10 Emerging Midwest Senior Stock-Risers

Last fall, we saw the meteoric rise of Jimmy Rolder, a Chicagoland product out of the heavyweight Chicago Catholic League who took the 2021-22 season by storm as a 6'2, 225 lb. LB at the prestigious Marist High School. As a former Illinois baseball recruit who saw a large amount of his high school athletic career wiped out due to COVID, a particular set of circumstances allowed the then-senior to go pretty much under the radar entering his senior campaign, making his explosion onto the P5 recruiting scene even more commanding when he earned his first offer early in October of 2021 from the home state Illini, followed by Minnesota, Michigan, Purdue, Cincinnati, Iowa, TCU, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Florida, LSU, and Louisville, all in the span of a month. In a nearly unprecedented rise, Rolder set the tone for what a senior stock riser could look like during their senior year, and in this special PrepRedzone Midwest edition, I'm excited to present 11 2023 versions of Mr. Rolder as we examine some of the Heartland's finest seniors making noteworthy waves on the P5 and G5 recruiting scene this fall.   --   Evan Herrmann (Sussex Hamilton, Wisconsin) DE. 6'6, 210 lbs.   A top pick for 2022's Mr. Senior Stock Riser, 6'6, 210 lb. EDGE Evan Herrmann out of Waukesha County in Wisconsin burst onto the national recruiting scene this fall thanks to his eye-popping size and tape. It all began with a host of P5 and MAC game day invites early in September and imploded with an awesome first offer from SEC Vanderbilt on September 9th. The Ohio Bobcats also joined the mix 10 days later, and he's also visited Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Vandy in Nashville this past weekend for a busy and hopefully thrilling fall tour. Wisconsin makes me think of deer hunting, and Hermann runs like a buck with his long strides and closing speed that are an asset off the edge as well as on kickoff coverage. Although he can get hung up on stronger and bigger OTs, his body control, burst, and overall speed at a legit 6'6 is nothing to be scoffed at. He can play in space, set the edge, and hurt blockers with heavier feet and less mobility in pass pro. Vandy and Ohio found a good one and I very much enjoyed his midseason tape from 2022. Check it out:   http://www.hudl.com/v/2JD3xU   [player_tooltip player_id='411348' first='Ryan' last='Mooney'] (Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Michigan) WR. 6'4, 170 lbs.   A front-runner for '22 Mr. Senior Stock Riser, Mooney is in his first year of playing football. Let me repeat, he's in his first year of playing football. The senior immediately made waves on the national recruiting after de-committing from Notre Dame's baseball team on September 25th and earned an offer from Boston College the day after, sparking a wave of scholarship opportunities from Eastern Illinois, UNLV, Illinois State, Notre Dame as a PWO, Marshall, Tulane, and most excitedly, from the Iowa Hawkeyes. The 6'3.5 wideout who reports a 10'5" broad jump and a 4.12 GPA, Mooney was sitting at 20 receptions for 408 yards and 4 TDs and zero drops at the midseason point of 2022 and is putting some really good things on film this fall. Mooney is a deep threat from the perimeter who can torch corners and safeties alike and eat up man and zone coverage with blazing speed and soft hands. He's strong through contact, tracks and plays the ball well in the air, and even puts a massive hit on film as a safety in the middle of the field against De La Salle Collegiate. You can't teach speed, size, or playmaking ability, and Mooney is showing all of it in droves this fall. Keep your ears open for his name for the remainder of the recruiting cycle.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17656131/6330aee9066c120bf4654d8b">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17656131/6330aee9066c120bf4654d8b</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='181727' first='Darin' last='Conley'] (Pembroke Hills, Missouri) DE. 6'4, 225 lbs.   Multi-sport athletes are always a big plus in recruiting, and Kansas City product Conley is an accomplished hooper and track & field standout who was KC's rebound leader and a participant in the triple jump, 4x100, and shot put in Show-Me State athletics. The 6'4, 225 lber. got his season off to a good start with a Ball State offer on August 30th and a subsequent game day invite from Kansas. The ante was then upped as SEC Vanderbilt joined the mix with an offer on September 23rd, and Conley is coming off a visit to Nashville that seemed to have gone well this weekend. With limited film from '22, Conley still has laid some giant hits, and I love his get-off and first step that pop off the line and give interior OL and OTs fits in the run and pass game. His closing speed is impressive, he shows a variety of ways to get off blocks, and the 6'4, 220 lber. has also made an impact offensively as a TE. The athleticism is there and his tape is a fun one to watch, but I think he's got to get more reps out there to garner more interest. Keep this dude on your radar!   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13968203/6309a5a3b3d2af0f1085e769">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13968203/6309a5a3b3d2af0f1085e769</a>   Michael Garner (Bloom Township, IL) DE. 6'7, 235 lbs.   With eye-popping size coming out of talent-rich Chicago, Garner came into the season with offers from MAC, G5, and FCS suitors highlighted by FAU, Ball State, BGSU, Army, Navy, and a handful of other programs. However, he is now gaining more steam on the P5 track as a senior and visited Iowa State in early September, Iowa on October 2nd, and is planning on visited Notre Dame this weekend as they take on Stanford, all unofficial, game day experiences. His stunning length and overall size are the first and obvious things that pop off film, but I'm also liking what I see from Garner in terms of his hand usage and body positioning when getting off blocks. When needed, he has the strength to not get bounced out of the gap or out of position, and has the quickness to get around OTs with a sweet arm-over or an occasional rip. He keeps his angles tight around blockers, can run like a deer, and has a good motor on him as well. The basketball background shows up in his athletic profile and you simply don't find athletes built like this very often. Wherever Garner ends up is going to look very smart in a few years.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15800590/6328a22d5ca91d0fc489faf4">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15800590/6328a22d5ca91d0fc489faf4</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='177888' first='Kendrick' last='Bell'] (Park Hill, Missouri) QB. 6'3, 170 lbs.   I can never get enough of Show-Me State athletes and we got another good one here in the 6'3, quarterback, safety, and athlete [player_tooltip player_id='177888' first='Kendrick' last='Bell'], who has been making plays all over the field in 2022. Coming into his senior season, Bell had received offers from FBS UMass and FCS Northern Iowa but catapulted himself into another sphere as a prospect when the Michigan Wolverines offered a scholarship on September 6th. With a snappy arm capable of whipping the ball downfield with strength and velocity, Bell has made some solid throws both on deep vertical routes as well as intermediate throws into smaller windows. He's also got a ton of juice with the ball in his hand, with speed at the top end and some dirty cuts in the open field. There's also safety reps worth mentioning, and this kind of versatility and dynamic ability is a huge plus, so I'll be quite curious to see how his game continues to progress and where he'll play in college. Hard to believe a kid like this went under the P5 radar for so long but Michigan did an excellent job of identifying talent and pulling the trigger. Missouri still remains one of the most underrated states for prep football nation in America.   <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2J7YEJ">http://www.hudl.com/v/2J7YEJ</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='227532' first='Mason' last='Goldman'] (Gretna, Nebraska) OL. 6'6, 260 lbs.   Goldman is in somewhat of a different spot than some of his peers on this list, as the Cornhusker State product came into his senior season not lacking in offers. Missouri Valley, MAC, and offers from the likes of Memphis and Wyoming were even joined by P5 suitors such as Kansas and Arizona State, but Goldman has bumped his stock up this fall and is coming off a recent SEC offer from Missouri earlier this month. A two-way, massive prep OT and DE, the Gretna native can dominate at the point of attack, is comfortable in space, and has a high ceiling with a lot good athletic and physical tools for a high schooler. He looks bendy, lean, and is also working to finish, and I like his reps as a puller for a few reasons. Not a lot of pass pro tape and it looks like he could add some strength to his giant frame, but his DE tape is also strong and there's a ton of experience, production, toughness, and athleticism to work with. I'd be surprised if he doesn't add more P5 offers to his plate this fall.   <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JE9gL">http://www.hudl.com/v/2JE9gL</a>   Cole Coonrod (Manhatten, Kansas) TE. 6'5, 210 lbs.   A Sunflower State product who plays all over the field as a TE, WR, OLB, and DE and also sports a good basketball background, Coonrod is having a good month and elevated his stock into the D1 ranks as the University of South Dakota made for his first Division 1 offer on October 8th. The Missouri Valley plays some excellent football, so I hope I don't need to explain how this is a big deal, and the 'Yotes did a good job of recognizing the Kansas native's talent. Prior to that, he hold held one offer from Benedictine University. Sadly, he hasn't uploaded any senior tape to Hudl, but I'll be eagerly checking over the next few days and weeks to try and see it early. Keep it up, Cole!   [player_tooltip player_id='56549' first='Brenden' last='Begeman'] (Selby, South Dakota) DB. 6'2, 210 lbs.   For South Dakota natives, earning one of the home states offers from South Dakota or South Dakota State is a consequential moment solidifying their talent amongst the Dakotas elite. The two programs also do a great job of locking down their borders and finding talent early and often, so it should be recognized when a senior jumps into their realm of recruiting. 6'2, 210 lber. Begeman has done just that this fall, as the explosive Selby product earned his first Division 1 offer yesterday from the SDSU Jackrabbits. Prior to that, the twice named All-Stater held DII offers from all over the region, but his senior play and excellent weight room/testing numbers make him a surefire bet for the Missouri Valley. With a 325 lb. power clean, a 360 hang clean, 340 bench, and over 500 lb. squat all recorded on tape, his 10'1"+ broad jump definitely sounds legit, and I'd love to see what he runs in the 40 on a verified laser, as he reports a 4.6. His Week 1-4 Offensive Highlights show off a massive prep RB with a variety of means to break tackles, highlighted by some well-timed cuts and a ton of contact balance. He's liable to take it to the house on every carry, and overall he looks like he's a man amongst boys against high school competition. He's gone beastmode a few times even through just four games, so don't be surprised if the tape gets even better as the season rolls forward. Go Jacks!   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13368947/6328833bdfd82709ac7932cc">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13368947/6328833bdfd82709ac7932cc</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='170391' first='Jett' last='Vincent'] (Canton-Galva, Kansas) DB. 6'3, 185 lbs.   With great size as a prep free safety, Kansas product Vincent is already a decorated high school defender and came into the season with NAIA, DII, and JUCO opportunities from around the region but has fired his stock up to the tune of an FCS offer from North Dakota on September 21st and an FBS offer from Colorado State seven days later. Kansas and Kansas State are also getting more and more involved, and he visited Lawrence on a game day experience in September as well. His Week 1-3 highlights have produced 704 yards of offense and 14 TDs as well as 19 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, 3 INTs, and three defensive TDs, and on tape, he is fluid and dangerous with the ball in his hand. That same speed also aids his range as a safety and allows him to cover large swaths of territory in both coverage and when pursuing the ball in the run game. He's long, has a knack for a big play, and doesn't mind playing physically as well. I'm very curious to see if he can level up once again and join the ranks of a P5 recruit.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13193184/6327c016d21b720e3c0eca2a">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13193184/6327c016d21b720e3c0eca2a</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='304386' first='Connor' last='Akey'] (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln, Wisconsin) DE. 6'4, 230 lbs.   Another prep in a unique situation compared to his peers on this list, Akey actually shut his recruitment down on September 11th as he committed to Division II, Northern Sun Conference heavyweight competitor Augustana University. However, things aren't over! FBS Mountain West big boy Wyoming has entered his recruitment with a scholarship opportunity on October 6th, so I'll be keeping a close eye on Akey's recruitment and his decisions these coming months. On film, his senior tape is somewhat limited, but from what I can gather the Wisconsin native is strong, physical at the point of contact, and has laid some crushing hits so far through 2022. Stay posted with PrepRedzoneWI for more news about Akey the rest of the season and recruiting cycle.

Last fall, we saw the meteoric rise of Jimmy Rolder, a Chicagoland product out of the heavyweight Chicago Catholic League who took the 2021-22 season by storm as a 6'2, 225 lb. LB at the prestigious Marist High School. As a former Illinois baseball recruit who saw a large amount of his high school athletic career wiped out due to COVID, a particular set of circumstances allowed the then-senior to go pretty much under the radar entering his senior campaign, making his explosion onto the P5 recruiting scene even more commanding when he earned his first offer early in October of 2021 from the home state Illini, followed by Minnesota, Michigan, Purdue, Cincinnati, Iowa, TCU, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Florida, LSU, and Louisville, all in the span of a month. In a nearly unprecedented rise, Rolder set the tone for what a senior stock riser could look like during their senior year, and in this special PrepRedzone Midwest edition, I'm excited to present 11 2023 versions of Mr. Rolder as we examine some of the Heartland's finest seniors making noteworthy waves on the P5 and G5 recruiting scene this fall.