Regular SZN Recap: Premier Midwest ’24s Breaking Out as Recruits
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Playoffs are upon us and in this win-or-go-home stage of the fall season, we are seeing the clutch performers and elite teams beginning to reveal themselves all through America’s Heartland. During the regular season, PrepRedzone brought you the latest and…
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Continue ReadingPlayoffs are upon us and in this win-or-go-home stage of the fall season, we are seeing the clutch performers and elite teams beginning to reveal themselves all through America’s Heartland. During the regular season, PrepRedzone brought you the latest and most detailed info on Class of 2023, ’24, ’25, and ’26 standout high school football players that are making waves, raising their stock, and entering the big-time folds of college football recruiting from the Flyover States that make up the American Midwest. Now that we’re inching closer to state championship time, we’re finishing some class analysis features out with a “Regular SZN Recap” series making sure to give our subscribers the 411 on prep football heavyweight recruits and standouts who are tearing up gridirons and recruiting circles this fall. In this 2024 regular season wrap-up, I’m stoked to bring 20 Premier Midwest 2024s Breaking Out as Recruits during this ’22 season. There are some ridiculously talented prospects making this list with bright futures in college football. Get to know these breakout recruits still at the genesis of their careers below, and thank you for reading!
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Coming out of big-school Illinois power Lincoln Way-West, Louisville baseball commit Cole Crafton is gaining a ton of steam on the recruiting trail as a 6’3, 205 lb. quarterback prospect. Crafton committed to the Cardinals baseball squad in late September of 2020 and was even ranked as the #1 baseball product in Illinois for his class by a third-party site, but an array of football programs have kept in contact and he even received an offer from UNI last May. Things are really starting to heat up this fall though, and Purdue, Notre Dame, and Illinois have all gotten game-day visits from the junior with Kansas State up next and a slew of other FBS and P5 programs continuing to send graphics, mail, and contact. I feel like he’s right on the cusp of that first major offer, and with obvious athleticism and arm talent coming from the baseball background, his junior film also displays a QB with great accuracy who does a good job of making his reads, staying patient if needed, and allowing the route to develop so he can make a good decision and put the ball right in the WR’s hands. I also like his ability to extend plays with his legs and his toughness to stand in the pocket through a big hit. Crafton’s gone 141-237 (59%) for 1,944 yards and 17 TDs through the air during the regular season and rushed 58 times for 283 yards and 8 more TDs with his legs. He’s been all over the recruiting space in 2022 and you couldn’t miss the attention and talent even if you tried!
Highlights
Thomas Donofrio
Thomas Donofrio
Thomas Donofrio, a 6’1, 190 lb. safety out of Middleton High School right outside of Madison, has burst onto the Upper Midwest recruiting scene with an FBS MAC offer from Toledo on October 20th. Middleton had some big and talented prospects on their roster prior to the safety joining them this offseason from St. Thomas High School in Houston, TX, and the Cardinals‘ defense got a big bump with his presence, as Donofrio has been a ballhawk from the defensive backfield thanks to him trusting his reads and doing his job, not to mention his speedy breaks, great timing when undercutting the route, and solid hands. I also enjoy watching him fly upfield and trigger on runs, where he closes quickly and tackles strongly. Big tackles and turnovers have been his M.O. this year and that Texas speed and experience are showing up in his skillset as he balls out in the Midwest. More offers should be on the way.
A fantastic PrepRedzoneWI Showcase alum and MVP, things are finally coming together (as predicted) for the 6’1, 195 lb. back out of defending state champ Franklin High School as he received his first P5 offer from Nebraska on October 20th and followed it up with a Boston College offer four days later. Shelton has been productive this fall, posting 1,736 yards and 20 TDs through the regular season, and on tape, the speedy and balanced RB shows impressively nimble feet and solid vision that make for easily broken tackles and the ability to impact the return and screen game. Shelton also knows how to use that size to his advantage, and his regular season tape is a fun watch and must be even more exciting to see in person. No surprises out of the PRzWI crew, this dude has been a baller for a while and was an integral part of Franklin’s big-school state title last season. He just visited Iowa State last weekend, and it sounds like multiple programs from a variety of conferences in the P5 ranks are in touch.
Highlights
I had the pleasure of meeting a young Alessio Milivojevic Alessio Milivojevic 6’1″ | 205 lbs | QB St. Francis | 2024 State IL at Marist High School in the southside of Chicago in the spring of 2021 at Tom Lemming’s annual photoshoot and even with the large contingent of Wheaton-St. Francis‘ athletes who made the trip there was notable buzz surrounding the then-freshman gunslinger. Milivojevic has been living up to the hype, and this fall he earned his first B1G offer as the Nebraska Cornhuskers reached out on October 20th. This added to his Ole Miss offer from the summer and Bowling Green State offer from the spring and through the regular season & a round of playoff competition the junior is showing a big arm that can flick the rock downfield with precision and ease and juice with his legs and his 6’2, 205 lb. frame. He’s been stretching the ball downfield all season and also displays the ability to throw on the run. Illinois’ 2024 class is loaded.
Highlights
Marques Easley
Marques Easley
Kankakee High School – located about an hour south of Chicago – is stacked to the brim with talent this season and got a big boost on their offensive line from Manual High School transfer tackle Marques Easley. The 6’7, 300 lb. stud hooper came into the season with a D1 offer from Campbell Fighting Camels but since fall has rolled around he’s exploded onto the recruiting scene with P5 offers from Mizzou, Boston College, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas and has also been contacted by Notre Dame and Illinois. The 6’7, 300 lb. LT shows off his body control, flexibility, and athleticism in the first few reps of his 2022 tape as a puller, where he looks bendy and fires off the ball in impressive and frankly scary fashion for such a big kid. Also patient and comfortable in pass pro, Easley is dominant at the point of contact in all types of blocks and can overwhelm and finish smaller opponents with ease. He makes playing the LT spot look natural and is comfortable, technically sound, well-controlled, and physical. Making the OT look easy is no simple task and Easley is going to be highly sought with how good he makes it look. What a stud!
Whit Hafer
Whit Hafer
A 6’7, 235 lb. tight end, and power forward from Joplin High School in Missouri, Whit Hafer saw his junior season kick off in style with home state Mizzou offering a scholarship on August 28th and seeing it followed by Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State throughout the fall. It’s been an exciting fall for the junior, and Hafer looks like a complete TE in the first five games of his junior season as he is a dominant asset as a blocker out on the edge and a dangerous pass catcher with a ton of juice after the catch. With his standout size, Hafer can slip through tackle attempts and shows good contact balance at 6’7, 230+. He can also run a variety of routes, including screens, and possesses the strength to block out in space or around the LOS. Tons to like in the nicely-sized junior and the always-talented Show-Me State.
A 6’6, 280 lb. OG and DE from Minot, North Dakota, and Bishop Ryan Catholic High School, Coy Okeson Coy Okeson 6’6″ | 280 lbs | OL Minot Bishop Ryan | 2024 State ND is starting to gain some steam as a college prospect and has received gameday invites from Nebraska and Minnesota, two college programs that traditionally trust talent from the Dakotas. NDSU has also been in touch the most often and was the earliest to contact Okeson, wasting no time and hitting him up the first day the dead period lifted on September 1st. I love how strong he is. It is noticeable and obvious on film in his initial punch and when he’s engaged and working to finish, something he consistently and easily can do. For a bigger OG, Okeson can also get low in his stance and plays with great pad level, staying lower than smaller opponents and crushing them backward like they’re his little brother. Okeson has also done damage as a puller, has experience playing OT, and shows quality reps as a defensive end in 2022. The 2024 OL class out of North Dakota in particular looks potentially special.
Washington High School in Washington, Missouri have themselves a heckvuva jumbo athlete in 6’6, 265 lb. Ryan Jostes Ryan Jostes 6’6″ | 260 lbs | TE Washington | 2024 State MO , who joined the 1,000 pound club in May and has some impressive clips of him dunking on his Twitter, is a beast of a blocking TE who sees OT in his future in a common positional switch for still-growing young bucks. He still does get TE reps though, and the junior came into the season experienced in unofficial visits but still without an offer until the Kansas Jayhawks reached out with a P5 scholarship on October 12th. Louisville, Memphis, and Iowa State have all followed suit, and in his midseason film Jostes reveals himself as a talented and nasty blocker with a great base, long arms, and strength at the point of attack. Technique, leg drive, and the ability to block at the second level and third level are all shown in his midseason film as well. You can also tell he revels in physically dominating an opponent, a quality that has surely already excited collegiate OL coaches around the country. Man, Missouri is loaded in 2024.
Highlights
Another Show-Me State standout, 2024 Raytown South 6’1, 180 lb. WR and DB Marcus Neal Marcus Neal 6’1″ | 180 lbs | ATH Raytown South | 2024 State MO hit the summer camp circuit hard and has strongly been on the radars of NDSU, Kansas State, Iowa State, South Dakota State, and a share of other potential suitors, but things got hot and heavy on October 8th when a visit to Ames paid off in the junior’s first P5 offer from the Iowa State Cyclones. Iowa and Nebraska then followed up with gameday visits, and last Saturday Neal was in Lincoln to check out the Huskers. The midseason tape displays a fluid and explosive WR with dangerous and strategic releases at the LOS, speed to beat corners vertically, and great ball skills that allow him to pluck the ball out of the air with concentration, remain upright and continue forward for more yardage and splash plays. His athleticism is also an asset with the ball in his hand, and with how smoothly he is doing a ton of different things in the passing game I’m confident more P5 programs will join the fray before this season ends.
Highlights
John Price
John Price
Junior RB John Price from the Sunflower State is having a heckuva breakout campaign but came into his junior season with Blue Valley without any reported interest or offers and limited film. Things changed quickly after he posted 774 all-purpose yards and 8 touchdowns through the first four games of the season and did so in impressive fashion, as a game day visit to Iowa City and the Hawkeyes resulted in his first offer. Kansas State and Kansas followed shortly after, and more offers are sure to be added to the table after more programs get eyes on Price in person as well as his eye-popping film. His first four-game highlight opens with a majestic and jaw-dropping hurdle over a downhill safety that sets the tone for the type of athlete you’re about to watch. Price’s burst is also great, and the longer I watched his film the more of a fan I became the outright electric RB. Vision, an extra gear of speed that allows him to smoothly and easily scoot by pursuers, cuts that come on a dime, and massive hits as a RB in pass pro are just a few of the things you’ll come to admire in the first minute of those 1-4 games, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting for more film to get uploaded. Can’t talk this kid up enough, he’s got a fan for life in me.
Simeon High School inside of Chicago has a never-ending wealth of standout football and basketball prospects and have themselves a must-see 2024 EDGE in 6’3, 240 lber. Mikeshun Beeler Mikeshun Beeler 6’3″ | 260 lbs | DL Simeon | 2024 State IL . The junior was a recipient of the Nebraska Cornhuskers large recruiting effort in late October and joined a handful of other Illinois natives to earn a P5 offer at or around the 20th. Sadly, his highlights are set to private so I can’t get a look at those unless I hit up some buddies who are coaching CFB and beg for their Hudl info. The kid is athletic if he’s finding success at Simeon, though. Stay tuned with PRzIL for more.
A 6’6, 220 lb. TE from the talent-laden Glenbard area west of Chicago and used his sophomore varsity season to propel him to an FBS offer from Central Michigan in May and in a prime position to break out in the fall of 2022. His productive summer camp season and handful of summer visits didn’t hurt either, and on October 8th he joined the ranks of P5 recruits as Northwestern offered a scholarship. Boston College followed two days later with an ACC offer. His 6’8 wingspan and basketball background aid in his large catch radius and ability to reel in the ball through contact, and overall Schaller is a fluid athlete who can line up in the slot or the perimeter and consistently run solid routes and get open, especially at 6’6. High ceiling, especially as a pass catcher.
Yet another Show-Me State junior, Liberty North 6’3, 205 lb. pass catcher Keelan Smith Keelan Smith 6’3″ | 200 lbs | DB Liberty North | 2024 State MO came into the fall seasoned in the unofficial visit circuit and certainly on P5 schools radars in multiple conferences, and the WR saw things up to fruition in the fall as the Nebraska Cornhuskers offered a B1G scholarship on October 29th. During the regular season, Smith posted 26 catches for 590 yards and 7 TDs and was a big part in LN going 8-0, and the film displays a long and speedy playmaker with balance, lower body strength, and quickness in droves. Able to cut on a dime and stay upright through tackle attempts at his lower body, Smith has legit elusiveness and that rare extra gear of speed that allows the 6’3 wideout to pull away from pursuing defenders and finish big plays. Big-time player on another level than most of his opponents.
Highlights
An imposing 6’8, 255 lb. 8man player out of tiny Lyndon, Kansas, Kaedin Massey Kaedin Massey 6’8″ | 280 lbs | OL Lyndon | 2024 State KS reports a 4.5 short-shuttle and 28″ vertical as well as a three-sport background with basketball and All-State track & field performances under his belt going into the fall of 2022. As a recruiting fanatic, I cannot begin to properly express my pleasure in seeing a non-11-man player find this kind of recruiting success, and Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Nebraska have all entered the mix with scholarship offers during his junior season. He’s long, lean, and noticeably strong despite looking almost skinny at 255 lbs., Massey is nimble and possesses excellent body control and coordination for a prospect of his size. Although he still needs to add strength and mass to that frame, his finishing ability shows up upon second effort, and overall Massey is a giant ball of clay waiting, ready, and able to mold into a P5 lineman in college. Small towns to big lights are always a story worth following!
Another impressive athlete coming out of the Sioux Falls area, 6’4, 205 lb. LB Thomas Heiberger Thomas Heiberger 6’4″ | 215 lbs | LB Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2024 State SD reports a 10’7 broad jump and 37.5″ (!) vertical for a ton of explosive ability that has already caught the eye of Dakota heavyweight recruiters North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Also a state powerlifter, Heiberger heard from Iowa State for a game day visit as well as a plethora of Missouri Valley suitors, and the athleticism was too hard to ignore as SDSU offered a scholarship on October 1st and NDSU followed on the 29th. As both a DE and OLB working around the LOS, Heiberger has bend off the edge, lateral agility, the strength to work through double teams, and a ton of pop at the point of contact, the Sioux Falls product is dynamic and putting some great things on film out of South Dakota. An explosive defensive product, I think the Dakotas may have another P5 2024 on their hands. There is a ton going for the junior and those athletic numbers are hard to ignore and translate to the highest level of college football.
Highlights
6’2, 195 lb. Junction City, Kansas safety Michael Boganowski has seen his recruitment start and blossom quickly during the 2022 fall season as gameday invites from Iowa State and Kansas State culminated in a KState Big12 P5 offer on October 3rd, a Kansas Jayhawks offer on the 28th, and a Nebraska offer on the 29th. His Week 1-3 highlights show off a strong run supporter who is violent at the point of contact and overwhelm ball carriers when he gets ahold of them. Boganowski excels around the box, coming downhill, destroying block attempts, and laying big hits in run support to impose his will and break down RBs and WRs over the course of four quarters. I also see some loose hips and comfortability when the ball is in the air in coverage, and I definitely like him as a SS going forward as a college prospect. Big, strong, athletic, physically dominant player.
Highlights
The 6’6, 230 lb. TE and DE from Sioux Center High School is a smooth and coordinated athlete who is a vicious blocker around the edge or out in space with hand placement, initial pop, length, and strength all evident in his still-growing 230 lb. frame. Also able to impact the passing game with solid route running, Bruhn has good balance and shows off some YAC ability with the ball in his hands as well. As a defensive end, his sheer size and athleticism help him beat blocking attempts with his first step, lateral agility that helps him cross face of offensive lineman, and strong punch to knock opponents off balance. Violent, athletic, and dynamic, the intriguing two-way Iowa product has been very popular this fall but is still without an offer. However, Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota, KState, North Dakota State, Iowa, and Iowa State have all been in contact, with KU, KState, MN, and NDSU seeming to reach out the most during the fall of 2022. If you’re on a “first offer” watch then Carson Bruhn Carson Bruhn 6’5″ | 210 lbs | TE Sioux Center | 2024 State IA should be at the top of your list for players to keep an eye on.
Another Show-Me State standout, 6’6, 240 lb. Glendale High School DE Kellen Lindstrom Kellen Lindstrom 6’5″ | 245 lbs | DL Glendale | 2024 State MO is on the cusp of his first offer and has visited Arkansas, Kansas, and Iowa so far this fall with North Dakota State also sending out recruitment contact. Productive as a Wide-9 DE, Lindstrom has an explosive get-off and frightening pursuit speed for a kid of his size. He also destroys blocking attempts and QBs whether he’s off a few steps or has a full head of steam, and I also love how easily he eats and shed cut block attempts at his lower body. Lindstrom is quick, closes on the ball very quickly, and flies around like his hair is on fire on the gridiron. He’s laid some massive and painful-looking hits this fall and I’m sure he’s been on the minds of opposing QBs way more often than they’d ever admit. That overall speed does not show up often on a recruit of that size and that first offer shouldn’t be far off if he keeps this up. Great tape, stud!
Highlights
Also a stud basketball player, 6’4, 195 lb. WR Donovan Hamilton Donovan Hamilton 6’4″ | 190 lbs | WR Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State IN from Hamilton Southeastern in Fishers, Indiana has broken out to enter the fold as a D1 recruit with MAC competitors Ball State and Miami offering scholarships late this fall. Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame have also received game day invites from the intriguing wideout, and in his regular season highlights show him using that size to his advantage as he can high point the football and win contested catches with grace and toughness. Hamilton also displays big play speed as a vertical route runner and his ball skills and fearlessness make him a consistent deep threat and big-time playmaker. Throw it up and he’ll get it! Huge size, huge catch radius, and big-play speed are a deadly combination. Look for more college programs to get involved as things progress.
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