 190 lbs., and Rohrer goes on to continue impressing in his film by taking a seemingly regular hitch to the crib against Mounds View by turning away from the CB and accelerating down the sideline for a big score, followed by a few big catches with defenders draped all over him. That combo of size, strength, and speed does not happen often in MN wideout prospects, so I’m really energized and excited by what I see from the Royals wideout on film.
#56: Drew Kittelson Drew Kittelson 6'4" | 185 lbs | QB Blooming Prairie | 2022 State MN (Blooming Prairie) QB. 6’4, 185 lbs. Our #4 ranked QB prospect in the state of Minnesota comes from small-school 1A program the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms. He’s got great size for the position but is still dangerous with his legs and can move, scramble, and operate in and outside of the pocket, and has the ability to hurt you with his arm or his legs once he’s on the move. He’s got some obvious arm strength that shows up on film, as well as the ability to make accurate throws on the move or from the pocket. I also like his ability to extend plays and improvise when things break down and a play needs to be made, and I hope I get a chance to see and evaluate him, his arm, and his mechanics in-person at some point before he graduates. There’s a whole lot of upside and talent in the small-school gunslinger, and last season in 2020 he was one of the most productive signal-callers in the entire state, landing at the #1 or #2 spot on MNFootballHub in every major throwing statistical category.
#60: Kayden College Kayden College 6'4" | 195 lbs | WR Armstrong | 2022 State MN (Robbinsdale Armstrong) WR. 6’4, 200 lbs. There were multiple bigger-bodied wideout prospects in this 2022 class that I was excited to discover, evaluate, and rank, and College was one of the highlights as the Robbinsdale Armstrong Falcon pass-catcher is a really dynamic wideout for his size who can breakdown his hips and implement some shake in his routes to throw off DBs that aren’t expecting such quickness and cutting ability for a WR of his size. He also has massive strides that cover a ton of ground, meaning his top speed is really dangerous and makes him a potent deep-threat at the X. With his size, it’s really impressive to see him so able to start and stop and cut his routes off, so I hope some scholarship programs start taking notice soon.
#61: Jack Behning Jack Behning 6'4" | 180 lbs | WR Lester Prairie | 2022 State MN (Lester Prairie) WR. 6’4, 175 lbs. Another one of those bigger bodied wideouts that I mentioned before, Behning comes from the smallest school of the bunch in Lester Prairie, about an hour West of Minneapolis. With great height, Behning is a really exciting prospect on film due to his natural shake and wiggle as a route-runner. For a junior in high school, he’s got a really nuanced route-running repertoire and some loose hips, quick feet, and seemingly innate understanding of creating separation during a route. He’s also got some really soft hands and is a vertical threat at the wideout position to boot, and his ball-skills are noteworthy as well. I hope the size of his high school don’t scare college programs away, as this kid has some serious game.
#62: Cayden Holcomb Cayden Holcomb 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Rochester Mayo | 2022 State MN (Rochester Mayo) ATH. Probably the most experienced player of anyone in the Top-100, Holcomb has been contributing on varsity for Rochester Mayo since an eighth grader and has been making plays on both sides of the ball for the Spartans since his first season starting. He’s a quick, tough, natural, and well-rounded football player who I think shines the brightest as a CB, where he gets in and out of breaks with speed and has some smooth ball-skills as well. The biggest thing I can say about Holcomb is that he just makes playing football look easy, and is naturally talented with a high football IQ, natural instincts and playmaking ability, and all of the physical attributes in-terms of speed and strength that you need as a prep standout. His tape is a little long so it’s somewhat hard to find the best of the best of his junior tape, but he’s a rare combo of natural ability and experience as only a junior for the state of Minnesota.
#63: Grant Achterkirch Grant Achterkirch 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Owatonna | 2022 State MN (Owatonna) LB. 6’2, 195 lbs. The Owatonna Huskies consistently produce natural playmakers on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football. Their LB corps have always included talent, but I think they got a special one in LB Grant Achterkirch Grant Achterkirch 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Owatonna | 2022 State MN . He’s got standout range, instincts, and tackling ability that helps him quickly diagnose a play, get there quickly, and finish the tackle with authority. He’s also always mindful of the football and potentially ripping that thing loose, and the speed that he plays at the position with is really something special. The kid can go sideline-to-sideline like it’s his job, but he’s also strong enough and physical enough to play tough, hard-nosed football between the tackles for four quarters if need be. I’m excited to see where his recruitment takes him.
#65: Joey Gerlach Joey Gerlach 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Woodbury | 2022 State MN (Woodbury) OLB. 6’3, 190 lbs. Another impressive LB prospect from the LB factory that is Woodbury, Joey Gerlach Joey Gerlach 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Woodbury | 2022 State MN is without a doubt a thumper who brings some serious physicality to the OLB position for the Royals. From what I can see on film I think he’s got a lot of promise in both run-support as well as coverage, where he trails TEs and RBs with ease and can take the ball to the house when given the opportunity (interception.) He checks the boxes you want to see in-terms of speed and aggressiveness off the edge, but that coverage ability and some of the plays he made on the ball really helped him separate as a prospect on film. If he can continue adding weight and can get himself around 200 lbs. for his senior season he’s going to be a hotly recruited scholarship OLB prospect.