Prospect Spotlight: Peyton Lange – SMB Wolfpack (2023)

One of the most impressive athletes at the Minnesota Showcase last month – in more ways than one – was SMB-Wolfpack lineman [player_tooltip player_id="19004" first="Peyton" last="Lange"]. He impressed with his play, with his size, and with as much potential and time he has to improve. Coming off two straight Prep Bowl appearances, Lange completed his second year as a varsity starter and his third year contributing on varsity. Playing with former Wolfpack stars [player_tooltip player_id="2212" first="Kaden" last="Johnson"], and [player_tooltip player_id="7244" first="Jalen" last="Suggs"] didn’t phase the young Lange. "They all welcomed me in. It wasn’t like I was a freshman," Lange said. "Because I was on the team in eighth grade, it was more like I was a sophomore. I knew everybody, and they saw me as part of the team. It was great playing with those guys. They are great people." This season, as an actual sophomore, Lange and the team couldn’t lean on its veteran superstars. "We did pretty well, considering our circumstances with our first and second-string quarterbacks getting injured and out for the season," said Lange – whose team finished the season with a 3-3 record. "We could have done better, but we put in some good work." While they weren’t as explosive as the last two years, the team held their own. "On defense, we were good at locking up receivers," Lange said. "On offense, we had a strong running game, blocking for Sonje Redd. He is fast and elusive." One of the reasons Lange completed his second year starting as sophomore is his size. The sophomore stands at an imposing 6’10". "My season went pretty well. I feel like I performed well and used everything I learned. There are things I can work on more – like faster footwork or with my endurance." Lange changed positions before his sophomore season. "I have been working on playing left tackle, but this year I played right tackle. (2020) was my first year playing tackle. Most of my life, I played guard or mostly center." With his size, moving to tackle was inevitable. "The transition was different," Lange told prepredzonemn.com. "As a guard, you are not in a two-point stance as much. As a right tackle, you are already halfway up and can see the defender better." With his size, where he excels is not a surprise. "Finishing blocks is one thing I am very good at," Lange – who enjoys golfing - explained. "I am a good run blocker. I haven’t pulled much, but that is another thing I am good at. I can flatten people on pull blocks. I am good at keeping my guy in front of me on quarterback rollouts." One thing I noticed at the Showcase – before I realized how young he is – was his punch off the snap. When Lange pops a defender – the defender straightens up and literally stops for a split second – because of the force of Lange’s punch. With a ton of potential, he still knows he must make improvements – even with his punch. "I am trying to improve my kick step to get back fast enough to counter those small, fast guys. I am working on extending my arms and working on my first punch – initiating contact. I have also been working on my power step for inside moves and my footwork." More of a rotational guy on defense, Lange would find himself playing situationally in some games, and in others, he would rarely come off the field. "I line up on the inside and am a bull rusher. I throw in an occasional swim or spin move." Although football is his primary sport, Lange is a three-sport athlete. "In the winter, I play basketball; in the spring and summer, I throw shot put, discus, and play AAU basketball," Lange – who enjoys fishing for walleye and bass - said. "I am not a key player on the basketball team. With (nationally ranked) Chet Holmgren, there wasn’t much I could contribute there. Next year I believe the plan is to have me be in the rotation. I can shoot from the outside, but I am a post scorer and a screen and roller. In track have been on varsity since 8th grade. I throw shot put and discus." Despite being a three-sport athlete, Lange still finds time to work out. "Right now, most days, I am doing a muscle toning workout with low weight and higher reps. Some days I do low rep, high weight stuff. I also work with a football training center and do landscaping with my dad." Although it is early for offers, Lange has been noticed by Division I programs across the country. "Recruiting has been going well. I went to a NextGen camp in Tennessee and visited some of the schools down there. On the way back, I visited Iowa. This summer, I plan on visiting Wisconsin, Iowa State, and Minnesota for camps. I have a fair amount of coaches following me. Penn State, Nebraska, Cal are watching me." With two more seasons to improve, Lange’s list of interested schools will soon be just as impressive as the impression he made at the Minnesota Showcase.