Dakotas Big Dogs of the Week: Week 3, Part II

<strong>SOUTH DAKOTA-- </strong>As we move into Part II from our Dakotas Big Dogs of the Week from Week 3, we found seven more prospects across South Dakota this time that made a name for themselves in Week 3 of the 2021 season. Some will be names you have heard of before and others are getting their first looks from Prep Redzone Dakotas as they make their first move on our site here in the Dakotas! We present to you Part II of the Dakota Big Dogs of the Week. Enjoy! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] | Quarterback | Madison (SD) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line:</strong> 9-14, 227 total yards (186 passing, 41 rushing) 13.7 yards per carry, three touchdowns (all passing) In our PRZ Game of the Week in Week 3, Ricke had a field day for the Bulldogs passing the football but also was a workload to try and tackle for the Dakota Valley Panthers as Ricke averaged nearly 14 yards per carry. When you watch Ricke’s junior tape you see exactly why he’s so hard to defend on the run, as he shows some of the loosest hips regardless of which direction he’s about to turn I have seen amongst South Dakota 2022 quarterbacks. There is also a lot to like about his arm strength, as the flick of his wrist comes thru it’s motion like a natural at QB. He too shows some strong percison skills from his throws, giving his wide receivers such as <strong>Dillon Bickett </strong>and <strong>McKale Dohrer </strong>a solid cushion to make a play on the run, as both wideouts listed both had over 20 yards per catch in the Madison Bulldogs win over Dakota Valley. Ricke is flying under the radar with no offers seen at the moment. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EdsyE">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56513" first="Ben" last="Althoff"] | Linebacker | Watertown (SD) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>21 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss. Yes, you did read that stat line correctly! Althoff showed his ball-hawking skills in the Arrows tight loss vs. Sioux Falls Lincoln. Althoff’s junior tape shows a prospect that is a sideline to sideline prospect that has a solid pad level when he makes contact with the ball carrier. One of the best skillsets about his game is when he collapsing underneath the first level into the backfield as a crashing linebacker. I haven’t said this about many prospects, but Althoff’s film gets better the more you watch, as he has multiple plays he should place at the front of his film. This young man is also solid at slowing down the run as one of the first attackers at the running back, as if he can’t make the play, the Arrows defense will take what he set up and capitalize. Look for Althoff to get a significant bump in our updated 2022 rankings. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Esrqw">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56449" first="Andrew" last="Walter"] | Wide Receiver | Harrisburg (SD) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>Seven receptions, 188 yards, two total touchdowns (1 receiving, 1 passing) Walter got it done against Sioux Falls O’Gorman with his solid footwork, getting key separation from the Knights secondary with his ability to stop on his routes and read the coverage to position himself to get ahead of the secondary with his route-running ability. You have to add the trickery he created-as when RB [player_tooltip player_id="56546" first="Gavin" last="Ross"] saw nothing upfront on the inside rush, he flipped it back to Walter who found Dakota’s top overall 2022 prospect, [player_tooltip player_id="56447" first="Jacob" last="Knuth"] for a 17-yard passing touchdown. In that next play on tape, Walter showed what is in my opinion his best skill set which is his lengthy reach, as he used his 6’3 length to pull in a tough grab with a Knights DB just outside of his reach. I have said it before, and I will say it again, there are more programs in the Northern Sun that need to take a better look at this young man as he just holds one offer from the D2 level. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FkEj1">Game Tape vs. O’Gorman</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="151258" first="Conor" last="Hedges"] | Offensive Line | Bismarck (ND) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>N/A Man, was Hedges game tape against Fargo Shanley a lot of fun to watch. This young man has great protection skills as on multiple reps from their Week 3 game against the Deacons he did a tremendous job driving the opposing defender as far away from his ball carrier [player_tooltip player_id="56512" first="Isaiah" last="Huus"] as possible. When you watch Hedges get full leverage on someone, you feel like you are watching a mismatch on the wrestling mat, where he just uses his strength to just toss his opponent to the turf. I also am a big fan of Hedge’s movement has he has good foot speed and can drive into the second level. Hedges is a top 50 prospect by us, who surprisingly has not gotten his first college football offer yet, and is long overdue for an opportunity. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Fjrbt">Game Tape vs. Shanley</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101181" first="Griffin" last="Wilde"] | Wide Receiver | Sioux Falls Jefferson (SD) | 2023</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>Three total touchdowns (1 receiving, 1 passing, 1 kickoff return) Wilde has the most consistent speed out the gates I have seen out in person in the Dakotas out of wide receivers in the 2023 class and he shows that 4.6 speed nicely out the gates of his routes. You have to add that whether he’s on kickoff returns or deep on his routes, his shift in his feet is some of the best you will watch throughout the Dakotas in any class, so if you are in the secondary in 11AAA, be aware. Even when I watched Wilde’s passing touchdown last week, you could just tell what a gifted athlete he really is, as his throw for a touchdown actually had more touch on it than you would expect out of a wide receiver tossing the pigskin. Sky is the limit for this young man, as I’m sure FBS programs have already started their contact with Wilde this week after two of the earliest FCS offers we have ever seen in the Dakotas. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FjdDy">Game Tape Week 1 &amp; 2</a> <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Two More Big Dogs from Week 3</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span> <strong>Dylan Kindt | Quarterback | Garretson (SD) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>18-28, 219 passing yards, three touchdowns. 15 carries, 127 yards, one touchdown. <strong>Defense: </strong>Two interceptions, seven tackles (solo) one forced fumble, one fumble recovery. Holy moly, I need to see this young man’s game tape when it becomes available! <strong>Tage Ortman | Quarterback | Canistota-Freeman (SD) | 2022</strong> <strong>Stat Line: </strong>17-26, 272 passing yards, four touchdowns. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FeuRm">Week 1 Game Tape vs. Platte-Geddes</a>