PrepRedzoneMN 2025 Rankings Updates: Speed Demons
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A reliable truism in the sport of football is that the best players are generally the biggest, fastest, and strongest. Not much of a surprise there, and although it’s a good thing to be the biggest and strongest, if you…
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Continue ReadingA reliable truism in the sport of football is that the best players are generally the biggest, fastest, and strongest. Not much of a surprise there, and although it’s a good thing to be the biggest and strongest, if you don’t have speed, you will certainly be exposed on the gridiron. A team filled with speed can absolutely beat a team filled with speed and strength, and pleasant memories of those old Oregon Ducks teams of the 2010s whooping B1G and SEC opponents come back as evidence of it happening at the highest levels of college football. Now that the PrepRedzoneMN 2025 Rankings Update is officially live, I’m super excited to share with our wonderful readers the fastest and most explosive juniors I saw while grinding tape in preparation for the update. Speed really pops off the tape, and these Minnesota 2025s were absolute Speed Demons on the gridiron last fall. Big school, small school, track speed AND football pace, this PRzMN feature has it all. Get to know the fastest 2025s the Land of 10,000 Lakes has to offer below! Don’t blink!
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Well before the 2023 season concluded and the 2025 official rankings update got underway, I was hearing a lot of good things about Blaine’s game-breaking QB/ATH Sam Shaughnessy. The film backed up the hype, as Shaughnessy is excitingly dynamic and looks like the best athlete on the field in his junior film. With good size (6’1, 180 lbs.), the Bengal reports some high-quality athleticism that is seemingly reinforced by the tape, and for his efforts in 2023, he totaled 821 passing yards and 5 TDs through the air, 874 rushing yards, and 9 TDs on the ground, plus 1 INT, 1 FF, 10 tackles, and 2 PBUs defensively.
The top-end speed is noticeable and impressive from play #1 in his junior tape, as Shaughnessy can get up to top speed in the blink of an eye and brings so much pace to the table that he has multiple TD runs against 6A defenses where he finishes a TD run without being touched. The junior finds and sees space well, and he uses his speed to spread out defenses and create natural gaps and creases where there otherwise wouldn’t be. Once he tucks and takes off, Shaughnessy shows some effective shake and sets up defenders well in space and his power and quickness laterally can freeze defenders in their tracks as they attempt to break down and corral the speedster. Defensively, with his limited reps from 2023, I really like how he can change direction, see and predict route combinations, and take advantage of opponents in zone defense.
Shaughnessy reminds me a bit of former Chanhassen standout Alex Spillum, who went on to have a multi-time All-Conference career at safety for Coastal Carolina. Both Spillum and Shaughnessy just seem to be on another level of athleticism than the competition and make them look like they’re slogging through the mud while Shaughnessy has rocket boosters in his cleats. I also like the Blaine 2025er would make for a heckuva safety at the next level, or maybe a WR, but either way the dynamic ability is off the charts. Shaughnessy earned his first offer on the 13th as well, as MSU-Mankato pulled the trigger first. More are coming for one of the Rankings Update’s Top Newcomers.
Highlights
It’s always fun to see which MN high school football players will step up and take hold of the spotlight during the blink-of-an-eye season, and last year two Owatonna Huskies took advantage of the up-for-grabs glory from late August to late November. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that some 507 standouts were some of the top performers from the 2023 season, and Owatonna’s prep football program regularly holds down one of the top spots in Southern Minnesota, and in an even more fun twist, the two 2023 season top performers happen to be brothers. The Jacob Ginskey (2024, QB, GAC commit) to Nolan Ginskey (2025, WR) connection was one of the most productive in the state last fall, with Jacob finishing the season with a 60% completion percentage (158 of 263) for 2,547 yards and 21 TDs to a mere 4 INTs with his brother Nolan snagging 73 of those receptions for 1,194 yards and 8 TDs for some serious offensive firepower. With Jacob off to St. Peter to play for MIAC contender Gustavus, a nice pickup by the Gusties I may add, the spotlight is now solely focused on Nolan, who came into December’s PrepRedzoneMN Stock-Up Showcase and tore up both the testing and 1v1 portions of the event, posting a blazing 4.53 40, 4.35 short-shuttle, 9’1″ broad, and 6.7 L-drill for one of the best testing performances of the entire day.
The junior tape emphasizes the speed as well. Ginskey can easily turn routine first-level receptions into explosive TD runs that spotlight his acceleration and extra gear of pace that helps him blow past pursuit angles and finish TD runs with 10+ yards between him and the nearest defender. Able to lineup and do damage from multiple WR spots, the 5’11, 170 lber. possesses smooth and seamless acceleration that helps him float past opponents as easily as you or I would walk out the front door and he can take the top off the defense and outrun his brother’s strong arm in multiple reps on his junior tape. If you give him a hole or seam, he’s gone. I also like how he is fearless and concentrated when going up and high-pointing the football out of the air, and he displays good vertical ability and ball skills, as well as a big catch radius and smooth and quick footwork at the top of the route. Also posted 28 tackles, 8 PBUs, 4 INTs, and a pick-six defensively, and with his playmaking ability, Ginskey is more than versatile enough to make for a heckuva safety at the next level as well. No offers yet!
Another game-breaking wide receiver who dusted defenders in 2023, Farmington’s athletic 2025 6′, 175 lb. Brock Wyandt did so against some of the best competition the state has to offer, finishing his junior campaign with 36 receptions for 595 yards and 4 TDs, 33 carries for 160 yards and 5 TDs, 11 returns for 298 yards and a TD, and a completed pass for 47 yards on top of it all. Wyandt is already no stranger to varsity, 6A action is dynamic and not shy of the big play, and he had a good showing as a sophomore at the 2022 PrepRedzoneMN winter showcase, so we also have some verified, albeit outdated, testing numbers to back up the speed we see in his junior tape.
Wyandt opens his tape with a very impressive 100-yard TD catch that he caught on a WR screen out of the slot and proceeded to burn half a dozen Lakeville North defenders up the sideline and to the house. It’s a play that wouldn’t fade from my memory if I wanted it to, and he continues his junior campaign highlights with more utilization of that speed and playmaking ability. The Farmington junior primarily works out of the slot, is dangerous in space, can take the top off the defense, and is a man-coverage killer. Wyandt can burn pursuers that would be routine tackles against most wide receivers, and you do not want to leave him 1-on-1 out in space or up the edge against a safety. If you give him the sideline, he can torch multiple sprinting defenders for six and burns good pursuit angles I’m not used to seeing burnt, and I also like how he’s shifty at the top of the route and gets out of his breaks with speed, is positionally versatile, comfortable and effective as a returner, and displays a powerful lower body. I like the force and suddenness of his cuts in the open field, and he shows some tackle-breaking ability after the catch. Lots to like in the 2025s skillset, and he’s fresh off a junior day visit to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and Augustana Vikings on the recruiting front. Wyandt’s recruiting trail is going to stay busy, that’s for certain.
Highlights
Undoubtedly one of the most talented and athletic wide receivers in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 2025 pass-catcher Khalif Brown also happens to be one of the fastest. Explosive on tape, Brown has asserted himself as one of the state’s top recruits in the 2025 class, recently earning his first two offers from Kent State and Northern Iowa in the past few weeks. You’ve heard us talk about the talent-ridden Red Knights receiving corps for a couple of years now, and Brown has also asserted himself as the Top Dog of the group, posting a team-leading 70 receptions for 1,047 yards and 8 TDs in 11 games of action in 2023.
Another PrepRedzoneMN Showcase standout who verified his speed as a sophomore in the winter of 2022, Brown generally operates out of the slot at the Z and is equally impressive before, during, and after the catch. The 6’1, 190 lber. possesses ample acceleration, even from a dead stop, that pops off the tape and leaves defenders grasping at air, and can turn a routine screen into a splash TD run, especially if you give him the edge. Owning a powerful frame and lower body helps him absorb and bounce off contact impressively well, Brown is elusive, powerful, quick, explosive after the catch, and possesses excellent balance & good moves when in 1-on-1 scenarios in space. He’s also a good route-runner who hits his landmarks, doesn’t round his cuts, is shifty, doesn’t indicate where he’s breaking to, is a willing blocker, and also moonlights as an explosive kick returner when the Red Knights need some special teams juice. Between how easily he burns past defenders and makes them look silly in the open field after the catch, it’s safe to say Brown is on a different plane of athleticism than his competition in 2023. BSM is a must-stop on the MN recruiting trail for college programs needing receivers.
Highlights
I’ll tell ya what, the Duluth area was as chock-full of talent as it’s ever been last fall. In addition to the likes of Koi Perich Koi Perich 6’2″ | 200 lbs | ATH Esko | 2024 State MN , Braedyn Male Braedyn Male 6’5″ | 230 lbs | DL Esko | 2024 State MN , and Zach Bentler Zach Bentler 6’4″ | 230 lbs | DL Two Harbors | 2024 State MN , the 2025 class surrounding Duluth is more than ready to step into the spotlight and debuted some very impressive and high-ranking athletes into the upper echelons of the state’s recruiting scene in the recently updated 2025 PRzMN official rankings. One of the headliners goes to Two Harbors‘ electric playmaker and multi-sport standout Tate Nelson, who is one of the verified fastest athletes in Minnesota. Owning PRs of a 10.92 100M and 21.94 200M, plus a 22’5.75″ long jump, Nelson won the Class A 100M and long jump event at state as a sophomore in the spring/summer of 2023 and is more than poised to beat those numbers this coming spring.
You may have heard me mention it before, but there is a real difference between “track speed” and “football speed”, and if one possesses the former, they own the ability to be a real-deal game-changer on the gridiron. Lucky for Nelson’s future collegiate suitor, the junior possesses both, and as a triple-option RB/WR in 2023, he was able to showcase his speed and effective footwork all over the field. Nelson easily cruises past defenders when he gets into space and is working to or has taken the sideline on a defense and can burn second and third-level defenders without exerting a visible extra effort, and I enjoy how he’s light-footed and quick when making would-be tacklers miss. Plus, the junior displays good vision, weaves and sorts through traffic well, can slip through tackle attempts and demonstrates good contact balance for his size, and can cut at top speed and go from a dead stop to full tilt quickly and impressively. Don’t sleep on the Outstate’s speed or you’ll regret it!
Highlights
Fairmont’s touchdown machine of a 2025 RB Elijah Johnson’s speed is impossible to ignore in his junior highlight tape. One of the fastest players in all of Outstate Minnesota, Johnson put together an accomplished junior season that saw him tally 1,478 rushing yards, 21 TDs, and 8.3 YPC to earn All-District, District RB MVP, and All-Area Player of the Year, and he did so in style, showcasing one of the most complete, balanced, and deep skillsets at the RB position that the state’s 2025 class has to offer. The 4.56 he posted at the PrepRedzoneMN Stock-Up Showcase this past December was in full effect in his 2023 highlights.
With good burst and noticeably effective acceleration from a dead stop, once Johnson shifts into that top gear the speed really begins to dominate and leaves defenders 10-20+ yards behind him and getting a great view of his backside as he trots into the endzone without being able to even sniff the RBs socks. The 5’9, 200 lb. rocket of a RB explodes through holes with visible burst, putting defenders on their heels and allowing him to capitalize with straight-line speed or taking advantage of panicking LBs and DBs bearing down on him out of control. Johnson sees the cutback well and possesses great vision, a powerful lateral cutting ability, and the pace to fire through the first and second levels of a defense before they can seemingly react. The 200 lber. can bounce off contact and does well after first contact and when things are chaotic and defenders are rapidly trying to corral him, and he owns an array of elusive moves with the rock in hand. The great balance he shows through contact in all kinds of situations is also aided by his quickness at the tackle point and rapid footwork to make would-be tacklers miss, and although his speed is the icing on the cake that is his skillset, there’s plenty of additional tools and strengths in his skillset that get me confident in his ability to find the same kind of success at the next level. Johnson is an exciting beast of a small-school RB whose recruitment I am very eager to follow and whose future college home I am itching to uncover.
Highlights
Andover’s superstar of a 2025 WR Cameron Begalle, who easily earned the honor of being one of the Top Performers and Breakout Stars of the 2023 season, absolutely qualifies for this PRzMN 2025 Rankings Update feature naming the fastest football players in Minnesota. Not only does the tape scream “top 2025 speedster”, Begalle has track times to back it up, owning a verified 11.02 100M time from the 2023 outdoor season. Personally, I’ve written about Begalle and fully analyzed his junior highlights 2-3 times for the site, and our other scouts have evaluated him as well, so I’m not going to repeat myself and get into the full extent of his skillset of body control, vertical ability, plentiful juice after the catch, route-running ability, and production right now. Rather, I’ll focus solely on the speed portion of his game, which still leaves more than enough to write about for this “Speed Demon” feature.
Begalle’s speed shows up both at the top end and in smaller, play-to-play movements and actions, such as the burst he shows out of his breaks. He’s a deep threat that on any given play and against any type of defensive scheme or defender can run past you and take the top off the defense. He’s got good acceleration, and the start/stop pace is noticeable as well. He can get back up to high speed and dust you off a couple of steps, and he’s coordinated and controlled enough to make plays at top speed as well. The 6′, 180 lber. can turn the corner and hurt defenses out on the edge while burning past pursuers who think they have a good line on him, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted, but he has the speed to finish big plays and outrun even the fastest pursuers and backside CBs and safeties. That’s really where that nearly sub-11-second 100M comes into play at full volume. Especially with that final defender down the sideline, most players try to utilize that cutback, but it takes a real baller with real-deal speed to beat that tackler straightforward and hugging the sideline while betting on your speed and balance will see you through the tightest of angles. That’s Begalle though, a real-deal baller. There’s a reason he’s on the shortlist of 2025 Minnesotans with a real possibility of earning a Gophers offer. Pay attention!
Highlights
I was very interested in seeing who was going to step in and take over in the always-effective and highly-touted Lakeville South Cougars backfield, and midway through the 2023 season, we had a winner. Rocking that illustrious #28 jersey of the Cougs, 5’9, 190 lb. RB Connor Cade was the featured back of a dynamic rushing attack and led the Cougars backfield with 144 rushes for 1,327 yards (9.2 YPC) and a noteworthy 21 TDs as a junior, in large part due to the raw speed he brings to the table as a tailback, A 2x All-State track & field recipient who has clocked an impressive 11.17 100M in last year’s outdoor season, Cade brings a tantalizing multi-sport background to the RB position and is poised to go sub-11-seconds in the 100M this coming track season.
Arguably the top RB in 6A, Cade showcases the track speed on the second play of his junior highlights, where it looks like he was shot out of a cannon in a kick return versus Wayzata, blowing past all 11 Trojans en route to a kick return for six up the away team’s sideline without getting close to touched. In the Cougars schematic-challenging rushing offense, it’s already hard to consistently hit assignments and locate the ball play-to-play, but when you have a tailback with the burst and top-end speed like Cade, decisions have to be made in the blink of an eye and things can go south in a hurry for opposing defenses. The junior doesn’t look like he’s going as fast as he is, but before you know it, Cade has smoothly floated by every DL, LB, and DB, who look like they’re moving in slow motion compared to the Lakeville product. The 190 lber. is also shifty and sudden at the tackle point and when allowing holes to open up in his OL’s blocking, can consistently make that last man miss, and possesses contact balance that can run you over just as easily as he can cut by you. Cade can easily burn pursuit angles from second and third-level defenders and capitalize on space and seams in a defense, has a nose for the endzone & was still scoring TDs 3+ minutes into his junior tape, and is a willing blocker who got reps at fullback as well. Someone is going to get a baller.
Highlights
There is a terrific batch of 9-man prospects in the 2025 class of Minnesota, and contrary to traditional representation, the strength of the 9-man crop is in its skill players as opposed to linemen. My favorite of the bunch comes out of 9-man state champ Nevis High School and their playmaking 2025 RB and speedster Ayomide Ogundeji. One of the fastest verified football players in the state regardless of competition level, Ogundeji clocked a 10.97 100M and 22.04 200M last outdoor track season and added a 19’10” long jump for good measure. Those are some legit track times, and to top it off, Ogundeji owns some electric highlights from their state championship season that left a memorable impression in my prep football-focused psyche.
Totaling 132 carries for 1,277 yards and 17 TDs (9.7 YPC) and 39 tackles on defense in the 2023 season, the 5’10, 170 lber. opens his junior highlights with a dazzling TD run involving a hurdle, some sudden and nifty cuts to the field side of the defense, and more than enough top-end speed to finish the run with just one defender within 30 yards of him. The combination of pure speed and elusiveness, combined with the natural space given to ball carriers in the 9-man game, created a lethal ball carrier primed to create a highlight-reel run on every rep he got the ball. Ogundeji is shifty, quick, and powerful when he needs to be, not to mention fast, and keeps the legs pumping, and fights to stay upright and onwards, which helped him surprise defenses with his ability to stay up through attempted dogpiles and multiple tackle attempts. It’s game over if the junior gets the edge, and there are multiple TD runs without a pursuer in the frame of the tape. I also like his balance, and to make sure you know he doesn’t mind the physical aspect of the sport, Ogundeji threw a couple of successful truck sticks out for physical effect. The 9-man class is LOADED going into the fall, you’ll be hearing more about its best and brightest soon.
Highlights
Last but not least, we stay in the Outstate ranks but head back to big school football and 5A state title contender Alexandria. If you’ve been reading the post-rankings update content, you already know that PRzMN is very high on the Cardinals‘ 2025 class of talent, which is represented all over the 2025 rankings big board and in position groups all over the gridiron. One of the must-know names undoubtedly goes to 5’9, 165 lb. WR/DB Dane Olson, who came into December’s PRzMN Stock-Up Showcase and blew the roof off the testing portion of the event, posting some of the best overall numbers of any prospect in attendance. Highlighted by his 4.56 and 4.59 in the 40, Olson also posted a 4.59 short-shuttle, 10’2 broad jump, and 7.13 L-drill for some impressive overall athleticism, and to back up the speed itself, Olson also posted an 11.32 100M as a sophomore, 23.60 in the 200, and 19′ long jump to top it all off.
The track speed and football speed are a big asset to Olson’s game, as his positional versatility as both a CB or safety and his ability to play man coverage, primarily in an off-man technique. Olson posted 34 tackles, 24 of which were solo, and an INT in 2023, and showed off some good things in both run and pass defense. The speed demon does a good job of mirroring wideouts and not committing or opening his hips to route runners, and although he could work on keeping his hips a little lower and cleaning up the footwork a bit, his natural COD ability and the pace he comes out of his breaks with allows him to compete on routes all over the field. Olson has the speed to carry wide receivers deep, flies out of his breaks can compete on three-step routes and quick game of opponents, and is smooth and comfortable competing for the football once he gets in the hip pocket of the receiver. In run defense, the 165 lber. can hold his own and then some, and is a hard hitter and a physical form tackler who lit up more than a fair share of ball carriers in the open field. He can make tackles through contact, understands that he is the last edge defender, runs the alley well, stays patient, and doesn’t over-pursue in run support. The verified athleticism makes me believe Olson is going to be ready and able to compete at the next level sooner than most, and I can’t wait to see the monster season he’s going to pop off in 2024.
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