Northern State Prospect Camp: Standouts, Session III
ABERDEEN, SD– We roll back into camp coverage across the Midwest and continue from the Northern State Prospect Camp. We identified five more prospects that struck a chord with us from an evaluation standpoint, from stock rising incoming sophomores, workhorse…
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Continue ReadingABERDEEN, SD– We roll back into camp coverage across the Midwest and continue from the Northern State Prospect Camp. We identified five more prospects that struck a chord with us from an evaluation standpoint, from stock rising incoming sophomores, workhorse like juniors and seniors, to Division I graded incoming seniors that haven’t gotten the attention they deserve as of yet. All sorts of skillsets, so we will get to more of what we saw in Wolves Country. Check it out!
Layne was one of two Farmington Tigers 2025 prospects that came out to play in Aberdeen, and both left lasting impressions despite being some of the youngest at the Northern State Prospect Camp. He showed off significant flexibility and noticeable burst in the early reps and showed a full finished speed when competing in the testing sessions, which is always something I pay attention to when evaluating the 40. Layne does not have his tape up from his freshmen season yet, but this young man is also a track and field sprinter for the Tigers, and at the running back position, it’s no wonder he showed that finished rate of speed when we watched him blossom in most of the testing sessions. Over the coming years, I see a bright future for this kid in the Farmington Tigers program.
Highlights
In one of my first in-person evaluations of Robert, he left multiple positive skillsets I caught at the Northern State prospect camp table. The first word I would use to describe Robert is? Grit. His ability to fight with his hands from start to finish of his reps shows that he has a lot of finesse in his muscular body and has a workhorse mentality that I love watching in an in-person setting. Robert also shows an underappreciated football IQ, as I liked his ability to adjust his stance on the fly to get himself better posture to eventually win the rep. His sophomore tape shows built-up strength in his hands, and the leverage he has maneuvers well to the second level. There is undoubtedly more strength coming from this kid, as he’ll have two more varsity seasons to develop into his 5’11 215 pound frame. I like Robert’s upside to playing college football in the future.
Highlights
Alex was a first-look prospect for me last Saturday in Aberdeen, but a prospect I am glad I took the time to evaluate to add to my small list of next-level skilled punters in the Dakotas. Alex was consistent with his coffin corners, as he could pin the ball nicely around the sidelines of Dacotah Bank Stadium. Alex also showed competitive distance in his punts, as most of the balls I got to watch were 40+ yards, and saw one that was near the 50-yard mark. I also liked the significant hangtime Alex could get on his ball. There is a lot of growth with this young man in special teams. He stands at 6’3, 200 pounds, and shows off grown durability. He also has the reach to grab that snap that will be slightly out of reach for others in his position. Excited to see what Alex can put together in his senior season for the Potter County Battlers.
Highlights
Reed was another prospect on our 2023 rankings that I am glad we got a live evaluation on, as I believe he rose his stock in our 2023s based on what we saw in Aberdeen. His mix of instincts and acceleration showed off a strong base in 1v1s in front of my eyes. Reed showed a tenacious motor from start to finish of his reps I got to catch. He also showed developed hands and showed the ability to be versatile with his hand placement on the defender he went up against. I thought Reed showed more twitch in his footwork than you would catch on his junior tape, which is tremendous to see in an in-person evaluation. I am in shock at how under the radar Reed is at this point in the summer, as I see a BIG senior season upcoming for him and a Division I ceiling as his development at linebacker is growing significantly in my eyes.
A recent addition to our 2025 Watchlist was Rylee Veal Rylee Veal 6’1″ | 195 lbs | RB Harding County-Bison | 2025 State SD of Harding County-Bison, as Rylee indeed showed some upside of what is to time from this incoming sophomore. I thought Rylee’s skillsets were elevated above his age level at the Northern State Prospect Camp, as he might be the best prospect in this region of NW South Dakota we have ever evaluated. He showed a long-striding athletic frame at 6’1, 195 pounds, and one that could turn on the jets to turn his hips fluidity to get to the football in a jiff of time which he showed that off on a couple of reps I got to watch. I also believe Rylee looks like an athletic prospect that is not done growing, as his long frame paints to me that there is more growth in the tank for this young man. As a QB on tape, Rylee shows an impressive touch ball on the deep and intermediate routes and gets it done on offense with his playmaking ability with his legs. From the LB spot, Rylee shows a knock-back tackler and a long reach to put his hands in the cookie jar of the wide receivers.
Prospect Headshots from Session III:
Layne Johnson Layne Johnson 5'11" | 205 lbs | RB Farmington | 2025 MN , RB, Farmington (MN) 2025
Alex Tanner Alex Tanner 6'2" | ATH Potter County | 2023 State , Punter, Potter County (SD) 2023
Reed Rus Reed Rus 6'4" | 195 lbs | LB Mount Vernon-Plankition | 2023 State , LB, Mount Vernon Plankinton (SD) 2023
Rylee Veal Rylee Veal 6'1" | 195 lbs | RB Harding County-Bison | 2025 State SD , LB/RB, Harding County-Bison (SD) 2025