2022 Rankings: Stockrisers in the Top 50

DAKOTAS-- We start off our rankings content in the Dakotas by digging into the Top 50. Inside the Top 50, we had plenty of stockrisers, players who climbed the rankings substantially into the Top 50, and others that were in the top 10-15 players in the Dakotas that saw what looked like small gains, but the weight of their 2-3 spots is substantial compared to players outside the Top 100 in the Dakotas. We also admit we missed one prospect who could turn into one of the best DBs in the Dakotas Class of 2022. I hope you enjoy the over 2000 words it took to describe the 11 young men who made jumps in our rankings in the Top 50. [player_tooltip player_id="56491" first="Landon" last="Ruesink"], ATH, Dell Rapids (SD) Twitter: @LandonRuesink Ruesink was one of the top stockrisers overall in our most recent rankings, up 42 spots from 81 to 49. Ruesink got a significant bump in the rankings due to his versatility. He has a fantastic vision in between the tackles and can flip his hips in different directions to get away from defenders with ease. In the secondary, he has excellent close in speed with the football is coming in his direction. This kid plays DB, WR, and RB, which is why I moved his position this time around to an athlete because he can burn you in all three avenues if you’re not careful. If I were a betting man, I would line up Ruesink at safety at the college level as his speed to the ball and quick ball instincts position him there at the next level. Landon has been a hot commodity from the bulk of the Northern Sun but has heard from the Fighting Hawks and Jackrabbits as well. I won’t be surprised if he has 3+ offers by fall football season. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/12267063/5fa0d78b579821077495d44f">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56501" first="Caleb" last="Rist"], RB, Des Lacs-Burlington (ND) Twitter: @Caleb_Rist Caleb’s rise in our rankings has been nothing but consistent since he made the 11-hour drive to Wisconsin to our first Prep Redzone WI Showcase. He is up 5 spots this time around to #41 from the #45 spot. Rist has added 10 pounds of muscle into the camp season, so I’m excited to see where he ends up by fall season. I was able to get a glimpse of Caleb’s defensive tape he posted recently and came away impressed with his attack to the ball and his physical presence when it comes to his tackles. He needs a little development as far as his footwork in his backpedal, but he’s more than likely going to be a tailback at the next level. His downhill running ability is excellent, and he has the stamina to last a while up the field. Rist already has two NAIA offers on his plate, but his recruiting has been from all levels. As a top 50 prospect, Caleb’s rank positions him at the D2 level from my eyes which I think with his increased frame is a great possibility. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EXAeW">Jr. Tape</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2F3fwB">Defensive Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56475" first="Mason" last="Jacobson"], OL, Harrisburg (SD) Twitter: @TheMoose_605 Jacobson has been another consistent mover in this group, moving from #28 to #24, and has picked off two D2 offers this spring-summer from Black Hills State and Southwest Minnesota State. Jacobson has a solid punch that he can land from multiple angles. He has decent footspeed to pull a block from the other side of the line and has excellent measurables at 6’6 280 pounds. He can advance to that second level and be an upfront blocker for stud 2023 RB [player_tooltip player_id="56546" first="Gavin" last="Ross"]. I think with some work on his footspeed and driving ability, he could be another FCS linemen from Harrisburg like they had in South Dakota’s Hog Molly of the Year, [player_tooltip player_id="56248" first="Ethan" last="Headlee"]. As we saw last year with Headlee and plenty of others, prospects we put in the mid-20s have consistently turned into D1 players. Jr. Tape [player_tooltip player_id="56537" first="Noah" last="Thompson"], DB, Brandon Valley (SD) Twitter: @Noahtboji14 Quite possible, the biggest swing and a miss on our end in this class were Brandon Valley DB [player_tooltip player_id="56537" first="Noah" last="Thompson"]. Thompson climbed a mountain-moving up 114 spots to #13 from #117. Not sure if we missed his film or if Thompson was added late, but man, this kid’s film is 100% deserving of that big of a move in the rankings. The first glimpse I saw of Thompson’s film today was just how fluid his footwork was on all levels. No matter what turn he was making, he just looked comfortable with where he was going, which is the biggest thing I catch from a good DB from a great one which I would put Thompson in the great category for sure. I love his versatility, too; he can crash into the backfield, use his gas, turn on his breaks, and explode with physicality on any ball carrier. He also has an ideal corner size (6’1, 175). I think this kid will be one to watch this summer as he will turn prospect camps into offers and quickly. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EgPMT">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56512" first="Isaiah" last="Huus"], RB, Bismarck (ND) Twitter: @IsaiahHuus Huus climbed up double-digits from #30 to #19 in our most recent update. He has been probably the most consistent steady climber since we launched the site 8 months ago. Huus has such an aggressive running ability; it’s no wonder he averaged nearly 12 yards per carry in the 2020 season along with 21 touchdowns. His aggressive running ability still has a strong burst off the line, and he has strong hips to turn well, especially to the left side. I would love to see him stretch it to the right side more frequently in 2021 to show his versatility more. I placed Huus at #19 because I think he’s the best running back in the two states that can test [player_tooltip player_id="56462" first="Uriah" last="Glynn"] (#18, #1 RB in the Dakotas), and I would love to see who holds the upper hand after camp season as we will have probably one more update either right before the season starts or within the first few weeks of it. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EkFyG">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56458" first="Chase" last="Kelly"], DL, Florence-Henry (SD) Twitter: @ChaseKe84012048 Kelly has been steady with his rankings since we started back in October, being as high as #7 and as low as #17 but moved up three spots this update to #14 due to getting a lot of college football attention at mostly the D2 level but light interest has come in at the D1 level. Kelly reminds me of a basketball guard that shoots a three but then uses all his juice to attack the basket to get that rebound. The difference here is his burst and aggression are used in the opponent’s backfield. Kelly is a strong run stuffer that fits into tight windows and plays on the ball carrier. Kelly has gotten slightly bigger this off-season but has increased his speed from last season. I’m excited to see how much elusiveness he has, hopefully at an upcoming Dakotas camp and in games at the next level. I think the FCS is a possibility with Kelly, but he could be an excellent D2 player in the Northern Sun. Jr. Tape [player_tooltip player_id="56460" first="Quinten" last="Christensen"], DL, Wessington Springs (SD) Twitter: <a class="uni-link--article bvGntnNpbzrqORVT4qGqM" href="https://twitter.com/QuintenChriste2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@QuintenChriste2</a> Christensen did not make the biggest jump in this group, but when you are a top 15 prospect like we have consistently placed him, those two spots he raised hold more weight as it’s much harder to move more spots up vs. down. Every time I have rolled Quinten’s tape, I see a man amongst boys mentality as he dominates the smaller offenses in 11-man football. He keeps getting stronger too, checking in most recently at 6’5 250, which is a fantastic size for a young defensive lineman going into his senior year and not going to be one college coaches are going to have push to put on weight, as he more than likely be there by the time he gets on campus, wherever that is. He lines up off the edge and has a very quick shed when someone actually tries to block him, which most struggle with. When he makes contact with the ball carrier, it’s with authority, as you seldomly see him not making a hit with a physical presence. His play as a blocking tight end is even with his play defensively as he’s almost like an OL trying to finish off every guy he gets a rep with. Quinten got his first offer from South Dakota Mines yesterday, but he has a strong camp schedule where plenty of power 5 programs and FCS programs will be able to get him on their radar this summer. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EY69v">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56489" first="Aiden" last="Brink"], OL, Sioux Falls Washington (SD) Twitter: @Aiden_Brink Brink has risen up a lot of boards since we last drew up his ranking. He moves from the #29 spot into our top 10 at #10 in our June update for the Class of 2022. What drew Brink up those 19 spots was just how excellent of a pass protector this kid is. He has the ability to finish his blocks, but what I loved was his engagement ability to keep each defender I watched on his tapes in their place without being able to progress to the ball carrier. From the multiple tapes I have watched, I think he’ll line up best at left tackle at the college level, but he gives solid protection at center. Aiden is one that can fill multiple spots and could be a scheme offensive linemen that you can move around based on watching the tape of the weaknesses of the defensive line you’re going up against. My one development Brink could work on is his bend when he lines up at center, as he gets higher than I would prefer if I were a college program scouting him, which you don’t notice it as much at tackle. Brink has collected three Northern Sun offers thus far but has some FCS and Power 5 programs in the mix. We put him in the top 10 as that’s where the bulk of our D1 prospects come from in the Dakotas—also a fantastic student with a 3.5 GPA. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EaRqd">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="93563" first="Corbin" last="Wirkus"], OL, Baltic (SD) Twitter: @wirkus_corbin <div class="css-901oao css-bfa6kz r-1awozwy r-z32n2g r-z2wwpe r-9ilb82 r-6koalj r-1q142lx r-1qd0xha r-n6v787 r-16dba41 r-1cwl3u0 r-13hce6t r-bcqeeo r-s1qlax r-qvutc0" dir="auto"></div> Wirkus has been trending upwards this offseason jumping 22 spots from #45 to #23 also while grabbing two D2 offers from Chadron State and Black Hills State to his resume. Wirkus is a hog molly that he’s not a lineman you want to meet when he gets forward momentum on you. Wirkus is also a solid run blocker that when he’s not getting that push to finish guys, he closes the attack areas for the defender he’s going up against with his active feet and his frame, which outsizes most players he goes up against. Wirkus, on the other side of the ball, does well in the inside rushing lanes putting the clamps on tailbacks looking to scoot by. When I watched some in-season tape on the defensive line from Corbin, I was impressed with his shedding ability as he made the defensive tackle sliding off tackles seem easier than most DTs I have watched in the trenches. [player_tooltip player_id="77457" first="Joseph" last="Cotton"], OL, Sioux Falls Roosevelt (SD) Twitter: @Joseph_Cotton1 I have had some great conversations about Cotton from other scouts and college coaches, and I consistently hear the same thing and agree, the kid is a D1 prospect falling in my eyes under the radar. The Roughriders sent [player_tooltip player_id="56240" first="Sam" last="Kohls"] to South Dakota last year, who was another sizeable offensive line, and I see the same thing with Cotton with a bigger punch. When I roll his tape, he checks all my boxes if I am a D1 college program which is why he got a significant bump in our rankings from #19 to #7 in our latest update. When I watch his tape, I see a kid that has a great backpedal I look for in an offensive lineman. He has so much force in his punch; it doesn’t take much to shove his defender to the ground. He also has a quicker jump off the line forward than the bulk of linemen I have seen around his size in the Dakotas, and I would even say the Midwest. Cotton shows many sides of his game and can finish blocks, which I love so much when I’m scouting the offensive line. Even when he is not finishing blocks, etc., he still has a high engagement level and a solid pad level. Cotton will see a shift in his role in 2021, adjusting to more of a run blocker as it is still a question mark on who will be QB1 for the Roughriders with [player_tooltip player_id="56545" first="Taylen" last="Ashley"] getting realigned to go to Sioux Falls Jefferson in their inaugural year in 2021. The good news is Tyree Navee is no slouch at tailback and brings a little more firepower for the Roughriders rushing attack. All that aside, Cotton is a D1 prospect in multiple sets of eyes, including my own. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EeaCn">Jr. Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56465" first="Jace" last="Sifore"], OL/DL, Howard (SD) Twitter: @jace_bolden The more I watch Sifore’s tape, the more I firmly believe he’s the most versatile athlete on both sides of the line in the Dakotas, which is why he took one of our second-highest jump in the top 20, moving from #21 to #4. He has really long arms that stretch a great amount, as you can see it most on the defensive side of the ball. When Sifore gets his hands on someone at center, he’s just nasty when it comes to his physicality, as he can drive the bus really well into the second level on his finishing blocks. Another thing I love about Jace’s game is he plays everywhere. Just because he’s 6’4 265 pounds does not mean this young man doesn’t play or slacks off on special teams either, as he keeps his smack on and keeps the same level of play as if he were on offense or defense. I will restate my tweet again from less than an hour ago; this kid certainly is deserving of more FCS and Power 5 attention as he could be the next great 9-man prospect from South Dakota to join the Big Ten since Chad Greenway. There is not much on his film that tells me otherwise. He’s also a three-sport athlete and has a 3.5 GPA. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eb0B5">Jr. Tape</a>