2023 Dakotas Rankings Update: Who are the Top Unsigned Steals?

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"16px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:16px"><strong>DAKOTAS--</strong> National Signing Day for the 2023 class might be a wrap, but is there a ton of talent left unsigned across the Dakotas. With our 2023 rankings update released over a week ago, I wanted to unleash our top steals we would sign ASAP if we were college coaches across the region. These are six prospects I would offer today!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='223088' first='Joel' last='Edland'], OL/DL, Bismarck Century (ND)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>It doesn't matter on which side of the line Joel is on; this young man is extremely dominant. He has such aggressive hands on the offensive line and can move with excellent footwork and solid pad levels, and it is quite surprising that he was still unsigned on National Signing Day.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>As a defensive end, Joel shows a ton of quick twitch, getting his blocks very quickly, and is typically the first man on contact with the ball carrier with his long 6'5 270 pound frame.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Whoever gets this young man on the gridiron is getting a prospect on the line that we had graded as a Division I prospect, so if D2 and D3 programs get a hold of Joel, they should know from the start that they are getting an absolute steal out of Bismarck Century.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='223094' first='Damon' last='Wilkinson'], DL/OL, De Smet (SD)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>At 6'9 240 pounds, don't think for a second that this young man isn't just scratching the surface for his gridiron potential, as when I got to watch Damon in person last year, he fed that man versus boys mentality, and he got it done with my eye test with his great instincts.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>His vision is also elite, as he gets a ton of leverage from the start of his reps, and with those instincts I mentioned, Damon has the ability to draw contact with his blocker to cause havoc inside the running lanes of the ball carrier, which on multiple occasions on tape, he shows off how that leverage can disrupt the tight running lanes which give him a quick trigger to get to the ball carrier smoothly. <!-- wp:list --> <ul></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Damon is one of the few prospects within our top 25 prospects in the Dakotas that we could see either on the gridiron or the hardwood at the next level as only time will tell on what Damon chooses for his future as the opportunities he has still stand on the gridiron.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='56546' first='Gavin' last='Ross'], RB, Harrisburg (SD)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>If you are still in the hunt for a blue-collar running back that can drive thru high-traffic areas and heavy contact, look no further than Harrisburg's [player_tooltip player_id='56546' first='Gavin' last='Ross'], the #2 RB in the Dakotas.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Gavin hasn't posted his senior tape yet, but he shows great fluidity with his footwork as an RB that is a weight room's dream at the next level as he's built his chiseled frame at 5'9 205 pounds on his durability from top to bottom.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>I also like watching Gavin's awareness of his running ability; as you can tell, he's an RB that feels the pressure but has the instinct to react before the pressure gets to him in the open field. He has some development to be seen with his stamina in the long run; however, after getting multiple D2 offers, I am still surprised he wasn't signed on National Signing Day three days ago.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='56568' first='Nate' last='Andresen'], WR, Brandon Valley (SD)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>For 6'4 195 pounds, a high plethora of skill sets come out when you pop on Nate's tape, especially when you get him on the intermediate and deep routes, as he has superb hands that can catch and go on a precision route and take it the distance.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Nate also has a good-sized vertical on shorter routes with that long frame that can get up higher for those balls that would be out of reach for smaller wide receivers. I would be curious to watch for of Nate on shorter routes, with his agility as I believe that is a growing skillset I would want to track and watch once he gets to the next level.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Much like others on this list, Nate had multiple D2 offers at his disposal, so I am genuinely curious as to who takes a shot on this hard-working WR prospect out of Brandon Valley.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='277668' first='Trey' last='Heinrich'], RB/LB, Kindred (ND)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>I love the twitch Trey has with his skillsets when he gets his agile change of direction cooking by selling off the defense with one cut in the opposite direction, as there is a ton of fluidity with that within his longer 6'1 195 pound frame.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Anytime I see a running back that you can lose where they are on tape and then utilize their burst to get out of those congested running lanes, that plethora of athletic ability should certainly be playing at the next level, like in Trey's case.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>No offers yet for Trey that we could track; however, Trey is another RB prospect on this list we had a Division II grade on, so if there are any programs in the hunt for this North Dakota running back, they would be getting a BIG steal in my eyes.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='160934' first='Aguer' last='VanSickle'], DL, Bridgwater-Emery-Ethan (SD)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Myself and our Prep Redzone Dakotas scouts believe that Aguer might be the biggest unknown when it comes to SD's 2023 class, but there is SO much upside with not just this kid's size at 6'4 235 but the athletic movement he puts out on tape.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Aguer can demolish a ball carrier in the backfield when he uses his reactive trigger off the snap. He also has some raw skillsets that have so much upside yet to be seen at the next level, as his footwork and poise certainly pass the eye test of how much growth this young man can make on a next-level defensive line. He also shows good mobility to be reactive to the ball carrier even outside of the inside box and has a significant level of physicality when he makes contact. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>No tracked offers on the table for this young man, but if I were one of those D2s or NAIA programs in the Dakotas looking to get an after-National Signing Day to steal, Aguer VanSicle would be my first call, as it would be a huge miss not to see this young man play college football next year. Huge upside.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->