Stock Risers: Central Minnesota Part II

Brian Jerzak March 2, 2022 @ 07:49 PM

Staying in central Minnesota, we continue to review some of the best under-the-radar prospects in the state. Focusing on the St. Cloud area – with help from the St. Cloud Times – here is part two of some of the top underclassmen from the area who will be roaming the gridiron next fall. [player_tooltip player_id="112108" first="Will" last="Mahowald"] OL/DL Sartell On the defensive side of the ball, Mahowald’s long, athletic body allows him to keep blockers off his legs and away from his body. On offense, his length helps him recover if he gets out of position. When he is in good position – which is most of the time – he has a nice pad level for a taller interior offensive lineman. Mahowald has excellent hips, allowing him to keep his center of gravity low as well as getting his body quickly rotated – allowing him to get himself between the ball and defenders. Hunter Nistler WR Rocori (limited film) Nistler is a deep ball threat with good length and speed. [player_tooltip player_id="112112" first="Travis" last="Biery"] DL Sauk Rapids-Rice The junior has a quick first step coming out of his stance – quicker than most interior offensive linemen he will face. His quickness also allows him to run down plays from the backside or cut off any cutback lanes for running backs. The junior has position flexibility – most of his tape has him as a 4-3 defensive tackle, but also shows he can play defensive end in a three-man front. Grady Minnerath DL Rocori (limited film) Just a sophomore, Minnerath plays with good leverage on the inside and already shows good upper body strength. [player_tooltip player_id="112079" first="Kellen" last="Kinzer"] TE/DL Cathedral A dual-threat on the offensive side of the ball, Kinzer is most effective in the slot but is also a solid blocker with his hand in the ground. Good speed allows him to stretch the defense and outrun linebackers on intermediate routes. As a defensive end, he has good footwork and uses his upper body well to keep blockers off his body. [player_tooltip player_id="112100" first="Kade" last="Lewis"] OL Sartell (limited film) A strong upper body helps Lewis on both the interior of the offensive and defensive lines. He has solid footwork that not only helps him off the ball quickly but also allows him to get outside to lead sweeps. [player_tooltip player_id="112062" first="Parker" last="Knutson"] DB/WR Sartell Knutson has good instincts at defensive back and breaks on the ball well. He has good hands and makes offenses pay when an off-target throw comes into his area. The junior aggressively attacks the scrimmage line in the running game and tackles with authority. On offense, he does a great job getting separation on intermediate routes and is so effective in the open field that he is also used out of the backfield on jet sweeps.