Minnesota Gophers 6/17 Prospect Camp: Top Performers

Yesterday, PrepRedzoneMN made their way to Dinkytown for the second Minnesota Golden Gophers and PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp of the summer. Highlighted by an exceptional performance by an instate rising junior, resulting in an offer and commitment, the camp was filled with talent from a handful of different graduating classes, and no one has a more comprehensive recap of the Top Performers and Standouts than PrepRedzone. Row The Boat!   --   MVPs   [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson'] (Forest Lake, MN) 2026. DL.   The big winner of the second PJ Fleck Prospect Camp of the summer, Johnson is a familiar name to all who follow the state's football scene in-depth, and PRzMN has seen him up-close-and-personal around half-a-dozen times and he's shown up and shown out every single time. Yesterday in Dinkytown was the [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson'] Show, and he rose to the occasion in what was his most important live evaluation and exposure point of his still-young prep career. Johnson was surrounded by Gopher coaches nearly the entire event, starting things off with a couple blazing 40 yard dashes at over 255 pounds that turned the heads and lit the eyes up of the Gophers staff watching him. He had yet another top-tier testing performance for his size, but he really turned up the heat when 1v1s rolled around. Padded up, his punch was really earning DL coach Winston Delattiboudere III's praise, and he transferred it into 1v1s, putting a couple offensive linemen onto their butts and dominating at the point of attack. Could win with power and/or twitch, won reps from multiple DL spots, and his first step and pad level were very hard for opposing OL to handle. It was a heckuva individual performance given the sheer amount of reps and competition he was facing, and if you've been reading our features on the Forest Lake 2026 DL, you shouldn't be surprised. Took coaching well and applied, ultra-competitive, non-stop motor and go-hard attitude, and is a great kid from a great family who is easy to root for. Today, Johnson announced he was offered, and committed, to PJ Fleck and the Golden Gophers 2026 class. Minnesota fans should be stoked about this one.   Braden Wilmes (Lawrence Free State, KS) 2026. OT.   Rising junior offensive tackle Braden Wilmes - cousin for former Golden Gopher stud OL Blaise Andries - made the trip up from the Great State of Kansas to compete, in pads, for the Golden Gophers. He came into the camp already holding an offer from the Gophers, along with the likes of Arkansas, both Kansas P4s, both Iowa P4s, and Wisconsin. Can't say I've seen a kid carry 280 pounds as easily as Wilmes does, and he also has one of the biggest wingspans I've ever seen as well. Wilmes was the top OL in attendance, and got a ton of reps against high-quality competition, including now-Gophers commit [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson']. I love his bend for how tall he is, and he could match pad level with shorter DL and was consistently keeping his feet active throughout the 1v1 reps. Wilmes also displayed a good base, and was impressive in the board drill, showing off already-present strength that is only going to develop and improve as he gets older and especially once he gets to college. Comfortable in pass pro, Wilmes got some good wins in 1v1s and is a heckuva OT going into his junior season. Athletic, one of the best collegiate OT frames I've seen while scouting for PRZ, and no problems in the physicality department, he's one of the best OT prospects in the Midwest, regardless of age. Great showing by the Sunflower State product yesterday in Dinkytown.   Top Performers   [player_tooltip player_id='284019' first='Gavin' last='Walden'] (Eden Prairie) 2026. DL.   Was very excited to see the rising Eden Prairie Eagles DL [player_tooltip player_id='284019' first='Gavin' last='Walden'] in-person, and he did not disappoint. Tested well at 250 pounds, had wide, thick, defined upper body, and was lethal during 1v1s. A fluid athlete during all three phases of the event, Walden showed he was laterally explosive and could bend during drills as well, but he really turned up the heat during 1v1s. The pure and obvious power he possesses was on full display in pads, and Walden was dominant at the contact point and I saw him put a couple of helpless opponents onto their butts throughout the 1v1 reps. In addition to the power, his hand usage was on point, and like many Eden Prairie Eagles, he was technically sound and consistent. I also liked his focus, competitiveness, and coachability, and I don't think I saw him lose a 1v1 rep with the top group. Lot of time left in the 2026s runway, so keep your eyes closely on Walden as the junior film begins to make the rounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='479373' first='Michael' last='Bruggers'] (Champlin Park) 2025. DL.   Another PrepRedzoneMN Showcase veteran and top performer, Bruggers had one of the best performances at the Minnesota Gophers Prospect Camp yesterday. Now up to 240 pounds, Bruggers has retained the athleticism he's shown at multiple live PRZ events, particularly his lateral quickness, which were impressively on display during all three phases of the PJ Fleck Prospect Camp. I'm not exaggerating, I didn't see him lose a single rep yesterday in Dinkytown. Natural and comfortable rusher who can win reps in a variety of ways, Bruggers get-off, strength, twitch, hand usage, and ability to adjust and counter to OL mid-rush were impressive and productive. I watched him put a talented 2026 MN OL off-balance and onto one foot, nearly putting him on his butt, for an emphatic win during 1v1s, one of many throughout the day. I think Missouri Valley Football Conference schools in need of a pass rusher should give this kid a serious look. He's been consistently competing at this level every time we've seen him live.   Grayson Boeker (The Woodlands Christian, TX) 2025. LB/EDGE.   Was keeping an eye on Texas product Boeker throughout the night of competition after he initially caught my eye during the shuttle and broad jumps, both of which Boeker performed impressively in. However, Boeker turned up the pressure once the pads came on and had one of the better performances during 1v1 pass-rush reps at the end of the night. For his size, he had audible and noticeable pop, which had OL on their heels and really helped him assert himself physically in a strong group of OL/DL prospects. Boeker beat some of the top linemen at the event during 1v1s, showing off a natural pass-rushing skillset that included noticeable twitch, play speed, bend, and the aforementioned physicality. I like how he was able to adjust his rush path mid-rep, and I saw him put one of the biggest linemen in attendance flat on their butt with a bull rush. Good frame, comes out of a very talented area in Texas, athletic, and thrives in the physical aspects of the game. I'm surprised he doesn't have more going on on the recruiting front right now.   [player_tooltip player_id='924346' first='Jayveon' last='Kelly'] (Bloomington Kennedy) 2026. OT.   Must-know name in the Minnesota 2026 OL class, Bloomington Kennedy's massive OT [player_tooltip player_id='924346' first='Jayveon' last='Kelly'] has great size for a future collegiate OL and was rocking one of the biggest wingspans of any prospect in attendance and had massive hands as well. Athletic numbers were good, 6'5 frame has a ton of room to fill in, and strong, Kelly had a particularly good showing in the board and transitioned well into pass rush 1v1s. Took some knocks, but the length, lateral ability, and strength at the contact point all flashed, as he's a traits-heavy OT with a lot of room left to develop. Still a young buck growing into his body, but he's poised for a big junior season with the Eagles and has the size and athletic ability to make some noise in the D1 recruiting scene.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049987' first='James' last='Fitch'] (Champlin Park) 2027. DB.   What a showing by the rising sophomore out of Champlin Park! Looked and play far above what his age would suggest and was the top performer from the DB groups I saw during 1v1s. A physical press corner with solid length, Fitch was ultra-competitive, twitchy, and earned a ton of Ws during 1v1s. Fitch was beating up receivers at the LOS and throughout the route, visibly disrupting their timing and overall focus, and his anticipation at the top of the route was very impressive. Running against upperclassmen, he could stay on top of speedier WRs but was able to shut it down and break quickly and without wasted movement. Played some WR and beat one of the top dog DBs in attendance on a crossing route. Can't wait to get some film on him.   Braden James (Pembroke Hill School, MO) 2025. TE.   Talk about passing the eye test! KCMO rising senior TE was is a physically impressive TE prospect at 6'3, 230+ and had testing numbers that should qualify him as an upper-echelon athlete and prospect. Used his length and raw ability well during 1v1s, flashing some strong wins and reps throughout the day and really using that impressive frame to his advantage, especially when the ball was in the air. Cannot believe this kid doesn't have any offers yet, D1s should get in sooner rather than later.   Blair Irvin (Bentonville, AR) 2026. WR.   The top WR in attendance, who the Gophers already have an offer to I may add, was getting a ton of focus and attention from the Gophers staff while in the facilities, and I got a good look at him while he was getting ready for 1v1s. Sudden when changing direction, strong route runner, and good body control, he looked every bit of a P4 WR prospect and the Gophers did a great job of evaluating early and getting in first for the Arkansas natives budding recruitment.   Jackson Debe (Providence, NC) 2026. QB.   Was earning a ton of attention from Gophers coaches throughout the night. Rising junior with good size and room to fill in, Debe displayed good timing, was accurate to all three levels of the field, and had a snappy arm that popped during a live evaluation. Has recently been offered by Temple and James Madison and earned early P4 offers as a freshman, but I could see him reemerging into that P4 QB scene soon.   Joseph Kramlich (Kulm, ND) 2025. DB.   The top DB in North Dakota's 2025 class, Kramlich was the smoothest defensive back during drill work and changes direction very well. Kramlich did a good job of staying square and not opening the gate to quick and shifty WRs at the LOS, and was able to compete well in both press and off-man alignment. Has earned June offers from North Dakota State and St. Thomas.   Luke Tetzlaff (Kaukauna, WI) 2026. DB.   Built more like a LB, Wisconsin native Tetzlaff came alive during 1v1s, snagging a pick-six and breaking up passes on a variety of routes throughout the night. Noticeably competitive, he wouldn't give up an inch without a fight, and had good change of direction and mirroring ability in coverage. Did a good job of anticipating and triggering on the WRs breaks, and was able to compete on routes to all three levels of the field. Good showing from the Kaukauna rising junior, I'll make sure to be passing it onto our PRzWisconsin Head Scout Mark Johnson.   [player_tooltip player_id='979572' first='Ty' last='Jensen'] (Chanhassen) 2025. WR.   Good performance from the Chanhassen rising senior in all three phases of the camp. During 1v1s, Jensen's route running ability was some of the best in attendance, and he was able to consistently create separation against every DB in Dinkytown. Impressive body control that showed up well in beautiful rep where he attacked and high-pointed a ball right out of a DBs outstretched hands. Strong showing from a defending state champ.   Owen Pollock (Big Walnut, OH) 2026. TE.   Coming out of the always-fertile recruiting grounds of Ohio, Pollock is a big kid who is an impressive athlete at his size who caught and kept the attention of the Gophers staff throughout the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp. Strong showing during 1v1s, productive threat as a pass catcher with a big catch radius and good quickness out of his breaks for a big guy, and flashed some explosiveness as well. Holds a couple MAC offers right now but I'd be willing to bet money he'd break into the P4 recruiting ranks as a junior with Big Walnut.   Honorable Mentions   Marcel Reed (Lee's Summit, MO) 2026. DL.   Not the tallest iDL prospect, but Reed comes out of a talent factory in the Lee's Summit area and makes up for the lack of height in the power and quickness departments. Didn't see him lose a single rep during pass rush 1v1s, where his first step, power, and lateral ability were too much to handle for OCs and OGs.   Amon Lee (Hazelwood Central, MO) 2025. LB.   Ran with the LBs but also strapped on the pads and had some solid reps against OTs in pass rush 1v1s. Undersized, but possesses an eye-catching upper body with muscle definition and broad shoulders. Beat OTs with his speed off the edge, and also flashed some twitch and noticeable strength at the contact point.   Jeffrey Akwuba (Stillwater) 2025. OL.   A new name to add to my database of MN 2025s, Akwuba is a giant rising senior offensive lineman out of Stillwater who was dominant during the board drill, proving himself to be one of the stronger OL prospects in attendance. He's got to work on his body a bit, but he could be an absolute force if can slim down and get a bit more balanced laterally. I saw him stonewall some high-end DL prospects in attendance during 1v1s, so the strength and ability to compete against top competition are good boxes to check in my book.   Ike Ackerman (Omaha Central, NE) 2025. DL.   Good size, good athlete, Nebraska product Ackerman was a bendy pass rusher who earned the majority of 1v1 pass rush reps to the OTs outsider shoulder. Holds offers from Air Force, UND, and NDSU, and I can see why.   Jarvis Jacobs (Vero Beach, FL) 2026. WR.   Shouldn't come as much of a surprise that one of the fastest prospects in attendance came from the Sunshine State. Jacobs was a real-deal burner who was able to win vertically and beat DBs deep all night long in Dinkytown. Clean and quick movement and COD ability in drills. Testing numbers echoed the speed we saw during competition as well.   Pierce McCrary (Cedar Rapids Kennedy, IA) 2025. WR.   Eye-catching size for the WR position and knew how to use it, Iowa native McCrary came alive during 1v1s. Good play speed, long arms, and possessing noticeable burst out of his cuts, McCrary breaks his routes off well and came down with a tremendous 50/50 ball high in the air and with a DB draped all over him, adding some contested catch ability to the mix. Holds NAIA and a DII right now. NSIC schools should get themselves in the mix.   [player_tooltip player_id='1256220' first='Semaj' last='Young'] (Robbinsdale Cooper) 2026. WR.   Another strong showing by Cooper's stud rising junior wideout Young, who also balled out at the first PJ Fleck Prospect Camp earlier this month. You could see visible fear come across the faces of accomplished and confident DBs when lining up against Young pre-snap. The Cooper Hawk was cooking DBs during 1v1s, particularly at the LOS and top of the route, where he suddenness and lightning-quick feet had CBs and safeties in shambles as they guessed, and guessed wrong, as to where the slot receiver was breaking to. Saw him burn one of the best DBs in attendence vertically as well. Not the biggest wideout, but he's got time to grow and has already shown he can rise, and succeed, against top-notch competition. Going to be a huge year for the young buck.   Kamden Gilles (The Benjamin School, FL) 2028. DB/WR.   South Florida product Gilles has yet to enter the high school ranks, but he more than proved he's confident and capable of beating upperclassmen opponents in 1v1 settings. Playing DB, I liked his technique, top end speed, which allowed him to play aggressively in coverage, and the noticeable acceleration out of his breaks. Gilles was obviously athletic, especially for his age, and had a smooth backpedal and COD ability. Wouldn't be surprised in the least bit to become a P4 offeree one day.   Hudson Clarksean (Mankato West) 2027. LB.   Caught my eye during warmups and passed the eye test for a freshman LB prospect. Long, thicker lower body for his age, muscle definition in his upper and lower body, and tested well to put those muscles to good use. Top-end speed was impressive and he showed some good reps and wins in coverage as well. I cannot wait to watch this kid in pads this fall.   Ashton Taylor (Louisville Trinity, KY) 2028. DB.   Coming out of a powerhouse in the Louisville area, Taylor had noticeable and impressive quick-twitch ability that he showed off in all three phases of the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp. Footwork, balance, quick feet, and body control, he put them all to good use during 1v1s and flashed some impressive wins throughout the competition portion of the event. Another rising freshman who - although it's early - has all the makings to one day become a P4 prospect. Loved the twitch in the Kentucky native.   Christopher Lafferty (Lakeville South) 2025. DB.   Loved his attitude and focus throughout the camp, and I saw the Lakeville product earn some hard-fought wins during 1v1s. Comfortable in man coverage and able to compete well at the catch point.   [player_tooltip player_id='551426' first='Sawyer' last='Josewski'] (Rogers) 2026. TE.   Loved getting a live look at the Rogers rising junior TE, who sports a great frame and good athletic numbers going into his upperclassman campaign with the Royals. Didn't mind sticking his nose in there during padded board drill reps, and has good length as well. All the tools are there, and you could see the Gophers staff keeping an eye on the young TE as the night wore on.   [player_tooltip player_id='348733' first='Brecken' last='Keoraj'] (Elk River) 2025. ATH.   The Elk River product, fresh off a 41.5" vertical at the UWRF Minnesconsin Mega Camp, good for #1 out of the nearly 1,000 participants, Keoraj played WR and used his athleticism and dynamic ability to get some good wins during 1v1s. Could win vertically and get out of his breaks quickly. Not the biggest prospect, but boy is he athletic. I'd like him at slot corner or slot WR at the next level.   Benjamin (Benji) Burton (Olathe East, KS) 2026. DB.   Premium size and length for the position (6'3, nearly 78" wing), and caught my eye throughout the night thanks to his quickness, laterally agility, and balance. Testing backed up the quickness as well. College programs can do a lot with that size/length/quickness combination, and he used it well when pressing or getting hands on a WR throughout his route.   Dominick Barron (Tolleson Union, AZ) 2025. OL.   Brick wall of a iOL prospect, Barron had noticeable pop off the snap and enforced his will on a couple of opponents during the board drill. I like his size and physicality for the interior OL in college.   *whoever was wearing Maroon jersey #12 earned a shoutout as well, but I can't find his name anywhere. If someone has it, please shoot me a DM on X or email me at: oliver@prepredzone.com . I can edit this with his name and eval once I have it. Thank you!

Yesterday, PrepRedzoneMN made their way to Dinkytown for the second Minnesota Golden Gophers and PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp of the summer. Highlighted by an exceptional performance by an instate rising junior, resulting in an offer and commitment, the camp was filled with talent from a handful of different graduating classes, and no one has a more comprehensive recap of the Top Performers and Standouts than PrepRedzone. Row The Boat!