Minnesota’s Top-20 2025 Regular SZN Stock Risers
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It’s playoff time here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and if you read my previously posted feature highlighting the state’s top senior stock risers from the 2023 regular season, you already know that we’re taking a brief couple of…
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Continue ReadingIt’s playoff time here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and if you read my previously posted feature highlighting the state’s top senior stock risers from the 2023 regular season, you already know that we’re taking a brief couple of days to spotlight some of the top individual performers from the regular season before we get locked in on the team-oriented playoffs, which is how it should be I may add. Now that we’ve covered the top 2024 ballers at both the midseason and regular season points of the season, it’s time to check out some juniors and sophomores, and boy have some of these dudes been bumping their stock up this fall. Get to know the regular seasons’ biggest 2025 stock risers below, where I’ll highlight their play, how their recruiting status and stock have surged upwards, what they bring to the table as football players, and more. Thanks for reading! Playoffs have already been a heckuva ride.
2023 Midseason Winners and Stock Risers: https://prepredzone.com/2023/09/minnesotas-midseason-winners-and-stock-risers/
Minnesota’s Biggest Senior Stock Risers so far this fall: https://prepredzone.com/2023/10/minnesotas-biggest-senior-stock-risers-so-far-this-fall/
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2025s
Samuel Shaughnessy
Samuel Shaughnessy
PRzMN couldn’t have ignored the hype and game of Blaine’s 6’1, 180 lber. Samuel Shaughnessy even if we tried. All season long, we heard rumblings of #16, his athleticism, and his versatility, as the standout DB made the transition to quarterback to best help the Bengals in 2023. He finished the fall with a 66% completion percentage and 875 yards + 6 TDs through the air, 943 rushing yards at a 6.4 YPC average and 9 TDs on the ground, and 10 tackles, a FF, an INT, and 2 PBUs. The athleticism is where Shaughnessy really shines, as he reports a 4.65 40, 4.07 short-shuttle, and 9’7″ broad, and honestly, after watching the tape, I believe. Speed is the name of his game, and Shaughnessy utilizes it well when creating and finishing splash gains. He finds and works to the edge of a defense seamlessly, in large part thanks to his good vision, and the 180 lber. has the burst to explode past the first and second level and the top-end speed to find the endzone and burn pursuit angles. When it comes to making defenders miss, Shaughnessy is powerful laterally and when cutting past would-be tacklers, and he’s sudden in 1-on-1 scenarios in space and can make that free defender miss consistently. Plus, he possesses a big arm as a QB and is effective and instinctive in zone coverage as a cornerback. Definite scholarship kid who projects best to DB or WR at the next level but has playmaking speed & athleticism and an exciting skillset. Great showing this fall, Sam!
Trey Boyd
Trey Boyd
We saw arguably the biggest MN-related recruiting news of the fall roll-in last weekend regarding our next 2025 stock riser. Welcome to the big leagues, Trey Boyd! Shakopee has a heckuva crop of 2025 talent and is led by the 6’5, 255 lb. OT/DE, who became a P5 recruit this weekend after visiting and earning an offer from Iowa State. His size, potential, athleticism, and play from his junior season also got him on the radar of the Golden Gophers, who hosted Boyd for a gameday at the end of October, and he also has received follows from recruiting and personnel staff from the likes of Cincinnati, Utah, Iowa, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Boston College, NDSU, Eastern Michigan, and Northern Illinois. The younger brother of former Holy Angels (c/o 2021) turned St. Thomas WR Bryce Boyd, Trey was a foundational piece of Shako’s accomplished 2023 season that saw them recently lose in round 2, and you can tell he’s a heckuva athlete at his from the first couple reps of his midseason tape. The RT is lean, long, balanced, mobile, and powerful, and is a bowling ball when he gets out in front of a ball carrier. Boyd sends opponents flying when he punches, locks out, and extends those long arms, is sticky and hard to shake off when he gets his hands on defenders and owns a strong and powerful leg drive that helps him manhandle linemen and LBs alike for some seriously dominant finishes and pancakes. Flexible and bendy in his stance and when dropping his hips and changing direction, Boyd is balanced, coordinated, athletic, and overall impressive when working into space, lead blocking, sprinting, breaking down, and blocking downfield, and is twitchy and powerful laterally, which makes it look easy to reach and cover ground across the LOS. With a ton more room to fill, rare athletic ability, already present strength and physicality, and a dominant playstyle, Boyd looks and is playing like a bonafide P5er and potentially the Next Great Minnesota Offensive Lineman.
If you follow the MN high school basketball scene, you already know that the Austin Packers have had some eye-catching athletes coming out of the town as of late, and it seems things are finally trickling over to the gridiron. Austin is home to quite the impressive 2025 RB in 6’1, 210 lber. Garlo Gee Garlo Gee 6’1″ | 215 lbs | ATH Austin | 2025 State MN , whose running style and skillset put him firmly on our radar after the 2023 regular season. Gee possesses absurd contact balance, which helps him spin, step through, bounce off, and absorb contact smoothly and effortlessly. The powerful lower body and consistency in keeping his legs pumping aid him in easily running through arm tackles, and he is explosive laterally when he sticks his foot in the turf to cut past opponents. Additionally, he owns a truck stick that puts would-be tacklers on their butt, solid speed, and a mean stiff arm, and on top of the countless missed tackles and strewn-around bodies left in his wake this fall, he also popped off a couple of explosive kick returns to set his offensive up well. Way to put yourself on the map, young man!
We saw the rise of Park Center 2025 RB Josh Diggs Josh Diggs 6’0″ | 205 lbs | RB Park Center | 2025 State MN ‘ stock coming, as he began to earn some significant recruiting attention last spring and has continued the momentum into the fall. The likes of Wisconsin, NDSU, North Dakota, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State, and Minnesota have reached out with recruiting graphics and/or gameday invites during his junior campaign, which saw him finish with 710 all-purpose yards and 6 TDs. Diggs is more of a power back but does have some juice laterally, as well as solid speed, a great build, and noticeable burst out of his cuts. He’s dangerous in the hole, sees and finds space well, including the cutback, and makes that first defender miss, where he sets himself up well to continue forward for extra yardage. He does have the speed to take the edge on a defense, and would-be tacklers expect power and physicality, so when Diggs hits them with some quickness and effective cuts it can break an ankle or two and leave opponents grasping at air. Additionally, in speaking to his power game, the 205 lber. shows off an awesome stiff arm, and contact balance, and packs a heckuva punch at the contact point when he lowers his shoulders. He can break tackles in a variety of different ways and possesses soft hands as well, which makes him an asset out of the backfield. It will be an interesting offseason for Diggs on the recruiting trail and his far-from-lacking list of potential suitors.
Another part of the potentially star-studded Shakopee 2025 class, 6’3, 240 lb. DE Max Coles Max Coles 6’3″ | 240 lbs | DL Shakopee | 2025 State MN has put himself on the recruiting boards of some big-time college football programs thanks to his play as a junior this fall. Minnesota and Iowa State both received gameday visits from Coles, and Nebraska, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, and Indiana have also begun to follow him on Twitter.
Productive as both a run supporter and pass rusher, Coles posted 39 tackles, 12 TFLs, 2 sacks, a FF, and a safety during the regular season and is looking very exciting on film as well. With very noticeable length, Coles can win reps at a variety of points throughout a play, which begins with his impressive get-off and first step. Coles uses his length well to get skinny and work through double teams efficiently but is also strong enough to back down and bullrush offensive linemen once they get engaged. In addition to the good get-off, Coles finds the football, sticks to his assignment, reads his keys, and does a good job of not over-pursuing, which helped him make a ton of TFLs and sacks in opponents’ backfields last fall, and once he gets in the backfield he uses his standout pursuit and closing speed – to mention COD skills for his size – to finish plays once he’s given the chance. Cole is also a hard hitter and explosive thumper, and that length helps him completely swallow up and envelop ball carriers when he gets a hold of him. Plus, I like how the 240 lber. absorbs and makes plays through contact, and he shows off some finesse as a pass rusher when he smoothly executes stunts and twists. Big, strong, balanced, and athletic, I think we may have another FBS and potentially P5er on our hands out of Shako. I cannot wait to see how this recruiting continues to develop.
Daniel Jackson
Daniel Jackson
The state’s top specialist, regardless of graduating class, Alexandria’s stud K/P Daniel Jackson put together another strong prep football campaign and raised his stock as a recruit thanks to his on-field play. Jackson came into the fall with a major PWO offer from the instate Gophers thanks to a summer prospect camp performance, but added another notable offer from a major geographic suitor when North Dakota State reached out with a FCS scholarship after a visit to Fargo in late September. Both schools, along with Iowa State and SDSU, have been routinely in contact throughout the fall, and Jackson should have a few more potential landing spots due to his junior play. Capable of booting 50+ yard FGs, easily pushing the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs, and averaging 35+ yards a punt, Jackson can do it all as a high school specialist and do it well as well as consistently. Cool under pressure, strong leg, good technique, accurate, hardworking, what else could you want? Alex is undefeated and still rolling as they enter their 5A state quarterfinal this Saturday against Rogers.
5’10, 190 lb. Mound Westonka junior RB Ray Beiningen Ray Beiningen 5’10” | 190 lbs | RB Mound Westonka | 2025 State MN exploded onto the 2025 RB recruiting scene and state leaderboards as a top-5 rusher in carries, yards, and TDs during the 2023 season. He finished with 261 carries for 1,577 yards and 27 TDs in 9 games of action, with only one game finishing with him under 100 yards and four over 200. That’s over 175 yards a game and over 6 a carry, and he did so in style as well, with a fluid, gliding gait and run form, the use of subtle movements, fake steps/cuts, and feigned angles to make defenders miss, force them to over pursue, and generally get out of position, and a ton of elusiveness in 1-on-1 settings. Beiningen also is shifty, possesses great vision, and has a strong lower body to power through arm tackles and weaker tackle attempts at his lower body. He can drop the pads and lower the boom or make defenders miss with lateral agility and quickness and shows off an effective jump cut and the strength to push the pile when bodies start to mash together as well. The 190 lber. brings a lot to gameplan against and attempt to corral for DCs and players alike, and PRzMN is stoked about the potential production he’s going to create next fall as a senior. Must-know name in the 2025 RB class!
It’s always fun seeing a prospect you’ve been following since his freshman year blossom into a standout varsity contributor, and Lakeville South’s RB1 Connor Cade neatly falls into that category as a former freshman and JV standout for the Cougs. Now an upperclassman, Cade took over that prestigious Lakeville South RB1 category and made the position his own, leading the 9-1 6A squad in rushing with 118 attempts for 1,102 yards and 18 TDs and into a top contender spot for the 6A crown. A 2x All-State track & field selection who has clocked a 11.1 100M time, Cade uses that speed very effectively as a RB and kick returner, and if you give him daylight he’s going to make you pay. Besides the top-end speed, which is a game-breaker by the way, Cade shows off impressive balance, burst, and the ability to maneuver through traffic cleanly and smoothly executes the Power-T rushing attack of the Cougars. Cade also possesses powerful one-cuts that help him make the free defender miss, and he’s also a capable lead blocker and can catch the rock out of the backfield. Speed is the name of his game first and foremost however, and boy is that speed potent.
Highlights
Competing for the WR1 spot in MN’s 2025 class, Sauk Rapids-Rice 2025 6’2, 170 lb. wideout Hudson Omoke Hudson Omoke 6’2″ | 185 lbs | WR Sauk Rapids-Rice | 2025 State MN had a monster season as a junior and finished the fall with 60 receptions for 969 yards and 9 TDs while averaging more than 100 yards a game through the air. The reception and yardage numbers put him in the top 6 in the state, and he also flashed some eye-catching athleticism in his film from the season that got him on the radar of schools such as Minnesota, South Dakota State, Iowa State, NDSU, North Dakota, and a ton of DIIs. Coming into the season with no reported recruiting interest, Omoke earned a gameday invite from Minnesota and a ton of interest from the NDSU Bison, putting him perfectly in the crosshairs for a big junior recruiting journey. Possessing tons of length and a frame that could really blow up in a collegiate strength and conditioning program, Omoke can drop his hips at the top of the route to create separation well for a bigger wideout, as well as use effective footwork at the LOS in his releases. He owns an impressive amount of body control, which helps him win contested catches, as he’s fearless when going up and reeling in receptions, climbs the ladder beautifully, and plays the ball very well in the air. Big frame, big-time athleticism, and production, Omoke had a heckuva junior season with the resurgent SSR program.
Brody Miller
Brody Miller
Yet another Shakopee junior who had a heckuva junior season and raised his stock impressively into the college football recruiting scene, 6′, 170 lb. DB Brody Miller possesses noticeable length and brings a balanced skillset to the table as a perimeter defender. Miller can play man out of the slot or out wide on an island, is physical at the LOS and can play off-man or press, reads and reacts to receivers in man coverage well, and breaks on the ball quickly. He does a good job of undercutting receivers when he gets in the hip pocket and plays the deep ball well, as he has the speed to stay on top of faster wideouts going vertical and shows some ball skills as well. Additionally, he’s a booming tackler in 1-on-1 settings and can clean up loose ball carriers and shut down RBs and WRs in space. Lots of impressive prospects to watch in the Shako program this offseason.
A literally large part of Totino-Grace’s XL 2023 roster, 6’4, 260 lber. Theo Thomas shot his stock up into the D1 stratosphere and got his name on the Minnesota Golden Gopher radar thanks to his play as a junior in 2023. Coming into the season with only an unofficial visit to Iowa State under his belt, Thomas now receives consistent recruiting graphics from the U of M and has earned follows from a boatload of their staff, both coaches and recruiting personnel alike. An iDL who primarily works from the 3T alignment but can bump out to the 5T, Thomas keeps blockers at bay with his long arms and can efficiently shed once he identifies and triggers on the football, plus he’s very effective with his hand usage, keeps them active and light, and shows off a clean chop/rip and long arm/stab. Thomas looks great for 6’4, 260 on tape as well, and he demonstrates impressive closing speed for his size, a powerful bull rush that knocks blockers on their backsides , strength at the point of attack that excels in the physicality department, and lateral quickness. Lots of ways to beat blocking attempts for Mr. Thomas, and he made a fool out of a few in 2023. Going to be a big offseason for #9, but first, Totino-Grace has a massive 4A state quarterfinal matchup on Thursday with Hutchinson.
Highlights
It was a tough end for the season for Anoka, but their regular season exploits are making major waves in the turning around of the Tornados program, and a lot of that has to do with their passing attack. Led by a three-headed monster, it’s no secret that QB Peyton Podany Peyton Podany 6’3″ | 190 lbs | QB Anoka | 2025 State MN is competing for Minnesota’s QB1 in the 2025 class, but he’s been aided by fellow 2025er in WR Trey Borchers, a 6’2, two-sport standout who has played himself onto a ton of college big boards thanks to his play in 2023. The junior posted 40 catches for 723 yards and 6 TDs this fall and has visited South Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and Concordia-St. Paul during the season. An impressive route runner who can start/stop and break off his routes smoothly, Borchers shows off good speed, a big catch radius, fearlessness and concentration when going up for the rock, and the ability to win contested catches and complete receptions through contact. He can win reps on a variety of routes and is a smooth operator who catches whatever you put in front of him. That Anoka trio is going to have a huge offseason/senior campaign.
Highlights
The stock was beginning to rise for Andover’s hammer of a 2025 LB Kaleb Weikel after his excellent sophomore season last year, and he’s only built on the hype, potential, and projection as a now-junior. The 6’2, 220 lber. has heard from NDSU and SDSU all season long thanks to his three-down capability, thick and powerful build, and role as a key cog and leader in Andover’s still-ongoing 5A state title run. Weikel has good range and makes plays all over the field, can blitz, cover, eat blocks, and impact the run game, and is instinctive in the turnover department. He diagnoses and reacts with urgency, closes quickly, and can slip under blocking attempts and make tackles through contact. That Andover LB corps is loaded in 2023 and I’m excited to see them compete and make plays with the season on the line these next few weeks.
Aidan Adamski
Aidan Adamski
If you follow our PrepRedzoneMN Preseason All-State series every August, you already know that Two Harbors High School had a prolific DL duo, and with 6’4, 250 lber. Zach Bentler Zach Bentler 6’4″ | 230 lbs | DL Two Harbors | 2024 State MN off to UMD next fall, it’s Aidan Adamski time. At 6’3, 235 lbs., Adamski time means serious problems for the opposition, by the way. He flashes reps of physical dominance throughout his tape, picking up and ragdolling ball carriers backward like they’re middle schoolers, outrunning DBs once he finds the open field as a fullback, and driving opponents off-screen and into the dirt like Michael Oher in the Blindside. Adamski is mobile and athletic for his size, with a great get-off, the ability to pursue and run down ball carriers out to the sideline, and good closing and pursuit speed for his size, which also shows up as a fullback. The 235 lber. is impressive at tackling in space, reads, reacts, and finds the ball quickly, can bend the age, and shows off an effective rip. Additionally, I like how he gets his arms up into passing lanes when he can’t get to the QB, and he’s a crushing lead blocker who can outpace his QBs and RBs at the third level of the defense once he gets a full head of steam. He can beat blockers with speed and/or power, and I think it’s certain that we found another Up North, Small School gem from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
A 6’1, 195 lb. OLB/SS hybrid, there’s something about Malachi Boadi Malachi Boadi 6’1″ | 195 lbs | DB Minnetonka | 2025 State MN ‘s game that really strikes me, both from his film and an in-person eval. I got to see the Minnetonka junior in the regular season finale against Maple Grove, where his length and physicality showed up impressively, and he significantly shot his stock up as a junior with the 6A heavyweight program thanks to his instincts, production, and do-it-all playstyle. Boadi was the Skippers third-leading tackler and #1 in INTs with five, and he possesses a naturalness and fluidity in space that made Minnetonka comfortable enough to line him up in the hook/curl or flats and find work. He’s one of the more instinctive defenders I’ve seen in pass coverage from this past season of action, and reads the QB’s eyes and and triggers on route combinations smoothly, easily, and with a ton of pace. Boadi changes direction effortlessly, which helps him make plays in both man and zone coverage all around the gridiron, and he’s also got ball skills, range, and physicality in droves, in addition to the superb instincts. The 195 lber. laid some tremendous hits in 2023, which includes goal line sticks, TFLs coming downhill in run support, running the the alley, holding the edge, and an impressive variety of other situations. When he sticks someone he makes the most out of it and looks like one of the harder hitters in MN this fall. Big fan of this kid, his range, his dynamic ability, nose for the football, big-hit mentality, and overall fluidity. You got a fan in PRzMN, Malachi!
One of my favorite parts of MN small school football is the ridiculous stat lines that come out of the small towns and unincorporated communities year to year, and 2023 was no exception. Of all the eye-popping personal performances and stat lines to come out of the state this fall, the #1 eye-catcher is undoubtedly LeRoy-Ostrander’s junior standout Cam Hungerholt, who we broke down at the midseason point of the season thanks to his accomplishments. Hungerholt leads the state in all major rushing categories is #1 in carries (276), yards (2,627), and TDs (36), and has put up a 52% completion percentage through the air on 102 completions for 1,595 yards and 15 TDs to only 4 INTs. Plus, he added 84 tackles, 3 TFLs, 3 INTs, 2 PBUs, and a FF, so I think it’s safe to say that he had one of the best individual showings of any high school football player in the state this fall, regardless of class or position. Hungerholt posted multiple 8, 7, and 6 TD games, three 300+ yard rushing games, three 200+ yard passing showings, and more than 300 yards of total offense a game this past fall, and no team could figure out how to corral the 6’1, 180 lber., win or lose. There’s reps of him breaking almost every defender’s tackle on the opposition, and as a ball carrier he possesses an impressive amount of balance, good speed, and elusive footwork and a knack for making the most out of the space he’s given. Plus, he can push the ball downfield as a passer and is tough and all around the football as a defender. Hungerholt was simply on another level compared to his competition in 2023.
Highlights
Arguably the biggest stock riser/breakout star of the 2023 high school football season in Minnesota, Andover’s 6’1, 180 lber. Cameron Begalle is looking and playing like the best receiver in the state this fall. Production, athleticism, consistency, size, film, speed, it’s all there and then some. I saw Begalle against Mankato West in their Week 2 matchup of the regular season, where he put on a heckuva show against a talented DB corps and a Gopher commit, and he continued the impressive performances throughout the entire fall. Begalle has clocked an 11.02 100M dash time last spring, as well as a 37″ vertical, and he knows how to make the most of it on the gridiron as well, as his junior campaign has put him firmly on the radar of the Golden Gophers and a ton of other major collegiate programs that didn’t know of the Andover 2025er going into the fall. Begalle posted 44 receptions for 762 yards and 8 TDs (17.3 YPC) during the regular season and showed off an eye-popping skillset that is one of the more exciting I’ve seen in a MN-bred receiver in a while. The speed is where it begins, as Begalle can take the top off the defense at a moment’s notice or burn by pursuers after the catch, which helps him burn DBs deep or turn routine screens and 3step routes into long and exciting TD runs after the catch. The 180 lber. can run by tackle attempts, easily juke or cut by them, or simply run you over after the catch, and the notable change of direction ability, which shows up impressively after the catch and in his releases around the LOS, helps him as a route runner as well. Begalle can run a variety of routes with success, torches man and zone coverage alike, breaks his routes off cleanly and doesn’t waste steps, and is sudden and shifty at the top of the route. Maybe my favorite quality of his is how flawlessly and smoothly he floats through the air and high points the football. Begalle’s awe-inspiring/notable body control when climbing the ladder and winning contested catches or playing the ball in the air knocks my socks off, and he’s a big reason that Andover is the favorite to win the 5A state title going into the state playoffs. What a junior season and what a way to break into the D1 recruiting scene, Cameron! You have a big fan in PRzMN.
Highlights
Andrew Kellington Andrew Kellington 6'5" | 270 lbs | OL Eastview | 2025 State MN
Andrew Kellington Andrew Kellington 6'5" | 270 lbs | OL Eastview | 2025 State MN
If you are a Minnesota high school football recruiting guru like myself, you know that the OL position group class-to-class is our big money maker and validator, so we try to track and follow the OL crop of prospects more so than any other on the gridiron. Now that the 2023 season is nearing its conclusion, we’re beginning to see the new big-time names and players begin to reveal themselves, many of which are featured in this article. 6’5, 265 lb. Eastview OL Andrew Kellington Andrew Kellington 6’5″ | 270 lbs | OL Eastview | 2025 State MN recently bumped his stock up and burst onto the recruiting scene after an invite and visit to Dinkytown and a Golden Gopher home game at the end of last month, and he’s worth getting excited about for MN prep football fans. As both a LT and RT, Kellington has dominant reps against big school 6A competition and is equally successful in both run & pass blocking situations. The 6’5, 265 lber. can bend, shows a great base and stonewalls rushers when he drops his anchor, and possesses a strong initial punch and the strength to finish opponents easily. I’m also impressed by his clean pass set, as he is technically sound, can handle both speed and power while staying square, can combo and work laterally effectively, uses his hands well, and uses opponents momentum against them. Strong kid, good feet and balance, productive against high-quality MN competition, and has one of the better pass sets I’ve seen from the 2025 OL class so far. Keep the Kellington name on our radar this offseason, I know some major college programs will.
It’s a bit hard to comprehend how far the Hopkins High School program has fallen off since I was a young buck, but just because the Royals are struggling doesn’t mean they lack talent. One of the mainstays and must-knows goes to 6’5, 275 lb. OT Nathan Dobbs, who played himself onto some major P5 and FCS radars as a junior this fall. Nebraska, Minnesota, NDSU, and SDSU have been the most constant in terms of recruiting contact, and for good reason too, as Dobbs is a massive LT with dominant reps in both run and pass settings against large and talented 6A defensive linemen. A mauler at the point of attack who runs his feet and overwhelms defenders when he’s engaged, Dobbs starts/stops and changes direction well for his size, works laterally smoothly, and displays a strong anchor in pass pro that doesn’t relinquish much ground, even against bigger defenders. With good balance for his size and age, the 265 lber. keeps his feet active and stays square when adjusting to opponents rushing him with space to work with, and is cool, calm, and collected as the blindside blocker who plays with patience and poise until he’s in the right position to unleash his aggression and toss aside defenders like they’re a sack of potatoes. Must-know name in the budding 2025 MN OL class.
Highlights
A 6’7″, 220 lber. with an accomplished MN high school basketball background? That will never not peak big-time college programs interest. Meet 6’7, 220 lb. Byron Bear lineman Colin Hansen, who just attended the Minnesota Gophers home game last weekend and has seen his stock rise since the season got underway all the way back in August. There’s simply a higher ceiling (no pun intended) and higher potential in prospects built like Hansen, and the basketball and/or multi-sport background is an exciting indicator of a big boy’s athleticism and body control, which translates very well to the gridiron. Hansen has good things going for him on both sides of the ball. As an OT, his absurd length and strong initial punch that knocks opponents off their feet noticeably overwhelms defenders and allows him to easily and violently finish them into the turf. He shows a ton of fight each and every rep, a nonstop motor, and balance that helps him stay engaged with DL and LBs throughout a rep. Defensively, his get-off is very quick, he uses that length to easily shed blocking attempts and make plays in both the run and pass game, and is twitchy and laterally explosive when working through blocks around the LOS. Hansen’s frame and athleticism make for a ball of clay that college coaches LOVE to get their hands on, and I’m excited to keep following him as an Outstate, smaller school sleeper in the 2025 class. He’s got the chance to be a good one!
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