Preseason Preview: Hutchinson Tigers
I’ve mentioned it before, but in a “just for fun” exercise picking the “must stops” of Minnesota prep football recruiting, some of my Outstate choices would have to be Moorhead, Caledonia, Rocori, a few more of note, and undoubtedly: the…
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Continue ReadingI’ve mentioned it before, but in a “just for fun” exercise picking the “must stops” of Minnesota prep football recruiting, some of my Outstate choices would have to be Moorhead, Caledonia, Rocori, a few more of note, and undoubtedly: the Hutchinson Tigers. Although they are closer in proximity to the Twin Cities compared to some other Outstate counterparts, the town of around 14,000 located a little more than an hour west of Minneapolis has agricultural roots and sees a lot of its residents work in the manufacturing industry with Hutchinson Technologies. They also have a heckuva high school football team, who are coming off a 2021 4A state title, have won state championships in 2012 and 2013, and have consistently remained a mainstay in the 4A playoff picture ever since. Now that PrepRedzone has finished returning state champ previews of Class 6A and 5A, it’s 4A’s turn, and below you’ll get as in-depth of a preview on the Hutch Tigers as you’re going to get going into 2022. Check out the Team Review, Players to Step Up, Top Dogs, Breakout Candidates, Team Recruiting News, and more names and news below. Thanks for reading, and stay posted for the first of the Preseason All-State teams this week, as well as a whole bunch of new previews on MN prep programs of all levels. Hope you enjoy, and Go Tigers!
Team Review
I still remember it like yesterday. It was the fall of 2013, I was a young first year at St. Olaf who made the drive up 35W to watch my good friend and Holy Angels/Minnesota State-Moorhead tackling machine Connor McCarthy and his Stars squad compete for a 4A state championship against Hutchinson, and boy was it not a fun day to be Holy Angels. In what finished as a 49-7 thumping by the Tigers, we were thoroughly disappointed after watching Holy Angels’ dramatic semifinal victory over DeLasalle, but the impression that Robbie Grimsley, Adam Elliott, and Tory Adams left on me after four quarters wasn’t something I was going to forget any time soon. At the time, Hutchinson possessed the largest prep ball carriers I had ever seen, and it’s been fun watching that tradition continue through the 2010s and into the 2020s as Russell Corrigan, Josiah Nelson, and Colin Nagel have all carried the rock en mass in the black & gold of the Tigers. Speaking of Nagel, the 2022 class for Hutchinson was a good one, with key departures including: Sam Rensch (Augustana basketball), Colin Nagel (UMD football), Mitchell Piehl (UST track), Aaron Elliott, Devon Verhasselt, Max Einck, Sam Starke, and Nolan Prokosch all leaving large holes to fill through the offense and defense of the Tigers, whose only loss their senior year came to rival Becker during the regular season’s 21-12 loss. After that, they won the next nine games in a row, with a point margin of 351-80, including a 213-44 playoff margin of victory. They only got better as the season went on, and they also got their young players valuable game reps, which will aid in their returning contributors stepping up and replicating the success of their forebearers. With Gophers commit Alex Elliott Alex Elliott 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Hutchinson | 2023 State MN reigning as the highest profile recruit since Corrigan, four more Tiger ’23 and ’24s I am high on, and a gaggle of returning players that are ready to show their town what they got, I think they got the experience and muscle to safely say that this 2022 team more than likely has what it takes to compete deep in the 4A state tournament once again. Let’s get to know some of these returners below.
Big Games to Know:
Friday, September 23rd hosting Becker High School
Friday, September 30th hosting Rocori High School
Players to Step Up
Anton Kadlec Anton Kadlec 6'3" | 315 lbs | OL Hutchinson | 2024 State MN – OL. C/o 2024. 6’2, 285 lbs.
The early pick for Hutch’s top 2024 prospect, Kadlec was named Second Team All-Conference on the gridiron last fall and is also an accomplished thrower on the T&F team. He was a big piece to the OL success in 2021 and is going to step things up a notch this spring, as his sturdy, bowling ball-esque build flies out of his stance and looks hard to disengage from once he gets his hands in your chest. His leg drive and effort also standout, as did his ability to work to the second level an engulf LBs. Kadlec is already a bruiser and will help set the tone offensively for the run-heavy Tigers offense. His big game experience and success against larger, older opponents will be valuable and leaned on heavily now that there’s been some attrition to the OL room. It’s going to be all about the run game in 2022, and a lot of that hopeful dominance begins with Kadlec.
Top Dogs
Alex Elliott Alex Elliott 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – RB/LB. C/o 2023. 6’2, 205 lbs. Committed to Minnesota
The Elliott boys are ballers, and as fans of the brothers at PRzMN, we have written about them both more than a few times over the years. Despite older brother Aaron not playing football in college, younger brother Alex has more than enough juice and college recruiting stock for both of them. As Alex’s prominence and stock rose after his junior season, I remember hearing from Ryan Burns that the Golden Gophers staff wanted to see him move and change direction in person before offering a scholarship. After hearing that, I knew he had the offer in the bag, as I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the 2023er in the spring of ’21 when he came in and competed as a DB at our PrepRedzoneMN spring showcase. He blew my socks off, as he was already sitting at a long 6’2, 180ish with big hands and showed off range, speed at the top end and out of his breaks, and ball skills in droves. He maintained those movement skills after adding 25 pounds and had a heckuva camp performance in Dinkytown to earn and commit to Row the Boat. He was a TFL and TD machine as a RB and LB playmaker last year and will see even more action come his way in 2022 as expectations are raised as the heavyweight prospect on roster.
Levi Teetzel Levi Teetzel 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – RB/LB. C/o 2023. 5’11, 200 lbs.
Another PRzMN Showcase alum and standout, Teetzel already holds offers from Concordia-St. Paul, Sioux Falls, SMSU, Bemidji State, MSU-Mankato, and Augustana and has taken some D1 unofficial visits to Minnesota, South Dakota, St. Thomas, and NDSU. Just like Alex Elliott Alex Elliott 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Hutchinson | 2023 State MN , Teetzel caught my eye at the Showcase in the May of 2021 thanks to some noticeable quickness in both testing and short area drills. He’s hit the weight room hard since then and is sitting at a smooth 200, and as a junior, he was already a workhorse and rushed 176 times for 1,530 yards and 17 TDs, as well as 25 tackles and 3 interceptions, including one he returned for almost a 100-yard TD. He flashes a balanced skill set as a RB, who can run by you, cut away from you, or flat-out run you over. Teetzel sees the field well and sets up his cuts to create space when bouncing the ball outside, and made some dirty cuts in the open field to make would-be tacklers miss. He’s fun to watch and an electric one-two punch with Elliott. There is going to be a lot of focus put on that offensive backfield in 2022, both for Hutch coaches and opponents.
Logan Hoppe Logan Hoppe 6'4" | 235 lbs | DL Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – DL. C/o 2023. 6’4, 255 lbs.
The younger brother of Sioux Falls LB and former Hutchinson MLB and thumper Tristan Hoppe, younger brother Logan inherited more size than his brother and is tough, strong, and experienced going into his final season of varsity ball. Hoppe has been offered by Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State, and Sioux Falls, and I would think he’d be interested in potentially playing with his brother again in college. A 3T with power moves and heavy hands, he bullied one-on-one blockers out of his way and lived in opponents’ backfield last season as a run stuffer and pass rusher. His strength allows him to absorb contact well and rip and shed the block smoothly, as well as halt ball carriers in their tracks when he gets his meaty paws on them. You should double this dude every play in ’22, he’s only gotten bigger and stronger since last season when he dominated the LOS every game Hutch played.
Breakout Candidates
Kyle Schumann Kyle Schumann 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – DE/TE. C/o 2023. 6’2, 220 lbs.
Possessing the body frame and size that I have come to know from Hutchinson prospects, 6’2, 220 lb. Schumann is also a standout baseball player and holds an offer from Concordia-St. Paul going into the season. The first play of his junior tape shows off some instincts and athleticism, as he rushes up field quickly and uninhibited before smelling something fishy, reading screen, and jumping into the passing lane to snag an INT out of the air. Schumann played all over the field last season as a traditional 5T and 3T, standup DE, and TE and was comfortable no matter where he lined up at and what was asked of him. He can cover some ground for his size in pursuit of the ball and is comfortable in space on the edge as a defender. There’s a lot to like and I think he’ll boost his recruiting stock after seizing this opportunity for more of the spotlight. Going to be a big year for Mr. Schumann.
Dylan Wigern – LB/FB. C/o 2023. 6′, 200 lbs.
A long, lean MLB who I thought had a fun junior tape to watch thanks to his hair-on-fire play style, pop at the contact point, and combination of speed/strength to work off blocks and pursue the ball. He was a big part of the team’s 2021 success but held a lower profile with the star-studded roster, but in 2022 the spotlight is a lot more open for the taking. He’s a heat-seeking missile to the football and is an under-the-radar name with athleticism and fearlessness who is going to become a lot more well-known after this season. Wigern was also named a team captain for this 2022 campaign.
Carter Verhasselt – ATH. C/o 2024. 5’10, 185 lbs.
Another short-yardage RB option with a thick build and nose for the endzone, I could see the younger Verhasselt getting a bump up in carries now that he’s an upperclassman, and with the athletic genes from his family and basketball background I think he could bring an exciting new layer to the Tigers offense.
Charles Renner – WR/CB. C/o 2024. 6’3, 185 lbs.
Although lacking in film, Renner is long and dynamic and has the frame and physical tools to make his mark at the varsity level.
Team Recruiting News
Despite Elliott’s recruitment being shut down and his P5, Big10 dreams signed and lettered, all of his teammates still have ongoing and open recruitments with a lot of DII suitors in the fold. I’d expect every NSIC school recruiting MN to stop by Hutchinson next fall, and with the experience, athleticism, and size of some of these prospects, some FCS recruiters and coaches may be sniffing around as well. There’s a lot to be excited about a lot more news coming the way of these 2022-23 Hutchinson Tiger prospects.
Other Players to Know
AJ Mallak – DT. C/o 2023. 5’9, 210 lbs.
Caelan Butler – DE/TE. 6’1, 200 lbs.
Can get up and under larger blockers and is strong enough to not get bullied off the ball.
AJ Ladwig – FB/LB. C/o 2023. 5’9, 190 lbs.
Shows some juice as a FB who can get you tough yards at the goal line/short yardage situations or surprise defenses with his burst and top end speed. He’s also got a low center of gravity, strong legs, and big game/state championship experience and production.
Brady Andersen Brady Andersen 6'2" | 285 lbs | OL Cambridge-Isanti | 2025 State MN – OL/DL. C/o 2023.
Nolan McGraw – ATH. C/o 2023. 5’5, 150 lbs.
Non-varsity ball carrier last fall who has some sneaky contact balance for his size. Hopefully he had a big offseason and can bring some more muscle to the field as a now-senior.
Tyson Hennessey – DB. C/o 2024. 6′, 165 lbs.
Made a nice goal-line, TD-saving tackle in non-varsity action last fall as a skinny sophomore.
MJ Flores – DB. C/o 2023
Can come up from his safety spot and halt RBs in the open field with solid form tackling.
Anthony Witte – QB. C/o 2025
Logan Butler Logan Butler 6'4" | 200 lbs | QB Hutchinson | 2024 State MN – ATH. C/o 2024
Dane Thovson – OL. C/o 2023.
Laid some big hits as a part of the Tigers 2021 OL.
Peyton Schumacher Peyton Schumacher 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Hutchinson | 2025 MN – LB/TE. C/o 2025. 5’10, 170 lbs.
Aiden Nelson – ATH. C/o 2024