Outstate prospect report: Northwest

Today I continue my trip around Minnesota, highlighting some of the best talent in the Class of 2022 from the outer reaches of the state. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/outstate-prospect-report-northeast/">I started with a look at some of the top talent in the northeast</a></span>, and now, I am staying in the northern portion of the state with some of the best talent in the northwest. [player_tooltip player_id="116465" first="Carson" last="Strosahl"] <strong>LB Walker-Hackensack-Akeley</strong> Strosahl does a bit of everything for the Wolves. He is comfortable in space, both in coverage and in the open field. An outside linebacker, he shows good anticipation in the passing game. Although he is not the biggest linebacker, he is a solid tackler who efficiently fills holes in the running game. An effective blitzer off the edge, Strosahl can also hurt opponents in the kicking game – he has a field goal block and is a significant contributor on the kick coverage team. He has Division II schools interested in joining their programs. [player_tooltip player_id="116207" first="Nate" last="Schwinghammer"] <strong>DL Bemidji</strong> Schwinghammmer has excellent hands. He gets his hands on blockers quickly and doesn’t allow blockers to get to his body. He has good upper body strength to use what looks like a rip move to power his way through blocks. Despite his size, the 6’4" 220-pound lineman has quick feet allowing him to get off the ball and get to the linemen before they can get set. He doesn’t just have a quick first step; he has excellent closing speed – allowing him to run plays down from behind and get to the sideline stringing out runs to the outside. [player_tooltip player_id="18428" first="Jacob" last="Kelly"] <strong>WR Bemidji</strong> At 6’3" 215 pounds, Kelly is a long-striding outside receiver who eats up any defensive back’s cushion quickly. He doesn’t need a perfect ball to make a play. He comes up with catches both using his height on overthrown balls but is athletic enough to get his body in position to make plays on underthrown balls below his knees. Despite his lean build, Kelly has no problem going over the middle. Kelly has Division II and some Division I interest. [player_tooltip player_id="18559" first="Jack" last="Twelvetrees"] <strong>DL Bemidji</strong> Twelvetrees often lines up as a zero or one technique. It is a spot usually handled by a guy who is there to take up blocks. The soon-to-be senior does a good job of that, but he much more than your average run stuffer. He is quick off the ball, has good lateral movement, and uses his hands well to scrape down the line of scrimmage. He has the footwork to be involved with internal twists. He has the power in his lower body to make offenses sorry they didn’t double team him. Right now, he has some DII and DI interest. [player_tooltip player_id="49933" first="Caeden" last="Yliniemi"] <strong>DB Detroit Lakes</strong> Yliniemi is one of those guys who will be hard to find a position for in college. That is not a rap on the Lakers’ two-way star – he does many things well. On the defensive side of the ball, he comes out of his breaks well, breaks down to make tackles in the open field, and is a physical corner. Offensively, he is primarily a wide receiver and looks good there. Still, some of his best moments are when he gets the ball on a jet sweep action where he either uses his speed to get the corner or puts his foot in the ground and cuts a run-up inside amongst the big boys. [player_tooltip player_id="18446" first="Jack" last="Teiken"] <strong>DL Moorhead</strong> Teiken is an explosive pass rusher off the edge, but I was more impressed with how he plays the run. He has the upper body strength to hold off offensive lineman while still using his footwork to move down the line of scrimmage to string out runs to the outside. Watching him track down a scrambling quarterback in the open field and run down backs when coming from the backside shows he is one of the more athletic defensive linemen in this class. He has committed to North Dakota as – I believe a defensive lineman, but he is also a punishing blocker at the tight end position. [player_tooltip player_id="116251" first="Jamal" last="Dixon"] <strong>DB Moorhead</strong> Dixon comes out of his breaks quickly and transitions efficiently from his backpedal to run support and from a short to a deep route. He has good ball skills – especially on deep routes. He is a willing tackler who is not just going to try to arm tackle ball carriers – he stays low, delivers a blow, and wraps up. Dixon’s length makes him effective defending the deep ball, and his long-striding style makes up a lot of ground when a receiver does get a step on him. The corner has multiple DI and DII offers.