North Dakota 2023's Next Up to Get an Offer

We head north into the Peace Garden State and keep digging deep into that Class of 2023. It doesn’t matter what state I dive into film in, both states are very deep in this class and it should create more college football opportunities for these young men in North Dakota. We start with our first seven prospects that should be next on college coaches radars and hopefully are first out the gates to get a scholarship-level opportunity! [player_tooltip player_id="223092" first="Josh" last="Balstad"] | Linebacker/Fullback | West Fargo Josh led the Packers with over 100 tackles last season on their way to being runners up in the 11AA state championship. He is a versatile linebacker that has a massive motor that gets into the backfield with ease with his high level of physicality. Josh’s contact level on his tackles also speaks to me, as he has enough force to drive the defender backwards onto his rear end. If you need proof that Josh is a gamer, watch his film as it takes until the one minute mark about to not see a tackle for a loss on his tape, which when you can find that much film for that long without a positive gain, you in my eyes are well on your way to playing next level football. I also have watched Josh last season at fullback for the Packers, in which he cashes in that same persistence on his contact level as he does defensively. This young man will have a Division I level program offer him in my opinion, very shortly as there is a lot to like about this kid. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GiHYy">Jr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="160921" first="Peyton" last="Arndt"] | Running Back | Bismarck Century The cutting ability Peyton has is super fun to watch on film. This young man shows his toughness in his early film, by out the gates showing us his pass-catching ability between the tackles and an excellent opening of his hips sending the defenders trying to tackle him in the opposite direction. Peyton has such great hip flexibility in his lower body, He also has sound vision, as he can explode with a massive burst with one cut thru a hole or show his patience waiting for his offensive line to open up the line for him while staying alert for pesky defenders around the ankles. Peyton also shows off some strong selling technique in play-action where he can sell and then lay his own punch into the defender’s mid section. He did a great job last offseason betting on himself and going to some Power 5 camps like Kansas State, etc. and I feel is the next big time scholarship level prospect to come out of the Bismarck Century Patriots. Expect a HUGE jump for this young man in our upcoming 2023 rankings this month. Jr Tape [player_tooltip player_id="205383" first="Michael" last="Rostberg"] | Quarterback | Fargo Shanley Watching Michael’s arm in motion and the arm strength he adds in on every throw, I know this young man will be the #1 QB prospect in the state of North Dakota in the Class of 2023. When I evaluate the arm strength he has on the meat of his throws, you can just tell this kid has what it takes to play at the next level. I know it is frowned upon to throw across your body, but watching consistently how well Michael places that throw where only the wide receiver can get it, speaks volumes of his next-level potential. Mechanically speaking, Michael does not miss a beat when throwing on the run too, as he just has a calm demeanor even with pressure that shows he can adapt quickly to what the defense gives him. He also shows a rapid quick release and perfect measurables (6’3 205) that FCS and FBS programs are going to flock quickly too, as they already have. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GgdKH">Jr Tape</a> Trey Heinrich | Running Back/Linebacker | Kindred When I got to watch the four state finals at the North Dakota state football championships this winter, I did not see more of a takeover in any game by one player than Trey Heinrich of the 11B state champion Kindred Vikings. Trey shows elusive hips on the inside, that can shake off a defender and use his speed to bounce to the outside. Trey has a lot of bounce in his step, and it comes up deeper in his film like a game of Madden, where you just hammer R1 and L1 consecutively to get thru the high traffic areas with slippery feet like Trey did against the interior of the defense. I believe out of both running backs on this list, Trey has the most versatile skill as not only having a sound rushing attack but being such an active pass-catcher too as almost 22% of his total touchdowns on offensive came from the receiving end which is a pretty high number for a tailback to have. Trey also has long strides that will certainly be a hot commodity to college colleges in the next 6 to 8 months. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/13125815/619598ca0c5e15092c220568">Jr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="101150" first="Oliver" last="Lucht"] | Linebacker | Fargo Davies I got a glimpse of Oliver at our Prep Redzone Dakotas showcase this November, and came away just as impressed there as I did with his junior tape. He shows off some great range as a linebacker and and can cover the bulk of the field from nearly sideline to sideline. As an athlete that plays on both sides, there is a lot of burst coming in with his straight-line speed as a middle linebacker into the backfield. I think in pass coverage he can develop more instincts in his senior season and keep a better bend in his hips, however he shows solid athleticism when the ball does come in his direction. I think his burst shows off more on the field than in his 40, as he looks faster on tape in my eyes. Oliver is also another linebacker on this list that hits with some physicality and at 6’2 210 pounds, that’s a solid frame for college programs to evaluate as a next-level linebacker as I feel this young man has all the skillsets to be an early-bird when it comes to getting a scholarship level opportunity. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/13106847/613f9639dfd88908b0544daf">Jr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="56575" first="Carl" last="Henry"] | Running Back | Bismarck Legacy Carl unfortunately got on my radar late last rankings update, but certainly will be a riser this time around out of Bismarck Legacy. This kid has a outstanding burst in the open field and runs with great authority and enthusiasm from point A to point B. Carl is a longer tailback at 6’1 190, and makes longer strides per carry than some of the other tailbacks on this list. Another thing I love about his film, is he even if he is running around the outside sideline, he still will run thru contact and not take the easy way out to get out of bounds, as he’s a prospect that will push for every yard he can get. His full head of steam running ability and one-cut ability to make a strong play will add more college coaches to scout the living heck out of the city of Bismarck for next level talent as this young man’s running ability is just lively to keep watching. [player_tooltip player_id="101153" first="Logan" last="Arason"] | Tight End | Grand Forks Red River Tight ends do not get the love they deserve throughout the Dakotas, but after watching 6’4 245 pound TE prospect [player_tooltip player_id="101153" first="Logan" last="Arason"] out of Grand Forks Red River we need to have more conversations. This young man is just a bully the way he shoves kids to the turf. Logan just gets such fantastic leverage on his blocks and can punch with quick authority or drive the bus on a block up the field. The great thing is watching his tape, he still is developing on what he can do with his own strength as far as the eyes can see, which means you know he is going to work his tail off to get even stronger this offseason. When I first evaluated when we launched the site, he came in at 220 pounds, now he has added 25 more pounds to his arsenal. If there is one thing I have learned out of Grand Forks Red River is that every year they have a fullback ([player_tooltip player_id="56502" first="Garrin" last="Sattler"]), wide receiver (UND commit [player_tooltip player_id="56493" first="Paine" last="Parks"]) and now a tight end that has impressed me with their blocking ability year after year. Stoked to see how much stronger Logan gets as we move into the 2022 season. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GHaM8">Jr Tape</a>