Big Dogs of the Week in the Dakotas: Week 4, Part II
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DAKOTAS– As we close the door on Week 4 content and zoom into Week 5, we find 10 more prospects that were worthy of our Big Dogs of the Week from Week 4 as we dive into Part II of our…
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Continue ReadingDAKOTAS– As we close the door on Week 4 content and zoom into Week 5, we find 10 more prospects that were worthy of our Big Dogs of the Week from Week 4 as we dive into Part II of our weekly reports on the best players across North Dakota and South Dakota.
South Dakota:
Carter Grohs | Running Back | Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: 150 rushing yards, two touchdowns.
It was easy to see why the Jim River Trappers had a tough time containing Carter Grohs last Friday night. When I saw the clip of his 85-yard sprint to the Trappers end zone, he and his backfield sold that run going to another ball carrier so well, it even took me a couple of plays to lock in where Grohs snuck out of there. Grohs read his marks well between the defenders and showed himself as a one-cut back as that one cut he made once he got out of traffic was the biggest one of his Friday night, separating from the Jim River defenders to break thru for 85 yards which accounted for more than half of his rushing yards in the Blackhawks 45-6 win over Jim River.
Aidan Fredrickson Aidan Fredrickson 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Britton-Hecla | 2022 State | Running Back | Britton-Hecla | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: 196 rushing yards, four touchdowns.
Frederickson showed off some great athleticism in the Braves 42-8 win over Great Plains Lutheran out of Watertown. With his ability to read the defender and position himself to step in the opposite direction of where he was trending, that was a big help in allowing Frederickson to break nearly 200 yards in their Week 4 game. Fredrickson was for sure a player you as a defender need to identify where he is on the play as his tape lined him up in several spots in Friday’s game which shows what a versatile prospect he is. As Frederickson sold himself as a quarterback, he showed that when you have as strong of an athlete as Aidan in shotgun formation, the designed pass play can go out the window quickly when he takes his long strides and good hip turns, to create separation on run plays as well as he did against Great Plains Lutheran.
Isaiah Richards Isaiah Richards 6'0" | 160 lbs | ATH Beresford | 2022 State | Athlete | Beresford (SD) | 2022
Stat Line: N/A
Richards is the definition of a prospect that does a little of everything and does it well. He also plays the role of the Watchdogs specialist, in which he shows good hangtime on his kicks and his length on his kicks could for sure cover some ground when the Watchdogs need a field goal along with a calm demeanor when there is pressure. My favorite position I see Richards at is coming out as a slot receiver, as he runs solid routes and has a good adjustment ability when he needs to get more online with his quarterback’s throw. He also shows promise out of the backfield and shows some good speed when he sees a rushing lane he likes in the defense. I think he can develop more patience on his runs before he cuts to the outside, but otherwise, I think this kid has the tools to play college football especially as an SR.
North Dakota:
Blue Kellogg | Running Back/Linebacker | Turtle Mountain (ND) | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: N/A
Kellogg showed in his game tape against Watford City that he has some great ball instincts on both sides of the football. To start the tape, he hauled used his vision to take in a batted ball for an interception. His ability defensively to climb into the backfield with solid swim moves and cause a key safety which was the difference in Turtle Mountain’s 22-20 win over Watford City makes this play so key on his film. On the offensive side of the ball, there is a lot to like about the grit Kellogg shows in his game tape. At 5’9 170 pounds, he’s one of the few smaller running backs in North Dakota that looks to favor the inside run, as he uses his one-cut ability to bust loose to get separation from the defenders going after him. He also has the solid speed to go with that cutting ability. He also shows off good hands and awareness as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Man, I wish I could have watched Turtle Mountain last year, cause I think Blue Kellogg and QB Tanner Monette both could be solid small school prospects at the next level.
Dakota Clutchie | Running Back | Watford City (ND) | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: N/A
Cluchie was the other running back I had my eyes on when watching some tape from the battle between Turtle Mountain and Watford City. Cluchie was a little more put together (5’9 180) than Kellogg from above and ran downhill at a solid speed. He was most efficient on the pitch from the Wolves QB, as he made some of his long runs from the stretch. Cluchie has some good flip in his hips between the tackles and I think can even develop better footwork in that regard. Saw a few clips from Cluchie from a few games back at linebacker as well, as I like his patience and then his physical presence on the ball carrier.
Jack Korbel Jack Korbel 6'0" | 165 lbs | ATH Fargo South | 2022 State | Wide Receiver | Fargo South (ND) | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: N/A
College coaches, you need to watch the first 7 seconds of this young man’s tape, as he makes a catch in double coverage with terrific balance on a long route. He shows really good speed to get and seals the body adjustment to somehow make a play on the corner of the sidelines. Next play, Korbel sells his excellent body control yet again, making a very tough catch in the end zone with a defensive back all up in his arsenal. In the next play, Korbel guns it with his burst to throw a block on a defensive back only to bounce out of him, get separation and make a solid 15-yard catch. I recall watching Korbel’s junior tape as being solid, but this young man is certainly going to be a stockriser on our Class of 2022 rankings when they come out in late October because he makes some solid, hard-working plays as a wide receiver for the Bruins.
Paine Parks Paine Parks 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB GF Red River | 2022 State | Linebacker/Defensive End | Grand Forks Red River (ND) | 2022 | Twitter
Stat Line: N/A
While watching Park’s tape from Friday night against Devils Lake, you certainly saw a player that was in full control on defense. His ability to make stronger contact than what we have seen before was for sure showing against the Firebirds. His ability to position himself in the way of the ball carrier with his improved shed and swim abilities really caught the Devils Lakes offense off-guard, to say the least. His shedding ability was really quick and his speed while unblocked was a disservice to anyone in the backfield because his speed is amongst one of the fastest off the edge in the state of North Dakota. These skillsets alone should increase Parks recruiting reach to more Northern Sun programs with his performance in the last few weeks.
More Big Dogs from Week 4 (no film yet):
Karsyn Feldhaus | Quarterback | Howard (SD) | 2024
Will Ortman | Wide Receiver | Canistota-Freeman (SD) | 2023
Tage Ortman | Quarterback | Canistota-Freeman (SD) | 2024