Off-season top ten report – Meyer Swinney

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This is the first in a series of stories I will be doing. I will talk with as many of Prepredzonemn.com's Class of '25 top ten athletes as possible to see what they have been up to since the football season ended.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 football season did not start the way the Edina Hornets or wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='234833' first='Meyer' last='Swinney'] thought it would. After a 1-3 start, a trip to the Prep Bowl was not likely on even the most die-hard Hornets fans' radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We started off kind of rough," Swinney admitted. "We had to learn to play with each other and not play for ourselves. We had to play for one another. After the Wayzata game, we got together and said we've got to play together. We took off from there."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After losing to Wayzata 24-21 on the Hornets' home field, Edina rattled off eight straight wins to reach the Prep Bowl, where the storybook ending came up one point short in a 28-27 loss to state champion Centennial.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We played well together and found our rhythm," Swinney said. "It wasn't one single player that was doing everything. I liked that about our team. We had multiple aspects of our team that could hurt teams. We played well together, and we played with love for each other."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior was not satisfied with his season on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"My season went alright. I don't feel I showed my best; I feel I am miles better than I showed. I feel like I needed more in-game reps and more experience playing in-game."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Swinney - checking in at 3rd in prepredzonemn.com's Class of 2025 rankings - will be a three-year starter when they strap on the helmets this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I feel like I am a well-rounded receiver, but I feel my strength is route running."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I moved around and played in the slot and at tight end," Swinney – who also enjoys golfing and fishing – told prepredzonemn.com, but I mostly played on the outside. I will be moving around more this season."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the offseason, Swinney—who was a power forward on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore—decided to focus strictly on football. Specifically, he has been working on his overall athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I worked a lot on receiver-specific training with my trainer. We try to build from the feet up. That is your base to become explosive, so we do a lot of training for the feet."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to working with a football trainer, the 6'4, 214, 214-pound receiver has also been in the weight room.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I do a lot of heavy lifting, but it is explosive heavy lifting – cleans, front squats and stuff like that."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unlike most high school athletes finishing up their junior years, Swinney already knows where he will be after his high school career concludes. "I committed to California. Cal has always been a dream school of mine. My dad is a huge Green Bay Packers fan, so Aaron Rogers is one of my favorite all-time players. He went to Cal. I am a big fan of guys like Keanon Allen and Desean Jackson – they went to Cal. I loved the coaches – it was just the place for me. They are going to be at Cal for a long time. I feel comfortable there, and I feel like if I work hard, I will be able to play there early."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->