Under the Radar Prospects Who Boosted their Stock this Summer
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As they say: time marches on, and before we knew it we’re entering August and the exhilarating time that is fall camp and preseason preparation. June was a whirlwind of offers and standout camp performances, which led to July’s stage…
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Continue ReadingAs they say: time marches on, and before we knew it we’re entering August and the exhilarating time that is fall camp and preseason preparation. June was a whirlwind of offers and standout camp performances, which led to July’s stage of commitment announcements and delayed stock-risers making waves in the FBS and FCS recruiting scenes, and as we enter the final non-dead period of the summer, PrepRedzone wanted to take a Midwest look-back at some standout summer camp szn superstars who boosted their stock during the past month+ and during the heat of the summer. Upper Midwest, Show-Me State, Land of Lincoln, and Hoosier State representatives all showed up and showed out during this past month, and we got all the details for you below. Let’s dig in!
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Coming out of powerhouse DeSmet Jesuit in the St. Louis metro, 6’3, 190 lb. rising junior signal-caller Dillon Duff Dillon Duff 6’2″ | 190 lbs | QB De Smet | 2025 State MO saw his hard work and God-given tools pay dividends during the summer of 2023, as he went on a hot streak in June and earned his first P5 offer from Indiana after balling out at their team and followed it up with another B1G offer from Minnesota after attending the Gophers prospect camp in Minneapolis. It’s a strong start to his recruitment prior to his upperclassman campaign launching, and with the recruitment of QBs generally coming in a much more accelerated fashion compared to other positions on the gridiron, you can bet your bottom dollar that Duff will go on a few more hot streaks of P5 offers before it’s all said and done. Early June also saw him earn his first two overall offers from Miami (OH) and Kent State, so he’s sitting with a solid sheet of college opportunities going into fall camp. Possessing an accomplished basketball background, good size, and a ton of arm talent that is quite visible as a sophomore QB playing for one of Missouri’s top programs. Duff demonstrates a snappy throwing motion, velocity on his shorter and intermediate throws, and the capability to get the ball out of his hand quickly. He’s got solid footwork that looks in synch with his upper body and throwing motion, but also helps him buy time, step up into the pocket through pressure and avoid rushers out on the edges with a good sense of when to continue to keep his eyes downfield and when to tuck it and run. When he does take off with the ball in hand, he’s got lateral elusiveness and physicality as a runner when needed. Duff also gets through his reads quickly and doesn’t seem to force the football into riskier situations, throws well on the move, and is accurate to all levels of the field. He’s one of Missouri’s top gunslingers going into the fall and is going to really blow up once his junior tape starts getting released.
https://twitter.com/duff_dillon/status/1668689710565171210?s=20
Highlights
Jack Lange
Jack Lange
The Show-Me State has some absolute monsters in the trenches going into the fall, and Eureka Wildcat’s massive 2025 OL Jack Lange joined a distinguished list of not only XL trench warfare specialists but of P5 offerees. After camping with B1G competitor Nebraska and speaking with the new and highly-touted Head Coach Matt Rhule, Lange earned his first P5 and first offer overall from the ‘Huskers. Prior to that, he also performed well at the Lindenwood mega camp and Texas Tech prospect camp and competed well in 1-on-1s vs. both speed and power rushers in camp setting. Lange only has tape from June padded scrimmages with Eureka, but the tape displays a lot of the same positives he showed off on the camp circuit, as he’s laterally agile and comfortable in a pass set, bendy in his stance, and can gain depth to handle speed rushers and sets his anchor well at the contact point to stonewall power rushes. Additionally, he displays solid strength, which is backed up by his 290 lb. power clean and solid throwing numbers with the Wildcats track team, and I also like how he keeps his feet active, will capitalize when opponents get off balance, as well as how he impressively can pull, break down, and block in space. The lateral agility as his eye-catching, P5-no-brainer-size is especially stellar, and Lange is a good athlete with a ton of potential and good football ahead of him. It’ll be a big fall for the giant OT to keep boosting his stock. Good move by Nebraska getting in early.
https://twitter.com/JackLange55/status/1662957471646793729?s=20
Another Missouri-bred 2025 prospect seeing their summer recruiting grind bring fruitful rewards, Gionni McBride Gionni McBride 6’2″ | 170 lbs | DB North Kansas City | 2025 State MO hails from Kansas City and North Kansas City High School and boasts eye-catching size as a 6’3 CB that really fires up collegiate DB coaches and recruiters. His recruitment popped off near the end of June when the Kansas Jayhawks offered a P5 scholarship out of the Big12, and he’s got the chance to shoot his stock into the stratosphere during his upcoming junior campaign. Possesses the tools to be one of the most lockdown CBs in Missouri and possibly the Midwest, as he’s noticeably long and shows off great COD skills and super loose hips. McBride does a good job of staying square, not opening the gate, and getting hands on WRs in their releases with well-timed strikes, but does have fluid hips and can flip them quickly to get back into proper position. He also shows the speed that can easily stay on top of WRs going vertical, the ability to mirror WRs well and gets into their hip pocket quickly, and his length helps him play the ball well at the catch point. The toolsy CB is also solid at shedding blocks and a willing tackler. The size and length will catch the eye of his evaluators, and the athletic tools and technique will get them to stay. Look for him to pick up more offers this fall.
Highlights
Camden Fall Thompson
Camden Fall Thompson
A very intriguing and athletic football prospect who is still very much on the radar, 6’5, 180 lb. WR Camden Fall Thompson comes out of Whitehall, Michigan, and brings an excellent high school sports resume to the table that includes two All-State nods as a SF on the basketball team, a track and field D2 state runner-up finish in the high jump (6’7″), and an All-Conference and Dream Team selection for his exploits as a wide receiver. He’s one of the top basketball players in the Mitten and brings eye-popping size to the WR position, and in-state MAC competitor Western Michigan couldn’t ignore his talent any longer and made a great first offer to Thompson in June. He’s also added D1 basketball offers from Stephen F. Austin, Western Michigan, Oakland, and Bowling Green State, and took a call from Michigan basketball’s DPP as well. There’s too much athleticism to ignore, and in his 2022 sophomore season on the gridiron, Thompson displayed a big catch radius, the capability to make contested catches and receptions through contact, the skills, timing, and vertical ability to climb the ladder, and high point the football, and some impressive quickness after the catch that made him difficult for defenders to corral. There’s a ridiculous amount of physical attributes and upside in his skillset and more schools need to get him on their radars ASAP.
https://twitter.com/CamFallThompson/status/1668669574684848135?s=20
Putting on for the 2026s, Davison High School’s 6’5, 325 lb. OL Ben Nichols Ben Nichols 6’6″ | 325 lbs | OL Davison | 2026 State MI was a known commodity and freshman recruit going into the summer, as he earned offers from Saginaw Valley State, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan in January. However, things really picked up during the summer camp szn, as his performance at the Michigan State prospect helped him bring him his first P5 and B1G offer from MSU to really boost his stock as a college football prospect. Without pads on, Nichols looks fluid when doing his athletic testing, with smooth COD skills, an explosive broad jump for his size, and noticeable body control. Also a PrepRedzone Showcase MVP, Nichols was a beast and a bear of a RT last fall on the gridiron, and showed off a real propensity and dominance as a run blocker that is well above what his age would suggest. With obvious strength and pop at the point of attack, the bruiser also displayed great leg drive, solid hand placement, and always works to finish, which helped him execute some painful-looking finishes that were sure to stay in the minds of his victims throughout the course of four quarters. Size, strength, and physicality well beyond his years, Nichols is a no-doubt P5 talent whose skillset looks built for B1G, grind-it-out, trench warfare competition.
https://twitter.com/BNichols2026/status/1670926658130305024?s=20
A skill player out of the Great State of Michigan, Lansing based Everett High School has a new D1 receiver on their hands in 6′, 180 lb. Mason Chadwell Mason Chadwell 6’0″ | 175 lbs | WR Lansing Everett | 2025 State MI . The football and track standout was busy this summer and hit the summer camp circuit hard, which included stops at Central Michigan and Western Michigan, but a camp performance in West Virginia at Marshall University is where his hard work came to fruition, as the Thundering Hurd offered a FBS scholarship after camping in Huntington. Now a solidified D1 prospect, Chadwell is set to burst onto the scene as a junior, as he’s limited in sophomore film but has been working his butt off this offseason, and in his summer camp clips he showed a twitchy and quick skillset that aides him greatly as a route runner and when working to create separation. He’s particularly deadly in his releases, and does a good job of stacking DBs once he gets a step on them and keeps them guessing at the top of the route. His popularity has the chance to grow immensely once he gets padded, varsity tape as a junior. Stay tuned on this one, it’s got the makings to be a fun recruitment to follow.
https://twitter.com/Mason_Chadwell/status/1672058850323603458?s=20
Although the Dakotas aren’t the deepest producers of college football talent, the kids at the top end are extremely high quality and able to compete at the highest levels of college football. South Dakota is currently home to a 2026 with the chance to be special, as Brandon Valley’s DT Hudson Parliament Hudson Parliament 6’4″ | 290 lbs | DL Brandon Valley | 2026 State SD has been absolutely tearing up the summer camp circuit and has made significant waves in the Upper Midwest recruiting scene despite his age. It’s not every day a kid from the Dakotas grabs D1 college scholarships as a freshman, but Parliament already holds offers from FCS defending champs South Dakota State as well as North Dakota, with his performance at a Minnesota Gophers prospect camp raising his name high up on their 2026 big board. Brandon Valley is also home to one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in the nation, who is also a solidified P5 iOL talent holding six P5 offers, and it looks like the rich have gotten richer as Parliament will continue to keep high-major college football coaches and recruiters coming to Brandon, South Dakota for years to come. The 6’3, 270 lb. DT was a varsity starter last fall, and showed off power and strength necessary for interior DL play, but plays the position with more finesse than you usually see. He’s super slippery working through gaps, which is helped by his quick get-off, twitch, and ability to can flip his hips to play angles around a block attempt. He can also beat you with straight-up strength, as he’s powerful enough to shed doubles and throw opponents around when he wants to play physically, possesses efficient hand usage and a heavy first punch that is best utilized after he gets opponents off balance when he catches them leaning or lunging. Parliament is balanced, controlled, and can beat blockers in a variety of ways. The future of South Dakota football recruiting is bright, and I would not want to have to match up with Brandon Valley in the trenches in 2023.
https://twitter.com/Hud_Parliament/status/1665772757437538312?s=20
Highlights
One of the most prolific stock risers from the summer of 2023’s high school football recruiting scene in Wisconsin, La Crosse Aquinas’ 6’4, 265 lb. LT and DL Shane Willenbring Shane Willenbring 6’5″ | 265 lbs | OL La Crosse Aquinas | 2024 State WI picked up offers from South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Wyoming, Air Force, Army West Point, Bucknell, North Dakota State, and a PWO from Wisconsin, plus multiple DII offers, before shutting things down and committing to the defending FCS natty champs SDSU during the Jackrabbits recent hot streak of commitments at the end of June. Willenbring helped the Blugolds to a WIAA Division 5 state championship last fall while showing off a ton of good traits as a two-way contributor with obvious athleticism. Offensively, watching him run and work out in space is very impressive, as he’s mobile and balanced and moves more like a LB than a 6’4, 265 lb.+ OL. He’s able to keep pace and stay in front of his streaking RBs while knocking down second and third-level defenders like a bowling ball through pins, and also possesses laterally agility, noticeable pop, and the capacity to burst into contact that really gets opponents on their heels and eventually on their butts. Willenbring is always working to finish, and also showed off experience in pass pro and can stay engaged with defenders throughout a rep. Defensively, he posted 55 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks, and demonstrated power, effective hand usage, and some strong tackling capability. What a grab for the Jacks! We’ll be seeing Willenbring help compete for national championships before we know it.
https://twitter.com/Swillenbring54/status/1674585176121245701?s=20
Highlights
PRzWI has had Lake Mills’ standout 2024 athlete Matthew Stenbroten Matthew Stenbroten 6’4″ | 235 lbs | LB Lake Mills | 2024 State WI on our radars since his older brother was tearing up the field of SE Wisconsin a couple of years ago before heading to the University of Sioux Falls to continue playing football. To see younger bro Matthew, a stud PrepRedzoneWI Showcase MVP and veteran, add so much size, retain his athleticism, grow his dominance, and eventually elevate his stock into a P5 commit has been a very satisfying journey to watch, but it hasn’t come easy and didn’t happen overnight. Coming into the summer with offers from Illinois State, Wyoming, Air Force, Army, Northern Illinois, Columbia, Dartmouth, Lafayette, Fordham, NDSU, Northern Illinois, Sioux Falls, Colgate, Ohio, South Dakota, Lehigh, Bucknell, and Cornell, Stenbroten was far from unpopular on the recruiting trail, but an extra 15-20 pounds of muscle/weight gain, retained athleticism, and a standout performance at the University of Illinois’ prospect camp really platformed for him for what became that coveted P5 offer. The 6’4, 235 lb. LB/EDGE hybrid set up an Official Visit to ACC competitor Syracuse in late June, earned the offer during the visit, and announced his commitment six days later to the Orange. PRzWI is PUMPED for the young man. On tape, he lines up as a standup 5T/6i and occasional wide9 defender, but has strong reps as a WR and looks mobile enough to potentially play off-ball LB in college. However, his impact as a pass rusher is legit, as he can bend the edge, shows some quickness to beat blocking attempts to their inside shoulder, can use his hands and physicality to shed blocks, and has closing speed and is a strong tackler. Offensively, he can drop his hips to create separation, play and high point the football well, and make catches through contact. Stenbroten displays good speed and athleticism for his size with a dynamic skillset that has only gotten bigger, faster, stronger, and more physicality dominant as we’ve tracked him. Syracuse should be psyched about this pickup from the Badger State!
https://twitter.com/MatthewStenbro1/status/1675255693153034249?s=20
We’re heading back south to the Show-Me State and Fort Osage High School’s 5’11, 180 lb. 2025 RB Ryver Peppers Ryver Peppers 5’10” | 175 lbs | RB Fort Osage | 2025 State MO . Sporting a 440 lb. squat and All-State track & field honors as a long jumper, not to mention his All-Conference, All-District, and Second Team All-State nods for his exploits as a RB last fall, Peppers heard from a heavyweight FCS contender for his first college football offer in late June when the defending national champion South Dakota State offered a FCS scholarship. It wasn’t a big surprise, as Peppers is already decorated, productive (251 carries for 1,634 yards and 21 TDs + 480 receiving yards and 7 TDs through the air), and athletic, and the Jacks have had a ton of recent success with Missouri-born RBs. Peppers explodes through gaps like he’s shot out of a cannon and is lethal between the tackles, where his long legs and long strides, combined with his burst and top end speed, help him create house calls from slight gap integrity mistakes from a defense. He can can get to top speed very quickly, has an extra gear of pace that pulls away from pursuers at the second and third level of a defense, and accelerates out of his cuts. In terms of breaking tackles, he possesses contact balance, twitch, and a shifty gait that keeps defenders reaching. I also like his vision, and he’s got some skills as a WR that created big plays in the passing game. Overall, Peppers is a splash play machine and has a noticeable and eye-popping amount of speed that is really impressive on film. More offers coming!
Highlights
To the Land of Lincoln, we go! The pass-rushing talent in Illinois’ 2025 class is outrageous, and two late yet outstanding risers from the class have elevated their stock and solidified themselves among the state and Midwest’s elite, one of which we’ll cover here. Beginning with perennial big-school power Lincoln-Way East and their 2025 6’5, 215 lb. DE Caden O’Rourke Caden O’Rourke 6’5″ | 215 lbs | DL Lincoln Way East | 2025 State IL , who possesses a lean, alluring frame, solid production as a sophomore (51 tackles, 10 sacks, 6 TFLs) against high-quality competition, and a wrestling background that no doubt helps in the trenches. His first offer came in May of 2022 when Akron reached out, and things picked back up almost exactly a year later when Bowling Green State, Toledo, Ball State, Illinois State, Kent State, and eventually Iowa and Louisville joined in on his offer list. A month after that is where things elevated, as the home state B1G institutions of Northwestern and Illinois offered up and officially got involved. Now heading into his upperclassman campaign with the Griffins as a certified high-end talent, O’Rourke will be looking to build on his already promising skillset that includes length, strength, and physicality when attacking and shedding blocks for his size, and a solid get-off, and a little bit of twitch and bend. I also like how he can get skinny through gaps, works into passing lanes naturally, and shows some COD ability when running down a QB, as well as the skills to tackle in space. If O’Rourke hit the weight room hard this offseason he’s going to have a monster junior season. PRzIL is pumped to watch it unfold.
https://twitter.com/caden_orourke/status/1671604432448937999?s=20
Fort Wayne Carroll’s 6’3, 185 lb QB Jimmy Sullivan Jimmy Sullivan 6’3″ | 170 lbs | QB Carroll | 2025 State IN is having a fun offseason and saw his stock boosted into the P5 ranks of recruiting after his performance at the Minnesota Golden Gophers prospect camp in mid-June, where he left Dinkytown with his first P5 and B1G offer from the Gophs. Before that, he earned seven FBS offers out of the MAC from March to June, which was sparked by his strong sophomore szn at Carroll High School where he earned First Team All-Conference honors, led the Chargers to a 6A state runner-up finish and 13-1 record, and concluded the year with a stat line of 193-297 (65%) for 2,290 passing yards and 27 TDs through the air, plus 182 rushing yards and nine more TDs on the ground. Indiana is loaded with gunslingers going into the fall, and Sullivan more than holds his own among the talented crop, as his poise and accuracy really stand out and impress in the sophomore tape. I love how he stands tall and confident in the pocket, reads the field well, doesn’t panic, makes good decisions with the football, and navigates and moves around the pocket smoothly and comfortably. He’s got good size, clean mechanics, and solid arm strength that can generate velocity and stretch the field when needed. The accuracy and touch are especially fun to watch and eye-catching, and he’s a good athlete at the position who seems to have the mental part of the position down. Great move by the Gophs to get involved early.
https://twitter.com/Jimmy_sullivan8/status/1669168576492625920?s=20
We’re sticking in the Hoosier State for the next few prospects but are shifting over to the defensive side of the ball for this next standout Under The Radar prospect who boosted their stock this summer. Elkhart High School’s XL 6’5, 240 lb. 2025 EDGE Mariyon Dye Mariyon Dye 6’5″ | 235 lbs | DL Elkhart | 2025 State IN saw his stock elevate to an instate P5 prospect during June when Indiana and Purdue reached out with B1G offers, but he’s still waiting to boost up into a regional and potentially national recruit during the fall of his junior year. Sporting a 7’1″ wingspan, Dye’s length is absurd and easily visible on tape, where he can effortlessly disengage and shed blocking attempts when he extends and locks out his arm. He also demonstrates solid strength, a comfortability moving and tackling in space, closing speed, and loose hips that he can flip and set him up to bend around the edge nicely. I also like his lateral agility, and Dye does a good job of tracking and mirroring ball carriers before closing and enveloping RBs and QBs, and he’s also instinctive enough to get his long arms up and into passing lanes when he can’t get to the QB in time. His frame and athleticism should undoubtedly help him continue to rise and build his stock as a prospect going forward.
Mikeah Webster
Mikeah Webster
I love me a well-built HB, and Westfield High School’s Mikeah Webster is going to be a fun one to continue to track the next two seasons with the Shamrocks. A 6’1, 225 lber. who also plays LB and DL, Webster saw his first two FBS offers roll in during the start of the summer as Ball State and Eastern Michigan, and he’s got the stuff to keep the momentum rolling going into the always-paramount junior season for college football prospects. Big #85 is positionally versatile, and has good reps as a HB and DL. As a DE, he’s strong at the point of attack and shows off quickness and can beat blocking attempts with power as well. As a TE/HB, Webster can catch the rock and break tackles after the catch, and is a technically sound blocker who is strong enough to move bodies as a traditional inline TE or from the wing and can break down and corral DBs and LBs in space and out on the perimeter. He also has great leg drive once he’s engaged. However, there is far too much slow motion in his sophomore tape which made things hard to watch and properly evaluate. I hope he doesn’t do that again as a junior, as there will be a ton of eyes watching him, including PRzIN and yours truly, of course.
Detroit Catholic Central’s 2026 rising sophomore lineman Benjamin Eziuka Benjamin Eziuka 6’3″ | 290 lbs | OL Detroit Catholic Central | 2026 State MI is right on the cusp of blowing up, but made strong waves in boosting his stock this summer after earning his first two offers from Central Michigan and Toledo. The 6’3, 290 lber. was a varsity guard, as well as wrestler, during 2022, and put up solid camp performances during the summer grind at stops like Notre Dame and Michigan. He was physically dominant against older competition, and crumpled opponents in effortless fashion in the run game after making contact and working off a couple of steps. He’s a big kid who moves well and is still growing, which should scare defenders going forward, as he’s already strong, heavy handed, plays with a high motor, and gets out of his stance well and can cover ground laterally to pull efficiently. Eziuka always looking to finish and does so in straight-forward fashion. He’ll be a popular name on the recruiting trail as a sophomore.
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