Larry Fitzgerald Award Semifinalists: MN's WR of the Year in 2022

I made it a point to spice up my post-season content for 2022 and have a Carolina Reaper of a new annual featured series for PrepRedzoneMN that we are introducing in this extra lull of a week before the state championship games. With All-Metro and All-State teams covered well by regional media, I thought there was more room to highlight Outstate players and infuse some new awards into the mix as PRzMN names the best player at each position on the gridiron for the previous season of action. Named after the GOATs that the Land of 10,000 Lakes has produced at that position, this honor will have 10 semifinalists and one winner, and to kick things off we're starting with the Wide Receivers. Obviously, it had to be named after Holy Angels graduate and 11x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro, and record-holding NFL veteran Larry Fitzgerald, and just like its namesake the semifinalists for Minnesota's Top High School WR are tough, have great hands, and possess body control and a knack for getting open. I hope you guys know I take these selections seriously, and I agonized for hours comparing and evaluating notes, film, stats, and team pages (thank you MNFootballHub) to narrow things down to only 10 names from around the state. The semifinalists and eventual winners were picked on a combination of factors including statistical production, individual impact on their team's success, talent, consistency, and recruiting potential, and if you have any questions about the process or selections please email me at: oliver@prepredzone.com. For now, enjoy the Larry Fitzgerald Award Semifinalists, brought to you only by PrepRedzoneMN! Congrats to the selections.   --   1) Eli Paulson (Anoka) Senior. 5'9, 160 lbs.   The sensational senior campaign from Anoka's Eli Paulson finished with an NFL-esque stat line of 96 catches for 1,225 yards and 10 TDs in just nine games of action. That's 136 yards per game and almost 13 yards a snag, and Paulson led the state in receptions, was second in the state in yards (1st place played two more games), and broke Minnesota's single-season reception mark with his 96 catches. Every game for the Tornadoes he showed up and showed out, and although Anoka didn't finish with the best record in the win column, Paulson was a huge part of them finishing within one score in four of their 2022 losses. For his efforts, Paulson earned his first college football opportunity during the fall as the white-hot St. Thomas Tommies offered an FCS roster spot. Also, the kid is a monster wrestling recruit who finished 2nd in the state in the 132AAA bracket, there are a ton of things to like about Paulson, his game, and his potential. Slippery, fast, and balanced after the catch, Paulson is also a nifty route-runner with quickness and some loose hips who is fearless at the catch point in traffic and in the MOF. Great film and a heckuva senior football season for the Anoka product. He was a no-brainer for the inaugural Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year award.   2) [player_tooltip player_id='105365' first='Carter' last='Holcomb'] (Rochester Mayo) Junior. 5'10, 160 lbs.   [player_tooltip player_id='105365' first='Carter' last='Holcomb'] is following in his older brother's footsteps and is tearing up the fields of Southern Minnesota while performing like a top wideout in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Holcomb was a TD machine in 2022 and one of the most explosive pass catchers in the state, finishing with a state-best 18 TDs and one of the highest yard-per-catch averages in the state at 17.5. His production and big-play ability were a huge part of Rochester Mayo's huge resurgence in 2022 and helped them hold a spot as 5A's #1 contender almost the entire season. If it wasn't for Mankato West, the Spartans would be playing for a state championship this upcoming weekend after going 4-3 in 2020. Also a dangerous returner in the special teams game, I really appreciate Holcomb's consistency and the fact that he balled out under the brightest lights and during the Spartan's biggest games. His best games were against the toughest opponents, as Holcomb posted 8 catches for 216 yards and a TD in a tight four-point loss to Mankato West during the regular season and also had 8 catches for 138 yards and 2 TD performance in a tight Week 1 win over Owatonna. Also of note, this is Carter's fourth year starting on varsity, pulling off the rare 8th grade starter achievement a few years ago. With game-breaking speed that can create splash plays as a deep threat and as a returner, his comfortability and dangerousness with the ball in his hand is obvious on tape, and his ability to cut and start/stop on a dime helps him create separation at any point of the route. I've seen that COD skill in person at our showcase as well, and it definitely matches up to the quickness and shiftiness I see on tape. Holcomb also has a strong lower body that helps him break tackles and go up vertically to attack the ball in the air. He's just overall a stud and was the other no-brainer of a wideout selected as a Larry Fitzgerald Award semifinalist.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/Carter-Holcomb-1024x907.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-144437" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='105365' first='Carter' last='Holcomb'] at a PrepRedzoneMN Showcase</figcaption></figure>   3) Sam Musungu (Andover) Senior. 6'1, 180 lbs.   Musungu's receiving performance in 2022 earned him an illustrious and hard-to-earn North Dakota State PWO, which is a testament to his athleticism and collegiate projection and should tell our readers that the 6'1, 180 lber. wasn't messing around this fall. The Andover Huskies product also received Winona State and St. John's offers this fall, and will represent the North Squad in this year's MN All-Star Game. Additionally, Musungu also has a roster spot from Cornell University and a host of other DII NSIC offers, so popularity on the recruiting trail is nothing new to the senior and he's going to make a college WR room better from Day 1 whenever he reports to campus. I've talked about him a fair amount already this fall, but with his 15 TDs - good for second in the state - and power and elusiveness after the catch he's more than worth highlighting again. Musungu tied the state record for single-game TD receptions with 5 against Buffalo, and overall is lethal in open space and shows off some loose-looking hips that help him both create separation and make tacklers miss. He's going to make a college recruiter and /or position coach look very smart when he makes his college decision and his scoring capability and athleticism helped earn him a spot on MN's WR of the Year semifinalist list.   4) [player_tooltip player_id='438689' first='KhiJohnn' last='Cummings-Coleman'] (Coon Rapids) Junior. 6'1, 180 lbs.   Exploded onto the 2024 Midwest P5 recruiting scene this fall as one of MN's premier breakout stars of the 2022 season. Coming into this fall, Cummings-Coleman was offerless and absent from the recruiting boards now reaching out with scholarship offers, but after his outstanding junior season the 6'1, 180 lber. now holds offers from Iowa State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas and is surely far from done in terms of P5 opportunities. KCC finished his 9 game campaign with 57 catches for 962 yards and 11 TDs and added a potent and explosive wrinkle in the Cardinals' offense and used his twitchiness, burst, and body control to turn routine slants and screens into splash plays, burn CBs and safeties deep, and and make use of every yard of space afforded to him by opposing defenses. Great hands and one of the best athletes at the position in the state, plus the other traits mentioned, make for a nightmare of a wideout for opposing DCs and DB coaches to plan against. The ceiling, elusiveness, and overall athletic skillset makes the junior a great addition to the Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year semifinal list.   5) [player_tooltip player_id='112101' first='Chuck' last='Gilbert'] (Academy of Holy Angels) Senior. 6'2, 180 lbs.   It was more than fitting to have a Holy Angel Star on the inaugural Larry Fitzgerald award and senior [player_tooltip player_id='112101' first='Chuck' last='Gilbert'] has given more than enough reasons to name him one of the best WRs in Minnesota for 2022. If you don't believe me, check his October 20th Minnesota Gopher PWO for good measure, as well as his selection to the MN All-Star Game and impressive tape from this fall. Gilbert was the most talented player on the Holy Angels 2022 roster that saw the Stars qualify for the state tournament in Class 4A, and he finished this season with 39 catches for 712 yards and 9 TDs with an impressive 18.3 YPC average. He also added 6 INTs on defense for good measure. Eight days ago in my PrepRedzoneMN Top-15 overall uncommitted seniors, I mentioned the speed and ball skills that helped him easily toast opposing DBs and play the ball in the air with impressive vertical ability and timing. His smooth and fluid playing style also makes his impressive reps look easy and natural on film, and as MN's long-standing WR1 for the 2023 class it's easy to see why the Gophs threw him a B1G opportunity. The impact on his offense and raw athleticism will help him compete for the Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year for 2022.   6) [player_tooltip player_id='407968' first='Bryce' last='Corson'] (Fillmore Central) Senior. 5'9, 180 lbs.   The Falcons had an awesome yet gut-wrenching 2022 season that saw him finish with a 12-1 record, an appearance in the Class A semifinals, and a heart-breaking 28-27 loss to perennial contender Minneota. In notable fashion, the Class A competitor broke from the small-school mold and relied more heavily on the pass than the run, making for a perfect intro and transition to the sixth member of the Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year semifinalists: Fillmore Central senior [player_tooltip player_id='407968' first='Bryce' last='Corson']. The 5'9, 180 lber. has one of the best statistical seasons in Minnesota, finishing with 50 catches for 803 yards and 7 TDs, and was high in the state for reported yards after the catch, and he saved his two best individual efforts for the biggest games of the season, the state quarter and semifinal. He stands out on tape as well, as he displayed great success winning contested 50/50 ball thanks to how well he plays the ball in the air and his vertical ability. Corson is also a natural at finding and utilizing space while running his routes but especially when the play has broken down and his QB is scrambling, and he shows off a smooth cutting ability after the catch with the ball in his hands. However, that efficiency in coming down with the catch in deep ball situations through tight coverage, sometimes on not the greatest of throws, really solidified him as one of the best SBs in the state and especially among the small school ranks. Currently, the senior hasn't reported any college interest or offers, but I'm hoping that changes soon once schools get a look at his senior tape and production.   7) Adam Poncelet (Goodhue) Senior. 6'3, 190 lbs.   The North Dakota Fighting Hawks commit and MN All-Star game pick was fantastic this season and used his size and mobility to run circles around DBs in every game of Goodhue's 5-5 2022 campaign. His Division 1 size and athleticism were supported by how well Poncelet runs routes and catches everything around him, and in my opinion I think Poncelet is one of the best route-runners on this list and in the state. Long and lean with a ton of room to blow up in a college S&C program, and his ability to break off his routes, use his hips and the space afforded to him to get open, and run a variety of routes on the route tree to success are notable and impressive for his size. I also love how he blocks, his wide catch radius, and how he'll reel in catches and finish plays through contact. Brings a strong and balanced skillset to the table as a WR and is the perfect size and representation of what North Dakota likes to recruit as their WRs. Grand Forks is going to be good for Poncelet and I love the fit with UND. Great job this year, Adam!   8) Jamison Reed (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) Senior. 6'5, 195 lbs.   Another Minnesota All-Star Game selection, Preseason All-State Class A POY Jamison Reed brings eye-popping size to the table as a recruit and was nothing short of dominant in his last season of playing high school football. With that 6'5, 195 lb. size, it's easy to think that Reed would be more of a contested catch guy, but his YAC ability is impressive at his size and he's quick, balanced, and strong in the open field and a very tough 1-on-1 tackling assignment for defenders to handle. He can run through you, cut by you, slip through the tackle, or run by ya, and Reed also snagged some beautiful TD catches in the back of the endzone showing off some awareness and body control. His strong hands and toughness also help him successfully deliver as a redzone target, downfield threat, routine receiver, or YAC specialist and at this point in time Reed is currently drastically under-recruited and only has reported visits to Augustana and Minnesota State-Moorhead in 2022. College coaches: you don't want to miss out on this one. It was a monster year for the monster BBE wide receiver in 2022 and play-to-play potential impact made him a great fit for the inaugural Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year Award.   9) Carter Todd (La Crescent-Hokah) Senior. 6'4, 190 lbs.   One of the more pleasantly surprising picks on this 2022 Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year semifinalist feature, La Crescent-Hokah's 6'4, 190 lb. pass-catcher was the biggest reason the Lancers went 5-5 in 2022 and had a notable personal stat line on the season that included 67 catches for 932 yards and 11 TDs. With great size as a prep WR, Todd knew how to use it, and possesses eye-popping speed for his size that helped him produce splash plays in many different ways. His accomplished basketball background aids in his success and also shows up on film, as he effortlessly floats through the air when playing the ball in his air and has impressive body control that can pull off highlight-reel catches all over the field. Todd also shows good shake in his hips when changing direction as a route runner, and his timing and fearlessness when going up to high point the ball or make a tough catch over the middle is hard to ignore in his senior film. The speed, nimbleness, and overall body control is rare to see in a kid that size out of Minnesota and made him an easy pick for a potential MN Wide Receiver of the Year in 2022. Welcome to the Larry Fitzgerald Award semifinalists, Carter! Huge fan of your tape. Right now, Drake and Upper Iowa have offered the senior. More should come if they get eyes on the senior film, it really is something.   10) [player_tooltip player_id='1135422' first='Mason' last='Dalluge'] (Ottertail Central) Junior. 6'2, 185 lbs.   The tenth and closing semifinal selection for the 2022 Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year list naming MN's top pass catcher, Dalluge originally caught my eye with his 2022 stat line, particularly in the TD department. The nicely-sized 6'2, 185 pounder posted 24 catches for 689 yards and 11 TDs at an absolutely outstanding 28.7 YPC average to cement himself as one of the most explosive WRs in the state. The Ottertail Central junior was a perfect offset to the Bulldogs rushing attack and created a balanced and high-scoring offense that aided Ottertail Central to a 7-4 record in 2022. The big-play threat and explosiveness are also backed up on film, where Dalluge effortlessly eats up DB cushions and beautifully levitates high into the air to pluck the ball from its highest point and well over the poor CBs head. He can also make strong catches through contact, break tackles and carry dogpiles, and win 1-on-1 matchups, no matter the situation. Small school, big game. Dalluge was a perfect final pick for this year's semifinalist list for the Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year.   --   Honorable Mention:   Joe Randle (St. Anthony Village) Senior. 6'3, 210 lbs.   Gabe Swedenburg (Hillcrest Lutheran) Junior. 6', 170 lbs.   [player_tooltip player_id='313281' first='Macoy' last='Krick'] (Springfield) Senior.   Conner Martens (Nicollet) Junior. 6'1, 160 lbs.   [player_tooltip player_id='105367' first='Daniel' last='Freitag'] (Bloomington Jefferson) Junior. 6'1, 180 lbs.

I made it a point to spice up my post-season content for 2022 and have a Carolina Reaper of a new annual featured series for PrepRedzoneMN that we are introducing in this extra lull of a week before the state championship games. With All-Metro and All-State teams covered well by regional media, I thought there was more room to highlight Outstate players and infuse some new awards into the mix as PRzMN names the best player at each position on the gridiron for the previous season of action. Named after the GOATs that the Land of 10,000 Lakes has produced at that position, this honor will have 10 semifinalists and one winner, and to kick things off we're starting with the Wide Receivers. Obviously, it had to be named after Holy Angels graduate and 11x Pro Bowl, 3x All-Pro, and record-holding NFL veteran Larry Fitzgerald, and just like its namesake the semifinalists for Minnesota's Top High School WR are tough, have great hands, and possess body control and a knack for getting open. I hope you guys know I take these selections seriously, and I agonized for hours comparing and evaluating notes, film, stats, and team pages (thank you MNFootballHub) to narrow things down to only 10 names from around the state. The semifinalists and eventual winners were picked on a combination of factors including statistical production, individual impact on their team's success, talent, consistency, and recruiting potential, and if you have any questions about the process or selections please email me at: oliver@prepredzone.com. For now, enjoy the Larry Fitzgerald Award Semifinalists, brought to you only by PrepRedzoneMN! Congrats to the selections.