Major Minnesota Recruiting News & Storylines from January

January was quite a whirlwind of offers, commitments, flips, unofficial & official visits, and general recruiting hoopla that has increased my screen time exponentially and has kept me glued to Twitter and excitedly locked into the who, when, and what of the Midwest recruiting scene. Obviously, it's incredibly fulfilling to see the hard work of these young men pay off in a life-changing, goal-achieving fashion, especially for my Minnesota boys, where offers are harder to come by despite in-your-face talent and the recruiting process can be a bit more complicated to navigate. Because PrepRedzoneMN is your most trusted & comprehensive source for Minnesota high school football, I thought it'd be pertinent to give our wonderful subscribers a recap of the month's recruiting action. The best storylines, EVERY commitment we came across, and more recruiting news for your eyes only. Let's get to it!   --   Storylines   [player_tooltip player_id='706026' first='Dennis' last='Rahouski'] flipping to Yale   Honestly, there's nothing more exciting or noteworthy than a last-second, midnight flip of commitments, especially when it involves a P5 program getting into the picture. The last time I remember this happening was in the 2022 cycle when Wayzata EDGE Tommy Hamann made a late flip from South Dakota State to Iowa State, who entered the recruiting picture as the clock neared midnight on the early signing day period. Now we have a 2024 representative to what 247Sports national director Steve Wiltfong calls "spatula season." We knew something was up with Eden Prairie's massive senior DL [player_tooltip player_id='706026' first='Dennis' last='Rahouski'] when he tweeted two days ago that he was decommitting from Yale, as the timing and lateness of the decision inferred that a new interest or offer had arisen, especially given the fact that the Ivys aren't generally into pulling offers or not honoring commitments. With his massive size, frame, and length, power at the point of attack and effectiveness with his hands, good get-off, ability to eat blocking attempts for breakfast, and patience and comfortability when breaking down and tackling in space, the size/athleticism combo, plus the pedigree that Eden Prairie Eagles bring to collegiate programs, got the Northwestern Wildcats interested in earning Rahouski's talent behind the scenes, which got them a commitment from the defensive lineman shortly after his decommitment from Yale. Big news for the MN 2024 class to have another P5 scholarship commitment, especially in a position group that Minnesota generally produces well at. Bright future for Mr. Rahouski!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Dennis_Rahouski/status/1751982236516172230 </div></figure>   Gophers get a literally massive in-state commitment in their 2026 class   You gotta love when an in-state kid has grown up dreaming & wanting to play for the homestate school, knows what he wants, and doesn't waste any time in shutting things down once that opportunity arises. We saw it in the 2024 cycle when Detroit Lakes' monster LB [player_tooltip player_id='242433' first='Mason' last='Carrier'] jumped on his recent Gopher offer and shut his recruitment down early, but Rocori's [player_tooltip player_id='591732' first='Andrew' last='Trout'] did one better and committed as a SOPHOMORE to the Golden Gophers less than two weeks after hearing from Minnesota. Plus, he spurned the likes of Iowa, Iowa State, and KState to play for the Gophers, as well as the multitude of future programs to offer Trout if he continued to let his recruitment development. It's been a little bit since the Gophs got an instate kid this early, but Trout was very open about how he grew up watching the Gophs and always wanted to play for Minnesota, and from my brief time knowing him, he definitely has a good head on his shoulders and an excellent family behind him, so I'd very much expect him to honor this commitment all the way through to the 2024 NSD and suit up for the Gophers in college. Lots of reasons to be excited about this one, and it's refreshing to see a prospect spurn the usual traditions of stretching out a recruitment and trying to stack offers solely for the fun of it, but Trout knew what he wanted, knew what was best for him, and didn't hesitate. Plus, as a Gophers fan first and foremost, his physical gifts and upside are off the charts. We just saw him at the PRzMN Stock-Up Showcase, and I got to spend a good 5-10 minutes getting to know him, and I came away very impressed by both his play and demeanor. One of the bigger kids I've ever got to see up close and personal, especially for a sophomore, with eye-catching length in his arms and a ton of room to fill in on an already sturdy 6'6, 270 lb. frame. Very flexible and bendy for his size and age (see his 370 lb. squat from last March), Trout overwhelms and dominates in the trenches in the run game who can finish opponents off first contact, is laterally balanced and effective who can reach, trap, and move around the LOS comfortably, as well as find work and beat up defenders at the second level, and has a good base and does have some experience in pass pro for an Outstate kid, Trout's physical gifts and ability are very rare to find in an upperclassman and his length and change of direction ability is particularly exciting for a kid still growing into his body. Gophers got a GREAT one for their first commitment of the 2026 class. Rocori to Dinkytown pipeline is back again!   Not to toot our own horn, but we have yet another PrepRedzoneMN Showcase standout and veteran heading to Dinkytown on a Golden Gophers scholarship. Trout joins the likes of Tony Nelson (Tracy), Alex Elliott (Hutchinson), Martin Owusu (Prior Lake), [player_tooltip player_id='368529' first='Jide' last='Abasiri'] (Prior Lake - has since flipped to USC), [player_tooltip player_id='242433' first='Mason' last='Carrier'] (Detroit Lakes), and a couple PWOs to have competed at our camp and hear from the homestate program. Far from all our doing, it's still something I'm proud of and proof that the PRzMN Showcase is very much worth your time and hard-earned dollars.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/AndyTrout13/status/1751714695650685308 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='105374' first='Maxwell' last='Woods'] flipping from NDSU to SDSU   I don't mean to upset or stress out NDSU Bison fans, but the tides of the Missouri Valley Football Conference are changing. After years of complete and utter national dominance, NDSU is no longer the current top dog of the MVFC, replaced by arch-rival South Dakota State University. The now back-to-back FCS natty champs have a very good thing going right now in Brookings, and to cement their place as the current FCS heavyweight, the Jackrabbits executed a very late commitment flip on MN's 2024 RB1 [player_tooltip player_id='105374' first='Maxwell' last='Woods'] out of Chanhassen. I can't lie, I'm not sure I've ever seen a kid from MN flip from NDSU to SDSU, but I've sure seen a few Minnesotans flip from the Jacks to the Bison while both working for PRZ and even prior to that as just a hardcore recruiting fan, so I think it's safe to say this reinforces my belief that the times are a changin' in the Missouri Valley, shoutout to Bob Dylan, a Hibbing legend. Woods was far and away the most dominant offensive force in the state this fall and was a huge part of the Storm's first-ever 5A state championship this past fall. Electric in the open field and able to create splash plays out of nothing, his COD ability, natural elusiveness, twitch, and physicality made him the most fun-to-watch RB I've seen in MN while working for PRzMN, and he earned every bit of his 2023 Mr. Football, 2023 StarTribune Metro POY, and 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year awards this fall. The walking highlight reel was getting some serious in-season attention from P5s during the fall, but SDSU ended up winning out in his recruitment, and with the way the Jacks are developing RBs as of late (s/o Coach Robbie Rouse), I think Woods has the chance to be a GREAT one for the Jackrabbits.   Big-time PWOs going out to Minnesota seniors   Preferred Walk-Ons (PWOs) are one of my favorite little aspects of recruiting, and every year we see prospects bet on themselves and commitment to play college football at the highest level while paying their own way through school. This year, it seems like a higher-than-usual amount of PWOs are getting sent out to the senior class, and some of these PWOs are from blue-bloods that don't normally stick their head in the state's recruiting scene. The big name to know is Hill-Murray's [player_tooltip player_id='867179' first='Luke' last='Grigson'], who has been receiving national attention as an uncommitted prospect with high upside and earned some eye-catching PWOs from the likes of Georgia, Purdue, and Kansas. We also had a late but very exciting PWO offer and commitment to Notre Dame, another SEC PWO commitment, and the illustrious and decorated MN -> Fargo PWO pipeline reopen. If you're a fan of Minnesota recruiting success stories and knowing which names to follow in college as they work to earn glory and a full-ride scholarship, these are the names to know.   [player_tooltip player_id='704466' first='Adam' last='Molitor'] (Totino-Grace) TE. 6'7, 220 lbs. Committed to Mizzou on a PWO. Also held offers from St. Thomas, Northern Iowa   [player_tooltip player_id='867179' first='Luke' last='Grigson'] (Hill-Murray) TE/EDGE. 6'5, 215 lbs. Uncommitted. - Holds PWOs from Georgia, Purdue, Kansas. Also earned offers from Maine, Winona State, Northern Iowa   [player_tooltip player_id='348735' first='Danny' last='King'] (Bloomington Jefferson) TE/WR. 6'4, 225 lbs. Committed to Nebraska on a PWO.   [player_tooltip player_id='1168897' first='Solomon' last='Martin'] (Providence Academy) WR. 6'1, 185 lbs. Uncommitted. - Holds PWOs from Syracuse, San Diego State, UT-San Antonio. Also earned offers from St. Thomas, Central Michigan, MSU-Mankato   [player_tooltip player_id='348666' first='Max' last='Anderson'] (St. Thomas Academy) OC. 6'3, 270 lbs. Committed to Notre Dame on a PWO. Also held Georgetown, St. Thomas, Grinnell College offers   [player_tooltip player_id='368595' first='Gage' last='Schmidt'] (Mankato West) OL. 6'4, 290 lbs. Committed to NDSU on a PWO. Also held offers from St. Thomas, Augustana, MSU-Mankato, Sioux Falls, Northern State, Southwest MN State, Winona State   [player_tooltip player_id='1150005' first='Jack' last='Hansen'] (Eagan) DL. 6'4, 245 lbs. Committed to NDSU on a PWO. Also held offers from MSU-Mankato, Winona State, UMD, Bemidji State   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/molitor_adam/status/1752166507314872345 </div></figure>   Get to know 2024 darkhorse recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1168897' first='Solomon' last='Martin']   You just heard me mention [player_tooltip player_id='1168897' first='Solomon' last='Martin'] in the aforementioned PWO offers list going out this month, and I definitely won't blame you for admitting that the name doesn't ring a bell. A 6'1, 185 lb. wide out who transferred to Providence Academy and the Great State of Minnesota from Oakland Christian School in Auburn Hills, Michigan prior to the 2023 season kicking off, Martin had a strong senior season with the Lions, posting 33 receptions for 1,341 all-purpose yards and 8 TDs, and his recruitment has really blown up since he moved to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. PWOs from UTSA, San Diego State, and Syracuse have all rolled in with the latter two coming since the season ended, and has also added offers from Northwestern (St. Paul), MSU-Mankato, St. Thomas, and a scholarship to FBS Central Michigan. He had an uneventful night when I saw the Lions play SMB on a sleeting October regular season game, but he's a big-bodied WR who showed he could take the top off the defense and bring some real explosiveness to his offense and special team (had great kick returns for TDs against Becker x2 & Chisago Lakes) and brings contact balance, a big catch radius, and contested catch ability to the table as a pass catcher. I guess it's a bit different to have a kid move into the state as a senior and make a big impact in the recruiting scene like Martin, especially this late, so we were caught a little off guard, but he made a big debut in the 2024 rankings and is really seeing the fruits of his labor pay off in January.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Solomon_martin2/status/1751470425941451059 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='362273' first='Emmanuel' last='Karmo'] BLOWS UP   Yet again, Robbinsdale Cooper has a national prospect on their hands. In Minnesota's 2025 class, there has generally been three nationally recognized names from the jump - some would maybe even argue two - and one of them has always been linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='362273' first='Emmanuel' last='Karmo']. Now a 6'2, 220 lb. junior in the midst of the all-important junior offseason, Karmo was far from under-the-radar coming into the 2023 season and already held offers from Iowa State and Purdue with Michigan State pulling the trigger early in September, but things have really exploded in January. Since the 22nd, Karmo has received offers from Iowa, USC, Ohio State, San Diego State, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, and Penn State! What a roll! Additionally, Kansas State offered in early December, so Karmo's list is looking quite healthy heading into February.   Long, fast, quick, dynamic, and able to contribute all around the football field both positionally and in what is asked of him, Karmo has really turned into a dangerous and elusive offensive contributor and WR for the Hawks and has noticeably & obviously grew and improved year-to-year as well. It's no wonder, as well as fitting, that thee Ohio State offer came from thee James Laurinaitis and with a lot of time left in the offseason, I'm stoked to see who else joins the picture. This kid is on fire right now.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/EmmanuelKarmo28/status/1750259256723419570 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1120583' first='Trey' last='Boyd'] stock continues to rise   Shakopee's 2025 class is looking dangerous, and in the all-important MN OL race, 6'5, 240 lb. offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1120583' first='Trey' last='Boyd'] has burst into the top echelons of the class and position group and really solidified himself at the end of this month. Very much under the radar coming into the season, Boyd saw his stock rise after getting on the Gophers radar first and visiting Dinkytown for a gameday visit, as a visit to Ames the following weekend earned Boyd his first offer from Iowa State. Cincinnati followed shortly after, and after a brief period of only receiving a boatload of recruiting graphics, mail, and communication, the last five days have produced Kansas and KState offers, two programs with ultra-successful head coaches with ties to the Upper Midwest and a soft spot for Minnesota prospects. Things are only on the up-and-up for Boyd right now, who is hyper aggressive and displays noticeable pop on tape and is a lean, mean, put-you-on-your-butt-machine with a ton of room to fill in, and January was a nice continuation of his expanding recruitment. Boyd has impressive and hard-to-find comfort and effectiveness at changing direction and finding work in space for an OT and a good motor and more than enough aggression with the pads on, and although he has little to no pass-pro experience thanks to Shako's triple-option attack, the good genetics (brother plays at St. Thomas), body control, and amount of potential in that frame all make his ceiling a high one. Fun name to watch the rest of the offseason.   Gophers hold onto [player_tooltip player_id='323504' first='Koi' last='Perich'] as the flagship member of their 2024 class   Arguably the biggest recruiting and maybe overall Minnesota sports story of the month, Minnesota's 2024 commitment class retained the talents of Esko's superstar safety [player_tooltip player_id='323504' first='Koi' last='Perich'], a massive recruiting win that involved a late push from Ohio State and Florida State. Perich is the best football player Outstate Minnesota has ever produced and has a chance to be the best player the state has produced in the modern era, period. Elite, nationally renowned, and seriously top tier athleticism, Perich was a one man wrecking crew in 2023 and an absolute dynamo on the football field that led to a massive resurgence in the Esko football program. Freaky body control and an explosive combination of speed, quickness, instincts, and physicality as a 6'1, 200 lb. do-it-all athlete projected to play safety at the next level, it was well covered that Perich earned in-season offers from blue-bloods like USC, Florida State, and Ohio State, and after visiting Columbus on an OV, the decision came down to the Gophers and Buckeyes, and what a win it became for the underdog Gophs. Not often we can win a head-to-head with Ohio State, but Perich is a different kind of cat who gels with Rowing the Boat and has the chance to play early and often in Dinkytown while getting developed by a program that has done quite well at the safety position under Fleck. The off-the-field heroics are really where you can see Perich earning his recent Top-5 safety status nationally for 247Sports, as he owns a 40" vert and can slam a basketball like a scholarship hooper, not to mention is a 1,000+ point hooper, ran a 10.89 100 and 22.29 200M last spring, is a state champion long jumper and state placer in the triple jump, and has a 3.4 GPA on top of it all. What can't he do? To cement his status as an elite national prospect, Perich earned MVP of the prestigious All-American Bowl this month, not done by a Minnesotan since Jeff Jones, a dude who I grew up playing against and whose on-field heroics and athleticism I have yet to see replicated in Minnesota until Perich. The only fitting thing left to say is: Row the Boat!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/koiperich3/status/1743474593187135586 </div></figure>   2025s Starting to feel the Heat   The class of 2025 is very much in the recruiting spotlight right now, and the month of January has certainly been a whirlwind of offers, recruiting waves, and young men seeing their dreams begin to come true. It's funny how quick things transition once the Early Signing Day comes and goes, and Minnesota is certainly no exception to seeing its juniors begin to reap and receive scholarship offers from big-time FCS and FBS programs. Right now, seven juniors are really emerging in the D1 scene of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, with the big name of [player_tooltip player_id='641138' first='Gavin' last='Wang'] still waiting on that first offer that should be coming any day now. Of the prospects offered so far, most of which have come in the last week, I really like Stewartville's [player_tooltip player_id='234882' first='Graysen' last='Schneider'], who is one of the most physically developed and thick juniors in the class with a twitched up, versatile, and developed pass-rushing game but is missing an inch or two, with Byron's massive, athletic, high-ceiling 6'7 lineman and hooper [player_tooltip player_id='831981' first='Colin' last='Hansen'], and Maple Grove's do-it-all baller & verified FBS-worthy athletic [player_tooltip player_id='586119' first='Dylan' last='Vokal'] and high-upside, run-blocking mauler & traditional inline TE Nathan Hromdka following close behind. Monti's [player_tooltip player_id='234761' first='Luke' last='Emmerich'] is the darkhorse here so far, as he missed all of 2023 with an injury but is an eye-catchingly rangy, athletic, dynamic, and exciting safety with some awesome sophomore tape. Park Center's 6'3 CB [player_tooltip player_id='1120574' first='Randy' last='Kweyete'] has the highly sought after length that is all the rage in D1 DB recruiting right now, plus he's got loose hips, ball skills, and will thump ya in the run game, and Crimson OT [player_tooltip player_id='362276' first='Michael' last='Wagner'] is a legit 6'6, can put you on your back, and can run well in the open field, so it's no surprise all of these guys heard early and have the chance to hear often. The big thing to watch here is which of these guys will break into that hard-to-reach P5 status as a recruit, a process that could be ongoing for a while and something I'm going to eagerly be following the rest of the offseason. Right now, I'd keep an eye on Hansen, Schneider, and Wang as the early frontrunners in that department.   [player_tooltip player_id='831981' first='Colin' last='Hansen'] (Byron) OL/DL. 6'7, 220 lbs. - Offered by NDSU (1/29), South Dakota (1/22)   [player_tooltip player_id='234882' first='Graysen' last='Schneider'] (Stewartville) DL. 6'2.5", 245 lbs. - Offered by South Dakota (1/27)   [player_tooltip player_id='1120574' first='Randy' last='Kweyete'] (Park Center) CB. 6'3, 185 lbs. - Offered by Illinois State (1/25)   [player_tooltip player_id='234761' first='Luke' last='Emmerich'] (Monticello) ATH/DB. 6'2, 200 lbs. - Offered by Illinois State (1/18)   [player_tooltip player_id='362276' first='Michael' last='Wagner'] (Maple Grove) OT. 6'6, 250 lbs. - Offered by NDSU (10/21), Northern Illinois (1/29), Ohio (1/31)   [player_tooltip player_id='490031' first='Nathan' last='Hromadka'] (Maple Grove) TE. 6'6, 220 lbs. - Offered by Northern Illinois (1/28)   [player_tooltip player_id='586119' first='Dylan' last='Vokal'] (Maple Grove) ATH. 6'2, 190 lbs. - Offered by Ohio (1/31)   [player_tooltip player_id='234833' first='Meyer' last='Swinney'] SEC   I don't care who it is, a Minnesota prospect earning an SEC offer is a big deal. Remember earlier when I mentioned that there's really been only three Land of 10,00 Lakes names certified in the national recruiting scene from the get-go? One of those names has been Edina's [player_tooltip player_id='234833' first='Meyer' last='Swinney'], who PrepRedzoneMN has had on our radar since he was a 7th grader (no big deal), in large part due to the success of his older brother, now-Cal-Berkeley OL Bastian Swinney, a 2021 Edina grad. January was big for Swinney, as it opened with a massive Texas A&M offer on the 10th and followed it with Cincinnati and Kansas offers the last two days. Swinney just announced yesterday that he was taking a visit to College Station, so it looks like that A&M offer moved the needle for the young man. And as it should, as the Aggies have one of the biggest bags in college football and play in the premier conference in the nation in the football-crazed place that is Texas. One of the more polished and nuanced route runners I've seen as of late, not to mention in a 6'4 frame, Swinney has freaky play speed for his size, highlight-reel hands (sometimes only one hand needed), a massive catch radius, and great contested catch ability and toughness. The 6'4, 210 lber. is also strong, quick, fast, elusive after the catch and owns eye-catching and rare COD ability for a 6'4 pass catcher, and although the size may suggest TE is in his future, the dude moves, changes directions, start/stops, run routes, and competes like a receiver, with the blocking skill and tenacity of a TE out on the perimeter, so if anyone in my time can stay at WR with his genetics, size, and frame, it's [player_tooltip player_id='234833' first='Meyer' last='Swinney']. With such rare and freaky WR size/ability, no wonder the Southeastern Conference has made it's way to the Land of 10,00 Lakes for his talent. Keep an eye out for some possible news after his visit with the Aggies.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/koiperich3/status/1743474593187135586 </div></figure>   Gophers make a big instate effort in their #MNBlitz campaign   PJ Fleck's Golden Gopher coaching staff were on the hunt and building bridges for their #MNBlitz in January, hitting every region in the state between their two big recruiting pushes on the 12th and 22nd and really doing a good job of prioritizing the state, developing relationships with local programs, and creating inroads with present and future Minnesota born-and-bred recruits. PrepRedzoneMN has the comprehensive list of who was where below!   DL Coach Winston DeLattiboudere III: Visited Robbinsdale Cooper, Shakopee, Eden Prairie, Holy Family Catholic, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Totino-Grace   DC Corey Hetherman: Visited Barnesville, Fergus Falls, Perham, Detroit Lakes, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Moorhead   Co-OC/WR Coach Matt Simon: Visited Farmington, Eagan, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Rosemount, Byron, Pine Island   TE Coach Eric Koehler: Visited East Ridge, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eastview, Apple Valley, Edina, Chaska   Safeties Coach Danny Collins: Visited Centennial, Rockford, Minneapolis North, Holy Angels, Simley, Forest Lake, Woodbury, Esko, Duluth Denfeld, Mt. Iron-Buhl   Offensive Line Coach Brian Callahan: Visited Shakopee, Chanhassen, Prior Lake, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Orono, Wayzata, Maple Grove, St. Francis, Elk River, St. Michael-Albertville, Monticello, Buffalo, Annandale, Rocori, St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech   RB Coach Nic McKissic-Luke: Visited Harding, Park Center, Waseca, Owatonna   OC/QB Coach Greg Harbaugh Jr.: Visited Champlin Park, Andover, Anoka   Co-DC/CB Coach Nick Monroe: Mahtomedi, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, North St. Paul, Totino-Grace, Providence Academy, Hill-Murray   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CoachMGSimon/status/1749505913239523751 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='490046' first='Owen' last='Linder'] blasts into the 2026 recruiting scene   As mentioned, 2025s are very much in the spotlight and on the forefront of the college recruiting world, so if you see a 2026 raking in offers right now, you can bet your butt he's something special. Rocori's Andew Trout wasn't the only 2026 Minnesota OL to blow up this month, as Chanhassen's 6'5, 250 lb. OG [player_tooltip player_id='490046' first='Owen' last='Linder'] has erupted into the 2026 Midwest and national recruiting scene after earning offers from Iowa State on the 17th and Cal-Berkeley the day after. It should go without saying that yes, the Iowa State Cyclones once again made a great and confident move in offering yet another Minnesotan first, but there's a lot of runway left in this budding recruitment out of the defending 5A state champs. I saw Linder ball out vs. Elk River to open the 2023 season, and although it was obvious he had D1-worthy size, strength, and potential, to which he earned a game ball shoutout in our PRzMN recap, I can't say I saw the recruitment starting with such a bang this early. That shouldn't take away from how excited I am for him and how much he deserves this though, and with his great frame, far from average strength, power, motor, and finishing ability for a sophomore, ability to drop his hips and break down/adjust in space, comfortability in pass pro and understanding of leverage, and effectiveness as a puller, the LG is an impressive combination of control and raw power and has the chance to be the most popular prospect in the developing 2026 Minnesota class. Welcome to the big scene, Owen! Pumped to have you.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/OwenLinder3/status/1747718288505819511 </div></figure>   St. Thomas kicks off their 2025 cycle with a massive Junior Day   In-state visitors to St. Paul included:   [player_tooltip player_id='436161' first='Chase' last='Brixius'] (Benilde-St. Margaret's) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='641137' first='Luke' last='Guggenberger'] (Benilde-St. Margaret's) WR.   [player_tooltip player_id='348737' first='Connor' last='Klemmensen'] (Minneapolis Southwest) RB/DB.   Beau Thielen (Eagan) LS.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204077' first='Carter' last='Garland'] (Two Rivers) DL.   Fletcher Olness (Minnetonka) DL.   [player_tooltip player_id='245682' first='Cody' last='Rezny'] (Farmington) WR.   [player_tooltip player_id='234881' first='Parker' last='Wangen'] (Stewartville) WR/DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='541228' first='Caisen' last='Thome'] (Kasson-Mantorville) DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1246747' first='Chase' last='Young'] (St. Thomas Academy) QB/TE.   [player_tooltip player_id='945336' first='Jonah' last='Shine'] (Lakeville South) RB.   [player_tooltip player_id='945923' first='Cooper' last='Mansfield'] (Elk River) OT.   Will Otto (Watertown-Mayer) DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204074' first='Evan' last='Lowry-Simpson'] (Blaine) DL.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204344' first='Dominic' last='Batts'] (Park) WR.   Brayden Kleine (Shakopee) WR.   [player_tooltip player_id='1207411' first='Michael' last='Naber'] (Shakopee) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='362276' first='Michael' last='Wagner'] (Maple Grove) OT.   Stephen Bunce (Edina) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='1083208' first='Brody' last='Miller'] (Shakopee) DB.   Kyle Brouchet (Eastview) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='218639' first='Yahya' last='Yusuf'] (Minneapolis Washburn) OL.   Deacon O'Brien (Watertown-Mayer) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='490031' first='Nathan' last='Hromadka'] (Maple Grove) TE.   [player_tooltip player_id='1120558' first='Kaleb' last='Ngwendson'] (Eastview) TE.   [player_tooltip player_id='493314' first='Jackson' last='Thornburgh'] (Apple Valley) QB.   [player_tooltip player_id='945895' first='Nathan' last='Dobbs'] (Hopkins) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='363115' first='Jacob' last='Wrbanek'] (Maple Grove) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1192021' first='Charles' last='Langama'] (Maple Grove) RB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1201977' first='Henrik' last='Hiltner'] (Centennial) TE.   [player_tooltip player_id='1120567' first='Nolan' last='Ginskey'] (Owatonna) WR.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204087' first='Brodie' last='Miller'] (Minneapolis Washburn) DL.   Kyler Burmeister (Watertown-Mayer) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='586119' first='Dylan' last='Vokal'] (Maple Grove) ATH.   [player_tooltip player_id='743260' first='Gavin' last='Schmidt'] (Elk River) RB/LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1191511' first='Damian' last='Devine'] (Holy Angles) DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1202015' first='Malachi' last='Boadi'] (Minnetonka) DB.   P5, FBS, FCS schools begin to hit up the Land of 10,000 Lakes   The likes of Minnesota, Wyoming, Ohio, Northern Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Northern Illinois, Michigan State, KState, South Dakota State, Northwestern, Cincinnati, North Dakota State, Iowa, USC, Ohio State, Iowa State, North Dakota, and Illinois State all made in-person appearances at high schools far and wide across the Land of 10,000 Lakes.   Noteworthy to see USC, Ohio State, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Cincinnati get active in the state. Not used to seeing them in MN, especially in-person. Also cool to mention that James Laurinaitis was representing Ohio State when recruiting MN, and he was the coach to offer Cooper's [player_tooltip player_id='362273' first='Emmanuel' last='Karmo']. The rest of the schools mentioned, minus maybe Ohio, traditionally recruit the state often and successfully. Always room for more!   South Dakota - led by DPP Josh Rosenthal, a Minneapolis native and North/Bloomington Jefferson product formerly at Iowa State - host a ton of Minnesota 2025s and try to get the pipeline back east to the Land of 10,000 Lakes   Visitors to Vermillion included:   [player_tooltip player_id='234759' first='Hank' last='Artz'] (Fairmont) DL/FB.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204091' first='Jack' last='Drange'] (Hill-Murray) TE/DE.   [player_tooltip player_id='641136' first='Blake' last='Schiltz'] (Pine Island) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='512112' first='Liam' last='Holmberg'] (Edina) DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='678032' first='Hayden' last='Westman'] (Cambridge-Isanti) FB/OLB.   [player_tooltip player_id='369592' first='Michael' last='Roberts IV'] (Minneapolis North) OLB.   [player_tooltip player_id='945343' first='Kaden' last='Bonds'] (Lakeville South) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='207950' first='Jayden' last='Gournaris'] (Farmington) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='551346' first='Ethan' last='Giesler'] (Farmington) DL.   [player_tooltip player_id='641139' first='Allan' last='Lankfard'] (St. Paul Central) ATH.   [player_tooltip player_id='743266' first='Jajuan' last='Bobmanuel'] (St. Paul Johnson) DB.   [player_tooltip player_id='422176' first='Tristan' last='Holbrook'] (Belle Plaine) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='758773' first='Isaiah' last='Campbell'] (Elk River) OL.   [player_tooltip player_id='348721' first='Madden' last='Ison'] (Eagan) RB.   [player_tooltip player_id='234789' first='Will' last='Seymour'] (Benilde-St. Margaret's) LB.   [player_tooltip player_id='362305' first='Nevin' last='Poppy'] (Chanhassen) TE.   Commitments   [player_tooltip player_id='704466' first='Adam' last='Molitor'] (Totino-Grace) 2024. TE. 6'7, 220 lbs. - Committed to Mizzou (PWO)   Zach Yeager (Minneapolis North) QB. Transfer from North Carolina A&T. - Committed to Howard University   Melvin Wallace (Centennial) 2024. DT. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Christopher Onofre Sanchez (Osseo) 2024. LB. - Committed to Iowa Central   Jack Sieben (Hastings) 2024. K/P. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus College   Ron Addo (Moorhead) 2024. OLB. - Committed to Concordia-Moorhead   [player_tooltip player_id='245642' first='Gavin' last='Frye'] (Holy Family Catholic) 2024. QB. - Committed to the University of Mary   Shaun Walrath (Sauk Rapids-Rice) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Nick Randall (Lakeville South) 2024. DB. - Committed to Dakota State   [player_tooltip player_id='706025' first='Andrew' last='Staples'] (Cherry) 2024. DL. - Committed to the University of Jamestown   [player_tooltip player_id='1148658' first='Rory' last='Wyatt'] (Minneapolis Patrick Henry) 2024. LB. - Committed to Bemidji State   Luke Gardner (Winona Cotter) 2024. WR. - Committed to UW-Eagle   [player_tooltip player_id='241904' first='AJ' last='Donovan'] (La Crescent-Hokah) 2024. QB/K. - Committed to Dakota State   Tim Johnson (Elk River) 2024. DL. - Committed to St. John's   Jaydon Ellis (Burnsville) 2024. OL. - Committed to RCTC   [player_tooltip player_id='241907' first='Luke' last='Speedling'] (Minnetonka) 2024. OL. - Committed to Winona State   [player_tooltip player_id='105405' first='Will' last='Quick'] (Centennial) 2024. CB. - Committed to South Dakota Mines   [player_tooltip player_id='706019' first='Keenan' last='Paschall'] (Delasalle) 2024. DL. - Committed to Lindenwood   [player_tooltip player_id='348803' first='Sam' last='Shepersky'] (Cannon Falls) 2024. LB. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   [player_tooltip player_id='706017' first='Torrin' last='Smith'] (Owatonna) 2024. LB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus   [player_tooltip player_id='629434' first='Carter' last='Bloom'] (Elk River) 2024. K/P. - Committed to St. Scholastica   [player_tooltip player_id='119899' first='Ky' last='Kelvie'] (Buffalo) 2024. QB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus   Nicholas Barrett (Cannon Falls) 2024. LB. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Frankie Montano (Rogers) 2024. DL. - Committed to Augsburg University   [player_tooltip player_id='245633' first='William' last='Graunke'] (Rockford) 2024. WR. - Committed to St. Thomas   Joseph Santos (Burnsville) 2024. OL. - Committed to Waldorf   Cade Caruso (St. Thomas Academy) 2024. LB. - Committed to St. Thomas   Hayden McDaniel (Chanhassen) 2024. K/P. - Committed to Winona State   Jackson Kauck (Woodbury) 2024. TE. - Committed to St. Olaf College   Courtney Dickerson (Armstrong) 2024. DL. - Committed to Augsburg University   Jonathan Ritz (Willmar) 2024. TE. - Committed to Bethel University   Andy Pedroza (Rocori) 2024. DB. - Committed to Valley City State   Yourhynis Wells (St. Paul Highland Park) 2024. DB. - Committed to Crown College   [player_tooltip player_id='1150020' first='Brody' last='O'Keefe'] (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton) 2024. TE/LB. - Committed to Valley City State   Zachariah Ladu (Rochester John Marshall) 2024. DB. - Committed to Augustana (SD)   [player_tooltip player_id='242452' first='Melvin' last='Mensah'] (St. Paul Highland Park) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Crown College   [player_tooltip player_id='606499' first='Gavin' last='Lofgren'] (Mayer Lutheran) 2024. OL. - Committed to Crown College   [player_tooltip player_id='534660' first='Will' last='Barthel'] (St. Thomas Academy) 2024. QB. - Committed to Bethel   [player_tooltip player_id='368595' first='Gage' last='Schmidt'] (Mankato West) 2024. OL. - Committed to NDSU (PWO)   [player_tooltip player_id='1150005' first='Jack' last='Hansen'] (Eagan) 2024. DL. - Committed to NDSU (PWO)   [player_tooltip player_id='348796' first='Corbin' last='Schroeder'] (Cannon Falls) 2024. OL. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   [player_tooltip player_id='242449' first='Lewis' last='Doyle'] (Caledonia) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Hillsdale (in December, I missed it)   [player_tooltip player_id='551355' first='Henry' last='Bandah'] (Richfield) 2024. DB. - Committed to Bemidji State   Demarco Pinckney (Hopkins) 2024. OL. - Committed to Augsburg   [player_tooltip player_id='460286' first='Lex' last='Korti'] (Fridley) 2024. RB. - Committed to Concordia-St. Paul   [player_tooltip player_id='1145323' first='Carter' last='Olson'] (Wayzata) 2024. RB. - Committed to St. Olaf College   Israel Ogunleye (Cooper) 2024. CB. - Committed to UW-River Falls (in December, I was late)   [player_tooltip player_id='348683' first='Logan' last='Butler'] (Hutchinson) 2024. QB. - Committed to Concordia-St. Paul   Kaden Johnson (SMB) LB. Transfer from UW-Madison. - Committed to Nevada   [player_tooltip player_id='242442' first='Will' last='Martin'] (Detroit Lakes) 2024. LB. - Committed to MSU-Moorhead   Jack Griffieth (Buffalo) 2024. DB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus College   David Laturnus (Park of Cottage Grove) 2024. DL. - Committed to Hamline University   [player_tooltip player_id='281618' first='Dylan' last='Schultz'] (Wayzata) 2024. DL. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   [player_tooltip player_id='105409' first='Cole' last='Gerrell'] (Forest Lake) 2024. QB. - Committed to Bethel University   Alex Hollie (Minneapolis Washburn) LB. Transfer from Bethel. - Committed to St. Olaf College   [player_tooltip player_id='140771' first='Reece' last='Brenna'] (Prior Lake) 2024. TE. - Committed to UW-River Falls   Cheick Kaba (Fridley/Iowa Western CC) DL. - Committed to Troy   [player_tooltip player_id='326246' first='Elliott' last='Viland'] (Bethlehem Academy) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Levi Oevering (Lewiston-Altura) 2024. OL. - Committed to UW-River Falls   [player_tooltip player_id='1148647' first='Nolan' last='Geislinger'] (Eden Valley-Watkins) 2024. WR. - Committed to Iowa Western CC to play both football and baseball   [player_tooltip player_id='105385' first='Azrie' last='Yeager'] (Minneapolis North) 2024. OL. - Committed to Butler Community College   [player_tooltip player_id='858350' first='Brock' last='Bakeberg'] (Jordan) 2024. WR. - Committed to Bethel University   [player_tooltip player_id='105414' first='Damarius' last='Fletcher'] (St. Cloud Tech) 2024. DB. - Committed to Bemidji State   Musa Sanneh (Richfield) 2024. WR. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   [player_tooltip player_id='241906' first='Michael' last='Oftedahl'] (Mound Westonka) 2024. OL. - Committed to St. John's University   [player_tooltip player_id='105371' first='Monte' last='Gillman'] (Dassel-Cokato) 2024. RB. - Committed to Montana (PWO)   Jacob Hangsleben (Monticello) 2024. OL. - Committed to the University of Jamestown   Grant Achterkirch (Owatonna) LB. St. Thomas transfer. - Committed to UW-La Crosse   [player_tooltip player_id='581105' first='Conner' last='Martens'] (Nicollet) 2024. WR. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus College   Ben McNaboe (Rogers) DE. Transfer from North Dakota. - Committed to Ohio   Shawn Shipman (Champlin Rebel) RB. Transfer from St. Thomas. - Committed to Western Illinois   Evan Thompson (Sleepy Eye) 2024. OL. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Sam Robertson (Wayzata) CB. Transfer from Iowa Western. - Committed to Eastern Kentucky   [player_tooltip player_id='242380' first='Logan' last='Ness'] (Coon Rapids) 2024. LB. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   [player_tooltip player_id='242379' first='Jerid' last='Fearing'] (Coon Rapids) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Alex Mansager (Waconia) 2024. OL. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Charlie Wilson (Woodbury) WR. Transfer from Hamline University. - Committed to UW-Whitewater   Dorian Singer (Tartan) WR. Transfer from USC. - Committed to Utah   Ismael Kante (Park Center) LB. Transfer from Northern State. - Committed to Iowa Central CC   Lars Anderson (Farmington) 2024. OL. - Committed to UW-River Falls   Cody Bartnes (Detroit Lakes) 2024. DB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus College   Lucas Peterson (Rochester Mayo) 2024. WR. - Committed to Bemidji State   Edmund Ocansey Jr. (Champlin Park) DB. Transfer from North Dakota. - Committed to MSU-Mankato   [player_tooltip player_id='629433' first='Logan' last='Bunker'] (Elk River) 2024. RB/LB. - Committed to UW-River Falls   Konnor Kelly (Red Wing) 2024. WR/DB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus College   Jameson Cozad (Moorhead) DL. Transfer from NDSCS. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Cole Fee (St. Paul Central) 2024. DB. - Committed to RCTC   [player_tooltip player_id='551310' first='Bennett' last='Pierson'] (Mora) 2024. OL. - Committed to Southwest Minnesota State   Dylan Fischer (Burnsville) LS. Transfer from Alcorn State. - Committed to the University of Idaho (PWO)   [player_tooltip player_id='348714' first='Devan' last='Hendricks'] (Lakeville South) 2024. DB. - Committed to Dakota State   [player_tooltip player_id='551351' first='Garrison' last='Jackman'] (Litchfield) 2024. K/P. - Committed to UW-Stout   Nick Shade (Elk River) 2024. DB. - Committed to UW-River Falls   [player_tooltip player_id='704475' first='Nolan' last='Dumonceaux'] (Forest Lake) 2024. DB. - Committed to St. John's University   [player_tooltip player_id='348743' first='Matthew' last='Larson'] (Lakeville South) 2024. OL. - Committed to UW-Stout   [player_tooltip player_id='433675' first='Owen' last='Swedberg'] (Totino-Grace) 2024. OL. - Committed to St. Olaf College   Markeese Howard (Burnsville) 2024. DB. - Committed to Bemidji State   [player_tooltip player_id='627969' first='Seth' last='Stai'] (Jackson County Central) 2024. LB. - Committed to Northwestern College to play football and wrestle   Deshaun Pongsak (Brooklyn Center) 2024. QB. - Committed to Augsburg   Remington Gau (Rochester Mayo) 2024. DL. - Committed to Winona State   [player_tooltip player_id='704474' first='Andrew' last='Lipke'] (Hutchinson) 2024. ATH. - Committed to St. John's University   Zachary Jeuch (East Grand Forks) 2024. OL. - Committed to the University of Jamestown   Carter Reinbold (Mound Westonka) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Wartburg College   DJ Smith (Moorhead) 2024. WR. - Committed to Northern State   Hunter Hamann (Albany) 2024. ATH. - Committed to Concordia-Moorhead   [player_tooltip player_id='242399' first='Brayden' last='Windschitl'] (Chanhassen) 2024. QB. - Committed to Gustavus Adolphus to play both football and baseball   [player_tooltip player_id='391542' first='Ethan' last='Larson'] (Barnesville) 2024. LB. - Committed to Concordia-Moorhead   Alex Akim (Mankato West) 2024. K/P. - Committed to Sioux Falls   [player_tooltip player_id='241911' first='Thomas' last='Graves'] (Cretin-Derham Hall) 2024. OL. - Committed to St. John's University   Fisher Ganske (Bemidji) 2024. DB. - Committed to Bethel University   Hunter Hamann (Albany) 2024. LB. - Committed to Concordia-Moorhead

January was quite a whirlwind of offers, commitments, flips, unofficial & official visits, and general recruiting hoopla that has increased my screen time exponentially and has kept me glued to Twitter and excitedly locked into the who, when, and what of the Midwest recruiting scene. Obviously, it's incredibly fulfilling to see the hard work of these young men pay off in a life-changing, goal-achieving fashion, especially for my Minnesota boys, where offers are harder to come by despite in-your-face talent and the recruiting process can be a bit more complicated to navigate. Because PrepRedzoneMN is your most trusted & comprehensive source for Minnesota high school football, I thought it'd be pertinent to give our wonderful subscribers a recap of the month's recruiting action. The best storylines, EVERY commitment we came across, and more recruiting news for your eyes only. Let's get to it!