SW MN Roundup 2023
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Today I will be going around Southwest Minnesota and highlighting all the Seniors that are unsigned, to my knowledge. I will be tracing about as far North as Dawson-Boyd to as far East as Jackson County and many school in…
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Continue ReadingToday I will be going around Southwest Minnesota and highlighting all the Seniors that are unsigned, to my knowledge. I will be tracing about as far North as Dawson-Boyd to as far East as Jackson County and many school in between. The goal here is to get a lot of the talent in the area that fly under the radar and get them some college interest. Being a coach in the area I’ve seen some talent that may never get noticed. I also am trying to help other coaches get their kids to the next level as well.
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Stevie Mcmath Stevie Mcmath 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR BOLD | 2023 MN – WR, Highlights
Stevie has hit the Prep Redzone Carousel these last two off-seasons. He’s been at every camp I’ve been at and always stood out. For his team, he was the playmaker that got the ball in key situations. He accelerates quick off the snap and gets by the defense before they get their reads and beats them deep. His hands and ability to run through tackles made him a very reliable playmaker.
Ryan King Ryan King 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR BOLD | 2023 MN – TE/WR, Highlights
King was a great wildcard player on the offense. He was another reliable target that would make plays for the offense, making them very dangerous on offense. His frame already made him difficult to cover, then his jumping ability made it very difficult to keep the ball from. Once the ball was in the air his way, he was more than likely coming down with it, always had a nose for the sticks as well.
Canby
Evan Weber DB, Highlights
Weber has the speed of a Safety, but the instincts of a LB. I’ve been keeping up with this kid’s highlights for a couple years now and continue to endorse him when I can. When he gets his read of the play, he flies downhill to the ball quickly. Once he gets to the ball he lays a big hit into the ballcarrier, but also has good form in the tackle. He takes good angles to get the the ball quick, but also avoid the path of the blockers.
Dawson-Boyd
Levi Olson- LB, Highlights
Olson plays extremely well out in open space in their defensive set. When he gets his tun read, he fills his gap quickly and makes good tackles around the Line of Scrimmage. On pass reads, he gets to his zone and puts himself in good position to make a play on the ball. He has the speed to run with his guy in man coverage and has the awareness to jump routes at the right time as well.
Aiden Swenson- WR, Highlights
Swenson was a huge weapon when a first down was needed. He ran precise routes that got himself open. Once he got separation, he was good securing the football. Swenson had incredible concentration on the football in the air. With defenders crashing down on him, he still reeled it in and kept the offense moving down the field.
Jackson County Central
Caleb Vancura- ATH, Highlights
Vancura isn’t typically what you’d think an ATH is in football when listed. He roamed around on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. From a lineman (offense and defense), FB, LB, TE and slot receiver, the kid did whatever was needed for the week, and did it well. He had a good bullrush, block shedding and good form on tackling. His blocking ability played big on the offensive side, but could also run routes and be a scary target as well, especially in the red zone.
Lakeview
Owen Louwagie Owen Louwagie 5'11" | 165 lbs | QB Lakeview | 2023 State MN – QB, Highlights
Louwagie has great touch on his deep ball. I never saw his receivers having to slow down to catch the ball, he hit them in stride every time. He has good timing and a good throwing motion to get the ball out quick and in good position for his receivers to make plays. His mobility made the offense very tough to stop because he could extend plays and make the throw to the guy left open while the defense was collapsing on him.
Caine Herigon Caine Herigon 6'1" | 235 lbs | OL Lakeview | 2023 MN – OL, Highlights
Herigon just had the technique of a good offensive lineman. He had good footwork that he could also move quick to be in prime position for pass and run block. His hand position was pretty good, used them well and didn’t get flagged, kept them on the inside of the shoulder pads. The pad level was always in good position to maintain leverage to keep his guy out of the backfield.
Ayden St. Pierre- LB, Highlights
St. Pierre has that good mix of athleticism to be very scary on defense. His speed and agility helps him change direction and accelerate quick to run with his guy. He has very good ball sense when defending a pass to go up and make plays on the ball without flags. His speed also made him very difficult to block when he blitzed off the edge. The tackling form was stellar to make him a very good defender.
Marshall
Chidi Nwakama Chidi Nwakama 6'1" | 185 lbs | RB Marshall | 2023 State MN – RB/LB, Highlights
I watch a Marshall Tiger practice a couple years ago, and Nwakama was a kid I still remember from that practice. First from his game, second because that’s a name you never forget. I liked his agility and balance that he showed that day and in his film. Defensively, he does his job well and makes the plays his way. Offensively, he is a guy who can make a play with both speed or power. His difference making factor is his physicality on both sides of the ball, making tackles, or running through them.
Andrew Wallen Andrew Wallen 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Marshall | 2023 MN – LB, Highlights
Wallen is a real good run stopper. He gets in the middle of the formation, gets his read and plugs the gap immediately. I like how he goes full speed to his gap and gets there before the blocker and the ball. Wallen does his job on every play and really disrupts the offense’s rushing attack by taking away his gap on each play. I also like how he does his job effectively, not trying to be flashy, just filling his gap and making a sure-handed tackle.
Omar Abdi Omar Abdi 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Marshall | 2023 MN – WR, Highlights
Abdi described in one word, dangerous. He was the one guy the defense didn’t want to get the ball on the key down. The only problem was, he WAS the guy getting the ball on the key down. His speed off the ball into his routes got him the separation he needed to make a play. He had really good hands and concentration to reel in those passes in traffic. His agility and quick acceleration made him difficult to contain, no matter on a short pass or long pass.
Minneota
Peyton Gillund- K, Highlights
I watched Gillund kick at SMSU camp this summer, then I watched him in three games this year and the kid can kick! In one of the games I watched. He drilled a 43 yard FG with plenty of room to spare in one of the games I saw. He is automatic on his PAT’s with good height off the block and good aim of the ball as well. He holds a good form even in the face of pressure to make sure his kicks stay true.
Pipestone Area
Kellen Johnson Kellen Johnson 6'5" | 205 lbs | QB Pipestone Area Schools | 2023 MN – QB, Highlights
Kellen made some excellent strides from his Junior to Senior Season. He added more mobility to his strong arm in his game. That made him an even bigger nightmare for opposing defenses. He grew into a well-rounded athlete in my three years on staff. His touch on his passes made tremendous improvements. His decision making improved extremely well, which showed in both the season and the All-star game. He did a great job getting the ball to his playmakers in big plays. Johnson squeezed his passes into tight windows and let his receivers make plays.
Caden Miller Caden Miller 6'3" | 300 lbs | DB Elkton-Lake Benton | 2023 MN – OL/DL, Highlights
Miller also made some big improvements from last year. His pad level and footwork were the biggest improvements I saw. Getting doubled most of the season, he used those improvements to beat them, almost every time. His size and strength made him extremely difficult to keep out of the backfield. Offensively, he was the guy the ballcarriers lived running behind. The gaps he made for them, either down-blocking or pulling were always nice to run through. You can never question his motor, he was always getting to the ball.
Jayden Hoss Jayden Hoss 6'3" | 275 lbs | OL Pipestone Area | 2023 State MN – OL/DL, Highlights
Hoss made a lot of improvement on the offensive and defensive line as well this season. He used his size and strength to his advantage and took away the opposing team’s gaps on defense. His awareness played big as well, he was able to disrupt and bat down passes quite a bit this year. Offensively, he was the good on pass blocking, moving his feet really well to keep the edge rushers off the QB.
Red Rock Central
Keaton Skarupa- DL, Highlights
I like Skarupa’s explosion off the snap of the football. A quick first step and good engagement with his blocker makes life very difficult for the opposing offense. He has excellent pad level and moves extremely well. I also like his awareness to motor down when he doesn’t feel pressure. He does an excellent job reading the flow and finding the ballcarrier. His tackling is near perfect, he corrals the ballcarrier and stops the forward momentum by bringing him down, or getting in front of him.
Redwood Valley
Cam Enright-ATH, Highlights
Enright had to step into a large role this season on both sides of the ball. He filled in a LB and in the secondary on defense and was an absolute ballhawk. When the ball was in the air to his side, he was going after it and more than likely coming away with it. If the ballcarrier got to the third level and was bottled up, Enright was going after the ball and ripping it out. Offensively, he was a big play threat at WR with his speed, frame and hands. He was also a threat out of the backfield running the ball as well.
Evan Cooper Evan Cooper 185 lbs | RB Redwood Valley | 2023 MN – RB/LB, Highlights
Cooper is an excellent defensive player. Roamed around on the defensive front and made plays anywhere on the field. He read his keys, filled his gap and stuck the ballcarrier in the gap. His form on his tackles was flawless. Offensively, he gave them another playmaker to keep the defense on their heels. He was the bruiser back to gain the good chunks of yards to keep the offense moving in the right direction. You didn’t want to sleep on his speed though, if he broke loose, a big play will happen.
Renville County West
Adam Schrupp- WR, Highlights
Schrupp was the big play target for the offense. He has a good release off the snap and gets his separation with speed. If the defense caught up to him, he was able to elevate with his good vertical and make the catch over the top. Schrupp also took pride in his blocking on the perimeter. His speed and awareness helped him get into prime position to make the blocks to spring the ballcarrier free.
Gasca’s film is filled with him dropping dimes. Setting his feet, on the run, under pressure it doesn’t matter, he is finding his receiver and making a throw. He did an excellent job going throw reads and delivering a perfect pass to his receivers, no matter how tight the window. His mobility helped out him and the offense as well. Just quick enough to escape pressure, and keep his eyes downfield to make throws. He could also be a rushing threat as well, running through and around defenders when he could.
Noah Gullickson- OL/DL, Highlights
Gullickson is run stopper. His frame, pad level, and quickness off the snap helps him plug both A-gaps. The strength he shows knocks the offensive lineman back into the backfield and disrupt the play. He also wreaked a lot of havoc in the passing game, putting pressure on the QB and not giving a lot of time to throw. His motor kept him going and running down plays from behind, playing through the whistle.
Isaac Haen- WR, Highlights
Haen is the speedster you did not want to leave unattended. Combining his speed and route running ability made him extremely difficult to cover. Not only that, his awareness to find the soft spots in the defense and make a target for the QB, then extend plays after the catch. When the QB needed to scramble under pressure, Haen was the guy he usually found. Haen did a great job finding open space to be a good target.
Springfield
McCoy Krick- WR/DB, Highlights
Krick is that athlete that is hard to put one tag to. He has so many attributes that work in his favor, it’s hard to find his label, or position. Defensively, he could roam around. Put him in the box on run support, has the size to man up a TE, but the speed to also take on a receiver. His instincts make him a good safety, now putting that all together for one scary athlete. Offensively, he played his role well split out wide. The physicality he displayed made him a good blocker, but his speed kills and he could burn the defense in the passing game as well.
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton
Caden Anderson Caden Anderson 5'11" | 210 lbs | LB Tracy Milroy Balaton (TMB) | 2023 MN – RB, Highlights
Anderson is an all business type back. Take the handoff, lower your shoulder and run straight ahead, flattening anything in your way. Add on his balance and breakaway speed, there wasn’t many piles he couldn’t break through. The way his motor keeps the wheels turning through the whole play is a lot of fun to watch. His physicality on both sides of the ball is amazing, just hit the wrong colored jersey every play and something good is bound to happen.
Windom
Abe McKibbin, Highlights
McKibbin is a hassle to defend for most defenses. You spend so much time trying to contain his power and making sure he stays in the tackles. He then shows you his speed, which is almost harder to contain because he is so quick to accelerate. While he shows his muscle as a big asset, he can hit you with agility as well. Defensively, he uses his speed often blitzing off the edge and really causing havoc in the backfield on each play. He can also play the flats well in pass coverage as well.
Yellow Medicine East
Nolan Hildahl- RB/LB, Highlights
Hildahl is fullspeed ahead all the time. The kid flies all over the field, both defensively and offensively. On the defensive side, he fills and closes the gap almost right as it opens up for the back. He can also run with a receiver or back out of the backfield and lays a nice hit when the ball gets there. Offensively, when he gets the ball, it’s sprint as fast as you can to open space and run through anything in your way.
James Peterson- OL/DL, Highlights
Peterson has the good size to be a problem on both sides of the ball on the line of scrimmage. His first quick step is really effective to drive the guy across from him off the ball and open the A-Gaps for the run game. He keeps his feet turning and finishes the block to really open the gaps for the backs. His pad level works well with his frame and keeps his defender out of the backfield. Defensively, he uses the same skills for the opposite effect, and does so well.