Minnesota’s 2023 Class 5A Preseason All-State Team: Offense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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 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 Offensive Team absolutely deserve recognition for their efforts as juniors and into the offseason. This is an especially loaded Offensive squad, with big-time scholarship talent at every position on the offensive side of the ball 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 Offensive Team below. Congratulations to the selections, hard work pays off and it's been a heckuva 2023 season already. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Preseason Class 5A Player of the Year: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='138248' first='Wyatt' last='Gilmore']</strong> (<em>Rogers</em>) Senior. DE/TE. Committed to Oklahoma </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Preseason Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368592' first='Emerson' last='Mandell']</strong> (<em>Irondale</em>) Senior. OL. Committed to Wisconsin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>--</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Quarterback</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">First Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246028' first='Bart' last='McAninch']</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) 2024. 6'1, 210 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Second Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='641133' first='Chase' last='Thompson']</strong> (<em>Alexandria</em>) 2025. 6'7, 205 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='607249' first='Maximus' last='Sims']</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 6'2, 180 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Third Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241903' first='Charlie' last='Brandt']</strong> (<em>Mahtomedi</em>) 2024. 6'1, 185 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Running Back </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">First Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='105374' first='Maxwell' last='Woods']</strong> (<em>Chanhassen</em>) 2024. 5'10, 180 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='105372' first='Savion' last='Hart']</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 5'11, 190 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Second Team:<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1191536' first='Josh' last='Diggs']</strong> (<em>Park Center</em>) 2025. 6', 210 lbs. -<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='743260' first='Gavin' last='Schmidt']</strong> (<em>Elk River</em>) 2025. 6'1, 200 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Third Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='348737' first='Connor' last='Klemmensen']</strong> (<em>Minneapolis Southwest</em>) 2025. 5'11, 190 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Wide Receiver</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">First Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368532' first='Jalen' last='Smith']</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) 2024. 6'1, 180 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368599' first='Juriad' last='Hughes']</strong> (<em>Irondale</em>) 2024, 6'1, 170 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='348735' first='Danny' last='King']</strong> (<em>Bloomington Jefferson</em>) 2024. 6'4, 225 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Second Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='752525' first='Cameron' last='Begalle']</strong> (<em>Andover</em>) 2025. 6'1, 180 lbs. - <strong>DJ Smith</strong> (<em>Moorhead</em>) 2024. 6'3, 200 lbs. - <strong>Seth</strong> <strong>Newbern</strong> (<em>Robbinsdale Armstrong</em>) 2024. 6'2, 180 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Third Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='245653' first='Eli' last='Thompson']</strong> (<em>Rochester Century</em>) 2024. 6'2, 200 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='245769' first='Jake' last='Wills']</strong> (<em>Rochester Century)</em> 2024. 6'3, 180 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='743256' first='Eleazar' last='Staley'] </strong>(<em>Mankato West)</em> 2025. 6'2, 185 lbs.- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1204473' first='Owen' last='Thielges']</strong> (<em>Moorhead</em>) 2025. 6'2, 185 lbs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Fullback</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">First Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242420' first='Cody' last='Packer']</strong> <em>(St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 5'9, 210 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1146296' first='Cole' last='Saenger']</strong> (<em>Mahtomedi</em>) 2024. 6', 190 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Offensive Line</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">First Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1140773' first='Kyan' last='Rauk']</strong> (<em>Northfield</em>) 2024. 6'7 270 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368592' first='Emerson' last='Mandell'] </strong>(Irondale) 2024. 6'5, 300 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346817' first='Wyatt' last='Bell']</strong> (<em>Rogers</em>) 2024. 6'4, 300 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='563415' first='Sam' last='Ruid']</strong> (<em>St. Francis</em>) 2025. 6'4, 290 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242491' first='Greg' last='Meidl']</strong> (<em>Mankato West)</em> 2024. 6'4, 260 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Second Team: <strong>Robbe Wollan</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 6'4, 265 lbs. -<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='245762' first='Axel' last='Lorenz']</strong> <em>(Mankato West)</em> 2025. 6'3, 280 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='945344' first='Luke' last='Pappas']</strong> <em>(Robbinsdale Armstrong</em>) 2025. 6'3, 260 lbs. - <strong>Grant Lower</strong> (<em>Owatonna</em>) 2024. 6'4, 270 lbs. - <strong>Max</strong> <strong>Anderson</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 6'3, 265 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Third Team: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='368595' first='Gage' last='Schmidt']</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) 2024. 6'4, 290 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1140779' first='Mitchell' last='Wind']</strong> (<em>Brainerd</em>) 2024. 6'7, 250 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='743244' first='Branden' last='Cole'] </strong>(<em>Robbinsdale Armstrong</em>) 2024. 6'4, 275 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496165' first='David' last='Lundstrom']</strong> (<em>Duluth East</em>) 2024. 6'4, 300 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='362275' first='Joseph' last='Martinson']</strong> (<em>Alexandria</em>) 2025. 6'3, 290 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Honorable Mention: <strong>Camden Ellwein</strong> (<em>Mankato West</em>) 2024. 6'1, 235 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='774142' first='Patrick' last='Shobe']</strong> (<em>Monticello</em>) 2024. 6'6, 240 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='551301' first='Adam' last='Salwei']</strong> (<em>Rogers</em>) 2024. 6', 240 lbs. - <strong>Luke Wolfe</strong> (<em>Andover</em>) 2024. 6'4, 290 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242375' first='Teddy' last='Knapp']</strong> (<em>St. Thomas</em> <em>Academy</em>) 2024. 6'4, 220 lbs. - <strong>Brendan Gerber</strong> (<em>St. Thomas Academy</em>) 2024. 6'4, 245 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242429' first='Alex' last='Dreher']</strong> (<em>St. Paul</em> <em>Central</em>) 2024. 6'1, 275 lbs. - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='706027' first='Garrett' last='Mahlum']</strong> (<em>Irondale</em>) 2024. 6'3, 250 lbs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->