Minnesota’s 2023 Class 5A Preseason All-State Team: Defense/ST
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First off, I’d like to apologize for the lateness in this Preseason All-State Team. A collusion of events, both professionally and personally, made my summer the most hectic of my life, and I hope you guys can forgive me for…
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Continue ReadingFirst off, I’d like to apologize for the lateness in this Preseason All-State Team. A collusion of events, both professionally and personally, made my summer the most hectic of my life, and I hope you guys can forgive me for not being timely in the publishing of these big-school All-State teams. Taking over the Illinois rankings, getting married and going on my honeymoon, moving, and a few more life events has pushed these teams into the season, but I’d like to think it’s better late than never, and these boys named to Minnesota’s 2023 Class 5A Preseason All-State Defensive and Special Teams squad absolutely deserve recognition for their efforts as juniors and into the offseason. This is an especially loaded Defense and ST team, with big-time scholarship talent at every position on the defensive and in the special teams game and a diverse range of graduating classes and programs represented. I’ve already taken enough of your time in this intro however, get to know Minnesota’s 2023 Class 5A Preseason All-State Defensive and Special Teams squad below. Congratulations to the selections, hard work pays off and it’s been a heckuva 2023 season already.
Preseason Class 5A Preseason Player of the Year: Wyatt Gilmore Wyatt Gilmore 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Rogers | 2024 State MN (Rogers) Senior. DE/TE. Committed to Oklahoma
Preseason Class 5A Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Macy Sam Macy 6'5" | 230 lbs | LB Chanhassen | 2024 State MN (Chanhassen) Senior. EDGE. Committed to Minnesota
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Defensive Line
First Team: Wyatt Gilmore Wyatt Gilmore 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Rogers | 2024 State MN (Rogers) 2024. 6’4, 250 lbs. – Max Mogelson Max Mogelson 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Two Rivers | 2024 State MN (Two Rivers) 2024. 6’3, 280 lbs. – Langden College Langden College 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Armstrong | 2024 State MN (Robbinsdale Armstrong) 2024. 6’4, 215 lbs. – Adrian Onyiego Adrian Onyiego 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Rogers | 2024 State MN (Rogers) 2024. 6’2, 200 lbs.
Second Team: Lucas Caron Lucas Caron 6'6" | 245 lbs | DL Bemidji | 2024 State MN (Bemidji) 2024. 6’5, 250 lbs. – Denim Blackstad Denim Blackstad 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL Mankato West | 2025 State MN (Mankato West) 2025. 6’3, 225 lbs. – Adam Fluekiger (Monticello) 2024. 6’4, 240 lbs. – Grant Lower (Owatonna) 2024. 6’4, 270 lbs.
Third Team: Ben Bauer (Monticello) 2024. 6’2, 260 lbs. – Miles Prochnow Miles Prochnow 6'2" | 265 lbs | DL Rochester Century | 2024 State MN (Rochester Century) 2024. 6’2, 270 lbs. – Sawyer Rumohr Sawyer Rumohr 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Alexandria Area Schoo | 2024 State MN (Alexandria) 2024. 6’3, 245 lbs. – Henry Novak Henry Novak 6'4" | 210 lbs | DL New Prague | 2024 State MN (New Prague) 2024. 6’4, 205 lbs. – Dominic Castagnetto (Chanhassen) 2024.
Linebacker
First Team: Dylan Gross Dylan Gross 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Brainerd | 2024 State MN (Brainerd) 2024. 6’2, 220 lbs. – Sam Macy Sam Macy 6'5" | 230 lbs | LB Chanhassen | 2024 State MN (Chanhassen) 2024. 6’5, 230 lbs. – Emmanuel Karmo Emmanuel Karmo 6'3" | 205 lbs | LB Robbinsdale Cooper | 2025 State MN (Robbinsdale Cooper) 2025. 6’3, 210 lbs. – Josh Wedel Josh Wedel 6'5" | 235 lbs | DL Chaska | 2025 State MN (Chaska) 2025. 6’5, 235 lbs.
Second Team: Kaleb Weikel Kaleb Weikel 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Andover | 2025 State MN (Andover) 2025. 6’2, 220 lbs. – Logan Bunker Logan Bunker 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB Elk River | 2024 State MN (Elk River) 2024. 6’1, 200 lbs. – Torrin Smith Torrin Smith 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Owatonna | 2024 State MN (Owatonna) 2024. 6′, 220 lbs. – Nolan Radtke (Rochester John Marshall) 2024. 6’2, 215 lbs.
Third Team: Palmer Willegalle Palmer Willegalle 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Rogers | 2024 MN (Rogers) 2024. 6′, 205 lbs. – Austin Koep Austin Koep 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Northfield | 2024 State MN (Northfield) 2024. 6’3, 210 lbs. – Enoch Dablaka Enoch Dablaka 6'1" | 155 lbs | LB Kennedy | 2024 State MN (Bloomington Kennedy) 2024. 6’1, 165 lbs. – Ben Peterson Ben Peterson 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover) 2024. 6’3, 220 lbs. – Vincent Zeyen (Hastings) 2024. 6’1, 190 lbs.
Defensive Back
First Team: William Washington William Washington 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Apple Valley | 2024 State MN (Apple Valley) 2024. 5’11, 170 lbs. – Brody Koberoski Brody Koberoski 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Mankato West | 2024 State MN (Mankato West) 2024. 6’1, 180 lbs. – Tate McDonald (Waconia) 2024. 6’2, 180 lbs. – Obe Eyafe Obe Eyafe 6'3" | 190 lbs | DB Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover) 2024. 6’3, 195 lbs.
Second Team: Tyler Smith (Chanhassen) 2024. 6’1, 185 lbs. – Zach Ladu (Rochester John Marshall) 2024. 6’4, 175 lbs. – Sean Holbrook (Brainerd) 2024. 6’1, 190 lbs. – Isaac Davis Isaac Davis 5'11" | 190 lbs | DB Park Center | 2024 State MN (Park Center) 2024. 5’11, 185 lbs.
Third Team: Damarius Fletcher Damarius Fletcher 5'11" | 185 lbs | DB St. Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN (St. Cloud Tech) 2024. 5’10, 180 lbs. – Tony Kruse (St. Louis Park) 2024. 6’2, 180 lbs. – Luke Dehnicke Luke Dehnicke 6'4" | 205 lbs | ATH Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover) 2024. 6’4, 205 lbs. – Owen Beyer Owen Beyer 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Owatonna | 2024 State MN (Owatonna) 2024. 5’11, 170 lbs.
Honorable Mention: John Hagen (Brainerd) 2024. 6’1, 160 lbs. – Randy Kweyete Randy Kweyete 6'3" | 195 lbs | DB Park Center | 2025 State MN (Park Center) 2025. 6’3, 185 lbs. – Peter Douma Peter Douma 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB Highland Park | 2024 State MN (St. Paul Highland Park) 2024. 6’2 ,185 lbs. – Francisco Fernandez (Spring Lake Park) 2024. 5’10, 160 lbs.
Athlete
First Team: Luke Emmerich Luke Emmerich 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Monticello | 2025 State MN (Monticello) 2025. 6’3, 190 lbs.
Second Team: Allan Lankfard Allan Lankfard 6'1" | 200 lbs | ATH St. Paul Central | 2025 State MN (St. Paul Central) 2025. 6’1, 190 lbs. – Aijhon Douglas Aijhon Douglas 5'8" | 150 lbs | ATH St. Paul Harding/Humboldt | 2025 State MN (St. Paul Harding/Humboldt) 2025.
Third Team: Marcus Lomanga Marcus Lomanga 6'2" | 215 lbs | ATH Bloomington Jefferson | 2024 State MN (Bloomington Jefferson) 2024. 6’2, 215 lbs.
Specialists
Kicker: Daniel Jackson (Alexandria) 2025. 5’9, 165 lbs. – Carter Smith (Spring Lake Park) 2024. 6’1, 180 lbs. – Alex Akim (Mankato West) 2024. 5’10, 205 lbs. – Satchel Johnson Satchel Johnson 5'9" | 155 lbs | K New Prague | 2024 MN (New Prague) 2024.
Punter: Daniel Jackson (Alexandria) 2025. 5’9, 165 lbs. – Emerson Droubie Emerson Droubie 6'5" | 200 lbs | ATH Cambridge-Isanti | 2025 State MN (Cambridge-Isanti) 2025. 6’5, 200 lbs.
Long Snapper: Jack Caron (Bemidji) 2025. 5’11, 200 lbs. – Logan Granroth (St. Francis) 2024.
Returner: Obe Eyafe Obe Eyafe 6'3" | 190 lbs | DB Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover) 2024. 6’3, 195 lbs. – Aijhon Douglas Aijhon Douglas 5'8" | 150 lbs | ATH St. Paul Harding/Humboldt | 2025 State MN (St. Paul Harding/Humboldt) 2025. – Dmario Davenport (Andover) 2024.