PrepRedzoneMN 2025 Rankings Update: Top Newcomers Part 1
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I am very excited to announce the PrepRedzoneMN 2025 Rankings Update is LIVE! It had been far too long since the last update, a miscalculation I don’t intend to repeat as the rankings editor of our illustrious Minnesota site. However,…
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Continue ReadingI am very excited to announce the PrepRedzoneMN 2025 Rankings Update is LIVE! It had been far too long since the last update, a miscalculation I don’t intend to repeat as the rankings editor of our illustrious Minnesota site. However, the amount of time that has passed between updates means this was a massive endeavor that shook up the state’s recruiting scene. Over 100 new names made their way onto the rankings to up the classes ranking to a Top 270 with room to grow, which created a brand-new, fresh-faced Top-10, 25, 50, 100, 150, etc. that saw some established names hold their spots while others were overtaken by recent and modern talents that cemented themselves among the state’s elite. To kick off the celebration that is this latest 2025 Minnesota Rankings Update, we’ll begin with a familiar favorite: the Top Newcomers. Starting with the 11 biggest new names to enter the state rankings, all of whom are Top 36 prospects, let’s get to know some of the modern and updated must-knows in the Minnesota 2025 classes recruiting scene. Lots more content coming this week on PrepRedzoneMN, make sure you don’t miss out!
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The undoubted and undisputed top newcomer of the PRzMN 2025 rankings update goes to Shakopee OT Trey Boyd. The 6’5, 240 lb. OT came hot off the press during the fall after his tremendous season with the budding 6A Sabers created recruiting momentum and Boyd’s name being added to recruiting big boards around the Midwest, beginning with Minnesota. The homestate Gophs got Boyd on campus for an unofficial gameday visit in late October after Boyd’s impressive junior tape began to circulate and things began to really heat up after that visit. The Iowa State Cyclones, who recruit the state as well as anyone and trust MN talent more than most year to year, became his first offer in early November. Cincinnati followed during the season, and things have really picked up since the new year rolled around. Since January 26th, Kansas, KState, Purdue, Miami (OH), and Northwestern all have joined the fray, and 247Sports has reported that Iowa State seems to be the frontrunner in his recruitment at this point in time.
The physicality and strength in the run game really pops off the film first and foremost. In Shakopee’s run-heavy, modified triple-option offensive attack, Boyd is a mauler at the point of attack, sending defenders flying when he puts his pads on them or extends his arms. Dominant in the run game, Boyd utilizes good hand placement, runs his feet like he’s on fire once he gets engaged with an opponent, and shows off a nasty streak as a finisher once he gets control of a helpless defender. The 6’5, 245ish pounder can open up and run like a TE and shows real lateral agility, comfortability, and fluidness in space for an offensive tackle prospect and is highly effective as a puller or when working to the second level. The athleticism, mobility, and body control at his size and age really set him apart from the rest of the OL in the 2025 class. The dominance in the run game, mobility, and aggression are also sweetened by Boyd’s frame, as he displays a ton of room to grow and fill in and possesses a very lean frame that can add 40-50 pounds and really develop into a beast in a college S&C program. Pass pro is a big question mark in terms of his recruiting resume, but the upside and athleticism are very impressive right now and the tape screams B1G blocker.
For his efforts and talents, Trey Boyd debuts as our #5 overall prospect in the MN 2025 class and as OL2!
Highlights
It’s easy to fall in love with a prospect like Holy Angels’ 6’3, 205 lb. ATH Damian Devine. A common theme in high school football programs is to put your best athlete at the QB spot and Holy Angels is a subscriber to that trend. The Stars reaped the rewards of putting the large, powerful and ultra-dynamic junior at the all-important quarterback position in 2023, where Devine showed off and balled out as a read-option QB, wing back, and tailback, not to mention his exploits as a SS/OLB.
His top-end, splash-play, game-changing speed at 6’3, 205 lbs. is quite an ask for opposing defenses, and Devine has the pace to take the ball to the house every touch he gets. The rising senior can turn what would be a routine TFL in the backfield for a multi-broken tackle, explosive, big gain for his offense, and can take the edge of a defense with ease or stab through the middle with equal effect. In addition to the speed, Devine demonstrates good vision, noticeable burst, and a powerful lower body that possesses impressive contact balance and allows him to beat blockers with quickness or strength. Defensively, he shows good hips and is comfortable and instinctive in coverage downfield, where he’s able to read QBs/passing concepts and step into passing lanes for PBUs and INTs. Plus, he’s a big hitter at the contact point defensively, able to blitz, line up as the high safety or in an OLB, around the box type role. That big, that fast, and with such game-breaking athleticism and ability and it’s easy to see why he’s one of the best prospects in MN’s 2025 class.
Linebacker is where he most likely projects to collegiately, and his dynamic skillset and size lend nicely to the position. Devine earned his first offer in early February from North Dakota State, traditionally one of the most exciting offers a Minnesotan can lead off with, and Ohio University joined in with a FBS MAC offer a couple days later in their big MN push last month.
Damian Devine debuts as our #12 overall junior and as ATH1.
The MN 2025 DB class has evolved into a talented and promising position group, especially at the top end, where Park Center’s 6’3, 185 lb. CB Randy Kweyete has established himself nicely as one of the top players in the state. You all have heard me talk about it in detail, but length is at an all-time premium in the DB recruiting world, and Kweyete is rich in the length department, as his 6’3, 185 lb. frame can make plays most DBs simply aren’t able to and is ideal for breaking up passes and laying the boom in run support.
Colleges have taken notice of that eye-catching size and ability to use it as well. Kweyete’s impressive junior tape netted him his first offer in late January from Missouri Valley contender Illinois State, and Minnesota, North Dakota State, and Michigan State have all contacted Kweyete since that Redbird offer rolled in. On tape, the 185 lb. junior primarily lines up at CB but could potentially switch to safety in college, as he really excels in run support from the defensive secondary. That doesn’t mean he’s not a stud in coverage, as I like the 6’3 CBs loose hips, ball skills and the ability to win 50/50 contested catch situations, and speed to stay with receivers downfield. Obviously athletic with elite size for the position, Kweyete displays good footwork, doesn’t waste steps, looks controlled and intentional with his movements, and can play man coverage (off-man and press) and effective working front to back in zone coverage. That length would be ideal to play press-man in college and Kweyete looks good when he presses in high junior highlights. Now, onto the hitting.
The Park Center 2025er loves and seeks out contact and is motivated and aggressive in run support from the defensive secondary. He defends the edge and plays with pursuit leverage in run support, possesses good pursuit speed and takes good angles to the football, and sheds blocks easily thanks to that length and his motivated want to support the run. Kweyete can lay the boom at the catch point to rattle balls loose from receivers and is a great form tackler with good strength and physicality at the contact point. can easily take down ball carriers in 1-on-1 situations and in space. Tons to like in his game and projection to the next level.
Randy Kweyete debuts as our #21 overall junior and DB2.
Highlights
Shakopee has one of the top 2025 graduating classes in the state, and in yet another deep and talented MN defensive line class, 6’3, 250 lb. DE Max Coles stands near the top of the pile, bursting onto the scene along with his fellow juniors during the Sabers‘ 2023 campaign. Still waiting on that first offer, Coles has heard from Michigan State, earned junior day invites to the Golden Gophers and Iowa State, and has been contacted by a plethora of Missouri Valley schools.
Posting 39 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 2 sacks against 6A Metro offensive tackles and guards last fall, Coles looks like he could potentially be his reported 6’3, 250, with a tall, wide build and a solid wingspan, and he owns an explosive first step and get-off that help him create disruption off the snap, and I like his twitch, balance, and power as a pass rusher from the traditional 5T spot. With a motor that doesn’t quit and the pursuit speed to run down ball carriers all around the LOS, Coles displays a powerful anchor and leg drive that helps absorb contact well and can beat multiple blocking attempts in a single rep, and he uses a strong rip and an effective bull rush to win 1-on-1 assignments against OTs and OGs alike, plus that twitch. With an overall aggressive playstyle and mentality, the 250 lber. created some dominant collisions on both sides of the ball that really flexed his physicality at his size and made him look like a man amongst boys in his junior tape. I really want to get this dude the spring PRzMN Showcase on April 13th to get some verified numbers on him and see him up close and personal, but the tape is good and he’s about to be a force as a senior.
Max Coles debuts as our #26 overall junior and as DL6.
Highlights
One of the top players in Outstate Minnesota going into the fall, Moorhead Spud rising senior and Fargo Davies transfer DB/WR Owen Thielges is repping the 701 in standout fashion and comes in as one of Top Newcomers in yesterday’s PRzMN 2025 Official Rankings Update. With a multi-sport background and two-way contributing ability on the gridiron, Thielges posted 75 tackles, 6 INTs, 5 PBUs, and 5 TFLs in 2023 along with 29 receptions for 313 yards and 6 TDs as a wideout. He’s creating some buzz on the recruiting trail as well, earning junior day invites from Minnesota, North Dakota State, North Dakota, and South Dakota State, along with just about every team in the NSIC as well as Valley City State.
A good athlete at the position who reports a 4.6 (laser) 40, 4.15 short-shuttle, and 9’7 broad jump, Thielges possesses good body control and is able to make big-play impacts in both run and pass defense. The 6’2, 185 lber. shows a smooth back pedal, gets out of his breaks with noticeable pace, and anticipates and plays the ball well in the air. He’s comfortable in man coverage from the slot, processes and reads the QB & opposing pass concepts quickly, and is one of those prep safeties who is always around the football, and due both to his athleticism and instincts, gets the benefit of the bounce and makes a ton of plays on the pigskin. Speaking of processing quickly, Thielges processes and triggers on the ball well, both in run and pass defense. When he diagnoses a run, he’s like a bat out of hell running the alley and closes very quickly on ball carriers, and is able to tackle in space as well. He closes so quickly he makes first contact at the LOS in run support from the high safety spot, and I also like how he attacks and takes on blocks with his inside shoulder to easily shed and make the tackle. He’s got Missouri Valley written all over him.
Owen Thielges debuts as our #27 ranked overall junior and as DB4.
You’ve heard it here first: there is a handful of VERY exciting small school, Outstate, jumbo athletes sitting right outside the Top-30 just itching and waiting to get bumped higher and higher. The Top Newcomer of the bunch comes out of AAA Sauk Centre High School and their massive 6’6, 230 lb. DE Troy Hansen. The XL Newcomer has a lot of the qualities of a big-time potential MN Outstate sleeper, including an eye-catching frame and the basketball background to go with it, and his film displays a DE who operates as a standup 5T who can slide inside and show off some noticeable lateral agility, but is basically let off the leash and allowed to let his athleticism dominate and disrupt off the edge.
Hansen is a tornado-like force on the gridiron who is everywhere all at once, and looks like a grown man playing against high schoolers in his junior tape. He opens the highlights with a freight train-esque hit off a full head of a steam to really spotlight some dominant qualities, a theme that continues through the entirety of his junior highlights. The 6’6 junior runs like a deer and looks fluid and balanced in his movements, has the length to get his hands up into passing lanes, and shows off speed, strength, and body control in his efforts to get to the ball. Strong through contact with a good base and high-tempo motor, Hansen can beat would-be blockers with either quickness, power, or speed, and he gets the most out of every tackle and ragdolled some helpless RBs and QBs in physically dominant fashion in 2023. The 2025 sleeper has that “it” factor you look for in small school gems. Dominant film, biggest, baddest, most athletic dude on the field, can’t help but notice him when you turn on the tape.
Troy Hansen debuts as the #31 overall ranked junior and as DL7. Don’t be surprised if that rises soon.
A big-bodied athlete out of the 651 and Metro 5A ranks, Cretin-Derham Hall’s 6’5, 215 lb. pass-catcher Monteff Dixon is a sleeper in the 2025 class still at the beginning of his recruiting journey. Great frame, athletic, and passed the in-person test when fellow PRzMN scout Nate Wahl saw him against St. Paul Central last fall, Dixon was dynamic in the open field, according to Nate, and came into the recruiting scene in late November with some NDSU graphics and a gameday invite to the Minnesota Gophers, which Dixon attended. Junior day invites from NIU, St. Thomas, South Dakota, and Sioux Falls have all followed, and for our subscribers who really like keeping track of darkhorse names in the state’s recruiting class, make sure you keep on the CDH Raider.
Dixon averaged over 11 yards a reception and totaled 5 TDs last fall while demonstrating a balanced skillset as a pass catcher and blocker and a lot to like as a pass catcher. The 6’5, 215 lber. looks like a solid route runner, and hits his marks, powers out of his breaks, and can find soft spots in zone coverage, plus he possesses a long, lean frame that could turn monstrous in a college S&C program. Dixon demonstrates strong hands that can catch the ball away from his body, good concentration that can finish receptions through anticipated contact, body awareness, and I also like how well he plays the ball in the air. The TE/WR hybrid also looks quick and effective at the top of the route, shows some shake after the catch, and can run through weaker tackle attempts at his lower body and pull away from slower pursuers after the catch. Plus, to really solidify that TE projection, Dixon is a technically efficient, willing, and physical blocker, both as an inline TE or out in space.
Monteff Dixon debuts in our Minnesota 2025 Rankings Update as our #32 overall junior and as TE3.
Back to that ultra-talented batch of Outstate, small school, jumbo athletes that really get my recruiting juices going. How awesome does a 6’5, 240 lb. running back sound? How would you gameplan for that if you were a 9man DC? Make sure you aren’t staring too hard as I introduce you to Hancock’s 6’5, 240 lb. Sherman Tank of a RB and LB Chase Evink. Before you ask, yes, the tape is as fun as it sounds.
The overwhelming size and frankly frightening speed that Evink possesses makes it look like someone drove their F150 onto the field, and he’s got the ability to both run by and run through would-be tacklers in eye-catching fashion. The work freak comes to mind as you watch the 240 lber. destroys blockers and ball carriers defensively, flies past safeties for massive TD runs, and imposes his will play-to-play in all three phases of the game. I really like his speed, even against 9man competition who can see his burst, as well as that last gear to finish big runs and burn past pursuit angles from closing DBs, and Evink also possesses great contact balance, the ability to change direction smoothly, good vision as a RB, and dominance at the contact point. Big, strong, fast, athletic, he’s got it all, and at 6’5, 240 lbs., that’s a very very scary prospect for 9-man opponents.
When you’re discussing 9-man prospects and how that competition translates and projects to the college level, you need to see an obvious, commanding, next-level kind of dominance that makes the prospect look like a man amongst boys on the gridiron. Evink absolutely hits those marks, and it’s safe to say he’d be able to succeed and dominate against 11-man opponents and at a higher level of competition, including in college. A 6’5, 240 lb. RB and LB dominating the 9-man game? That’s the kind of recruit who finds Division 1 success out of the smallest programs its states have to offer. Make sure you remember this name, and check out the junior tape if you can, it’s more than worth the watch.
Chase Evink debuts as the #33 overall ranked junior and as ATH5, with a ton of room to continue climbing.
Our final must-know, ultra-exciting, small school, Outstate jumbo athlete in Part 1 of this MN 2025 Rankings Update feature, Pillager’s 6’6, 205 lb. QB/ATH Christian Hooge brings a ton to work with and an excellent frame to go along with his explosive pace as a ball carrier. A 6’6, 205 lb. QB/FS? Now that’s an eye-catcher, and Hooge keeps your attention with his skillset of burst, top-end speed, speed, and did I mention speed? The XL read-option QB also demonstrates good vision as a ball carrier, some effective shake in the open field when making that 1-on-1 defender miss, and his length and balance presents problems for would-be tacklers attempting to wrap him up. Hooge looks like a gazelle when he tucks and takes off and absolutely burns by pursuit angles of defenders that you don’t see many 6’6 athletes be able to pull off, and is a great form runner explodes through the first and second level of a defense and finish big runs for six.
The big question here is where does he project to position-wise at the next level? It’s dependent on a lot of factors, but the main takeaway right now is you don’t see a 6’6, 200+ pounder run and move like this very often. There’s more promise and potential than questions right now.
South Dakota State, Winona State, MSU-Moorhead, and Iowa State have all reached out with junior day invites in Hooge’s recently jumpstarted recruitment.
Christian Hooge debuts as our #35 overall Minnesota 2025 and as ATH6.
Highlights
The best specialist I’ve seen come out of the state since Grant Ryerse, Alexandria’s star kicker/punter Daniel Jackson has been one of the more established prospects in the 2025 class after he earned a PWO in-person at the Gophers prospect camp going into his sophomore season in June of 2022. That’s a big kick (pun intended) for one’s recruiting, and flashforward to the present and Jackson is one of the more popular recruits in the state. North Dakota State offered this past September, and during the offseason, Cornell University and Army-West Point have also joined in the mix.
Here are some quick-hitters regarding Jackson, his athletic profile, and his accolades thus far:
- Multiple last-second game-winning FGs
- 52-yard FG, 3rd longest in MN high school history in 2022
- #1 kickoff distance average in MN state history
- ran an 11.19 100M time to qualify for state last June
- 52, 48, 40, double-digit FGs from 30-39
- cleans 270 pounds, benches 240 pounds, squats 315
There’s a lot to like there, and although I’m not going to claim I’m an expert on kicking and punting, it’s clear that Jackson has a big boot, is accurate from all over the gridiron, is cool, calm, and collected in high-pressure moments, and is an impressive athlete on top of it all. He 100% deserves the highest ranking I’ve ever given to a kicker, punter, or long snapper, and if you’re looking for an active recruitment to follow, just take a look at Jackson’s Twitter.
Daniel Jackson debuts as the #36 overall ranked prospect and as Specialist1.
Highlights
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