’22 SDSU Camp Standouts

I was able to attend the Prospect Camp at South Dakota State last Thursday. For the second year straight the campers in attendance did not disappoint. A lot of coaches that were in attendance were also impressed that I was able to speak with. For me, since I cover the Dakotas and part of Minnesota, I try to stick to those areas, mostly because I know the schools and the kids. So I will be highlighting a few kids who impressed me at camp and who I think will have a breakout ’22 season. I only caught the second half the camp so I am basing this off the one-on-one portion. I did not catch every position and I am only mentioning the players I know I watched. If I missed you, I hope to catch you at another camp! ’23 LB- [player_tooltip player_id="160934" first="Aguer" last="VanSickle"] (Bridgewater-Emery-Ethan)- Listed at LB, went off and did drills with Defensive Lineman. He showed a very versatile skill-set when competing against the Offensive Lineman. He had a quick first step and quick hands to make first contact with the O-Lineman. He also displayed a great deal of strength to overpower his opponent, In the reps I saw he got around his guy every single time. ’23 WR- <strong>Rylan McDonnell</strong> (Wall)- Stuck out as a good route-runner with a good set of hands in his part of the one-on-ones. He has a good frame, with both height and size, really sets up his ability to frame up a catch from a defender. His routes were nice and crisp to get his separation from the defender, if they still stuck with him, he could jump over them and still fight for the catch. ’23 WR- [player_tooltip player_id="56573" first="Blake" last="Thompson"] (Tea Area)- His ’it’ factor was running his routes with speed and really keeping the defender on his heals. He was the aggressor on each route he ran and kept his separation so he could make an easy catch. He still got to his landmarks on the timing routes, just a little quicker than the defender could keep up with. He could also turn on the jets and run the deep routes as well, main thing, he caught the ball. ’23 QB- [player_tooltip player_id="56545" first="Taylen" last="Ashley"] (Sioux Falls Jefferson)- He really worked on his mechanics this offseason, which made him look really good at camp. His release point is in a much safer position from defenders, which will make the release quicker, but also make him a more consistent passer. His pass placement was really good on the quick routes. His footwork has also improved to make him a better passing QB as well, but don’t forget his athleticism to pull down and run if he needs to. ’23 DL- [player_tooltip player_id="101153" first="Logan" last="Arason"] (Grand Forks Red River)- Speed, size and technique, the kid had it all in competitions. Most reps, he shook his blocker almost instantly off the snap of the ball. If not, he waited until that kid was up again and beat him the next time up. Quick off the ball, and good hand technique to shake the blocker right away. He had strength and pad level to muscle through the blocker as well. ’24 WR- [player_tooltip player_id="56560" first="Jovi" last="Wolf"] (Chester Area)- The speed was his biggest asset in one-on-ones. His route running has improved as well. Once he got comfortable he was making catches left and right on his defenders. His speed kept the defenders from settling in and trying to press him, he could shake them quickly. While there was a lot of short, quick passes being thrown, I think the vertical passing game will get him to a breakout season this season. ’24 DE- <strong>Dalton Reiff (</strong>Chester Area)- His size stood out to me, he has a good build for a defensive lineman and really used his strength to his advantage. He competed really well coming from a small school competing against the bigger school kids. He didn’t back down from kids bigger than him, he went straight at them and won a few of his match-ups where he was the smaller athlete. He has a good first step and keeps his pad level low to drive through the O-Line. Minnesota ’23 TE/DE- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="287255" first="Ashton" last="Lloyd"]</strong> (Blue Earth Area)- This is a big man that can move! He is very quick off the ball, whether he is blocking or running routes and he moves with purpose, no wasted movements. This also makes his route running very crisp and clean as well. Add in his big frame and he is a nightmare for an opposing secondary. In one-on-ones, he did a great job getting to his landmarks quick and accelerating out of breaks. He was able to use his frame to shield the ball from the defenders and secure the catch for himself. ’23 QB/DB- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="313206" first="Kellen" last="Johnson"]</strong> (Pipestone Area)- Always nice to walk in to a camp and the first kid you see is your own QB/DB. Watching him perform at camp showed how much he improved over the off-season. He was very relaxed this time around which will be great for season. His accuracy picked up as well, he placed the ball extremely well when he had to squeeze it in tight windows. His deep ball has gotten better as well. ’23 OL/DL- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101186" first="Caden" last="Miller"]</strong> (Pipestone Area)- Nice to see him compete and hold his own against the bigger school kids. I could definitely tell he picked up a lot of new tactics at this camp just competing against different kids from many different schools. He showed his strength and kept his pads at a good level to win a lot of his one-on-ones. Watching him compete, he could have done well on either side of the ball, he got his hands in very good position to control his opponent then, driving his feet until the whistle.