Nate’s Favorite 2022 D1 Signings: MN, ND and SD
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We break into National Signing Day from back on November 15th and take a look and some of my favorite Division I signings from across Minnesota and the Dakotas. I can say, just about all of these prospects I have…
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Continue ReadingWe break into National Signing Day from back on November 15th and take a look and some of my favorite Division I signings from across Minnesota and the Dakotas. I can say, just about all of these prospects I have scouted for multiple years now, and I love to see that their hard work is getting them an opportunity to play Division I football, wherever that might be. I dive into 14 of my favorite Division I signings from the Class of 2022 and tell you a short story as to why I like the signing, and shed a little light on what each program is getting in each of these young men at the next level!
Haydn Stay Haydn Stay 6'4" | 220 lbs | ATH Princeton | 2022 State MN | TE/LB | Princeton (MN)
Commitment: University of North Dakota
Flashback to 2019 in my first year of scouting at Prep Redzone or at the time, Northstar Football News. I took a trip 30 minutes north of my house to Princeton to watch their section game against Big Lake. At the time, Big Lake had a Class of 2020 running back prospect that was gaining interest from multiple Division I schools throughout the Midwest. With finding out that prospect was not playing, I got to turn my attention to the Princeton Tigers and their star linebacker & tight end, Haydn Stay Haydn Stay 6'4" | 220 lbs | ATH Princeton | 2022 State MN . I was blown away by how much of a ballhawk Haydn was at that time as just a sophomore and even being in my first year scouting high school ball, I thought he had the size and big motor to play at the next level and I viewed him as a top 10 prospect in the Class of 2022 at that time. Fast forward to December 2021, Stay will take his talents to Grand Forks to play for the Fighting Hawks. By the way, if you are ever in Princeton, Minnesota I highly recommend trying Haydn’s family pizza place, Pizza Barn as it’s some of Minnesota’s best pizza I have had in all the years I have lived here! Congratulations Haydn!
Jacob Knuth Jacob Knuth 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Harrisburg | 2022 State | QB | Harrisburg (SD)
Commitment: University of Minnesota
We move into the summer of 2020. I had taken the lead scout role for Prep Redzone Dakotas and had started building the rankings, content, etc. for that site. I started our rankings on a Google Sheet and started watching Hudl tapes from quarterbacks in South Dakota. The first film I watched? Jacob Knuth Jacob Knuth 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Harrisburg | 2022 State of Harrisburg. I knew after watching that tape that I had just found the #1 prospect in the Class of 2022. I saw a QB prospect that had all the skillsets of a Division I football player from his vision, to his arm strength and accuracy and a prospect that was very efficient with his legs on the run too. I found out very soon that Jacob Knuth Jacob Knuth 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Harrisburg | 2022 State was also an excellent communicator before those offers just started piling in starting with Northern State and ending up in the hands of the Big Ten at the University of Minnesota when it was all said and done. Even after the accolades he had from 11AAA Player of the Year, a State Championship, and much more, I still love how humble this young man has been from start to finish. Jacob is just a kid you have to pull for and I cannot wait to watch him in a Gopher uniform over the next 4-5 years. Congratulations Jacob!
Get on I-90 and head east! The No. 1 prospect in South Dakota is now a Gopher 💥 Welcome to the Maroon & Gold, @_jacobknuth_! #HYP22 pic.twitter.com/hURhKOlvxx
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 15, 2021
Cade Conzemius Cade Conzemius 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR Minnetonka | 2022 State MN | WR | Minnetonka (MN)
Commitment: University of Minnesota
Cade is another prospect I have known about since we were Northstar Football News. Back in the day we used to do a lot more individualized recruiting reports, and if I remember right Cade was one of the first few prospects I wrote a recruiting report on, back when he was just an undersized JV wide receiver at Minnetonka. My how the times have changed. After watching Cade down in Iowa at a 7on7 tournament, I knew something had changed since I last watched his tape. Cade always had a lot of speed, but what I saw in Iowa was extremely improved footwork and a lot better frame than the 150-pound wide receiver prospect I had seen before. He had a few Division III interest at the time, but then rose the bar by attending prospect camps at Iowa State and Minnesota. He was now on Division I radars picking up PWOs from both of those camps at Iowa State and Minnesota. It was a very easy decision once the Gophers and PJ Fleck offered as Cade would become a legacy commit, as Cade’s dad Justin played for the Gophers in the 1990s. Cade has gone from a 5’10 150 prospect to a 5’10 170 prospect in a little over a year, which is why I always tell kids, to make sure you get your rear end in the weight room in the offseason so you can put in significant gains and raise your potential to college football recruiters as well just like Cade did.
⚓️🏈 Congratulations to Cade Conzemius, who signed today as a Preferred Walk-on at the University of Minnesota @GopherFootball @TonkaFB @cadeconzemius pic.twitter.com/ZRBTqbhxvY
— Minnetonka High School Skippers (@TonkaSkippers) December 15, 2021
Jace Sifore Jace Sifore 6'4" | 270 lbs | DL Howard | 2022 State | DL | Howard (SD)
Commitment: South Dakota State
Sifore was a South Dakota prospect that started in our Class of 2022 rankings inside the top 20, but has made a strong climb to the #4 overall spot upon our recent rankings. I remember watching Jace for the first time as a prospect that was a small town prospect that we had projected as a FCS prospect due to his overwhelming size (6’4, 265) light on his feet like a deer, and just how versatile he was on both sides of the line. I remember watching him at the SDSU prospect camp over the summer and was super impressed with how well he moved in the drills I witnessed prior to heading into 1on1s. After getting right there last season, Jace Sifore Jace Sifore 6'4" | 270 lbs | DL Howard | 2022 State and the Howard Tigers were crowned as 9A state champions, and the young man from a little town of 858 people will play Division I football too. Jace will go down as one of our top-rated 9-man prospects ever in the Dakotas Class of 2022 and we wish him all the best with the Jackrabbits!
Paine Parks Paine Parks 6'3" | 215 lbs | LB GF Red River | 2022 State | LB | Grand Forks Red River (ND)
Commitment: University of North Dakota
Parks was another prospect that started as a projected Division II prospect but after several film reviews, raised the bar to a Division I grade at this current time. This young man has so much explosiveness off the snap that it’s really fun to watch go to work. Paine also is a workhorse in the weight room and will check in at 6’3 215+ as a middle linebacker for the Fighting Hawks. This is one of the most exciting PWOs in the Midwest, as Parks is a Grand Forks kid making his way across town to play Division I football.
Eli Gillman Eli Gillman 6'0" | 195 lbs | ATH Dassel-Cokato | 2022 State MN | ATH | Dassel-Cokato (MN)
Commitment: University of Montana
Gillman is another feel-good story that I have watched unfold for a few years now. The #1 ranked athlete in Minnesota, Gillman has shown just how crafty and versatile he can be over the last two years. I have admired his ability to just do what is asked of him as a player and that mindset has given him the wings to fly to Missoula, Montana to play college football. Where the Grizzlies will line him up, I’m not sure but I think he would make a fantastic running back or wide receiver at the next level. From the shy kid I met at the 7on7 tryout to now a Division I football player, I wish you the best of luck Eli!
Jordan McClom Jordan McClom 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Armstrong | 2022 State MN | DB | Robbinsdale Armstrong (MN)
Commitment: University of Northern Iowa
Jordan was one of the first kids I got to watch when I started scouting 7on7 football almost two years ago. That was back when he was just an athlete at Providence Academy and before he made the transfer over to Robbinsdale Armstrong. Jordan has made such a climb since he was first evaluated it’s incredible. He has turned into a very instinctive safety that has excellent footwork and is super rangy that can cover a heck of a lot of ground. The Northern Iowa Panthers are getting one heck of a ballplayer and one that knows how to climb the latter to get just get better and better.
Anthony Moe-Tucker Anthony Moe-Tucker 5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH Kasson-Mantorville | 2022 State MN | ATH | Kasson-Mantorville (MN)
Commitment: University of North Dakota
It took a lot longer than he probably wanted, but Anthony Moe-Tucker Anthony Moe-Tucker 5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH Kasson-Mantorville | 2022 State MN found a Division I college football home in Grand Forks, North Dakota which I’m stoked to see. Moe-Tucker played on both sides of the ball at linebacker and running back for the Komets and showed off a lot of grit on both sides, whether it was his great speed and power running ability or his physicality level he showed off on his tackles. When interviewing Anthony, I loved his upfront mindset. Although playing injured in his senior season, he was as candid as possible with every college coach he talked to about how he felt and in the end, found a PWO opportunity with North Dakota, achieving his dream of playing Division I football.
Hudson Artz Hudson Artz 6'0" | 185 lbs | DB Fairmont | 2022 State MN | DB | Fairmont (MN)
Commitment: North Dakota State
Hudson Artz Hudson Artz 6'0" | 185 lbs | DB Fairmont | 2022 State MN was one of my favorite defensive back prospects in Minnesota in the Class of 2022. This young man had the willingness to do whatever it took to play at the next level. He went to prospect camp after prospect camp this summer, and with an ambitious camp schedule, he found an opportunity with the North Dakota State Bison in the end. Not only a hard-hitting defensive back, but a fantastic kid with Grade A character too that you just have to want to cheer for his skillset at the next-level. I guarantee Hudson’s skillset and excellent work ethic will paint him some playing time in his football future with the Bison. Best of luck to you in Fargo, Hudson!
Leyton Simmering Leyton Simmering 6'1" | 155 lbs | K Rosemount | 2022 State MN | Kicker | Rosemount (MN)
Commitment: Kansas State
Another year, another kicker making my list of favorite signings, but this time it’s Rosemount (MN)) K/P Leyton Simmering Leyton Simmering 6'1" | 155 lbs | K Rosemount | 2022 State MN . After scouting one of my first kicking camps last winter in St. Cloud, it did not take me long to recognize who the Class of 2022’s top kicker was. Leyton had such fantastic hangtime on all of his kicks I watched and had plenty of distance to go along with it. I really like Leyton signing to the Kansas State Wildcats because they are getting a kicking prospect that can kick in the weather elements that Manhattan, Kansas offers. There are there own elements in Kansas with the wind and there is nothing there to stop it. That is why I think recruiting specialists in the Midwest should be more common throughout the United States, because if they can kick in the elements, they show off better durability. Congratulations Leyton, and welcome to the Big 12!
Zach Jorgensen Zach Jorgensen 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Fairmont | 2022 State MN | DB/QB | Fairmont (MN)
Commitment: University of Minnesota
The second Fairmont Cardinals prospect on this list is DB/QB Zach Jorgensen Zach Jorgensen 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Fairmont | 2022 State MN . I was in Fairmont this summer covering the inaugural Fairmont combine, and was really intrigued by Zach’s excellent arm strength and also showed great touch on the football, but overall was a great athlete all-around based on what I have watched on film in the past. I received an anonymous tip in early September about a member of the Gophers staff scouting another SW Minnesota prospect and then watching Jorgensen and being so impressed that he met with him and sent him a gameday invite after the game. After gauging most Division II offers, after getting a PWO from Minnesota, Zach jumped on it right away. I am so stoked to see that the Cardinals and sending two players to the Division I level and knowing both of them, will be great leaders on their roster!
Ben Goldy Ben Goldy 6'8" | 310 lbs | OL RC Stevens | 2022 State | OL | Rapid City Stevens (SD)
Commitment: North Dakota State
Ben Goldy Ben Goldy 6'8" | 310 lbs | OL RC Stevens | 2022 State ’s recruitment was the biggest surprise by far coming out of the Class of 2022. I had watched Ben’s film a while back, and thought although he had elite size at 6’8 295, I was not sure if he had the physicality level for that size to compete at a Division I level. There was not much activity from Goldy on Twitter as far as offers, interest, etc. until he tweeted that he committed to the North Dakota State Bison. I know how much offensive line coaches love to groom young men at his size into big-time hog mollies at the next-level, so I am not surprised that the Bison found this diamond in the rough prospect that I look forward to watching them groom over the coming years. By far the biggest surprise I have seen in the recruiting space throughout the Dakotas in the nearly one year and three months we have had our Dakotas site.
John Gores John Gores 5'7" | 155 lbs | WR Fargo Shanley | 2022 State | WR | Fargo Shanley (ND)
Commitment: North Dakota State
Gores is a great example of if you work your tail off in your senior season, great things will happen. Gores set a Prep Redzone Dakotas record for how many times he was nominated as a Big Dog of the Week in one season. This young man didn’t have much interest before the season, until NDSU chimed in late into his senior season. John put up some video game numbers when it came to his catch/target ratio as he had such a low amount of drops in his senior season. Not to mention, Gores is a 5’6 150 pound wide receiver (yes, you read that right) that will be playing Division I FCS football next fall. John put in the effort, despite the world of recruiting being extremely tough for high school seniors this year he made enough noise for the Fargo Shanley Deacons to get a PWO opportunity for the Bison. Congratulations John!
Kendis Ledbetter Kendis Ledbetter 6'3" | 245 lbs | DL SF Washington | 2022 State | DL | Sioux Falls Washington (SD)
Commitment: North Dakota
Kendis was a prospect that showed a ton of drive after a successful junior season. He went to camps in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida, Iowa, and more just to get his name out there, and did a great job of putting South Dakota on the map that had other other Prep Redzone scouts in other states talking about him. I watched him get his first offer in Aberdeen at the Northern State OL/DL prospect camp which I knew would open up a can of worms for his future to get a Division I offer. After getting multiple NSIC offers, Kendis was waiting on a call from a local Missouri Valley program that was planning to offer in the middle of June but never did, so what did the Fighting Hawks do? They cashed in on that programs loss and offered Kendis a full-ride scholarship that he would end up taking. The Fighting Hawks will add a versatile defensive end that hits at a high physicality level and has a great burst off the line to wreck havoc in the backfield. Congratulations Kendis and go Fighting Hawks!