PrepRedzoneMN Showcase: Nate's DL Standouts, Part I

MAPLE GROVE-- Because I was so impressed with this group of defensive linemen, I felt it was necessary to break this one into a two part series, as the depth at this position was one of my favorites at Sunday's Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. What can we learn about this group? This is probably one of the youngest lists I will write about, however that certainly means that the defensive line talent is alive and well in the Gopher State for the upcoming future. Let's get to the DL prospects that stood out!   [player_tooltip player_id='743259' first='Elijah' last='Hagen'], DL, Jordan (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/ehagen88">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_7700-1-rotated-crop-419x276-1681250648.jpg?w=418" alt="" class="wp-image-766765" width="349" height="230"/></figure>   Elijah was a very long 6'5 212 pound defensive linemen in the 2024 class out of Jordan on Sunday at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase that had some solid skillsets I got to see. What impressed me first from Elijah from my first look was his fluidity he showed off in Indy drills as after getting his testing numbers early with 9'1 broad jump and a 4.6 short shuttle, I could easily tell that Elijah is a long DL prospect that is just scratching the surface with his upside with his body type. He showed some quick instincts and I loved his hand placement and swift shedding ability on Sunday and from what my eyes could gauge, there is more where that came from with his development. Elijah is an DL prospect that is going to make some eyes pop out when he gets to some college camps this summer in my eyes especially at the FCS level, as there is some significant upside brewing with this kid.   [player_tooltip player_id='277712' first='Dylan' last='Warner'], DL, Benilde St. Margaret's (2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dylan_warner26">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_0870.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-754550" width="355" height="236"/></figure>   If I had to give an MVP for one of the best work ethics I saw on Sunday at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase on Sunday in Maple Grove, I believe I would give my vote to BSM's [player_tooltip player_id='277712' first='Dylan' last='Warner']. Dylan showed off a ton of feist in his reps and I loved as a younger prospect just how aggressive his hands were on Sunday. He's quite raw from a light tape perspective, however Dylan was a DL prospect I just continued to want to watch by just how much fight he had in his reps and will be one that will continue to develop his technique, although I liked too what I saw out of his pad level on Sunday as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='706025' first='Andrew' last='Staples'], DL, Cherry (2024) <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kbhk8">Tape</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_1037-crop-2919x1917-1680840236.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-757560" width="357" height="234"/></figure>   Probably the biggest hidden gem from this list and on my All-Camp Team was an Iron-Range 2024 prospect from Cherry in [player_tooltip player_id='706025' first='Andrew' last='Staples']. This young man should off a quick trigger with his release from my eyes off his first step in 1v1 reps and the testing numbers this young man put up match what I saw on Sunday as Andrew hit the 9'0 mark with his broad jump and a 4.75 shuttle in his nearly 6'2 220 pound frame. He also showed a football IQ on Sunday that enlightened my eyes, as one that could shed off some bounce thru contact and get to the ball with some smooth footwork I saw. I haven't yet been able to track this young man down on Twitter, so if anyone has a way to get him on there, I am sure college coaches would love to take a look at this sizable 9-man prospect that has a significant amount of instinct in his game and tape.   [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson'], DL, Forest Lake (2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/Howie_Johnson92">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_1069-crop-2919x1917-1680840307.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-757570" width="354" height="232"/></figure>   Howie was one I feel if I found more time to watch his significant upside in his skillsets, would be sure-fire add to my defensive line group to my All-Camp Team last night. Nearly 6'4 230 pounds and just a freshmen, nearly every testing number Howie put up was intriguing to me with my SES (Size, Explosion Speed) analytic I have built especially with a young man of that size running already at his younger age a 4.6 short shuttle. I could just tell by how twitchy Howie was with his bend I saw on Saturday and has that wiring instinct already with his trigger to the ball, that this kid is going to be a DL prospect that has a very high ceiling and one that just wrapped up his freshmen year, which is super enlightening for his future game. His tape also shows a well-ran motor as the agility of his footwork can maneuver well more like a linebacker to get to cover the outside edge with his range. Howie is a Forest Lake prospect I am going to highly track over the next several year because this young man is a fun tape to watch as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='743243' first='Beck' last='Severson'], DL, Mankato East (2025) <a href="https://twitter.com/beck21735276">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_1006-1-crop-2919x1917-1680840458.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-757580" width="366" height="240"/></figure>   If I remember correctly, I first got to watch Beck last summer at the late Minnesota Gophers prospect camp and he is another prospect that has grown well athletically since then. I listed him on my All-Camp Team as a top performer based on what I saw in Indy drills, as Beck showed off some lasting strength in what I caught from his reps as well as a motor that I can already tell as a 2025 prospect, is only going to get bigger with time and training in the weight room. He's got some development yet to be seen with the strength of his hands but from what I watched last summer into now, showed off some solid reps in pass-protection for his size, that I believe will continue to grow.   [player_tooltip player_id='409965' first='Khyren' last='Haywood'], DL, Benilde St. Margaret's (2027) <a href="https://twitter.com/KhyrenHaywood">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/IMG_0975.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-754685" width="342" height="228"/></figure>   There were very few 2027 prospects in the building on Sunday at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, but in my eyes the one to me was Benilde St. Margaret's [player_tooltip player_id='409965' first='Khyren' last='Haywood']. Khyren is a prospect I have scouted before for Prep Redzone Next, but on Sunday I made sure I had my lens zoomed in on this kid as he certainly passed the eye test upon entering our showcase. At 6'0 nearly 250 pounds, Khyren certainly looked like he belonged with the high schoolers, as I was impressed with his developed strength for his age in the Indy drills and had him as a top performer from the group. Another skillset I was keyed into with Khyren was the great balance he showed in his footwork, as throughout every rep, I could tell this young man was not only loving the competition, but he showed great measures of consistency with his footwork. Khyren matched up with some of the top high schoolers in the state, and held his own and also for his age has great character which is the hardest skillset to evaluate out of the younger prospects. It might be early to gauge, but I think this young man is on a path to be one of our top defensive linemen in his class when our 2027 rankings come out in the near future.

MAPLE GROVE-- Because I was so impressed with this group of defensive linemen, I felt it was necessary to break this one into a two part series, as the depth at this position was one of my favorites at Sunday's Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. What can we learn about this group? This is probably one of the youngest lists I will write about, however that certainly means that the defensive line talent is alive and well in the Gopher State for the upcoming future. Let's get to the DL prospects that stood out!