Aberdeen 2026s to Know

ABERDEEN-- One of my favorite cities to travel to in South Dakota is Aberdeen, South Dakota. Circus Wings will have my heart every summer when I head up to Northern State for camp or our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase last Spring, but Aberdeen has some intriguing football prospects too outside of one of my favorite wing places in the country.   We take a early look at the city of Aberdeen's 2026 class and find some prospects to know sooner rather than later that hail from The Deen. Someone in this class looks like a Division I target and there are a handful of others that as long as their skills keep developing as they have, they should see themselves playing on Saturdays. Every year since we started Aberdeen has produced a handful of next-level prospects, and from the early glimpse of this 2026 class, it might get even deeper.   Aberdeen Roncalli   Gabe Eichler, DL (2026)   Gabe is a 6'1 215 pound defensive end from Aberdeen Roncalli end that impressed me with his athletic bend to start and mobility off the snap, as he is a DE prospect that runs like a deer downhill off his sheds into the backfield. Has some positional flexibility, could see defensive end or middle linebacker in his next-level football future. He also shows off well-versed football IQ with quick instincts with persistent closure within the A-Gap. Looks like a Saturdays prospect that shows off the athleticism despite the light tape.   Jett Johnson, QB (2026)   Jett is another prospect that is light on the tape from 2023, but the 6'1 160 pound quarterback did show some upside on multiple levels of the field on the 2023 game tapes. He pops out with a quick release and is a QB prospect that I feel grew his instincts and ball placement from season start to season end in his sophomore season. I also am intrigued with his pocket presence and the balance he has with his footwork quickly on intermediate routes. He has room for development on his deep routes, as he needs more of that on his game tape. Making a highlight tape I think will have college coaches explore his tape even further as well.   Aberdeen Central   [player_tooltip player_id='848943' first='Conner' last='Chapin'], LB (2026) <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17611999/6564b6efda511d0a8cbdc6b7">So Tape</a>   So far my favorite linebacker out of the city of Aberdeen in this 2026 class is middle linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='848943' first='Conner' last='Chapin']. Conner will be an example of a linebacker prospect you go outside the measurables threeshold for at 5'10 175 pounds but I think a big offseason in the weight room could play him some dividends if he can add 10-15 pounds. Love this kid's vision he shows early on tape as he also wins reps in the inside box with his position angles. He also shows off sound range with his vision that I am sure if not already will carry from sideline to sideline. Also shows off balanced physicality when he makes contact, as I stated time in the weight room could give him a heftier contact level. Someone find this young man's twitter!   [player_tooltip player_id='848945' first='Karson' last='Borge'], WR (2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorgeKarson">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/60-Karson-Borge-crop-4378x2875-1703036097.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1121581" style="width:344px;height:auto" /></figure>   Karson is a 2026 WR prospect that from my eyes looks like one of Aberdeen's best on tape and already has some intriguing length at 6'1 160 pounds. The tape shows a WR prospect that plays with a ton of balance with his route running, and shows off the poise in high traffic areas to not get flustered by similar sized cornerbacks. Karson also shows off a longer catch radius than you see from his measurables and has excellent hands. Look for a big upcoming junior season out of Karson as he fits the mold of a next-level prospect with some upside to grow further.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113091' first='Jack' last='Bertsch'], DL (2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/jmbertsch7">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/73-Jack-Bertsch-crop-4378x2875-1703134602.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1122936" style="width:352px;height:auto" /></figure>   Jack is a defensive linemen that certainly made a name for himself at last month's Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. He went from under the radar in my eyes, to one of our top performers amongst the DL group. With the most eye-popping next-level size that was shown off in Jamestown, the 6'5 210 pound defensive end showed off impressive testing numbers, rangy length, and I thought from camp start to end, really developed smoother technique with his hands and that hasn't shown off on tape yet, but I saw it with my eyes. Jack fits the bill to likely become a Missouri Valley target in the coming years out of Aberdeen as he has plenty of frame to grow that one of those Dakotas schools is going to fall for as his body and tape develops.   More Names to Know from The Deen   Grady Jett, LB, Aberdeen Roncalli (2026)   [player_tooltip player_id='848930' first='Kalen' last='Larson'], RB, Aberdeen Central (2026)

ABERDEEN-- One of my favorite cities to travel to in South Dakota is Aberdeen, South Dakota. Circus Wings will have my heart every summer when I head up to Northern State for camp or our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase last Spring, but Aberdeen has some intriguing football prospects too outside of one of my favorite wing places in the country.