Dakotas Top Uncommitted WR’s (2023)
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The game of High School Football has evolved around the passing game so much now in this era. With that being said, there are a lot of good athletes out there that can catch passes and make play. This group…
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Continue ReadingThe game of High School Football has evolved around the passing game so much now in this era. With that being said, there are a lot of good athletes out there that can catch passes and make play. This group of athletes really caught my attention on their film. What I liked more about this position group is the even split between athletes in North Dakota and South Dakota. A lot of people think a WR is just fast and can catch. This group has a lot of different skill sets that are a lot of fun to watch. Here are the Top 8 remaining uncommitted WR’s in 2023.
Julian Scott Julian Scott 5'11" | WR Rapid City Stevens | 2023 State – Rapid City Stevens, Highlights
I’ve written about Scott a lot now this past year. Now that he finally received his first offer, I’m hoping a door opens and he gets a wave of them. I think he did a great job of carrying over his speed from the track and using it to his advantage on the football field. He stepped into a larger role on offense this past season, going from his touches being carries, to catches. His speed created his separation, which led to his big plays after the catch.
Easton Ogle Easton Ogle 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR RC St. Thomas More | 2023 State – St. Thomas More, Highlights
Ogle really emerged into a dangerous playmaking threat this season. Whether he was running the vertical route or the short routes, he was going to make a play out of it. His first steps off the ball were quick and gained a lot of ground quickly. Once he got up to top speed, he was able to run precise routes with a lot of speed for his separation. He also showed a lot of agility and vision once he had the ball in his hands. If there weren’t enough defenders around after he caught the ball, he was going to make a big play.
Payton McGregor Payton McGregor 5'8" | 160 lbs | WR West Fargo | 2023 State – West Fargo, Highlights
McGregor shows why speed kills, and if his speed doesn’t his muscle will. He doesn’t mess around on running routes, he takes them very seriously. Add his speed into the precise routes, he is very difficult to keep in tight coverage. Even if a defender finds a way to stick with him, his concentration on the ball helps him make the catch in traffic. I haven’t seen much agility in his game, that’s because he is always running through defenders instead of around them. The last big quality I see in his game is his knee drive, grinding his way through arm tackles.
Tahrye Frank Tahrye Frank WR Mandan | 2023 State – Mandan, Highlights
Frank is a hybrid athlete. He has the size and physicality of a TE, but the speed and hands of a WR. I like how he using basketball post skills going up for jump balls, especially in the red zone. His route running ability was a key factor in getting open in short yardage situations. I liked his hands in traffic, getting the defender off of him, then elevating and making the catch. He played with a high motor as well, dragging defenders after securing the catch for many yards. Lastly, he had a monster stiff-arm for the solo defenders trying to bring him down.
Payton Bodine Payton Bodine 6'1" | 195 lbs | WR Velva | 2023 State – Velva, Highlights
Bodine became the playmaker for the small town team in his Senior Season. He played in the backfield and was split out wide to switch up his ways of getting the ball in his hands. His speed played the big factor in his big plays, jetting to the perimeter or open field and makes a big play out of it. Usually when you have a kid with speed, you just send him on deep routes, Bodine made a living on the short routes and his yards after catch. The strength and balance he showed breaking through tackles was impressive and then he kept charging forward.
Rylan McDonnell Rylan McDonnell WR Wall | 2023 State – Wall, Highlights
McDonnell caught my attention at the SDSU prospect camp this past summer. I liked his speed, footwork and body control while he was running crisp routes against different competition. Of course he was making some nice catches in the one-on-one part of the camp. On tape it was much of the same, but better since it was in a game atmosphere. He was making the short route catches and turning them into big gains. Also making catches downfield and shaking tackles to make the big play even bigger. The double move routes seemed to be his bread-and-butter, that’s where he made the bulk of his big plays.
Jaxson Fairchild Jaxson Fairchild 6'1" | 205 lbs | WR RC Central | 2023 State – Rapid City Central, Highlights
Fairchild has that size that makes the defense struggle finding someone to match him with. He also has that speed where the guys his size might struggle to run with him on routes. His muscle to power through tacklers, but also block for teammates made him a defensive nightmare as well. Don’t let all this talk of muscle and size fool you, the kid is nimble too. I liked where he showed some agility to mess with defenders instead of just running through them every time. He also did a good job faking his blocks when he’d release on routes and make catches down the field there too.
Logan Winckler Logan Winckler WR Bon Homme | 2023 State – Bon Homme, Highlights
Winckler is another kid I’ve been following for a couple years, and each year he has gotten better. This year he emerged as a playmaker for the offense. Any time he was one-on-one, he one the battle for the ball and usually scored. I liked how consistent he was on each route, hitting the same landmarks and making good cuts on all of them. I liked his motor when he ran routes, still going hard whether he was getting the ball or not. There was a lot of speed in him to burn you, but still muscle to run through you too. He took pride in each route he ran, getting himself the most distance to be the best target for his QB.