Outstate ballers – Central Minnesota

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I live in the metro area, so most of the games I cover during the season are somewhere in the metro area. While the kids in the metro deserve coverage, so do the outstate kids – the kids I don't get a chance to watch live very often. The next series of stories I will be doing will focus on prepredzonemn.com's top 100 in the Class of 2025 residing in the outstate areas. I tried to break this down geographically, but I played loose and fast with the geographic portion of the stories. The schools the guys play for – more or less – are in the stated geographic area of Minnesota. For story number one, I start in – what I am calling – the central region of Minnesota.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["641138"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6680b2e82748a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wang does a great job with his hands. He has a big frame but complements it well with hands that allow him to get off blocks quickly from his defensive end position. His hands also cause problems in the passing game, as he has a knack for getting them in passing lanes to knock down or disrupt passing lanes. While I would like to see him bend better to lower his big frame when taking on blocks, he plays up and down the defensive line and is explosive out of his stance as an athletic right tackle on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["234761"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6680b2e8274e6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Magic two-way player is one of the most athletic guys in the Class of 2025. As a quarterback, he literally hurdles defenders. I don't mean hurdling guys diving at his knees; I am talking about high school kids standing basically straight up. Emmerich is not just a straight-line speed guy – he has quick feet and a knack for finding open space. When he needs to throw, he has a big arm and throws well on the move. His speed complements him as a running quarterback or receiver and gives him outstanding range as a defensive back. When he gets to the receiver, he does not shy away from contact – he creates the contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["641133"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6680b2e82752a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Thompson has the prototypical build for a spread offense quarterback. He is tall and has a cannon for an arm. He can push the ball well down the field even when he cannot step into his throws due to the pass rush. Fifty yards in the air look effortless when he can step into his throws. He can both put zip on his throws underneath and, on his next throw, feather a touch pass into the corner of the end zone. Thompson is most effective throwing from the pocket, but he moves well in the pocket, can push the ball deep on the move, and will tuck the ball and run when the situation dictates it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1202006"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6680b2e82756e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hansen is an athletic load for offenses to have to handle. Hansen looks like a lanky defensive end, but his combination of length and strength – especially in his upper body – makes him a complete defensive end. Even on plays where his pad level isn't ideal, he has the strength to simply throw offensive linemen aside. Hansen has position flexibility as he plays anywhere from defensive tackle to a stand-up defensive end. He has good closing speed to chase down quarterbacks and to make plays on the backside of plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1204066"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6680b2e8275ad"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">On offense, Evink is a long-striding running back whose upper body strength allows him to bounce off bigger defenders and run through smaller defenders. He is not just a power runner, he has good speed and is a good one cut and go back. He can also be a threat in the passing game coming out of the backfield. Defensively, he is a solid between-the-tackles thumper of a run stuffer. He eats up lead blockers and routinely blows up the inside running game. He moves laterally well, but when he reads where the run is going, he explodes into the hole.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->