2022 Midwest Prospects to Watch

We take a look at five prospects across Minnesota and Wisconsin who are due for a breakout senior season here in 2021. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116282" first="Preston" last="Engen"], QB | Minneapolis Southwest (MN) | 2022 | <a href="https://twitter.com/Prestonengen">Twitter</a></strong> Engen is a prospect I got to get to know during the My7on7 League last fall and ever since then this late bloomer football prospect has really put together some solid film in his junior season. I really enjoy watching Preston throw the deep ball as he has great touch on the football and is very precise as far as leading his wide receivers. Engen also shows a quick release on his shorter thrown routes as well. I think he has some rawness in his game still and can still develop even more touch on the football with those shorter routes going into his senior season which should be a fun one for him and the Lakers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14488003/5fb9b55b15ffd40bd866c257">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="49855" first="Will" last="Turnbull"], DE/TE | Cloquet (MN) | 2022 | <a href="https://twitter.com/WillTurnbull_00">Twitter</a></strong> Turnbull plays both sides of the ball but I think his next-level position is as a pass-catching tight end. My why on that is for his 6’2 220-pound size, Turnbull has solid speed out the gates and a wide catch radius to make the more difficult catches look easier than they should. Defensively, this young man is a driving force at DE to get to the football which will help his skillset for the tight end position at the next level. Also, this young man has a motor on him as he showed a will (no pun intended) to chase down a Proctor ball carrier that was going to escape for 6 if he didn’t catch. Currently holds one Northern Sun offer and in my eyes is deserving of more at that D2 level. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EfXjQ">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118826" first="Eric" last="Pfenning-Wendt"], WR | Mounds View (MN) | 2022 | <a href="https://twitter.com/EricPfenning">Twitter</a></strong> What stands out to me most on Eric’s film is although he’s not the biggest player on the field this young man does a solid job blocking as a slot receiver that you can tell has a team-first mindset for the Mustangs. He has solid feet out the gates and does a lot with a little space on his short routes and will be a fighter for getting first downs. Aside from his play in the slot, he has gotten some strong hang times on his punts as well. Eric was named team captain for the Mustangs in 2021. He has one MIAC offer on the books so far and should get a few more as the season starts here in the coming weeks. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13098325/5fcec0b319a5bd004c3265e6">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118412" first="Frankie" last="Collopy"], WR | Marquette University School (WI) | 2022 | <a href="https://twitter.com/frankiecollopy">Twitter</a></strong> When I first came across Collopy’s film, I was really impressed with how solid his reaction time was while adjusting to where the football is going. His footwork is really strong when he goes to turn on his routes upfield. The biggest thing I like about his film is how many heavily contested catches he shows off on tape which to me, speak higher volumes when I watch WR’s tape. He has fantastic speed and a big burst in the open field. The crazy part? This young man has yet to get his first offer and in my eyes, that is the biggest surprise on this list as Collopy was an All-Conference product last season for Marquette University School out of Milwaukee. Big-time sleeper out of the 414 that is also really strong in the classroom with a 3.9 GPA. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Em5MV">Jr Tape</a> <strong>James Dahn, DB | Park Center | 2022 | <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDahn11">Twitter</a></strong> Dahn may not be the biggest safety I have ever seen, but holy cow can this kid pack a punch when it comes to his physicality level on his tackles. He also shows really quick reflexes adjusting to the football when it’s thrown his way. There is also a lot to like about his active footwork, especially as a strong motored safety that can line up at either defensive back position. Dahn had some D2 interest this spring but is another solid prospect on this list still without an offer to date. He’s certainly more than just a hard-hitting safety, that is flying under the radar going into the 2021 season for the Pirates. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EeSgn">Jr Tape</a>