2024 Dakotas Rankings Update: December New Additions, Part I

DAKOTAS-- Finding new additions to our rankings is always my favorite. Has there been plenty of prospects that I wish I found earlier? That answer is always yes, as we always strive to find the cream of the crop throughout the Dakotas earlier than the rest; however, just giving these young men the only platform in the Dakotas that has player rankings and tons of content for college football coaches and fans to read and evaluate makes finding these gem football prospects so much fun. With the release of our yesterday, we start with the new additions. Although the bulk of these prospects has been on my radar or in our database for a bit, we put our money where our mouth is to see exactly where their college football future should end up in our eyes. Take a look at these first seven new additions out of the gates of our loaded 2024 class for Prep Redzone Dakotas!   [player_tooltip player_id='326820' first='Jameson' last='Nebel'], DL, Hamlin (SD) 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/Jameson-Nebel-crop-4480x2942-1670305332.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-536060" width="411" height="270" /></figure>   Jameson is likely the most well-known newcomer to this 2024 update, as I have been heavily tracking this young man since last Winter from our Prep Redzone showcases in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The biggest reason I placed Jameson at #28 overall and #4 amongst defensive linemen is the insane growth I have seen in his game with his technique, especially with the hand placement, and just the excellent work ethic he plays with. At the Northern State camp last summer, Jameson showed me some jacked-up instincts, which drew my attention to putting him in my top 40 prospects in 2024 overall. This young man has an ideal scholarship-level size with one more year to go under his belt for the Hamlin Chargers, as he could be another stockriser come to the next update as well. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jamesonnebel">Twitter</a> & <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jr4a3">Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='447258' first='Coy' last='Okeson'], OL, Minot Bishop Ryan (ND) 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/Coy-Okeson-crop-4480x2942-1670304582.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-536038" width="407" height="267" /></figure>   Remember how I said a ton has changed since the last 2024 update was done? Minot Bishop Ryan's offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='447258' first='Coy' last='Okeson'] is a fantastic example of that. Coy rolls into our Dakotas rankings at #3 overall, and because I just evaluated him at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, where he was the OL MVP and the biggest name at our showcase in Aberdeen, I'll keep his evaluation to the point. This young man has some outstanding versatility on both sides of the ball as his tape defensively with his fierce hands to get off sheds smoothly and quickly provide the Lions with plenty of stability up front. For lack of a better term, Coy is a man-handler of the grip and leverage he creates out of his stance. How many big guys had more than one punt block in the Dakotas last year? My guess is hardly any, as Coy has a workhorse mentality on every down to provide a ton of assurance. I believe with Coy that this 2024 class in the Dakotas might be the best one yet for the FBS level since we started in 2020. <a href="https://twitter.com/coy_okeson">Twitter </a>& <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JdX1U">Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='447260' first='Barry' last='Kpeenu'], RB, West Fargo Sheyenne (ND) (2024)   Speaking of that 2021 class, we debut the younger brother of NDSU's Barika Kpeenu at running back from that class as West Fargo Sheyenne's [player_tooltip player_id='447260' first='Barry' last='Kpeenu'], who we rated at #10 overall and #1 for the running back position. I love the bounce Barry has built with his agility between the tackles and shows off ample seen durability with his 5'10 180 pound frame. His long-striding ability around the edges is much bigger than what he's given off. He has growing aggression with the lowering of his shoulder, especially when he punches thru the first level into the second Barry is an example of a kid that fights for every darn yard he can get, and his approach comes from the tailback spot for the Mustangs offense. Barry is another PROBABLE stockriser overall when we unleash our next rankings update for the 2024 class, as his strength is only going to get better with the offseason and explode with more burst this track season. A Division I prospect in my eyes. <a href="https://twitter.com/barrykpeenu">Twitter</a> &<a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/17069033/636416ba9a9aff0b5cd8349b"> Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='447238' first='Jessen' last='Wiebenga'], LB, Tea Area (SD) 2024   As a 6'2 210 pound linebacker from one of the best programs in recent years in South Dakota's 11AA in recent years, Jessen popped off and far up our rankings with the physicality he brings with his hit stick on every play on tape. He shows sizeable athleticism with his hands, has that pop-off to explode with his reach and uses his stout frame to eat up ball carriers around the edges as a sideline-to-sideline middle linebacker. I love the technique he shows off when coming off the edges to eat up the ball carrier in the backfield, and he did it against some of South Dakota's best ball carriers in 11AA. He shows pure athletic movement off the snap and has the instinctive gene built up with his excellent ball vision. Jessen enters our Prep Redzone Dakotas rankings at #26 overall in a very deep linebacker group in the Class of 2024. <a href="https://twitter.com/JessenWiebenga">Twitter</a> & <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JusQ7">Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='357349' first='Tytan' last='Tryon'], WR, Harrisburg (SD) 2024   If there is one thing I know about Harrisburg in the last few years, they are fantastic at unloading their offense year after year, and this year at wide receiver, it was the play of wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='357349' first='Tytan' last='Tryon'] after week. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I can tell you the amount of big play ability this young man possesses even though his full tape hasn't rolled out yet from his junior season. He shows a great wiggle with his agile skillsets from the top of his route to set the tone to get solid separation later [player_tooltip player_id='357349' first='Tytan' last='Tryon'] and did in on tape against one of the best defensive back cores in the state of South Dakota 11AAA. I love Tytan's long catch-radius in his 6'1 175 pounds frame, as he plays more like 6'3-6'4 when he uses all of it for a highly contested ball coming his way. He's got a high giddy-up in his vertical too, which also shows a bigger frame when you wind up the tape on Tytan. His ball skills adjustment show a lot of smooth traits, and he's calm and collected even with a corner right up his wheelhouse. He also shows an effective cutting ability with his change of direction, which gathers a boatload of separation even within small windows of opportunity. Tytan has a quick whip to get his body turned and can utilize that stretch for that ball offline. Certainly a prospect we will see on Saturdays, as Tytan's ceiling is brewing for more as a potential stock riser, as I can't say enough how loaded this WR group is in the Dakotas in 2024. Tytan checks in at #20 overall. <a href="https://twitter.com/tytan_tryon">Twitter </a>& <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Bw0xR9S1k">Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='447265' first='Noah' last='Olson'], ATH, West Fargo Sheyenne (ND) 2024   When you get the chance to watch Noah's tape, there was so much versatility in his 6'3 185 pound frame on not just one but sides of the football. Watching his athletic movement on tape shows a lot of fluidity and football IQ, whether with Noah's route-running offensively or his quick trigger of speed coming downhill quickly on defense. This young man is built well for high pressure, as I enjoy watching his read steps defensively, identifying the best angle to take before the ball even gets snapped by the offense, which puts his vision in a high spot. Noah also unleashes a smash-mouther hitter in the open field as he shows off a developing change of direction. I put Noah as an athlete, but his next-level upside shows off what could be a strong free safety as that coach on the field mentality and those easily seen visionary instincts. Sure as heck to me looks like another Division I ceiling on this list coming out of West Fargo Sheyenne that is a new addition to our rankings just outside the top 30 overall and already rising in my eyes. <a href="https://twitter.com/olson_noahh">Twitter</a> & <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16676698/637686e9da5bd808e488b5ae">Tape</a>   [player_tooltip player_id='482373' first='Tucker' last='Gilmore'], WR/DB, Yankton (SD) 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/Tucker-Gilmore-crop-580x381-1671067370.jpg?w=580" alt="" class="wp-image-550469" width="398" height="261" /></figure>   Tucker was a wide receiver prospect that is new to our Prep Redzone Dakotas rankings, checking into our rankings just outside the top 40. I identified Tucker during the midseason as a 6'3 200 pound wide receiver with outstanding ball skills who makes the high-traffic catches look smooth to my eyes. He not only has a long-catch radius but also a long strider with his lower body as he uses all of that 6'3 frame and more to stretch the field for the Yankton Bucks offense. Tucker also plays some safety for Yankton and has that downhill instinct to get to the ball quickly when popping out of his stance. This young man has a lot of smarts driven throughout his tape as he always makes the smart football play on both sides of the ball. He shows a good fundamental balance on the bulk of his routes I have watched, and I will say it again with this group, Tucker has the upside to become a stockriser as I believe he has an FCS ceiling in the making based on his tape and some of the FCS and FBS visits he's taken this fall. To my Minnesota subscribers, you probably know Tucker's cousin Wyatt Gilmore, who also has a slew of FBS offers. <a href="https://twitter.com/tucker_gilmore4">Twitter </a>& <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JrWus">Tape</a>   Stay tuned for at least two more sets of new additions from the Prep Redzone Dakotas 2024 rankings and much more!

DAKOTAS-- Finding new additions to our rankings is always my favorite. Has there been plenty of prospects that I wish I found earlier? That answer is always yes, as we always strive to find the cream of the crop throughout the Dakotas earlier than the rest; however, just giving these young men the only platform in the Dakotas that has player rankings and tons of content for college football coaches and fans to read and evaluate makes finding these gem football prospects so much fun. With the release of our yesterday, we start with the new additions. Although the bulk of these prospects has been on my radar or in our database for a bit, we put our money where our mouth is to see exactly where their college football future should end up in our eyes. Take a look at these first seven new additions out of the gates of our loaded 2024 class for Prep Redzone Dakotas!