Regular Season Recap: 31 Notable Midwest PWO Offers/Commits
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In the ever-changing world of modern college football, the Preferred Walk-On still symbolizes some of the preeminent traditions the best collegiate sport in the world has to offer. Hometown ties, young men chasing a dream, taking a chance at the…
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Continue ReadingIn the ever-changing world of modern college football, the Preferred Walk-On still symbolizes some of the preeminent traditions the best collegiate sport in the world has to offer. Hometown ties, young men chasing a dream, taking a chance at the bright lights, defying expectations, and working hard to find glory are just a few of the themes I love about PWO players and their recruitments, and I’m excited to bring back a Part II of this Midwest fall feature thanks to a ton of new FBS and P5 PWO offers and commitments from America’s Heartland. As your comprehensive source of high school football recruiting, we love bringing attention and exposure to all levels of offers and opportunities, and with the amount of talent on this list, I would not be surprised if some of these prospects contributing and possibly starting one day for their future college. If things go really well, maybe one of these names could even see some love on a College Gameday storyline in a few years. Everyone loves an underdog, a hometown hero, and a kid betting on themself, and below you can read about 30 Notable PWO Offers/Commits on a quest for greatness on college football fields across the Midwest.
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Green Bay’s Bay Port High School is a hot spot as of late for linebackers and lineman and recently saw a senior level up into a FBS-caliber prospect when Wyoming – who recruits Wisconsin & MN very well – offered a Mountain West PWO on October 27th. Coming into the season, 6’4, 290 lb. Dante Draghiccio (sweet name) was a certified scholarship lineman with a FCS offer from Western Illinois and a DII offer from Southwest MN State, and reupped his DII scholarships during the season with Upper Iowa and Bemidji State, but things took a big uptick thanks to that Wyoming Cowboys PWO and Draghiccio now has a big opportunity on his plate. Since the offer, Minnesota State University-Moorhead and Missouri State have offered up as well. His regular season tape shows off a strong, sturdy, and physical RT with the lateral agility to pull off reach blocks and the nimbleness to work at the second level. Those same nimble feet help him in pass pro with room to improve and technique to be cleaned up in that department, but he’s athletic, powerful, and balanced for his size and is coming from a state with excellent OL tradition. Keep up the great work, Dante.
A 2022 graduate from Deerfield High School in suburban Chicago, WR Luke Jones Luke Jones 6’0″ | 170 lbs | WR Deerfield | 2022 State IL made his way out east to East Coast Prep in Massachusetts for a post-grad year and has recently seen some recruiting attention erupt in the form of B1G PWOs from Purdue on October 25th and Minnesota on October 27th. At the midseason point of his 2022 season Jones posted 14 receptions for 539 yards, and his tape displays a dynamic playmaker capable of high-pointing the football, burning DBs deep, and turning simple WR rocket screens into big gains. Body control, quick cuts in his routes and after the catch, and speed are three favorite things I see on that midseason tape. Possible prep school sleeper!
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PrepRedzoneMN has already been brought up to speed on the news of MN big-school LB Kade Gilbertson Kade Gilbertson 6’1″ | 210 lbs | LB Rosemount | 2023 State MN , who is leading a stingy Rosemount Irish into the 6A state playoffs with the best regular season resume in the state and a ton of talent across three graduating classes reinforcing him. Gilbertson is one of the hardest hitters in the state who always has a fun tape to watch, and his instincts, production, and general explosive tackling ability have paid off as the Iowa State Cyclones offered a PWO on October 24th that he happily accepted on November 3rd. The 6’1, 205 lber. came into the season with plenty of DII scholarship and FCS roster spots, but the bright lights of Big12 football were too hard to ignore. I love how he works through blocks with both speed and power, identifies and flows to the ball quickly, and absolutely lays the wood at the point of contact. One of the hardest hitters on this list! Give his tape a watch -> http://www.hudl.com/v/2JbTxz
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I already mentioned the 6’5, 210 lb. pass-catcher in our first PWO feature last month so I’ll keep this one shorter, but D1 powerhouse Arrowhead’s stud WR/TE Tripp Walsh Tripp Walsh 6’5″ | 215 lbs | TE Arrowhead | 2023 State WI added another P5 PWO to his list of offers as the Purdue Boilermakers joined Minnesota and Iowa State in reaching out with Big12 and B1G opportunities. Walsh sure can run like a top-tier athlete at 6’5 with long strides, burst off the LOS and out of his breaks, and top-end speed to torch man and zone coverage out of the slot, X, or as an inline TE. Also has a big catch radius and is strong through contested catches. High ceiling and high potential in the Arrowhead product.
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One of Minnesota’s top wideouts in the 2023 class, Academy of Holy Angels’ 6’2, 180 lber. was just selected to the MN All-Star Game and also received more good news in October as the home state Golden Gophers offered a PWO when he visited Dinkytown on October 20th. Gilbert came into the season having a quiet summer but still holding Minnesota State-Mankato (his dad’s alma mater), Northern Iowa, and Central Michigan offers under his belt. It may be too good of an opportunity to pass up, but we will see. Gilbert’s 2022 regular season tape contains prolific stats of 27 catches for 580 yards and 10 TDs plus six interceptions on defense, and his speed as a vertical threat and when the ball is in his hand is impressive. Fast DBs and a safety over the top still haven’t been enough to cover the standout WR, and I also like how he high-points the football, showing off timing, athleticism, and body control. After limited film coming from a junior campaign I’m pumped with the senior tape and his overall athleticism look like a notch above most of his competition throughout the year. I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on his recruitment the rest of his senior school year.
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A standout RB and lacrosse player from Mukwonago High School, about 40 minutes SW of Milwaukee, senior Wynn Stang Wynn Stang 6’1″ | 195 lbs | RB Mukwonago | 2023 State WI possesses an impressive truck stick that originally got him on PrepRedzoneWI’s radar early as a sophomore and earned him a ton of junior day invites and visits. However, he did come into the season without an offer, but things changed quickly when B1G Purdue reached out with a PWO on October 27th for a major first college opportunity. Sadly, he’s lacking in 2022 senior film, so make sure you stay tuned with PRzWI for more updates on Stang’s tape, offers, and recruitment. He’s having a prolific year without film however, posting monster carry numbers as a workhorse back and was sitting at 1400 yards and 19 TDs before October rolled around. More truck sticks have also been dished out, see below:
https://twitter.com/ZacBellman_WNY/status/1571135729329410049?s=20&t=wRhpZ1Ky30-ImaXncV1VIw
https://twitter.com/couldbelikemike/status/1588707696748167168?s=20&t=wRhpZ1Ky30-ImaXncV1VIw
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Coming out of football-rich Sun Prairie in the Madison suburbs, 5’11, 160 lb Sun Prairie East High School wideout Jonathan Vandewalle Jonathan Vandewalle 6’0″ | 170 lbs | WR Sun Prairie East | 2023 State WI clocked a 4.55 40 at Iowa State’s prospect camp in June of 2021, a time that would pay dividends later in his recruitment when he earned and committed to Iowa State on a PWO on October 8th. He did hold a couple of DII scholarships earned this past summer, but that P5 opportunity was too hard to ignore and Ames is a great home to Midwest prospects and believer in their talent. Vandewalle is shifty and dirty at the LOS in his releases, fearless and coordinated when floating up in the air and high-pointing the football, and is dangerous after the catch when quickness and burst giving defenders fits on film. With a ton of room to grow and add muscle, Vandewalle is already an explosive ball of playmaking ability and looks like a P5-worthy athlete on tape. Good experience coming out of D1 Sun Prairie as well. You got a fan in me, Jon!
Another Wisconsin prep making PWO noise, Cashton’s 6’5, 280 lb. OT and DT shut down his recruitment on October 27th and committed to the home state Badgers on a PWO he earned back in June. The five DII NSIC scholarship offers weren’t enough to sway the Badger State product, and he brings an extensive prep resume to the table that includes his conference’s lineman of the year, two-way All-Region honors, and a All-State HM nod as a junior last fall. His three games of public film from 2022 display a strong and crushing two-way tackle who can overpower opponents at the point of attack and dish out some monster hits when he gets a full head of steam going. I also like Mlsna’s powerful initial punch, will to finish, and his closing speed and overall mobility all pop off the tape for the 6’5, 280 pounder. With how well Wisconsin develops offensive lineman as well as instate products I am very excited for Mlsna’s future!
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The State of Michigan is starting to pick up the pace with PWO news and noise, and South Lyon’s All-Stater Tommy Donovan is a part of the growing trend and earned a Michigan State PWO on October 15th. With a significant amount of DII and FCS offers highlighted by an Illinois State offer from the summer, Donovan has posted almost 2k worth of all-purpose yards in 2022 (1,916) as well as 27 TDs in 11 games of action on a 8 YPC clip. His tape shows off a speedy and explosive runner who took a couple of kicks back to the house this fall and possesses the kind of pace that allows him to pop off huge plays into the endzone without being touched. With burst, vision, and a strong lower body that bounces off weaker tackle attempts make him a viable big-play threat anytime he touches the ball. I’m honestly surprised more FCS scholarship programs haven’t reached out and he dang sure earned that B1G PWO after getting eyes on his senior tape. I’d like there to be some more recruiting attention paid to Donovan before he shuts things down and commits. Keep it up, Tommy!
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A speedster with a good track background, 6’2, 185 lb. Pleasant Valley High School senior RB and FS Makhi Wilson Makhi Wilson 6’2″ | 175 lbs | DB Pleasant Valley | 2023 IA has run multiple sub-4.5s at various college prospect camps and came into the season a popular recruit with Grand View, Peru State, St. Ambrose, Upper Iowa, Bemidji State, MSU-Mankato, Northern Iowa, and Minnesota State University-Moorhead offers before the season and exciting opportunities coming during the fall as Eastern Illinois offered a scholarship and Iowa State offered a PWO. Excitedly, Wilson picked the scholarship route and committed to Eastern Illinois on October 31st. His tape looks good as a FS and RB but I particularly like his DB film, where he’s long, can cover a ton of ground in run support and plays with good angles, is a strong tackler, and has the speed to hang with wideouts in man coverage. On offense he can run or run through tackle attempts with a more physical edge as a RB than I’m used to seeing. Bright future ahead of Makhi Wilson Makhi Wilson 6’2″ | 175 lbs | DB Pleasant Valley | 2023 IA at EIU!
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The 2022 stat-monster from Parkhill South in the Kansas City-metro has been doing nothing but scoring TDs and breaking record in his senior campaign and saw his hard work and prolific stat lines pay off in the form of a SEC PWO offer from Mizzou in the middle of October. Arkansas State, Southern Illinois, Navy, Missouri State, South Dakota State, Army, and Air Force all had offered prior to that opportunity from Mizzou, so Bartosh was a certified D1 prospect to prior that Mizzou PWO, and he also reports a 4.5 laser 40 and a 40″ vert, so there’s a lot of signs pointing to Bartosh being a favorable walk-on recruit with P5 athleticism and potential. Kansas and Kansas State have also been all over the senior with recruiting graphics and game day invites throughout the fall. The midseason tape shows off a QB and dynamic offensive weapon with some special grace and balance with the ball in his hand. Great COD skills and burst out of his cuts combined with contact balance make for a very hard ball carrier to handle, and he’s also got arm strength as a QB and speed as a WR. Tons to like out of football-rich Missouri product and I’ll be eagerly awaiting his decision on where he’s taking his talents to.
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The Andover Huskies WR and recent MN All-Star game selection has senior tape so impressive that I had to check, double-check, and then triple-check that this was a PWO offer, but I’m fairly certain this is a walk-on, and a mighty one at that given the tradition NDSU has of developing their walk-ons and putting a lot of meaning behind their PWO offers. At 6’2, 180, Musungu has posted 37 catches for 594 yards and 13 TDs in six games as well as 5 PBUs, 2 tackles, a TFL, and a sack on defense and tied the Minnesota single-game record with five TD receptions in a game vs. Buffalo earlier this fall. Musungu came into the season with MSU-Mankato, Valpo, UMary, Minnesota-Duluth, Cornell University, and Johns Hopkins offers but stepped things up a notch with that FCS heavyweight walk-on offer this October. St. John’s and Winona have also joined the fray this season. The wideout is dangerous in the open field and in space, capable of turning routine screens into huge TD runs thanks to his vision, burst, and powerful cuts that run through contact easily. His hips also help him create separation at the top of the route, and his speed allow him to successfully burn man and zone coverage in vertical routes. Would be an excellent PWO pickup for the Bison if they can pull off the commitment. PRzMN will keep you posted!
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Isreal Moses V
Isreal Moses V
Coming out of basketball powerhouse Delsalle Community High School in Minneapolis, 6’3, 185 lb. athlete Isreal Moses V’s commitment to Kansas University was a long-time coming if you’ve been following MN prep football recruiting in 2022. The Jayhawks must have loved what they saw in Moses V’s junior film and when they saw him in-person at their spring game, and have sent a plethora of recruiting graphics and mail since the 2022 season kicked off, culminating in his commitment on Halloween. This spurned DII offers and FCS roster spots from collegiate programs close to home, and the opportunity to play for the fantastic Coach Leipold and the upstart Jayhawks was too good to pass up. With absurd size and length for the CB spot, Moses V is athletically gifted and uses those long legs to cover a ton of ground in coverage and run support. I also like how willing and able he is to fight off blocks and tackle in open space, and I see safety in his future if those physical traits and mentality translate to Big12 football. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the 6’3 standout during the course of his college career.
Norwalk, Iowa, a town of 13k around an hour north of Ames, saw their community produce a P5 commit recently in 6’3, 180 lb. WR Dillon Ranck Dillon Ranck 6’3″ | 190 lbs | WR Norwalk Highschool | 2023 State IA . Despite a ton of FCS, Missouri Valley attention earlier in his recruiting process, Ranck only held DII offers coming into the season but saw his stock rise to P5 levels when Iowa State offered a PWO on October 29th. He committed a short while later on November 2nd. In eight games during the regular season, Ranck broke his school’s career and single-game receiving yard marks and finished the eight-game stretch with 54 receptions for 903 yards and 13 TDs to really step up his production and earn that Big12 attention. I’m a big fan of his route running, something you don’t get to say very often in prep WRs, as he’s patient, nuanced, and shifty in setting DBs up and then powerfully breaking at his mark and into open space. Ranck has great size, good speed, and balance that all combine to become a nightmare for prep DBs to try and match up with. He’s got a promising and strong skillset coming into the next level of football. Go Cyclones!
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A two-sport, two-way North Scott 6′, 210 lber. AJ Petersen AJ Petersen 6’1″ | 195 lbs | DL North Scott | 2023 State IA brings a strong wrestling background to the table and has been on P5 and heavyweight FCS program’s radars since he became an upperclassman and saw things come to a head in an October 30th PWO offer from the busy Iowa State Cyclones. Before that, WIAC big boy UW-Platteville was his lone college offer, a surprising fact given his All-American wrestling honors at 195 pounds and his family lineage of his father, uncle, and two older brothers all playing D1 football. There are a lot of makings of a potential P5 contributor on his resume, and his regular season tape shows off an undersized but powerful DE with a good get-off, good pad level and an understanding of leverage, and a ton of force at the point of contact when he meets QBs and RBs in the backfield. His powerful lower body helps him eat cut block attempts and he’s strong enough in his chest and back to long arm and run OTs backward and easily shed them once the time comes. He’s a noticeably well-built 210 lbs. with a neck guard as well, so extra points in the swag and intimidation departments. Great move by the Cyclones.
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One of the best and most notable PWO commitments from the Midwest this fall, Cedar Rapids-Washington distinguished three-sport star Watts McBride Watts McBride 6’0″ | 175 lbs | DB Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA held offers from South Dakota, Army, and Nebraska but chose to follow in the tradition-rich steps of Iowa’s PWO history and commit to the Hawkeyes on October 30th. This fall, McBride has posted 596 rushing yards and 10 TDs, 163 receiving yards and 2 TDs, and 55 tackles to go along with 6.5 TFL, and also happens to be a fantastic rugby player and sprinter on the track team. I cannot get enough of watching him fly downhill and trigger on the football like a bat out of hell, and he’s a strong open-field tackler who also brings a ton of speed and burst to the offensive side of the ball as a RB. He’s patient yet dynamic from his safety spot, willing to take his time to read the QBs eyes and route combinations and then exploding out of his breaks to trigger on the ball. McBride has some great tape and all the makings to excel as a safety for the Hawkeyes. Great pickup for Iowa.
Highlights
Kylar Fritz
Kylar Fritz
A 6’1,190 lb, DB out 3A Sioux Center, Kylar Fritz rounded out his outstanding senior campaign with 101 tackles, 81 of which were solo, as well as 5 INTs, a FF, and a TD, with the first three aforementioned stats leading all of 3A. He was named the 3A Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts, and before his major P5 opportunity he held six DII and NAIA offers from Midwest programs regularly recruiting the state of Iowa. Things changed four days ago when the Iowa State Cyclones continued their roll of in-state PWOs during the fall and offered a PWO to the stat-stuffing DB. In his senior defensive film, the safety is speedy when coming downhill or in a j-path as well as out of his breaks when triggering on passes. Fritz is also explosive at the contact point as a tackler and when taking on blocks and shows off instincts, technique, playmaking ability, and the physical authority to shut ball carriers down around the box or out in space. He’s got a very fun tape to watch if you like DBs and/or big hits and is one of the hardest hitters on this list who throws everything he’s got into a hit. Would love to see this kid play P5 football but no matter where he goes someone is getting a stud.
Produced in the talent-laden Omaha area, Elkhorn South 6′, 190 lb. RB and safety Cole Ballard Cole Ballard 6’0″ | 190 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE and has built on his list of offers steadily and consistently. Starting with DII offers this summer, Ballard received a D1 FCS roster spot from St. Thomas on September 7th and then leveled up to P5 status as a prospect when Oregon offered a Pac12 PWO five days ago and Nebraska followed with an in-state B1G PWO the day after. During the regular season, Ballard recorded 118 carries for 1,134 rushing yards (9.6 YPC), 14 receptions for 275 yards, and 33 total TDs plus 16 tackles and an interception defensively. That Oregon PWO is a particularly rare and intriguing one for a Midwesterner, and part of it probably has to do with his 4.18 short shuttle, 285 lb. bench, 405 lb. squad, 4.0 GPA, and 29 ACT. Additionally, the tape shows off great burst, as Ballard can go from 0-60 in the blink of an eye once he sticks his foot in the ground, and his top-end speed also allows him to impressively outrun pursuers’ angles downfield. Excellent cuts and lateral agility, hands out of the backfield, and vision are also visible in droves on his regular season film and he was a splash-play machine with the ball in his hands this fall. Ballard is a very smooth and speedy athlete who did a ton of damage against quality Nebraska prep opponents, all pointing positively for the seniors football future.
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Another Cornhusker State senior, Omaha Burke’s 6′, 190 lb. athlete Mason Blankenship-Jones Mason Blankenship-Jones 5’11” | 190 lbs | ATH Omaha Burke | 2023 State NE elevated to P5 status as a recruit when the in-state Nebraska Cornhuskers couldn’t resist the 2023er any longer and offered a B1G PWO four days ago. Coming into the season he held multiple DII and NAIA offers but shot his stock up this senior season as a dynamic athlete on either side of the ball. He opens his film up with an absolutely gigantic and devastating hit going face to chest off the opposition’s QB and folding him inwards and then into the ground for an exciting forced fumble. Jones is very disruptive in the box and around the LOS as a S/OLB hybrid, and I love watching him recognize and adjust in zone coverage as well as stick his cleat in the ground and trigger on the ball like a missile shot out of a submarine. Jones is also impressively shifty with the ball in his hands and is overall a smooth, controlled athlete who I love watching tackle and stiff-arm. Would be another excellent recruiting win for the ‘Huskers if they can land the Burke senior.
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The 6’2, 250 lb. product of Wales, Wisconsin made for a rare Up-North-to-Down-South commitment as he will move from B1G country down to Miami to play for Head Coach Mario Cristobal on a PWO offer. Sam Coufal Sam Coufal 6’2″ | 250 lbs | DL Kettle Moraine | 2023 State WI has played DE, OL, FB, and LB and that power and versatility helped him earn an abundance of offers before the season started from the likes of Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State, Winona State, Sioux Falls, Minnesota-Duluth, Lehigh, St. Thomas, Johns Hopkins, and Dayton before Carnegie Mellon and Army-West Point reached out during the season. All of these opportunities preceded his PWO from Miami on October 22nd, that it turns out that was the offer worth waiting for as Coufal committed a little more than a week later on November 3rd. An experienced and productive D2 competitor with Kettle Moraine, Coufal does his best work on defense as an EDGE and uses precise hand placement and a powerful punch to freeze blockers at the initial point of contact, allowing him to easily shed and work through the block and into the backfield. He’s even strong enough to take on double-teams by himself while holding a gap, and his get-off and pass rushing repertoire that is particularly impressive at going speed-to-power and timing up spin moves is imposing and noticeable on tape. There’s a ton to like technically, athletically, and physically and I’ll be keeping a close eye on how Coufal develops at the U.
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The 6’4, 235 lb. Dowling Catholic TE made another significant PWO commitment in this 2023 cycle when he announced his inking to the University of Iowa on November 2nd. Iowa is referred to as TEU for a reason, so the commitment makes a ton of sense for the in-stater, but Thompson made sure to think through the decision and was originally offered the walk-on opportunity on June 21st this past summer. Northern Illinois also offered an FBS scholarship, and Thompson also held FCS offers from St. Thomas, Northern Iowa, Lindenwood, and Howard University, and brings an extensive track resume to his recruiting pedigree. Now, he’ll be heading to Iowa City to play his college ball, and in his Week 1-3 highlights display a well-built and dangerous passing threat with the strength in his lower body to bounce weaker tackle attempts off his legs as well as the quickness to throw out some well-timed cuts in the open field. He can reel in catches through contact, line up at multiple different spots to run routes and get the ball in his hands, and shows some great speed for his size. His offensive capabilities led Dowling Catholic to plan a lot of offensive strategies around him, and you can see Thompson was counted on and trusted to make plays when called upon. Fluid athlete with great mobility for his size who also shows some toughness and footwork as a blocker. Heckuva land by Iowa from the PWO ranks.
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Avon Lake 6’3, 195 lb. wide receiver Matthew Stuewe Matthew Stuewe 6’3″ | 190 lbs | WR Avon Lake | 2023 State OH has had a busy fall and has earned PWO offers from Ohio and Virginia Tech in the latter part of the fall to go along with visits to Fordham and Syracuse. Stuewe is long, balanced, and can run a variety of routes downfield, underneath the LBs, and when adjusting to a scrambling QB. This, plus his solid speed for his size and the capability to highpoint the football and pluck the ball out of the air with his large hands, make him an intriguing combination of physical tools and technique that did damage on a variety of routes in 2022. He’s efficient at setting up CBs and getting them out of position when pressing at the LOS, his ball skills are great, and Stuewe also shows a little bit of juice after the catch. No wonder FBS and P5 schools are getting involved!
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Ellison is probably the most accomplished student-athlete on this list, as the senior holds a 3.958 GPA and 31 ACT to go along with two Academic All-State nods, MSA Scholar selections, and being elected student council president. This doesn’t even mention his gridiron exploits, which just paid off in a homestate SEC opportunity from Mizzou on November 5th. This is a big bump up from the DII, DIII, and NAIA offers he held coming into the fall, and as a DE and LT Ellison shows a great first step and closing speed defensively as well as a comfortability when blocking in space and strong finishing ability around the LOS or out on the edge. Ellison also has the strength to work through blocking attempts on stronger opponents, a great motor, and the ability to lay a big hit when given the opportunity. Bright future for Mr. Ellison no matter what he gets into in the future.
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A 6’3, 200 lb. QB/ATH from Topeka, KS, and Topeka West High School, Berg came into the season with NAIA and JUCO offers from programs in Topeka’s geographic footprint but saw his stock rise in November when P5 Kansas offered a PWO opportunity on the 5th. The Jayhawks are on a tear in their PWO evaluations and offers and made another good decision in offering Berg, as his senior film displays a gunslinger capable of running the read-option who also possesses a big arm that can get the ball downfield on a rope and with velocity when needed. Also lethal as a kick returner with great moves in the open field and vision, Berg is extremely mobile from the backfield and can stab defenses for big plays with his legs on broken-down plays or designed runs. His big, strong frame helps him carry the ball confidently and powerfully, and can do a ton of things asked of him on the gridiron. I’ll be interested to see where he ends up playing in college, but his future is bright and his best football days remain in front of him.
Another monster Wisconsinite produced near Green Bay, Oshkosh North’s John Klinger John Klinger 6’3″ | 250 lbs | DL Oshkosh North | 2023 State WI saw the time and effort he’s put into his 6’3, 250 lb. frame and gridiron capabilities pay off in a FBS Mountain West PWO from Wyoming four days ago on the 5th. That PWO elevated from his DII offers to a potential FBS-caliber athlete, and the DE is also showing the makings of an FBS talent in his senior tape, where he rocks his #99 well and shows off a good get-off plus speed & power off the edge. Klinger has solid pursuit speed for 250, can beat double teams and hold his gap, and is strong enough to keep 1-on-1 blockers at bay while he reads and identifies the play, or simply run them into the QBs lap for an easy sack. Big, strong, and fast is a combination hard to beat on the gridiron, especially when that size, speed, and strength comes from Wisconsin. Stay tuned with PRzWI for more news on Klinger and his recruitment.
One of the best linebackers in Michigan’s 2023 class, Detroit Catholic Central First Team All-State selection Brayden Courser Brayden Courser 6’1″ | 215 lbs | LB Detroit Catholic Central | 2023 State MI shut down his recruitment and recently locked into a Michigan State PWO he earned in June of this past summer. Courser also held PWOs from Western Michigan and Michigan, and an offer from Central Michigan to go along with heavyweight DII GLIAC offers, so his talents were in hot demand and Sparty got a big in-state PWO pickup when he committed two days ago. The 6’1, 215 lber. looks good in his Week 1-3 highlights from the regular szn, busting out huge sacks and TFLs as well as bone-crunching hits, and I love how he quickly reads his keys and identifies where the ball is going, allowing him to make plays all over the field from his MLB spot. With sideline-to-sideline speed, I also like how Courser uses good angles to navigate through traffic and around blocking attempts, and he’s also comfortable and productive off the edge when blitzing. Good, balanced, high school skillset for a LB with more room to grow and improve. I can’t wait to see it!
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The lone representative on this list to earn his major PWO after committing, Columbus‘ 6’4, 280 lb. lineman of the year is fresh of a B1G PWO from the Minnesota Gophers just yesterday but committed to DII powerhouse MSU-Mankato last July during the summer camp circuit. We’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on this one, as the Gophers have done well landing PWOs from their neighbors to the east the past few seasons, but MSU-Mankato has a stud of an OL coach in Chad Henning, who is from Madison and has a ton of ties to their home state. Either way, someone is going to get a beast, and in his regular season 1-5 highlights show off an OL who can get off the ball and onto the opponent’s toes in the snap of a finger, work to finish in a couple of steps, and a lean looking 280 pounder. I like his leg drive, and overall strength, and want to finish opponents into the ground. Makes sense why the Gophers got involved.
I already discussed the 6’1, 195 lb. safety in our Midwest PWO feature last month after he received a B1G home state PWO from Illinois, but St. Rita’s Johnny Schmitt Johnny Schmitt 6’1″ | 185 lbs | DB St. Rita | 2023 State IL is once again in the PWO news after Wisconsin and Kansas reached out with walk-on opportunities the past couple of days. I’ll try to keep it shorter as I already evaluated the safety this fall, but coming out of the powerhouse CCL, Schmitt has great footwork, eye discipline, and route recognition from his safety spot and has made some excellent breaks and plays on the ball downfield in 2022. I also love his technique from the MOF, as his footwork is patient, he’s quick out of his breaks, and his loose hips for a safety help him speed-turn and change direction well. He then undercuts the routes and plays the ball well in the air, and don’t even get me started on how strong of a tackler he is, especially in the open field. I am a huge fan of Schmitt’s skillset as a high school safety and that coaching and competition from the CCL will serve him very well when he makes his commitment to the next level. Can’t wait to see where he ends up! Keep it up, Johnny!
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We are ending things with a streak of FBS PWOs from MAC competitor Toledo, and first up is Toled0-Central Catholic 5’10, 190 lb. RB Chris Edmonds Chris Edmonds 5’10” | 190 lbs | RB Toledo Central Catholic | 2023 OH . It was his first D1 opportunity when Toledo reached out with their PWO on October 30th, and on tape I like Edmonds‘ top-end speed, burst out of his cuts, and quick feet from the running back position. Good move by the Rockets reaching out to a hometown stud.
Another Toledo-Central Catholic senior, 6’3, 180 lb. athlete Duryea Hall Duryea Hall 6’3″ | 175 lbs | DB Toledo Central Catholic | 2023 State OH grabbed his first college football opportunity on the 30th of October when Toledo offered a PWO. On tape, Hall is long, elusive in space, and possesses the body control to high-point and win 50/50 contested catches over tight coverage. His long strides also aid him in covering large swaths of ground with each step, making for a faster 6’3, 180 lb. wideout with a ton of playmaking ability.
A 5’10, 165 lb. bundle of splash play ability, Boos earned his PWO offer from Toledo on November 1st, elevating him to a FBS MAC-level recruit, and the Eastwood High School senior is electric as a punt returner, WR, and running QB with real-deal speed, vision, and overall elusiveness. He’s going to blow up in a college strength and conditioning program as well. Great move by the Rockets.
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