19 Noteworthy Midwest P5 PWO Offers this Fall
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The P5 preferred walk-on offer is and always remain my favorite part of college football recruiting. As we head more and into the open acceptance that big-time college football is a business, the PWO is the permanent representation of the…
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Continue ReadingThe P5 preferred walk-on offer is and always remain my favorite part of college football recruiting. As we head more and into the open acceptance that big-time college football is a business, the PWO is the permanent representation of the best and trust aspects of the great college sport there is. The opportunity to work hard and find glory, the love of the game, home state pipelines, and the look on these kids faces when they earn a scholarship (thank you social media departments) are just a few of my favorite facets of the Power-5 Preferred Walk-on, and this fall we’ve seen some alluring walk-on opportunities go out to hard-working, talented seniors all around America’s Heartland. For some, the offer came after they committed elsewhere, and for others, the chance to play P5 football was too good to pass up. Get to know each of the 19 unique and noteworthy Midwest P5 PWOs that have come right here with PrepRedzone, and thank you for reading!
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Max Shikenjanski Max Shikenjanski 6'2" | 160 lbs | ATH Stillwater | 2023 State MN (Stillwater, MN) Senior. QB. 6’2, 175 lbs. – PWO from Minnesota
A Division 1 basketball commit who inked with The Citadel in August, Stillwater Ponies quarterback Max Shikenjanksi is tearing up Minnesota gridirons this fall and has put up fantastic numbers a game past the midseason mark of 2022 in MN. He’s leading the state in completions (111), and yards (1,615), and is tied for second in TDs with 18, the son of a former Gopher basketball play has caught the attention of the home state Minnesota Gophers football team and earned a massive PWO opportunity with the football team on September 17th. It was an exciting first football offer for the senior and could be one of the few things it would take to slide the hooper out of a basketball uniform and into shoulder pads in college. On tape, Shikenjanski is extremely mobile, able to roll out and extend plays as well as take off, run, and cause headaches for defenders trying to wrap him up in the open field. He’s also got a naturally strong arm that can get the ball downfield and into receivers arms with accuracy and zip. There’s some good things going on tape, and his dynamic skillset could lend itself to multiple potential positions at the next level. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes pressed on Shikenjanski’s rapidly developing senior season and recruitment.
Tripp Walsh Tripp Walsh 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Arrowhead | 2023 State WI (Arrowhead, WI) Senior. WR/TE. 6’5, 210 lbs. – PWO from Minnesota and Iowa State
Minnesota was busy in the PWO department on September 17th, offering the aforementioned home state quarterback Shikenjanski and also venturing over the border and into Wisconsin to send a PWO to well-built pass catcher Tripp Walsh Tripp Walsh 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Arrowhead | 2023 State WI . Coming out of powerhouse Arrowhead High School in Wisconsin’s D1 ranks, Walsh is PRzWI’s #1 ranked WR and came into the season with an FCS roster spot from St. Thomas and a ton of visits to the likes of Minnesota, Iowa State, NIU, NDSU, SDSU, and home state Wisconsin. Things came together early into September as Iowa State extended a PWO on the 8th and Minnesota followed it up shortly after with their own walk-on opportunity. If you’re following the visits, he’s been to Ames far more than anywhere else, and if I had to pick where he’d end up right today I would guess the Cyclones. However, things are far from over in his senior campaign and recruitment, and on tape, Walsh has lined up and done damage as an inline TE, flexed out into the slot, or on the outside and shows off good speed for his size and some awesome ball tracking ability. He can get under and play the ball well while it’s in the air and sports some soft hands and an understanding of body positioning to make the catch. Walsh can make a catch through contact as well. Heckuva PWO prospect out of the Badger State.
Nick True Nick True 6'5" | 200 lbs | TE Jacobs | 2023 State IL (Harry D. Jacobs, IL) Senior. WR/TE. 6’5, 205 lbs. – PWO from Illinois
Jacobs High School, located in Algonquin, is home to a prolific 2024 pass catcher in Grant Stec but has recently seen the emergence of a potential P5 WR/TE talent in their senior class as 6’5, 205 lber. Nick True Nick True 6'5" | 200 lbs | TE Jacobs | 2023 State IL earned a PWO from the home state Illini on October 11th. Coming into the season the Midwest Boom 7-on-7 standout held some major DII offers but was without a D1 offer until Illinois made sure to reach out and change that this month. A long, lean deep threat who can drop his hips and change direction at the top of the route well, True has a knack for a big catch and possesses the speed to finish long catches and runs past pursuing defenders. I also really like what I see from him as a blocker, where he’s strong at the point of contact, understands leverage, how to use opponents’ body positioning against them, and how to finish. True does not mind playing physically or nasty and shows three-down capability as a TE prospect, something that can aid him at the next level. Great move by the Illini.
Johnny Schmitt Johnny Schmitt 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB St. Rita | 2023 State IL (St. Rita, IL) Senior. DB. 6’1, 195 lbs. – PWO from Illinois
Coming out of the powerhouse Chicago Catholic League and traditional heavyweight St. Rita, 6’1, 195 pound safety Johnny Schmitt Johnny Schmitt 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB St. Rita | 2023 State IL hasn’t been new to the recruiting circuit and visited a ton of MAC, Ivy, and Missouri Valley institutions prior to earning his first college opportunities from Pioneer League teams in August and September. However, things heated up quickly, and on October 4th Schmitt heard from Illini DL coach Terrance Jamison and earned his PWO. The Kansas Jayhawks are also keeping in contact with recruiting graphics and mail. In the first seven games of the season, Schmitt has posted 54 tackles, 8 PBUs, 3 TFL, 2 INT, and a fumble recovery for a TD, and on film the safety possesses a fluid backpedal and some good range and instincts when reading and making a play on downfield passes, particularly in the MOF. Schmitt is also a thunderous hitter who can come downhill and lay the wood and plays with good pursuit angles and active feet. Overall he’s a skilled and balanced three-down safety, and given how well he’s been coached up at St. Rita as well as the competition he goes against week-to-week and you have the makings of a strong PWO addition to a P5 squad. Another smart move by the Fighting Bret Bielemas.
Spencer Doan (Lawrence Free State, KS) Senior. OT. – 6’7, 240 lbs. – PWO from Kansas
It’s worth noting that I haven’t been able to find a lot of information on Doan and his recent opportunity to play with the Kansas Jayhawks, but with the senior reporting the phone call and offer from OL coach Scott Fuchs, it’s not too big of a deal at this point. To add to the interest, Doan only has Hudl film from 2022 uploaded and also hadn’t tweeted out any college interest until that conversation with Coach Fuchs this week, so I feel like there’s a piece to his puzzle that I’m missing right now. Either way, the 6’7, 240 lber. has now emerged onto the recruiting scene, and on film, he explodes off the ball just like he exploded onto the recruiting. His first step and drive off the ball are impressive, as are his natural pop and ability to finish, his ability to play and block in space, and his overall movement skills. Doan also looks fairly bendy and does a good job of keeping his hands on the interior of his opponents as well as keeping those legs moving. At a lean and mean 6’7, 240 pounds, you don’t find kids that size with movement skills such as his too often, especially off the snap. Doan may be a huge sleeper out of Kansas and Lawrence Free State High School, where 2023 Baylor OL commit Calvin Clements also calls home. Great call by the Jayhawks on this one.
Ryan Mooney Ryan Mooney 6'4" | 170 lbs | WR Orchard Lake St. Marys | 2023 MI (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, MI) Senior. WR. 6’3, 170 lbs. Notre Dame and Michigan PWO
I’m fresh off writing about Mooney earlier this week so I’ll try and keep it shorter so as to not repeat myself, but man, this kid is a heckuva 2022 storyline, prospect, and emergent to the P5 recruiting scene. The recent Notre Dame baseball decommit – who opened his recruitment back up on September 25th, is in his FIRST YEAR OF PLAYING FOOTBALL and has put up some crazy athletic numbers such as a 4.28 40 at Miami (OH) prospect camp this summer, a 10’5″ broad jump, and a short-shuttle in the 4.3s, all at a legit 6’3. After balling out at the Redhawks summer camp in June, Mooney saw his first football offers from in from Miami (OH), Central Michigan, and Dartmouth, but things really exploded after the ND baseball decommitment. Beginning with a Boston College offer on September 26th, Eastern Illinois, UNLV, Illinois State, Marshall, Iowa, Tulane, and Brown have all joined the mix, with Notre Dame and Michigan offering heavyweight PWO offers as well. He’s been a terror of a deep threat in 2022, burning safeties, corners, man coverage, and zone alike, and is quick and shifty in his routes and strong through contact for a 170 pounder. His midseason tape is very impressive and I think Mooney is my pick for 2022’s breakout star.
Vince Benetti Vince Benetti 6'4" | 210 lbs | TE ADM | 2023 State IA (Adel-Desoto-Minburn, IA) Senior. TE/DE. 6’4, 220 lbs. Iowa State PWO and commitment
A Class 3A product out of Adel, located an hour SW of Ames and only 30 minutes from Des Moines, Benetti was a popular recruit coming into the 2022 season and held offers from Northern Iowa, Air Force, Army, Columbia, Minnesota State-Mankato, Pittsburg State, St. Thomas, and Sioux Falls, and was popular among both Iowa and Iowa State this fall with game day invites. However, Iowa State didn’t hesitate to offer up a PWO, and it paid off as the 6’4, 220 lber. committed to the Cyclones shortly thereafter on September 22nd. Benetti is a two-way contributor as a TE and DE and has been especially productive from his DE spot this spot. Able to execute stunts and twists effectively thanks to his lateral agility and body control, Benetti does a great job of utilizing and taking advantage of gaps in the OL and has fantastic closing speed for a kid of his size. He’s also strong enough to shed and disengage from 1-on-1 blocks with ease, and has laid some big-time booms on quarterbacks through this point of the season. I also am impressed with his soft hands and ability to reel in catches through contact, and Benetti has also imposed his will as a blocker from the TE spot. In his somewhat limited game tape from 2022 it’s clear to see he deserved the P5 opportunity. Go Cyclones, Vince!
Gavin Marsh Gavin Marsh 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Marquette Senior | 2023 MO (Marquette, MO) Senior. WR. 6′, 180 lbs. Mizzou PWO
The athletic All-Conference and All-District wideout has clocked a blazing sub-4 second short-shuttle and also reports a 6.65 L-drill for some impressive COD skills. The Midwest Boom 7-on-7 standout came into the fall of 2022 with Pioneer League roster spots from Valparaiso and Dayton and has added to his list of offers since posting a wild 20.2 YPC average this fall for 25 receptions, 505 yards, and six touchdowns. College programs took notice, and on September 6th the senior earned a PWO from Mizzou and is coming off a scholarship offer from FCS Eastern Illinois at the end of September. The midseason film displays the seniors COD skills in droves, as he is a very shifty route-runner who can also cut on a dime both in his routes or with the ball in his hands. I’ve talked about his route-running a lot, but I really enjoy watching him break things off at the last second and leave defenders whipping their heads back and forth like someone put on Willow Smith. He’s shifty, nuanced, and coordinated, and is liable to give a DB fits at just about any point in his route. Marsh is also dangerous with the ball in his hands and has popped off for some massive splash plays for Marquette’s 2022 offense. You can tell a dude is explosive and exciting when you get your sideline as hyped as Marsh has gotten his Mustang teammates in his midseason film.
Jackson Powers Jackson Powers 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Maple Grove | 2023 State MN (Maple Grove, MN) Senior. DB. 6′, 180 lbs. Minnesota PWO and commitment
Minnesota celebrates Week 0 games, and despite some of the controversy surrounding the early kickoffs, I’m going to use it to my advantage to include Maple Grove DB Jackson Powers Jackson Powers 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Maple Grove | 2023 State MN . The 6A big school MG Crimson, who are the returning state runner-ups, are off to a 7-0 start this season and despite the plethora of injuries sustained by Maple Grove, Powers has been a constant defensive force and a big influence in their undefeated record. Last spring, the 6′, 180 lb. CB/safety put the MN recruiting scene on notice after he earned an FBS offer from UConn, an FCS offer from Morgan State, and Pioneer League FCS roster spots from Butler and St. Thomas, all before the summer camp circuit. Powers then earned an offer from Elon in July and saw things come to a head right near the start of September when the U of M reached out with a PWO. It took him a little more than a month to commit to the Golden Gophers, and on October 7th he shut things down and will play Big10 football in college. He’s got an awesome rep on the second play of his midseason tape where he runs down a loose RB from behind and completes an instinctual strip and forced a fumble that allows his defense to recover the rock. Powers also sports a fluid backpedal, is a natural at playing the ball in the air when he zone turns, and can operate in the box in run support and comes downhill with good force. He’s also laid some strong hits this fall and just like his junior tape, Powers is comfortable at playing the ball when it’s in the air. I love me some home state PWO commits and the Maple Grove product has the makings to be a good one!
Sam Wallace (Benton Community, IA) Senior. ATH. 6’1, 180 lbs. Iowa State PWO
We got a big stretch of Iowa natives coming up in this PWO special feature and are starting things off with the electric senior athlete Sam Wallace. An accomplished football and track & field participant, Wallace was named 2022 Track Elite All-State in Iowa and held DII, JUCO, and NAIA offers coming into his senior season of prep football. Things leveled up for the 6’1, 180 pounder when Iowa State started to get involved, beginning with a game day invite on September 20th and October 2nd and culminating in a Big12 PWO on the 8th of October. He’s done a little bit of everything so far this season, and after seven games held a stat line of 12 receptions for 284 yards and 3 TDs, 11 carries for 118 yards, 18.5 tackles, a TFL, and an interception. Wallace is long, can accelerate and get up to top speed quickly, and looks explosive as a WR, RB, and kick returner. He’s got the speed to torch pursuit angles and can line up all over the offense, creating advantageous mismatches and a ton of anxiety of LBs, CBs, and safeties alike. Can’t teach speed and it looks like Wallace sure has it.
Jaydon Knight (Mount Ayr, IA) Senior. TE/LB. 6’4, 205 lbs. Iowa State PWO
With a solid background in the student-athlete department, 6’4, 205 lber. Knight reports a 4.61 40, 3.99 GPA, and 25 ACT, Knight somehow just received his first college football offer on September 25th as the heavyweight Cyclones reached out with a PWO to extend their reach once again in the 2023 class. With his great frame and good senior film, I’m surprised it’s his first reported offer, but here we are! Great move, Cyclones. As a TE, Knight is a dynamic offensive weapon who can high-point through tight coverage and has a ton of juice after the catch. With his long legs, Knight can run and slip through solid tackle attempts with ease and also shows a bit of wiggle in his hips as a route runner who is dangerous running traditional TE routes flexed out in the slot. I also like his speed for his size, and although it shows up offensively when he’s pulling away from defenders I think it particularly shows up on defense. His closing speed pops on the tape and allows him to generate enough force to lay big hits on RBs and QBs alike. He’s a good lookin’ athlete and his frame is going to make his future collegiate strength and conditioning coach really excited.
Rylan Barnes Rylan Barnes 6'3" | 200 lbs | LB West Hancock | 2023 State IA (West Hancock, IA) RB/WR. 6’3, 200 lbs. Iowa State PWO and commitment
It goes without saying that the state of Iowa produces absolute DUDES at the linebacker position. P5 kids, FCS ballers, DII standouts, and DIII All-Conference contributors alike can all be found in the Hawkeye State. Barnes is another great example of this, and in addition to the NAIA and DII offers he held going into the season the 6’3, 200-pounder added a big-time PWO to his list of offers from Iowa State on September 24th. The opportunity was too good to pass up as well, as Barnes pulled the trigger and committed to the Cyclones yesterday. Can’t wait to see this dude in the Cardinal and Gold. On tape, his midseason film displays a thick and powerful looking athlete who looks much larger than his competition and plays like it too. With the ball in his hands, Barnes shows off good vision, quickness, and no qualms about playing physically, and can beat tackle attempts in a multitude of ways. Defensively, he gets off the ball quickly and can diagnose and identify plays rapidly and without hesitating, and I also like how he keeps his feet chopping and squares up opponents at the point of contact. He’s a hard hitter as a LB, FB, and TE, and also has shown himself to be a three-phase contributor who had a big punt block early into his midseason tape. Cyclones got a good one with his best football still in front of him.
Aidan McDermott Aidan McDermott 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Xavier | 2023 State IA (Xavier, IA) Senior. DB/WR. 6’2, 180 lbs. South Dakota State commit. Iowa PWO
The only athlete on this list to receive a P5 PWO while already committed to another college, South Dakota State DB commit Aidan McDermott Aidan McDermott 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Xavier | 2023 State IA earned a B1G PWO from the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 17th. That came after his offer and commitment to SDSU in late June, so I’m interested to see if this affects his recruitment process at all, but that’s not why we’re here. The Jacks are still all over him, and given the fact that they are an FCS heavyweight and perennial contender that give Midwest prospects a ton of love and success they are not an easy program to say no to. I’ll make sure to keep you lovely subscribers informed, but for now we’ll just evaluate his tape. McDermott’s long legs help him easily pull away from DBs when he’s at WR as well as cover a ton of ground from his FS spot. Like a safety should, he does a great job of staying around the football, and I can see him reading and reacting to the QBs eyes as well as keeping track of wideouts route combos to make plays on the football. I also like how he comes downhill to break up passes and tackle RBs, and that toughness also pays dividends when he’s making catches through big hits as a WR. McDermott is balanced, rangy, and fast, and no matter where he ends up he’s going to be a great contributor to his future DB room.
Nolan DeLong Nolan DeLong 6'1" | 195 lbs | RB Durant | 2023 State IA (Durant, IA) Senior. 6’1, 205 lbs. LB. Iowa PWO
DeLong was a popular and touted recruit before the heavyweight Hawkeyes offered a B1G PWO on September 10th. FCS Northern Iowa, FCS St. Thomas, and DII Sioux Falls all offered the thick senior LB going into his senior season. Recruiting sites were fans as well, including our own PrepRedzoneIA, and for good reason, as he’s a dangerous two-way contributor as a LB and RB for Durant. I love watching this dude time out his blitzes and shoot gaps in both run and pass defense, and he can also go sideline-to-sideline with solid pursuit angles, and no matter which way he’s running he can lay a heckuva pop at the point of contact. As a RB, DeLong also eats tackle attempts for breakfast and uses his strong lower body to easily bounce opponents off of him and into the turf with aggressive N-S running. It looks like he loves the physical part of the game, and with his high-energy play style, speed, and knack for big plays I’d love to have him on my squad in college.
Beckett DeJean Beckett DeJean 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB OABCIG | 2023 State IA (OABCIG, IA) Senior. DB. 6’1, 175 lbs. Iowa PWO
The Odebolt product is the younger brother of Iowa Hawkeye LB/SS and former All-Everything OABCIG prep Cooper, who won just about every prep award possible in the state of Iowa over the course of his career. Younger brother Beckett has a ton of game himself, and prior to his September 10th PWO from the Hawkeyes held NAIA and DII offers from big-time regional programs such as MSU-Mankato, Grand View, and Northwestern College. A do-it-all prep QB and DB, DeJean is electric when he takes off and runs the ball and can easily and impressively slip through tackle attempts for a kid of his size as well as hit just about every throw asked of him at the small school level. His DB film is where things really get interesting, as his speed allows him to cover a ton of ground in coverage and run pursuit with overall enormous range at the high school level. His speed, athleticism, and balance all make his high school exploits look a lot easier than they should. I’d be surprised if he ended up anywhere besides Iowa City.
Jake Scianna Jake Scianna 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Lincoln-Way East | 2023 State IL (Lincoln Way-East, IL) Senior. LB. 6′, 220 lbs. Kansas PWO
The son of former Notre Dame All-American Randy Scianna, 2023 LB Jake brings an impressive prep resume to the table as well as offer list, as the 2x captain, 8A HM All-State, and three-year starter held offers from St. Thomas, Columbia, Western Illinois, Butler, Brown, and Fordham coming into his senior season. Things culminated in a PWO from Big12 Kansas on October 6th, and I’d be surprised if more P5’s don’t enter the picture given his size, experience, production, and lineage. Playing for the #1 team in Illinois’ big school classification, Scianna‘s senior tape is limited, but you can easily see he’s a big kid who can run down QBs and RBs in the open field. I hope he updates his senior tape soon!
Brock Woolf Brock Woolf 6'6" | 255 lbs | ATH Brewster | 2023 State KS (Brewster/Triplains, KS) OL. 6’6, 255 lbs. Kansas State PWO and commitment
Maybe my favorite prep on this list, 6-man prospect Brock Woolf Brock Woolf 6'6" | 255 lbs | ATH Brewster | 2023 State KS is joining the P5 ranks in his college for a very exciting commitment from the smallest to the biggest schools in the state of Kansas. Woolf also held an offer from Bethel College and Butler Community College but the Kansas State Wildcats have been all over him since the summer and that hard work paid off in his commitment to the Wildcats shortly after receiving his PWO. With good size and a strong track and field background, Woolf has been a terrifying XL RB so far in 2022 and is above and beyond the largest kid on the field for every game on his midseason tape. Don’t get it twisted though, this dude can run! Once he can long stride and get a full head of steam he’s run down much faster ball carriers in the open field, and overall is athleticism and mobility at 6’6, 255 is impressive and definitely indicative of his P5 future. He’s also laid some massive hits, and Kansas State’s staff should be quite excited about this potential small school sleeper from their home state. Go Wildcats!
Micah Davis (Dexter, MI) DB. 6’2, 185 lbs. Michigan State and Michigan PWO
A track and field All-American and state champ, Davis is on a roll with in-state Big10 PWO offers and has received a ton of recruiting information and graphics this fall from Michigan’s MAC and Big10 contenders. He’s also got offers from Davenport, Hillsdale, Eastern Michigan, Butler, Tennessee-Martin, and Lawrence Tech. He’s posted 50 tackles, 4 FFs, 3 PBUs, and 3 INTs at the midseason point of his senior season with Dexter, and on film he’s a devastating hitter with the most pop of anyone on this list, and his closing speed is special on tape. A lot of the tackles he makes on tape involve him flying onto the screen in the blink of an eye, and the velocity he generates is impressive and not fun for opposing RBs to deal with. He’s fast, plays with great pursuit angles and a strong motor, and is an excellent athlete. Someone is going to get a baller.
Korver Demma Korver Demma 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Gretna | 2023 State NE (Gretna, NE) Senior. DE. 6’3, 230 lbs. Nebraska PWO and commitment
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have had Demma on their board for a while given how long and how much attention they’ve given the senior in his career, and earned his commitment over Central Missouri, Missouri Southern, Concordia-St. Paul, and a host of other DIIs, and the massive standup OLB/DE combo is instinctive, a playmaker, and possesses a very strong lower body that can eat and destroy blocks with ease. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t become a contributor for the Huskers over the course of his career. Go Huskers!