SDSU Prospect Camp: Midwest Standouts Part III

<strong>BROOKINGS, SD-- </strong>We keep on moving at the South Dakota State prospect camp last Thursday and move into Part III of our Midwest standouts from last week in Brookings! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="89287" first="Jaxton" last="Eck"] | Linebacker | Brookings (SD) | 2023</strong> I did not see Eck in the testing sessions, but when we got into 1on1s, this young man made his mark. He made a play on a ball carrier that looked textbook, and it was made at a high contact level as well. He had the linebacker group fired up after that one play I caught. Jaxton’s explosion level into the backfield is fun to watch as just an incoming junior. He gets a solid pad level on nearly every play he makes and has an excellent vision that allows him to be an outstanding versatile linebacker. Jaxton is also the player for the Bobcats; if the play gets away from the defensive line and advances upfield, he’s going to be the player that makes the hustle play to make sure it’s not scoring for a touchdown. The motor and stamina of this young man are really fun to watch. No offers yet. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/12921658/5fb46214578e0203b0d94ad3">Jr Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/jaxtonjay">Twitter</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56580" first="Bennett" last="Dannenbring"] | Quarterback | Sioux Falls O’Gorman (SD) | 2023</strong> Dannenbring had to be one of the best Class of 2023 quarterbacks I saw in Brookings last Thursday. He tested as the top quarterback in all the testing categories; as far as these eyes could see, and watching him in Indy drills, he moved extremely well outside of the pocket had shown a quick release. This young man very well could be the #1 QB in the Class of 2023 in the Dakotas when it’s all said and done based on what I saw last Thursday. When I took in Bennett’s JV tape from Sioux Falls Roosevelt, I saw a kid that threw the ball with really good percison giving his wide receiver a solid cushion to get the ball in a small window. He does a solid job of making his throws on the run without losing much touch on the football. Bennett also shows great poise when he’s in the pocket and doesn’t look too flustered when a defender nears him. I’m excited to see him in a new role as he transferred from Sioux Falls Roosevelt to Sioux Falls O’Gorman this season and will get his first reps this fall as QB1 for the Knights. He logged 22 touchdowns to only three interceptions last season for the Rough Riders. Bennett is a top 15 prospect in the Dakotas in our latest Class of 2023 rankings and one that is a stockriser up 10+ spots. No offers yet. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ebnbw">Jr. Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/BDannenbring2">Twitter</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23986" first="Cade" last="Borud"] | Offensive Line | Southeast Polk (IA) | 2022</strong> I was thoroughly impressed with Cade’s explosive take-off with his broad jump. At 6’2, 321 pounds, this young man put a lot of energy into that jump to get over the 8-foot mark on both attempts he had at South Dakota State. The first note I had into Cade’s tape is how solid his footwork was when it came to moving in reverse. He has a solid hand fighting ability and has a strong engagement level with the defender he goes up against. He also has some versatility and will be a hog molly that can multi-engage on the same play. I think I like his protection slightly more as a pass blocker vs. a run blocker. After a successful camp last week, Borud picked up his fourth Division I offer from the Jackrabbits, putting his offer total up to seven after starting his stock by getting three Northern Sun offers. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Eh8ij">Jr Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/BorudCade">Twitter</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="49869" first="Elijah" last="Jopp"] | Linebacker | Mayer Lutheran (MN) | 2022</strong> Elijah stuck out to me in Indy drills big time. The biggest thing I loved hearing at every camp I attended this week is how much the college coaches wanted guys to finish the drill with a high effort level, and that’s exactly what [player_tooltip player_id="49869" first="Elijah" last="Jopp"] of Mayer Lutheran did while I was watching drills at Dana J Dykhouse Stadium. I thought Elijah had one of the best finishes I saw from the linebacker group from my eyes. He also finished with an improved time in the broad jump in the second rep going from 4.61 to 4.48 in the second attempt. Elijah’s film shows a prospect that does well filling in those outside gaps to stuff the tailback in his tracks. He is a player that has a team-first demeanor and will be a leader that is up ahead of the ball carrier blocking upfield. Elijah looks to make a play on the ball no matter what side of the ball pertains to. Defensively, he has a good punching ability to try and force the ball out of the defender’s hands, and on special teams, he has a chaser mentality, one that makes physical contact on the ball carrier. Jopp has taken a fair share of visits and prospect camps but is still flying under the radar with no offers despite drawing some attention from the FCS and most heavily in the Northern Sun. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EfiKr">Jr Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ElijahJopp">Twitter</a> <strong>Tanner Scheevel | Linebacker | Lester Prairie (MN) | 2023</strong> Tanner was one I did not get to watch in person last Thursday. Still, after looking at his testing numbers in the pro agility (4.16, 4.25) and searching his name on our Minnesota site and not finding anything, I had to dig more into this off-the-radar linebacker prospect from Lester Prairie, Minn. I could only find mostly reps at running back from his sophomore season, but I feel left impressed with his tape. He has explosive footwork out the gates and is primarily an inside runner standing at 5’11 200 pounds. He has a tough put together lower body that takes multiple guys to get him onto the ground. He also shows good hands and took a lot of screen passes for plenty of yards on tape. With two years of high school remaining, I will love to see Tanner place some linebacker reps on his film and hopefully turn the corner as far as being more on the radar as he’s undoubtedly one to watch out of Outstate in the coming years. No offers. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2F7jdC">Jr Tape</a> | No Twitter <strong>Jack Latham | Wide Receiver | Spirit Lake (IA) | 2022</strong> Jack looked to have some of the best testing numbers amongst the wide receiver group posting up a 4.52 and 4.53 40 yard dash, 9’10 and 9’11 on the broad jump, and a 4.31 and a 4.37 in the pro agility. He also showed good balance on his footwork while running in Indy drills. What is even more surprising? I could not find any film from Jack anywhere. I can tell you this young man had an outstanding track season winning state in Iowa’s 110 meter high hurdles, which translates to the football field having a flexible and quick leaping ability and solid speed out the gates. He was also All-State in track this Spring and has nearly a 3.7 GPA. Hopefully, we can see some football film from last season or this coming fall season because this prospect is under the radar in Iowa football to watch. No offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11293092/Jack-Latham">Hudl Profile</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JackLatham22">Twitter</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="151164" first="Brit" last="Senftner"] | Linebacker | Bismarck St. Marys (ND) | 2022</strong> Brit was another Dakotas prospect I was intrigued to watch in Brookings, and he is another one that was a finisher, especially in the testing session. He finished better in two of the three testing sessions in the 40-yard dash (4.8, 4.68) and the broad jump (8.5, 8.8). Brit gets a solid pad level in the bulk of his plays I have watched on his game tape. He has sound vision and can identify quickly where the ball is going, especially on the run. Brit is a prospect that can shed off defenders with ease in the inside lanes and make solid contact on the ball carrier. I would love to see him get more reps in his senior season in coverage, as that would add even more versatility to his game at the linebacker position. Brit is a Top 35 prospect in our Class of 2022 in the Dakotas. He has no offers yet, but he has fielded plenty of interest from the Dakota schools in FCS and the Northern Sun. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EwLSh">Jr Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/BritSenftner">Twitter</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="89279" first="Luke" last="Fraser"] | Running Back | Hamlin (SD) | 2024</strong> Luke was one of the youngest prospects I got to watch on Thursday in Brookings. He wasn’t the fastest tailbacks I watched all day at SDSU, but this kid I have felt since the state championship game in 2020 has some good potential. As just an incoming sophomore, he checked in at 5’10 170 and will only get stronger with three more years left of high school football. His best 40 time was a 4.9, and his best broad jump was an 8’8. But with both those numbers, he got better, just like he’s going to get better in the fall season. Luke has a strong explode level off the snap, and that is where he gets good separation when he sneaks behind the backside corner. He shows off some good jukes in his footwork. Luke also has a good feel at a young age for finding the first down sticks. He showed off his versatility last year in the State Championship game against Platte-Geddes, not only being a solid tailback but was an active pass-catcher as well. Look for Luke to go from a watch list prospect in our Class of 2024 rankings to a ranked prospect as we venture next into the 2024 Class in the coming weeks. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FX5gL">Fr Tape</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Luke_Fraser7">Twitter</a>