2026 South Dakota Spring Stockrisers, Part I

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SOUTH DAKOTA--</strong> Happy Saturday! Today we will put our focus on the stockrisers we saw rise up our 2026 South Dakota rankings. What I found with this first group was a great base of prospects that have positional flexibility in the next level. With a group of incoming juniors, of course you can expect that there is plenty of upside to be grown as that narrative stands true with this group. This group also includes one of the biggest rising wide receivers in South Dakota who you will want to get on your radar now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["929923"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Ethan is a 2026 prospect that made a positional switch in our SD 2026 rankings as an athlete. Mechanically he has plenty of raw development as the Pheasants QB1 but shows off the athleticism with his legs at 6'2 185 pounds to have positional flexibility which I see as in the safety spot due to his long strides if we look at his next level upside. Based on his pocket presence, Ethan looks like a prospect that has a solid football IQ as he consistent makes quick reads with his release and has a clear vision of where he wants to go with the ball. Plenty of high ceiling for this young man for a college program to develop as he moves up 8 spots in our 2026 SD rankings.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/EthanFalk07u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["929921"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Stetson on tape shows off a hybrid between a EDGE/DT positionally, however his next-level fit to me shows out as a  linebacker. At 5'8 190 pounds, Stetson is a prospect that plays with a motor and fluidity  to get to the ball. This kid is a workhorse with his wiry hands he shows off on tape as the dexterity in his footwork also show up as a top skillset on tape as his downhill pursuit angles line up with good contact persistently on the ball carrier. This will be a LB prospect you will go outside of the measurables threshold for. He will need to develop a quicker hand speed with his sheds off his defender, but the development has already been shown, as Stetson moves up 12 spots to #69 overall.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["897575"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Do not let his 5'9 165 pound frame fool you, as Will checks out early on tape with his physicality level that drives the ball carrier consistently backwards on on his first few reps on tape. Will plays quite close to the sideline to sideline safety you want on your next-level roster. He plays with a chip on his shoulder as Will shows off as a young man that shows off a fearless demeanor against the bigger defender. His ball-tracking has also certainly developed since our last evaluation as he has intriguing vision that consistently pops out with 1v1 coverage on intermediate routes. Transitioned from LB on our last 2026 rankings update to DB which I see a higher ceiling with Will's size and skillsets he shows off. He went from a watchlist target to a top 60 prospect in the SD 2026 class. He is one of my favorite stockrisers in this class on the defensive side of the ball too as I could see his stock rising more into camp season.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://Twitter.com/wbunker25u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["848945"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Our biggest stockriser in this class hails from Aberdeen Central, as Prep Redzone Dakotas Combine alum [player_tooltip player_id='848945' first='Karson' last='Borge'] tailed up 50+ spots to #30 overall and our WR5 in the 2026 class. What did it for Karson in my eyes was his outstanding high-traffic catches he showed out on tape as the persistency of those was all over the place on last fall's tape. The developing lengthy strides that Karson shows off at 6'1 160 pounds have grown since our last live evaluation of Karson. He certainly can stretch the length of the field with his strong finishing ability has Karson constantly takes the top off the defense. Karson is just go-getter for the deep ball and I cannot wait to see what his junior season shows off as he looks like a next-level WR prospect in my eyes.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://Twitter.com/BorgeKarsonu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["929919"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The superb growth I saw from Westyn's freshmen tape to his sophomore tape certainly passed the eye test as a small school gem out of Leola Fredrick in northern South Dakota. His pre-snap adjustments translate well to his downhill ball-vision as an ATH prospect that I certainly see a fit at defensive back at the next-level.  The 5'10 160 pounder, is a certified flyer to the ball and does show off that sideline to sideline ability that vividly shows his game out on tape. Another slightly undersized defensive prospect that packs a punch when he makes contact with the ball carrier as his next-level fit translates to free safety. Westyn is a hidden gem that is very under the radar, and  is a 2026 SD athlete to know that climbed up 30+ spots in our latest SD 2026 update.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://Twitter.com/WestynT48866u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["848990"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Hayes is another prospect that is up 10+ spots to right inside our top 50 prospects in South Dakota. Hays shows off as a reactive first-level cutter, where he shows off his instincts right on time before the linebacker catches his hip. His vision shows off most off the edges, as his burst clings well downhill most when I evaluated his tape. He has some development that will need to come with growing his durability thru contact, as growing his lower-body in the weight room will pay off dividends for Hayes this fall. Also, growing his explosion with box jumps will advance his finishing ability too. I like the upside I see coming for Hayes with a couple seasons of high school ball left coming soon.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://Twitter.com/hayeshavliku0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6623f61914547"} /-->