Preseason Preview: Prior Lake Lakers

The Prior Lake Lakers have been a hotbed for college-level talent over the last few years, and the 2023 season will be no exception. With a hard-nosed pound-the-rock mentality, the Lakers have produced some phenomenal big men over the last couple of years, a trend you will see continue. With a typically stout defense and an offense that controls the ball for most of the game, the Lakers haven't seen a losing regular season once over the last decade. The expectation is Tournament Time this year, so let's meet some of the athletes who will make that happen!   Key Starters:   [player_tooltip player_id='120503' first='Aiden' last='Horel'] 2024 OL 6'5" 325 lbs   Horel is an absolute mammoth of a man. The now senior looks to anchor the Laker's O-line and he has all the tools to make that happen. In the run game, Horel has everything you could want from a player. He has the versatility to play either tackle or guard, and the size to maul defensive tackles. His tape is full of him pancaking defenders, either at the line of scrimmage or 7 yards downfield. He has quick feet and works well in space. Both traits directly correlate to his fantastic pulling ability. Horel is someone who I see plenty of P5 offers flowing in for.   Offers: SMSU, Winona State, Minnesota State-Mankato, South Dakota, Sioux Falls, Northern State, Bemidji State   [player_tooltip player_id='242455' first='Hunter' last='MacGillivray'] 2024 RB 5'10" 175 lbs   2022 Stats: 58 Carries, 317 Yards, 5.5 YPC, 4 TDs   MacGillivray is one-half of what appears to be a two-headed monster out of the Laker's backfield. He's a three-sport athlete (Football/Hockey/Track) and he's received a ton of NSIC interest recently. On his tape, he shows both good power and speed as a runner. He has no problem running through linebackers but also showcases a nasty burst of speed once he hits the hole. He shows off some good vision as a runner and consistently makes it to the second level. When he encounters first contact, he does a nice job of running his feet constantly, which allows him to get valuable extra yards.   Offers: UW River Falls   [player_tooltip player_id='930598' first='Levi' last='Eiter'] 2025 RB 6' 185 lbs   2022 Stats: 66 Carries, 468 Yards, 7.1 YPC, 4 TDs   Eiter is the other half of the Laker's backfield this upcoming year, Eiter possesses great top-end speed and can often be seen breaking off small runs for huge gains. He frequently beats defenders to the edge and has even shown some pass-catching upside. Eiter is a shifty back who tends to work best in open spaces where he can best show off his nimbleness and acceleration. Expect Eiter to be a big part of the Laker's offense over the next two years.   Josh Marcinkevich 2024 DB 5'10" 165 lbs   2022 Stats: 7 GP, 24 TOT, 1 INT   HE RUNS A 4.3!! Legitimately, that should be all I need to say. Marcinkevich had a dominant performance at the UWRF camp, where he posted a 4.32 40, a 4.29 pro-agility, and a 39" vertical. So it should also be no shock that Marcinkevich's other sport is track. His speed is evident on his tape as well. He can match strides with any wideout and has shown off some great ball instincts. Not surprisingly, he shows off great closing speed and can lurk back before shooting forward to make an incredible PBU. It would not shock me if he was extended a P5 offer for his potential alone.   Offers: UW-River Falls, Minnesota State-Mankato   [player_tooltip player_id='105377' first='Reid' last='Permuth'] 2024 DL 6'3" 260   2022 Stats: 8 GP, 16 TOT, 1 TFL   Permuth will play opposite of Abasiri this season and has generated a bunch of D1 interest over the summer. He appears much bigger on film, and he has a quick first step, especially considering his size. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage and uses his long arms to keep offensive linemen at bay. He often can plug up gaps by himself and is a fantastic run-stopper. He shows off a high football IQ and has good in-game awareness. He can effectively create pressure by himself and should be on a lot of college's watch lists.   [player_tooltip player_id='368529' first='Jide' last='Abasiri'] 2024 DL 6'6" 270 lbs   2022 Stats: 10 GP, 34 TOT, 2 TFL   Abasiri follows in the footsteps of recent Prior Lake graduates Greg Johnson and Martin Owusu in committing to the U of M. The senior can play anywhere on the defensive line, and while he may not have put up eye-popping numbers, the impact he has goes far beyond the stat sheet. Abasiri demands double teams, otherwise, he will put pressure on the QB in an instant. Even when he is double-teamed he can often spilt it and clog one or two gaps effectively. Even the best offensive linemen struggle to move him more than a couple of inches off the line of scrimmage. Expect that Abasiri has a monster senior year.   Committed To: University of Minnesota   Other Names to Know   [player_tooltip player_id='592222' first='Ethan' last='Beckman']: 2026 OL 6'4" 290 lbs   Teammates have listed Beckman as a potential breakout player. The now-sophomore boasts great size and looks to contend for a starting role for the Lakers. In his freshman film, he's an absolute monster. He threw around other kids with ease and looks more than ready to make that step up to the varsity level. His pad level can be high at times, but he more than makes up for it with his massive size and his quick feet.   [player_tooltip player_id='490114' first='Dylan' last='Hawley'] 2026 RB/LB 5'10" 210 lbs   Hawley is a sophomore who I could see developing into a strong two-way player over the next couple of years. He's already got a great frame on him and looks to only be getting stronger in what is one of the best strength programs in the state. His tape is full of breakaway run after breakaway run, and I am curious to see how his skillset translates to the varsity level.   [player_tooltip player_id='362279' first='Myles' last='Greenwood'] 2025 QB/DB 6'1" 200 lbs   Due to unforeseen circumstances, Greenwood appears to be getting the nod as the team's QB1 for the first two weeks. Although Prior Lake tends to take a more run-heavy offensive approach, Greenwood's been in the lab all summer with renowned quarterbacks coach, 612QBs. His footwork and accuracy have appeared to be greatly improving and Greenwood could shock a lot of people against Forest Lake (August 31st) and Shakopee (September 8th).   Javin Johnson 2024 Edge 6'3" 210 lbs   2022 Stats: 4 GP, 5 TOT, 1 TFL   Johnson plays with an incredible tenacity that is hard to find in high school kids. He has an explosive release off the line of scrimmage and is surprisingly quick for someone with his stronger build. He is incredibly aggressive and has shown a variety of moves against offensive linemen. Johnson is a very high-upside player heading into his senior year.   [player_tooltip player_id='242411' first='Drew' last='Hendrickson'] 2024 LB 5'11" 200 lbs   2022 Stats: 2 GP, 2 TOT   Hendrickson has been extremely active in the weight room this summer, posting a 300 lb bench, 405 lb squat, and a 275 lb clean. Although he was primarily a special teams guy last season, he's someone whose been putting in the work and who could see a big increase in workload his senior year.   Jason Green 2024 LB 6' 185 lbs   2022 Stats: 5 GP, 10 TOT, 1 TFL   Green is a versatile linebacker who was spoken of very highly by team leaders. Although he doesn't have any film available, he was a solid rotation linebacker as a junior and is one of a few players on that linebacking unit who is returning with consistent varsity experience. Scouts and coaches should not sleep on Green in this upcoming season.

The Prior Lake Lakers have been a hotbed for college-level talent over the last few years, and the 2023 season will be no exception. With a hard-nosed pound-the-rock mentality, the Lakers have produced some phenomenal big men over the last couple of years, a trend you will see continue. With a typically stout defense and an offense that controls the ball for most of the game, the Lakers haven't seen a losing regular season once over the last decade. The expectation is Tournament Time this year, so let's meet some of the athletes who will make that happen!