Revisiting Minnesota’s 2018 Recruiting Class 6 Years Later
2018 was the inaugural year for both PrepRedzone Minnesota Rankings and 247Sports Minnesota Rankings. After aimlessly scrolling through Tik Tok another Sunday morning, I came across a video discussing the top recruits across the 2000s. This piqued my interest, and…
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Continue Reading2018 was the inaugural year for both PrepRedzone Minnesota Rankings and 247Sports Minnesota Rankings. After aimlessly scrolling through Tik Tok another Sunday morning, I came across a video discussing the top recruits across the 2000s. This piqued my interest, and I decided to revisit our own state’s recruiting class from the first available year, 2018. So let’s see where everyone ended up after a stellar senior season.
Brevyn Spann-Ford: St. Cloud Tech TE (PrepRedzone #1/247Sports #1)
Spann-Ford committed to the University of Minnesota after a great season with the Tech Tigers in which he amassed 10 TDs in 8 games. He’s entering his 6th season with the Golden Gophers where PFF has him graded as the second-best TE heading into next year. Over his career, he’s had 70 receptions, 822 yards, and 5 touchdowns. He earned all Big-10 Honorable Mention last season.
Benny Sapp III: Eden Prairie DB (PrepRedzone #2/247Sports #2)
The son of former NFL DB Benny Sapp II, he committed to the Gophers in 2017. He stayed with the Gophers for two seasons before entering the transfer portal in 2020. He signed with the University of Northern Illinois and played safety there for two years. His senior year he was an FCS Third-Team All-American. In that senior year, he recorded 53 TOT, 4 Ints, and 1 FF. He has declared for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
David Alston: Woodbury DL (PrepRedzone #3/247Sports #3)
Alston signed with the Nebraska Cornhuskers where he saw no game action for 3 years. He entered the transfer portal and ended up at Montana State for his redshirt junior year. During the 2022 season, he recorded 8 TOT, 1 sack, and 1 FF. He will enter his senior season as a key rotation member for the Bobcat’s defensive line.
Josh Aune: Highland Park ATH (PrepRedzone #4/247Sports #4)
Aune signed with the Gophers as the consensus #4 Minnesota prospect. He became a staple of the Gopher’s special team unit over his 5 years with the program earning Academic All Big-10 Honors four of those five years. Over his career, he recorded 14 tackles in 33 games with 1 interception. He graduated in 2022 and appears to be no longer playing football.
Jacob Smith: Rosemount OT (PrepRedzone #5/247Sports #5)
Smith was a dominant 4-year starter for the Irish and signed with BYU in 2017. He redshirted his 2018 season and did not appear in any games in 2019. He left the team after the 2019 season and isn’t playing football anymore.
Trey Lance: Marshall QB (PrepRedzone #6/247Sports #7)
The Minnesota legend himself. The Marshall QB signed with NDSU and had his draft stock skyrocket over his tenure with the Bison. He was famously taken 3rd overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Franciso 49ers. He recorded over 2,900 passing yards and 30 TDs during his college career and tallied another 1,300 yards and 18 TDs on the ground as well. He has just over 1,000 all-purpose yards and 6 TDs in his NFL career so far. He is looking to contend for a starting role again next season.
Logan Richter: Perham DL (PrepRedzone #7/247Sports NR)
Richter committed to the Gophers from Perham Minnesota and has stayed there since. He redshirted in 2019. Last season he appeared in 11 games where he recorded 4 tackles and broke up one pass. He’s a 3x Academic All Big-10 team member and looks to continue his senior season with the Gophers. He has 18 career tackles. He has 3 years of eligibility left.
Ronnie Audette: Elk River NG (PrepRedzone #8/247Sports #6)
Audette committed to Oregon State after a dominant senior season at Elk River where he finished rated as a 3-star recruit. He never appeared in any games for the Beavers and is no longer on the team.
Nathan Boe: Lakeville North OC (PrepRedzone #9/247Sports #9)
Boe signed with the Gophers from Lakeville North and has stayed there since 2018. He appeared in all 13 games last season (primarily on special teams) and is a 3x Academic All Big-10 team member. He has 2 years of eligibility left and appears to be playing those years out.
Owen King: Caledonia QB (PrepRedzone #10/247Sports NR)
Owen King committed to South Dakota State to play basketball after his senior season with Caledonia. He played there for two years before transferring to Winona State. He’s played there for 3 years now. He currently averages 5.7 PPG, 3 APG, and 3.4 RPG. He was a member of the 2022 All-NSIC Academic Team.
Phoenix Sproles: Cooper DB (PrepRedzone #11/247Sports #11)
Sproles signed with NDSU where he made the transition to WR. He played there for 5 years and recorded 888 receiving yards and 5 TDs and was one of the top WRs behind only Christian Watson. He entered the transfer portal this fall and committed to JMU. He looks to be a key player on their team in the upcoming season.
Mitchell Kartes: STMA ATH (PrepRedzone #12/247Sports #13)
Kartes signed with NDSU as an RB and redshirted his freshman season. He began to make the transition to linebacker and fully converted his junior year. When he graduated in 2022 he left the team. In his career, he played in 29 games and recorded 10 total tackles. He got his degree in business administration and recently got a job as a senior analyst at General Mills.
Joe Schreiber: Eden Prairie OC (PrepRedzone #13/247Sports #22)
Signed with NDSU in 2018 and redshirted his freshman year. He appeared in one game during his redshirt freshman year before transferring to Iowa Western Community College. He played his redshirt sophomore year there before transferring back to an FCS school, East Tennessee State. In his junior year, he started all 13 games and was named to the 4th Team All-SoCon. In his senior year, he was named to the 1st Team All-SoCon.
Garett Maag: St. Croix Lutheran WR (PrepRedzone #14/247Sports #23)
Maag signed to UND as a WR and has been on the team ever since. He’s had an incredibly productive career amassing over 2100 receiving yards and 18 TDs. He was selected as a team captain for the last two years and was the number two WR last year for the team.
Antonio Montero: Eden Prairie LB (PrepRedzone #15/247Sports #10)
Montero signed with Rice where he started 7 out of 9 games as a true freshman. His success carried over to his sophomore year where he totaled the second most tackles on the team (83). In 2021 he won the Jess Neely Defensive Award and led the team in TFL (9). He transferred to Villanova in 2022 where he totaled 43 tackles and 2 sacks last season. He has declared for the upcoming NFL draft.
Samuel Moore: Verndale DL (PrepRedzone #16/247 Sports #12)
Verndale committed to NDSU for both football and track. He redshirted his freshman year and did not play in any games. He competed unattached in two indoor track meets where his best throw was 53’2″ in the shot put. He continued to compete for the track and field team up until 2022 when he then transferred to Minnesota State Mankato. He is currently still throwing for the Mavericks.
Max Janes: Mounds View TE (PrepRedzone #17/247 Sports #8)
Janes signed with the Gophers in 2018. He was released in early 2019 for allegedly assaulting a police officer while intoxicated. He signed with Bethel in 2019 and made the switch to DE. He recorded 35 tackles and 5 sacks with one interception the following season. He has not played football since.
Tre Thomas: Burnsville ATH (PrepRedzone #24/247Sports #14)
Everyone thought Thomas was going to UNI, but he ended up committing to the University of South Dakota as a linebacker. He redshirted his freshman year and made his collegiate debut in 2019. He started 4 games last season where he totaled 34 tackles and 1 interception. He entered the transfer portal this offseason and signed with the University of Idaho.
Zach Whaley: Prior Lake OG (PrepRedzone #37/247Sports #15)
Whaley signed with Kent State as a consensus 2-star in 2018. He redshirted his freshman year and appeared in a few games in 2019 and 2020. He started 12 games in 2021 but did not return for the 2022 football season. He does not appear to be playing football anymore.
James Kaczor: St. Cloud Tech ATH (PrepRedzone #20/247Sports #16)
Kaczor did not redshirt his freshman year and he played in 12 games. In his sophomore year he transitioned from safety to linebacker He then started his junior and senior years, and is widely regarded as one of the best linebackers NDSU has ever seen. He ended his career with 296 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 1 interception. He is a 3x national champion, a 2x First Team All-MVFC member, and a 1x Second Team All-American. He is currently enrolled in theological training school.
Mike Coble: Byron ATH (PrepRedzone #18/247Sports #17)
Coble committed to Minnesota State Mankato during his senior year. He redshirted in 2018 and only appeared in 2 games in 2019. He was listed on the Rochester Community and Technical College Football roster last season, where he has been listed as a freshman and free safety. He appeared in 10 games and totaled 22 tackles last season.
Jack Anderson: Holy Angels LB (PrepRedzone NR/247Sports #18)
Anderson committed to Western Illinois and redshirted his freshman year. He then transferred to St. Cloud State in 2019. He appeared in 8 games, primarily on special teams. When St. Cloud State shut down its football program in 2020, he transferred once more to UW La-Crosse. He converted to DL and has had a successful last two years there. In his time on the team, he’s recorded 91 tackles and 8 sacks. He has one year of eligibility left.
Trevor Oppedal: Blue Earth OT (PrepRedzone #26/247Sports #19)
The Blue Earth giant originally was supposed to go to the Gophers but instead, he signed with Winona State and redshirted his freshman year. He appeared in all 12 games in his sophomore but did not start. He was on the team in 2021 but not in 2022. He appears to be no longer playing football.
Bryce Kennedy: Virginia OL (PrepRedzone #33/247Sports #20)
Bryce was supposed to be a member of the University of South Daktoa’s recruiting class. Unfortunately, he tragically passed away at the age of 17 on June 7, 2018.
Jevon Brekke: DeLaSalle LB (PrepRedzone #21/247Sports #21)
Brekke committed to UNI in 2018 and started playing immediately. He appeared in 12 games during his freshman season and was a consistent rotational piece for the team when he became a cornerback. He ended his career at UNI recording 118 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 FF. He has since retired from football and moved to Miami. He now has a youtube channel.
Spencer Rolland: Apple Valley OL (PrepRedzone #30/247Sports #24)
Rolland committed to Harvard and redshirted his freshman season. He appeared in every game his sophomore year but did not start. He did not play his junior year due to Covid. He earned a litany of awards his senior year including First Team All-Ivy League. He transferred to UNC where he started 13 games as the team’s right tackle. He is currently getting his MBA.
Nehemiah Montague: Minnetonka CB (PrepRedzone #29/247Sports #25)
Montague signed with Indiana State his senior year and hit the field right away. He played in 11 games during his freshman season and redshirted during his sophomore season. He did not play in 2020 and recorded no stats in 2021. He was not on the team in 2022 and is no longer playing football.
Riley Hansen: Apple Valley OL (PrepRedzone #31/247Sports #26)
Hansen committed to play football at Air Force but never appeared on the roster. He is currently a big Minnesota Sports fan and is very active on Twitter.
Odell Wilson: Minneapolis North OL (PrepRedzone #27/247Sports #27)
Wilson was a prominent tackle out of Minneapolis who has offers from Indiana State and Northern Iowa. He did not accept either.
Saiveon Williamson: Waseca ATH (PrepRedzone #35/247Sports #28)
Williamson committed to SDSU and has been there ever since. He redshirted his freshman year and got injured halfway through his sophomore year. He became a backup linebacker in 2020 and saw extensive action on special teams. He sat out all of 2021 and is currently on the 2023 spring roster. He has 57 career tackles.
Matt Waletzko: Rocori OL (PrepRedzone #28/247Sports #29)
Waletzko signed with UND and made an instant impact. He started 5 games as a freshman. He was a starter as a sophomore for 6 games before he had a season-ending injury. He started 7 games his junior year and was named Second Team All MVFC. In his senior year, he was named First Team All MVFC. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He started 3 games in his rookie year and is currently on the team.
Donny Ventrelli: Como Park TE (PrepRedzone #32/247Sports #30)
Ventrelli redshirted as a freshman when he made the switch to the offensive line. He made 8 starts as a redshirt freshman and started the entire season as a sophomore. This season he earned all-conference honors and he recently announced he’s returning for the 2023 campaign.
Brock Mogensen: Farmington LB (PrepRedzone #34/247Sports #31)
Mogensen committed to the University of South Dakota and he’s been there ever since. He redshirted his freshman year before starting 8 games in 2019. He’s been a consistent starter for them ever since and has announced that he’s returning for the 2023 season. He currently has 286 career tackles, 11.5 TFLs, and 1 interception.
Micah Roane: Chaska DL (PrepRedzone #49/247Sports #32)
Roane committed to the University of Minnesota and redshirted his freshman season. He transferred to the University of South Dakota in 2020 and he’s been a starter ever since. In his three years as a starter, he’s recorded 54 tackles and 3 sacks. He has one year of eligibility left.
Ikenna Ujuagu: BSM LB (PrepRedzone #44/247Sports #33)
Ujuagu committed to the Winona State Warriors as a two-star recruit. He received the most playing time in 2022. His career stats are 33 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. He has one year of eligibility left.
Ryan Schoenfelder: Goodhue TE (PrepRedzone #40/247Sports #34)
Schoenfelder was another two-star that committed to UND. He redshirted his first year and changed to a defensive end. He appeared in 4 games in 2019. He has not been on the team since and is no longer playing football. Schoenfelder has 4 career tackles.
Gerone Hamilton Jr: Holy Angels OL (PrepRedzone #39/247Sports #35)
Hamilton committed to the HBCU Howard. He did not play until 2022 but is a 2x MEAC All-Academic Team member. He was part of the Howard MEAC Championship team. He is currently a Barstool Athlete.
Jordan Johnson Jordan Johnson 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Blaine | 2024 MN : Prior Lake RB (PrepRedzone #43/247Sports #36)
Johnson committed to South Carolina State. He redshirted his freshman year and saw little game action in 2019. He is no longer playing football. He has 5 career rushing yards for the Bulldogs.
Ty Barron: Minnetonka LB (PrepRedzone #23/247Sports #37)
Barron committed to the University of Minnesota as a two-star recruit. He redshirted his freshman year and saw extremely limited game action up until 2020. He then left the Gophers and transferred to St. Thomas (MN). He did not play in 2021 but recorded 9 tackles and 1 sack in 2022. He still has eligibility he plans to use for the Tommies.
Stephen Kletscher: St. Croix Lutheran DL (PrepRedzone #66/247Sports #38)
Although he was billed as a potential Ivy-Leauge recruit in high school, Kletscher walked on to the D3 Williams College football team. In his two years on the team he recorded 1 tackle in 3 games. He is no longer playing football.
Mason Schwerzler: Stillwater P (PrepRedzone #74/247Sports #39)
Schwerzler signed with NDSU and is the only special-teamer to make the 247 Top 40. He redshirted his freshman year before leaving the team in 2019. He is no longer playing football.
Jarrod Peterson: Centennial LB (PrepRedzone #60/247Sports #40)
Peterson was the last member of the 247Sports MN Recruit list. He was a two-star linebacker who committed to the University of South Dakota. He redshirted his freshman year before leaving the team in 2019. He is no longer playing football.