2023 Dakotas Rankings Update: Top Unsigned Steals, Part II
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DAKOTAS— We close the book on the 2023 rankings with all the prospects from our 2023 rankings that are very under the radar. The bulk of these prospects listed below either has very light recruiting attention/offers or, surprisingly, do not…
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Continue ReadingDAKOTAS— We close the book on the 2023 rankings with all the prospects from our 2023 rankings that are very under the radar. The bulk of these prospects listed below either has very light recruiting attention/offers or, surprisingly, do not have an offer yet this late in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and if I were a small school scanning over this list, I would take full advantage of the steals they might be getting this late in February.
Tahrye Frank Tahrye Frank WR Mandan | 2023 State , WR, Mandan (ND)
- The biggest thing that pops out from the start with Tahyre is his sizeable catch radius in my eyes, as on back-to-back reps on tape; he uses all and more of that 6’1 size to reach for the ball in stride.
- You can tell very quickly all the athletic traits that come along with Tahyre’s game, as I don’t think I have watched more tape on a WR prospect in the last year that shows that pure athleticism full circle like Tahyre brings to the table.
- With all that being said, we couldn’t track any offers from Tahyre, which is very surprising this late in the 2023 class as his versatility in the Mandan Braves receiving core lays out smoothly for a college football future. To the college coaches reading, you should certainly give this young man a chance!
Jackson Hoffmann Jackson Hoffmann 6'3" | 200 lbs | TE Brookings | 2023 State , TE, Brookings (SD)
- From a physicality standpoint, Jackson checks off all the boxes I would be looking for a college football tight end, as he not only shows off good hands but has a great punch he can deliver early on the snap to set the tone for the running game for success. I even see more juice left in the tank with the development of his physicality.
- At 6’3, Jackson shows off a good-sized catch radius to grab that ball slightly out of reach for smaller pass-catchers. He also shows the pad level that can drive the defender into that second level of the field, which I know is a skillset college coaches should be looking for in a next-level tight end.
- Jackson has one NAIA offer on his recruiting trail; however, I certainly believe with the amount of next-level upside this kid brings with his size and skills, that he should certainly be at the top of your recruiting board for 2023s in the Dakotas, as you can also add plenty of frame this young man in the next 4-5 years.
Cole Tiedeman Cole Tiedeman LB West Fargo | 2023 State , QB/LB, West Fargo (ND)
- The last time I evaluated Cole, I had him logged as a linebacker; however the reps he showed at QB on his senior tape show plenty of upside of what is to come from that position.
- Cole shows off some elusive awareness when he feels pressure, using his legs to escape out of those higher traffic areas, and even on the run shows off a fluid release point with solid ball placement, especially on the right side of the field where you see his skillsets from there come out full throttle. When you roll out the tape at linebacker, you see a prospect with good instincts with his crossover running ability side to side and you also see his physicality and read steps pop out when he crowds the box to stop the run.
- Cole is another prospect that I would offer from this list of under-the-radar prospects from the 2023 class, as the versatility of this kid’s skillsets is not something you should miss out on!
Jake Vanhout Jake Vanhout 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL McCook Central-Montrose | 2023 State , OL, McCook Central-Montrose (SD)
- Jake is one of one prospect on this list I am very surprised that wasn’t more heavily looked at by college football recruiters, as with his 6’3 280 pound frame, this young man can quickly be described as a mauler, to put it simply.
- He has some raw development when it comes to his bend on the line, but when this young man can square up with the fluidity in his punch coming from his pad-level off the quickness of the snap, Jake is an OL prospect that will not back down from a challenge. I also like his footwork as well, deep in the trenches.
- I certainly believe Jake would be a great fit at the NAIA at this point, as there is so much upside with how you could groom this young man for the next 4-5 years. He could be one of the BIGGEST OL steals from the under-the-radar prospects on this Part II list in my eyes.
Mandalla Mohamed Mandalla Mohamed DB Sioux Falls Washington | 2023 State , DB, Sioux Falls Washington (SD)
- Golly, do I love the quick trigger to get to the footba from this young man, as he showed that off swiftly at the Northern State prospect camp I was at this summer.
- Mandalla also shows off much longer than you would expect from the safety spot, especially around the 1:00 minute mark of his tape, where he reels in a tough interception out of no man’s land. This young man does a great job with his crossover running ability but has a high ceiling to develop with the fluidity of his footwork in 1v1 pass coverage.
- No offers yet for Mandalla on the gridiron, however there certainly are plenty of skillsets with how this young man attacks the ball that would suffice with a next-level opportunity.
Cody Peterson Cody Peterson 6'2" | 230 lbs | OL Lennox | 2023 State , OL/DL, Lennox (SD)
- Cody is an OL/DL prospect that really outplayed his measurables from my first evaluation of him, and when I watched the tape from his senior season, I still believe there is plenty of truth to this. At 6’1 235 pounds, he shows off good footwork and has that finishing touch with his leverage to ensure they stay on the turf when he’s completed his mauling of them.
- I also find Cody’s pad level and bend to be super smooth even prior to the point of attack, as he shows some athleticsm within his skillsets to be damaging at the next level with his physicality. Defensively, he also shows that off purely, especially with the depth he can cover in the inside box.
- Cody is one of two offensive linemen on this list that we had a Division II grade on so whoever gets the opportunity to groom this young man this late in the 2023 recruiting period is getting an absolute hidden gem!