Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase: The Linebacker Standouts

ABERDEEN, SD-- We move back to the defensive back of the ball to shed light on the star linebackers that were all over our notepad on Saturday at Northern State at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. This list starts with some linebacker prospects with solid measurables and are just scratching the surface with the potential and feel they have at the linebacker position. After that, we move into some ranked 2025 and 2024 prospects in South Dakota and Wisconsin that showed off their significant motors into Saturday and close it out with a battle of the Treys from Pierre, South Dakota and Oakes, North Dakota who were our linebacker runner up for MVP and our selection for linebacker MVP on Saturday. It's go time at linebacker position!   [player_tooltip player_id='825414' first='Lincoln' last='Dikoff'], LB, Faulkton (SD) 2025   Lincoln was a linebacker that I thought passed my SES analytic with his measureables (6'0 215) as this kid ran with fluidity from my eyes on the back end of his 40 yard dash, logging a 4.99 40 yard dash, which shows off the longevity this kid has in his plethora with the motor he showed off on Saturday at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. On other ends of watching Lincoln live on Saturday I saw him as a LB prospect that has good potential based on the work-ethic this kid played with in the light reps I watched and that frame and motor when it hits a ball carrier in the 2023 season, is going to be one to watch, as I can't wait until Lincoln gets his junior tape up next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='321181' first='Connor' last='Gray'], LB, Sioux Falls Lincoln (SD) 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/ConnorGray0007">Twitter</a>   Connor is a linebacker prospect that keeps improving Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase after showcase. He showed off to be even more bursty with his straight line speed coming in with a 4.81 40 yard dash. Watching Connor in Indy drills, he showed off a good base of poise and instinct within his football IQ, as although he didn't test in the rainy conditions with the loads of agility you will see with other linebacker prospects this kid played with the instinct that is needed for the linebacker spot. Connor is certainly a linebacker prospect that I have on my short list from the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase that will be a stock-riser next time around.   [player_tooltip player_id='447250' first='Trace' last='Van Regenmorter'], LB, De Smet (SD) 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/TraceVanRegenm2">Twitter</a>   Trace was one of the top linebackers with his short burst in the entire group as you could tell early at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase that Trace win his size (6'2 195) is going to be a linebacker prospect with a high upside based on how long this young man showed off to be on Saturday in Aberdeen. He showed where there is some growth with his long-range motor to be seen, as Trace showed off some efficiency in 1v1 reps with his reach and showed off blankets of where his ball-tracking ability can take him in the coming years as he learns to utilize his frame. Another 2025 prospect, I will await the junior tape to get a deeper evaluation although he showed off small samples of what is brewing in De Smet with this young man.   [player_tooltip player_id='725843' first='Zachary' last='Smith'], LB, Tri-State (ND) 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/zsmith_34">Twitter</a>   In every rep I got to watch from Zachary on Saturday, pinpointed from what I saw on tape when I added him to our 2025 North Dakota rankings as a linebacker prospect that showed a heavy blue-collar work ethic at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Aberdeen. Zachary showed off a reactive trigger in the reps I caught that played well-balanced and in my eyes, bigger than what his 5'10 185 pound frame showed off. He was certainly a prospect that showed off what he could do in pass coverage, as even though his tape from the early 2025 evaluation showed off light in this skillset, I thought he won a handful of reps on Saturday with his football IQ he brings on the football field and is also an exceptional student too, with a 4.0 GPA. Zach showed off the consistent massive motor I saw on Saturday as a linebacker that plays like a downhill rumbler, aching to get to the football. With two more seasons of HS football, I certainly saw plenty of promising skillsets from Zachary on Saturday that will benefit him on Friday nights this fall for Tri-State.   Derrick Bunkelman, LB, De Pere (WI) 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/DerrickBunkelm1">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Derrick-Brinkelman-crop-820x538-1684290755.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-827569" width="355" height="233" /></figure>   The first word to describe Derrick's game I saw on Saturday at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, is "gamer" as Derrick showed off one of the biggest motors I saw from the linebacker position as a prospect that is more a nickel-back at the high school level. I loved watching the efficiency and aggression in this young man's hands on Saturday as he played massively bigger than the measurables he showed off in Aberdeen. I also liked the balance Derrick played with in 1v1s as he was one of the more physical linebackers I got to witness in pass coverage. College coaches will get some solid positional flexibility with this young man, with the best fit being at middle linebacker in my eyes on Saturdays.   [player_tooltip player_id='289605' first='Austin' last='Brummels'], LB, Sioux Falls Jefferson (SD) 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Brummels">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Austin-Brummels-crop-1698x1115-1684292557.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-827617" width="378" height="248" /></figure>   Austin was in the top-tier in the flying 10-yard dash on Saturday at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. He was impressive for his measurables with how much reactive instincts Austin brought to the table in rainy Aberdeen on Saturday, as this young man had the hip flexibility with his change of direction to engage off the hip in 1v1 drills and showed off some great reps from what my eyes could catch. Austin is a prospect you can assure whichever side of the field he lines up on from defense to special teams, that will always be on the front line of the ball carrier as his physicality and strength keeps stock-rising this offseason as Austin has really pressed the gas in the weight room as well this Spring at Sioux Falls Jefferson.   [player_tooltip player_id='233647' first='Sam' last='Kooima'], LB, Lead-Deadwood (SD) 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/kooima7sam">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Sam-Kooima-crop-1536x1009-1684295694.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-827744" width="379" height="249" /></figure>   Sam impressed me on Saturday as a late addition to the linebacker group, but certainly fit the part with the versatility he showed off at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Aberdeen. At nearly 6'0 190 pounds, Sam passed the eye-test upon his arrival to our showcase and started off his day showing off excellent explosion in the broad jump with a 9'5 (2nd in the LB group) and showed off some consistent testing numbers with a 4.91 40 yard dash, and 4.69 short shuttle. He didn't just impress me in testing either as I was a big fan of Sam's ball tracking ability from what I engaged during his Indy drills and into 1v1s as this young man plays with significant balance and a great feel for the position as his best fit positionally playing in the future on Saturdays. Sam also showed great durability in his frame, that is built to play with heavy contact like the college coaches will also see on tape. Another small bite I loved about Sam, is his measurables matched what he has on his social media identically, which has to appease college coaches in attendance on Saturday. Sam also has some swift instincts finding the ball carrier inside tight windows within the inside box as this kid showed off that athleticism with his sneaky release in Indy Drills. I can't wait to see what Sam has on his plate this summer as far as prospect camps as I believe he's in for a hot summer as a guaranteed stockriser in South Dakota's 2024 class out of Lead-Deadwood.   [player_tooltip player_id='289595' first='Trey' last='Lewis'], LB, Pierre T.F. Riggs (SD) 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/Trey_Lew26">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Trey-Lewis-crop-1536x1009-1684292156.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-827606" width="379" height="249" /></figure>   Trey is a linebacker prospect from 11AA powerhouse Pierre that has been on my radar for a while, but he showed off from the first look before early testing that he certainly passed the eye-test. He showed off a crafty athletic build and had a plethora of flexibility in his hips with his change of direction even before I got to watch him in testing, in which he excelled with some of the best overall testing numbers amongst the linebacker group with a 9'7.5 broad jump, 4.71 40 yard dash, and a 7.44 L-Drill as Trey was not at all phased by the weather conditions in Aberdeen on Saturday as he showed off how much durability he plays with from the linebacker position. He showed off a massive burst on Saturday consistently at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase and could flip his hips on a dime from what I saw in 1v1 reps as Trey was one of the most physical linebacker in the group. I didn't get the numbers on Trey's 10-yard split but based on the tape I have consistently watched over the last season I am sure he had to be in the top two in the group at least. Trey picked up an offer from Northern State on Saturday, and I would be re-missed if i didn't believe he wasn't done yet showing his craft in the NSIC as I absolutely love how much work Trey has put in in the weight room over the last couple of years to grow into the frame he has built now.   [player_tooltip player_id='533104' first='Trey' last='Skoglund'], LB, Oakes (ND) 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/Treyskoglund3">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/IMG_8070-crop-513x337-1684293092-crop-410x269-1684293105.jpg?w=409" alt="" class="wp-image-827650" width="355" height="232" /></figure>   It was a battle of Treys for the linebacker MVP on Saturday at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, as Oakes (ND) 2024 linebacker prospect [player_tooltip player_id='533104' first='Trey' last='Skoglund'] took home the linebacker MVP at Northern State. Where Trey excelled was how smooth and swift his rotations were when I caught him in Indy Drills and in 1v1s as this young man's field instincts abruptly caught my eyes and my drenched notepad on numerous occasions on Saturday in Aberdeen. Trey also has the downhill pressed motor I love watching in the backfield flying out of the middle linebacker spot as the improvement from our December Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase to Saturday's Showcase, Trey took his stock way up our board in my eyes and has gotten much more balanced with his release with his change of direction. Trey had the highest record 10-yard split (1.13) so it was easy to see why his 5'11 177 pound frame was so enhanced with adrenaline on Saturday even with the poor weather that mother nature gave us. He also showed efficiency with his contact-level when working deep into Indy Drills on Saturday. Trey doesn't have an offer yet, however I expect him to be a hot commodity this summer around the NSIC at their prospect camps for sure.

ABERDEEN, SD-- We move back to the defensive back of the ball to shed light on the star linebackers that were all over our notepad on Saturday at Northern State at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. This list starts with some linebacker prospects with solid measurables and are just scratching the surface with the potential and feel they have at the linebacker position. After that, we move into some ranked 2025 and 2024 prospects in South Dakota and Wisconsin that showed off their significant motors into Saturday and close it out with a battle of the Treys from Pierre, South Dakota and Oakes, North Dakota who were our linebacker runner up for MVP and our selection for linebacker MVP on Saturday. It's go time at linebacker position!