Nate’s Standouts from the Prep Redzone MN Showcase: Part I
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BROOKLYN PARK, MN– After getting my Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase content out of the way and of course the long-traveled holidays out of the way too, I can finally put all my eggs into content from our Prep Redzone Minnesota…
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Continue ReadingBROOKLYN PARK, MN– After getting my Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase content out of the way and of course the long-traveled holidays out of the way too, I can finally put all my eggs into content from our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase in Brooklyn Park a couple Sundays ago. I will break down my notepad page by page, prospect by prospect, and will nail down multiple parts of which prospects stood out in my eyes in no particular order. With our first list from Brooklyn Park, we have a consistent mix of Outstate and Metro talent that excelled at the Park Center Dome from various positions. It is time to meet Part I of our standouts!
Jeffrey Nordvold Jeffrey Nordvold 6'0" | 205 lbs | ATH Maple Grove | 2026 MN , RB, Maple Grove (MN) 2026 Twitter
Jeffrey impressed me with his athletic mobility during last Sunday’s Minnesota Showcase, as I was impressed with his agility as a bigger tailback at 6’0.5 203 pounds. This young man’s bruising durability could be felt inside the Park Center Dome, as the mix of skillsets Jeffrey brings to the table certainly show off some upside with his top end speed to grow, as I like the fluidity Jeffrey brought to our Minnesota Showcase as another Crimson 2026 tailback to watch.
Alex Lea Alex Lea 6'1" | 195 lbs | LB Blooming Prairie | 2025 State MN , LB, Blooming Prairie (MN) 2025 Twitter
Another standout for me this time from Southern Minnesota was 6’0 195 pound linebacker Alex Lea Alex Lea 6'1" | 195 lbs | LB Blooming Prairie | 2025 State MN of the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms. Alex was a 2025 prospect I got a glimpse of in his testing session, and is one that got better on every rep as he showed off some growing change of direction that I witnessed. The tape for Alex shows off a middle linebacker that has some well-versed instincts and is one that I feel his motor outplays his testing numbers due to the physicality this kid has. Watch for this two-way prospect to make some noise further this summer at prospect camps as coaches will love watching his vision.
Lamari Brown Lamari Brown 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Spring Lake Park | 2026 MN , RB, Spring Lake Park (MN) 2026 Twitter
Lamari was a running back prospect that just missed our All-Testing Team and is one that certainly showed out with his testing numbers. His top number in his 40 was a 4.71, 4.25 on pro agility, 9’2 on broad jump, and the most impressive number in my opinion was the 6.96 he posted in the L-Drill. That twitch that Lamari has at his disposal was evidently seen in Indy Drills and later into 1v1s, as I was mildly impressed with his open field vision he showed off. As just a 2026 prospect, I will certainly have my eyes in the Spring Lake Park backfield in the coming years.
EJ Monluo EJ Monluo 6'1" | 185 lbs | ATH Spring Lake Park | 2026 MN , DE, Spring Lake Park (MN) 2026 Twitter
By the early looks of my first page of notes from the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, you would find out another Spring Lake Park Panthers 2026 that popped out in Session I, as EJ Monluo EJ Monluo 6'1" | 185 lbs | ATH Spring Lake Park | 2026 MN caught my eyes as well at Park Center. This is a prospect that to me is still growing into his body as a defensive end but the testing numbers show off position flexibility to be seen as he becomes an upperclassmen. This young man certainly has some explosives in his broad jump, as he posted a 9’10 at the Park Center Dome as well as a 4.57 in his pro agility and 7.44 in the L-Drill at 6’0 178 pounds. This young man has plenty of room to grow out that frame. EJ on tape shows off a prospect that has a quick first step and certainly has the length in his lower body to cover plenty of range. I love the future upside of this kid for sure.
Charlie Olson Charlie Olson 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Elk River | 2025 State MN , DE, Elk River (MN) 2025 Twitter
At 6’2.5.220 pounds, Elk River defensive linemen Charlie Olson Charlie Olson 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Elk River | 2025 State MN caught my eye with his fluidity throughout the day at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. At that size, Charlie showed off an enlightening 4.72 in his pro agility which lines up well-balanced when you roll his tape with his agile downhill presence that shows off great length in his first step on both ends of the ball. His tape fires me up at the tight end, position as this kid gets constant leverage into the second level. I think from my viewing developing more hand techniques will grow this young man’s versatility at the next-level, something Elk River prospects have constantly done year after year since I have lived nearby. I second my fellow PRZ MN scout Oliver West Oliver West LB Southwest | 2026 MN that Charlie is a scholarship-level prospect.
Bradyn Kost Bradyn Kost 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Sauk Rapids-Rice | 2025 State MN , LB, Sauk Rapids-Rice (MN) 2025 Twitter
Another year of scouting Minnesota, another year of finding another stud linebacker from Sauk Rapids-Rice, which at our Prep Redzone Minnesota was Bradyn Kost Bradyn Kost 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Sauk Rapids-Rice | 2025 State MN . Wherever Bradyn lined up from testing, Indy, and 1v1s I loved the finish this young man showed off in every rep he was given. He had consistent 40 yard dash numbers (4.97) and his pro agility (4.59) as that pro agility number certainly matches the instinct you see from Bradyn on tape as this young man’s athletic movement to the ball has some intriguing twitch and as you would expect from my evaluation from the Minnesota Showcase, the District LB of the Year shows off that finished physicality you want at the next-level. Bradyn is a great example of a prospect you go outside the measurables threshold for.
Gavin Wang Gavin Wang 6'7" | 255 lbs | OL Annandale | 2025 State MN , DL, Annandale (MN) (2025) Twitter
Another Central Minnesota prospect to know, was one of the biggest names I had circled in attendance from our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase and he certainly lived up to the hype. At 6’7 256 pounds, the deer-like footwork he possessed was a joy to watch up close, as Gavin impressed all in attendance with his skillsets. You also could not miss out on watching the length of Gavin’s reach he had at his disposal as the reps I watched I am sure it caught some off guard with how long this young man truly is. He certainly looks like another long body in the trenches at the Division I level out of Annandale, which we have certainly seen before.
Bo Draheim Bo Draheim 6'2" | 215 lbs | TE Maple Grove Senior | 2025 State MN , LB, Maple Grove (MN) 2025 Twitter
One of a few linebackers from Maple Grove that shined out last Sunday was 6’2 215 pound 2025 prospect Bo Draheim Bo Draheim 6'2" | 215 lbs | TE Maple Grove Senior | 2025 State MN . An All-District 1st Team performer in 2023, I certainly liked what I saw out of Bo from an athletic mobility perspective, as he showed well-noted open hips when I watched him in testing and into Indy drills. Another skillset that popped out to me during the later drills was this young man’s football IQ, as you could engage with how well he could read the ball with his elite vision. And it makes sense too, as Bo has taken a handful of Ivy League visits lately as a high academic prospect with a 4.05 GPA. Bo is one of a few Maple Grove Crimson prospects I expect to have a huge summer on the camp circuit.
Dallas Hanson Dallas Hanson 6'2" | 260 lbs | OL Lake City | 2025 State MN , OL, Lake City (MN) 2025 Twitter
I was certainly intrigued with what I saw out of Dallas’s lower body at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. He showed off an athletic bend from my eyes and watching his footwork in action certainly passed my eye-test for what I want in a next-level offensive linemen. Dallas also showed off a quick first step out of his stance as I was impressed with his smooth pulling ability at the guard spot. He certainly shows off some upside that is brewing with his hand placement, etc. and certainly looks like a scholarship level hog molly out of SE Minnesota.