Summer Camp SZN: Minnesota’s Biggest Winners So Far
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The dog days of summer are upon us, and as always, the month of June has been a whirlwind of mega camps, prospect camps, offers, commitments, stock risers, workouts, official visits, and recruiting news, the likes of which we only…
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Continue ReadingThe dog days of summer are upon us, and as always, the month of June has been a whirlwind of mega camps, prospect camps, offers, commitments, stock risers, workouts, official visits, and recruiting news, the likes of which we only see during the Summer Camp SZN. As an FYI, it is very important for current high school football prospects to capitalize on the early recruiting momentum that the beginning of June brings. Although there are still a solid chunk of remaining camps and opportunities to showcase yourself, June is when the bulk of the initial recruiting attention, especially on a broad scale, when dozens of colleges are on the same recruiting itinerary for the upcoming class. There are just more eyes on you in the first weeks of June as opposed to the rest of summer, so keep that in mind if you’re a parent of a current high school football player trying to earn as many looks as possible. Now that some of the initial tsunami of Minnesota-related recruiting news has subsided, I’m very excited to recap the past couple of weeks of the Summer Camp SZN in regards to Land of 10,000 Lakes prospects, as well as name the Biggest Winners So Far.
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Yes, we’re writing about Howie Johnson Howie Johnson 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Forest Lake | 2026 State MN again. With the past couple of months the Forest Lake 2026er has had though, how could we not? I was very fortunate to watch the standout DE, whose athleticism and physical maturity for an underclassman had been well-known throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes since he was a varsity starter and contributor for the 6A Rangers as a freshman, earn his first P4 offer from the Minnesota Golden Gophers while in Dinkytown last week. With double-digit coaches and staff members following the rising junior throughout the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp, Johnson once again tested his butt off, including a sub-5 second 40 at 255+ pounds, and the 6’3 defensive linemen went to work in 1v1 competition on the board drill and pass rush situations as well. We’ve seen him do this many times before, in both padded and unpadded settings, and he saved a heckuva performance for what was the biggest spotlight in his budding football career. Working against a 6’8 OT from Kansas, a 2026er who I think should be a 4star prospect, Johnson was nearly unstoppable in pass rush 1v1s, once again showing his fantastic arsenal of moves, counters, and functional athleticism that show up in his bend, pad level, twitch, and power. The naturalness as a pass rusher is as impressive as I’ve seen while scouting for PRzMN, and to make things more scary, he’s not even an upperclassman yet. According to Ryan Burns on his GopherGridiron podcast, there were rumblings from a multitude of fellow B1G coaches and personnel who applauded the Gophers pulling the trigger and earning the commitment, wishing they had done the same and noting the athleticism and raw talent the Forest Lake product possesses. As a Gophers fan myself, as well as a guy who always roots for kids to stay home and rep where they’re from, I couldn’t be more thrilled with the pairing. Johnson is going to be an extra fun to root for in Dinkytown over the next half decade. Unforgettable June for Johnson and his family. Well deserved, too.
Highlights
The first PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp to open up the month of June was one of the deepest and most talent-rich camps I’ve been to as a scout. While padded up, and working against a loaded group of OL competition, including Rocori’s superstar 2026 OT Andrew Trout Andrew Trout 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Rocori | 2026 State MN , Byron High School’s 2025 defensive lineman stole the show. A verified 6’5+ with big-time length who we’ve clocked in the 4.4s on the shuttle and able to jump nearly 10′ in the broad, you can’t let an athlete like that leave the state if you’re the Gophers, and to strengthen his case, Hansen was explosive and effective during 1v1s and particularly in pass rush settings. Dynamic and able to win in a variety of different ways, Hansen’s get-off, bend, general explosiveness, and ability to counter and adjust to what an OT is affording him helped him get some big-time wins against high-quality competition in what was an intense, high-pressure, spotlight of a situation where these reps were do-or-die for the prospects in attendance. I also was impressed with how he asserted himself physically and at the point of attack. He had no issues with sticking his facemask into an opponent and moving some weight around. Hansen was locked in, showed up, and showed out, and he only got better as the day wore on. Prior to that late afternoon in Dinkytown, Hansen had heard from seven FCS and FBS suitors, including a formerly P5 offer from Washington State, but Hansen left that night as a P4, B1G, Golden Gopher commit.
The 2026 class in MN is already flexing its muscle, with a top-end to the group that is looking about as talented as we’ve seen from the past few cycles of MN prospects this early. We all knew this day was coming, but Jackson County Central’s Roman Voss Roman Voss 6'4" | 215 lbs | ATH Jackson County Central (MN) | 2026 State MN is finally on the P4 and B1G recruiting scene, and his summer has been the most fruitful – volume-wise – of any prospect in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Things got going in early May when the Golden Gophers became his first offer on the 6th, and Wisconsin reached out a couple weeks later with another B1G offer, priming Voss for what was a prolific run on the recruiting trail during the summer. The 6’4, 210 lb. athlete – who is being recruited at either TE or LB – absolutely tore up the Midwest P4 prospect camp circuit, going 4-for-4 with offers after hitting Kansas State, Iowa, Iowa State, and Illinois, all in the span of less than two weeks. Those are in-person, all-eyes-on-you, competition-based, sometimes even padded P4 offers, folks. About as good as it gets. Now enjoying some rest, Voss can sit back, build relationships, answer the phone, maybe take some visits, and prepare for what is looking like a state championship-caliber season with his Huskies teammates. What a run by the small-school, Outstate superstar from JCC.
Highlights
North Dakota Fighting Hawks Standout Group of MN-born Camp Winners
Unfortunately, PrepRedzoneMN did not have a scout at the UND prospect camp, and the results of the camp had us kicking ourselves and then some. In regards to Minnesotan prospects, the Fighting Hawks camps was arguably the most buzzworthy camp of the month, seeing multiple players break into the D1 recruiting sphere, as well as multiple commitments from players we are big fans of. We won’t be missing this camp again. Check out the biggest storylines from the UND camp in quick-hitting fashion below.
Luke Pappas Luke Pappas 6'3" | 255 lbs | OL Armstrong | 2025 State MN (Robbinsdale Armstrong) 2025. OL. 6’3, 260 lbs.
The brother of Winona State OL Noah Pappas, a current junior with the Warriors, 6’3, 260 lber. Luke Pappas Luke Pappas 6'3" | 255 lbs | OL Armstrong | 2025 State MN held four DII offers coming into his camp with the Fighting Hawks in mid-June. After a standout performance, he left a D1 prospect, catching the eye of the home school’s coaching staff and OL coach Trevor Olson. On tape, he’s a mobile, aggressive, and powerful LT with notable strength in his punch and experience in pass protection and pulling. Wish I could have seen him put in work personally, and I’ll be interested to see if he shuts down his recruitment soon.
Grant Tylutki Grant Tylutki 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Rocori | 2025 State MN (Rocori) 2025. ATH. 5’9, 190 lbs.
Multiple coaching staffs from multiple divisions of college football were raving about Rocori’s roster throughout my various stops on the still-ongoing summer camp circuit. Something different has been in the water around Cold Spring as of late, producing some real-deal athletes and multi-sport standouts that have manufactured exciting on-field careers and ensuing recruitments. This includes Andrew Trout Andrew Trout 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Rocori | 2026 State MN , who I mentioned in Colin Hansen Colin Hansen 6'7" | 220 lbs | DL Byron | 2025 State MN ‘s writeup, who have a lot of high-level names in the industry buzzing about NFL potential. However, a darkhorse on their roster stole the spotlight of the summer, and his name is Grant Tylutki Grant Tylutki 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Rocori | 2025 State MN . We knew Tylutki was athletic, but as far as the rankings, we severely misjudged just how athletic he is. Tylutki earned the in-person offer right front and center of the Fighting Hawks staff, so the testing numbers hit the mark and he must have shown out and put on a dominant performance during 1v1s as well. Not sure where UND likes him at for the next level, but I’m pumped to see what that staff has in store for him.
Frank McAninch Frank McAninch 5'11" | 200 lbs | LB Mankato West | 2025 State MN (Mankato West) 2025. LB. 6′, 200 lbs.
One of the biggest winners of the early summer camp circuit, Mankato West’s 2025 LB Frank McAninch Frank McAninch 5'11" | 200 lbs | LB Mankato West | 2025 State MN has been on a tear on the recruiting trail since early April. Northern State, Minot State, and Bemidji State offered in April, followed by DII Northwood University in Michigan after a good camp performance the last weekend of May, and things culminated with his camp showing in Grand Forks for the University of North Dakota staff. He’s posted camp bests of a 10’4 broad jump, 4.69 40, and 4.34 shuttle, so it’s safe to assume that McAninch hit the testing marks the Fighting Hawks staff needed, and with traditionally undersized LBs who head to the D1 level, you have to think the play speed, physicality, and change of direction ability was all top notch. Wish I could have seen the performance personally. He earned North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, and Southwest Minnesota State offers after his performance at the camp, shutting down his recruitment and committing to the Fighting Hawks the next day. That McAninch family can ball, and it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that one of the summer camp szn’s biggest winners came out of Mankato West, especially at the LB position.
Ethan Cole Ethan Cole 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Chatfield | 2025 State MN (Chatfield) 2025. DL. 6’3, 240 lbs.
We’ve had a D1 grade on Chatfield’s physical defensive & offensive lineman Ethan Cole Ethan Cole 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Chatfield | 2025 State MN for a couple of years now, so I was stoked to see things come to fruition and culminate in a camp offer and commitment by the Gophers experienced and game-changing trench warfare specialist. A PrepRedzoneMN Showcase veteran and standout, Cole‘s size, athletic numbers, film, and in-person performance have all indicated that he’s a Missouri Valley-type prospect, and he saved his best showing for the biggest moment, impressing DL coach Austin Flyger, OC Isaac Fruechte, and Head Coach Bubba Schweigert so much so that they couldn’t let him leave without an offer. Love the fit for both sides.
Owen Thielges Owen Thielges 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Moorhead | 2025 State MN (Moorhead) 2025. DB. 6’1, 180 lbs.
Moorhead’s standout DB/WR Owen Thielges Owen Thielges 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Moorhead | 2025 State MN got his standout summer camp szn grind going prior to his visit to Grand Forks, showing up and showing out in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the Northern Iowa Panthers camp. Thielges balled out, earning an in-person offer from Safeties Coach and Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Q Black, making for his first D1 offer, and kept the momentum going into the Panthers’ Missouri Valley competitor. Thielges earned the in-person offer from Head Coach Bubba Schweigert and DC/safeties coach Joel Schwenzfeier, and four days later he committed to the Fighting Hawks. Whatever UND is selling, Minnesotans are buying, and they got a high-quality pickup in the Fargo/Moorhead area product and defensive back.
Seth Staloch (Osakis) 2025. WR. 6’6, 200 lbs.
No matter how hard I try every year, a small-schooler with big-time talent and ability slips through the cracks and bursts onto the D1 scene. Not sure how I possibly missed, the 6’6, 200 lb. Class AA WR Seth Staloch, but he made me pay for it and then some, having a fantastic summer camp szn and representing the Osakis Silverstreaks impressively. Staloch got his summer camp szn grind going prior to his showing in Grand Forks, posting a verified 6’6, 195+ frame with a 6’6+ wingspan, and the testing numbers were eye-catching as well. Staloch went 4.63 in the 40 at Iowa State, and the following week at South Dakota State went 10’4 and 10’1 in the broad, showing some real-deal speed and explosiveness at his size. The South Dakota Coyotes became his first offer on June 8th after he camped with Iowa State, and after heading to Grand Forks for the Fighting Hawks’ camp, he earned his second FCS offer from the camp’s hosts. It’s safe to assume the combo of size and athleticism showed up impressively, and perhaps dominantly, during 1v1 competition, and a kid with that kind of frame and that already-present speed/explosiveness does not come around very often. Staloch committed only two days after receiving the offer, once again proving that UND is really putting in work with Minnesota 2025s and is hitting the right buttons in their recruitments. This pairing is a fun one too, as the Fighting Hawks really like utilizing big-bodied wideouts in their offense, and have done so very effectively with MN-bred WRs in the past. Staloch should be tearing up the MVFC in a few years.
The rankings may not fully indicate it, but Wayzata’s rising senior OT Evan McCarty Evan McCarty 6'6" | 250 lbs | OL Wayzata | 2025 State MN was a big-time sleeper in the MN 2025 OL class whose name I had been passing along to various D1 college staffs and watching very carefully myself. I was stoked to see that he was in attendance at the UWRF Minnesconsin Mega Camp, and I took a good 5-10 minutes to watch McCarty and McCarty only during drill work and 1v1s. A now-verified 6’5+, 250 lber. with plus-length, McCarty had one of the best frames in attendance of a loaded OL group, and he was also one of the best athletes. Popped off nearly a 9′ broad at UWRF, and watching him during drills, I couldn’t help but think about how much his game resembles that of a talented basketball player. The change of direction ability, balance, and bend were as noteworthy as they were obvious, and he had a good showing during 1v1s as well, showing physicality and technique to match his pure athletic ability. You don’t find kids of this size who move as well as McCarty does very often, and the frame, traits, and 6A big school experience all scream potential and upside at the next level. St. Thomas offered on June 1st, but after a couple of standout camp showings, McCarty earned North Dakota State and University of North Dakota offers, catapulting him firmly into the FCS ranks and positioning himself for a massively successful senior year, both on the gridiron and recruiting trail. Name to watch as the senior tape begins to circulate.
Highlights
Another big-time winner from the Gophers prospects camps, I am STOKED to have the one-and-only Caledonia Warriors firmly back in the upper echelons of the state’s recruiting scene. In hindsight, I absolutely should have trusted my gut more when evaluating Stendel’s tape and doing the rankings. I wanted him to be a Top 30 kid, as the tape and size really got my recruiting juices flowing, but I just couldn’t get myself to take that leap knowing next to nothing about the kid. I knew he was big, and I knew he was fast, but I didn’t have any available data on the kid, had never seen him live, and he plays QB for Caledonia, muddying the waters of his potential recruitment and where he fits at the next level. The moral of the story is never bet against Caledonia kids, and I won’t be making that mistake twice. Not sure how I missed him at the opening PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp, but his athleticism and movement skills were absolutely checking P4 boxes, as Stendel worked out for DC Corey Hetherman, impressing so much that Head Coach PJ Fleck and the Gophers staff so much that he left a P4 offeree and commit, verballing to Fleck immediately after receiving the offer. The tape shows off a kid with major juice as a ball carrier, displaying big-time burst and top-end speed, dynamic movement skills, and physicality. Generally, programs will put their best athlete at the QB spot, so although he’s going to have to get used to LB, the transition isn’t something I’m too worried. Major mover and shaker in the 2025 rankings, and if you know the type of kids Caledonia produces, it’s a safe bet that he’s going to find success at the next level. Go Warriors!
One of the biggest glow-ups of the summer and entire offseason undoubtedly goes to Stillwater’s sticky CB DK Gora DK Gora 6'0" | 165 lbs | DB Stillwater | 2025 MN . Primarily a JV contributor in 2023 as a junior, Gora came into the summer with a take-no-prisoners, something-to-prove attitude that has resulted in five college offers, three of them being DII offers from some of the Northern Sun’s heavy hitters. Gora popped off an eye-popping 10’7″ broad jump at the UW-River Falls Minnesconsin Mega Camp, good for the #1 broad jump of the nearly 1,000 prospects in attendance by an astounding 6 inches. I’ve gotten a few different exposure points on Gora this summer, and he’s looked great every time, showing off some very fluid COD ability and a natural effectiveness to maintain phase with streaking WRs. Comfortable, competitive, and confident in man coverage, the 6′, 165 lber. is able to press, use his plus-length to his advantage, and stay square at the LOS. Gora’s footwork is solid, he displays patience and anticipation in coverage, and he has the speed to stay on top of speedier wideouts going vertical. I especially love how he gets in and out of his breaks, as well as compete at the catch point, and I’ve seen him successfully win on routes all around the field against a variety of high-quality WR competition. Talk about a heckuva offseason, someone is getting some seriously untapped potential soon, and I cannot wait to see how his breakout season in 2024 goes.
Highlights
Notable stock riser in the 2025 QB race, Mounds View Mustangs QB1 Jacob Sampson Jacob Sampson 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Mounds View | 2025 State MN – a 6’3, 190 lber. – came into the South Dakota State prospect camp in early June and earned a DII offer from the awesome staff at Winona State, catapulting him into the DII recruiting sphere and bumping his stock up in the state’s 2025 recruiting big board. I saw Sampson live last fall against STMA, where his overall athleticism, especially when extending plays or toting the rock and using his quick feet and sudden COD ability to make defenders miss, really caught my attention at 6’3, 190 pounds. I liked his arm too, but Sampson didn’t get to really open things up that cold, windy night in St. Michael, so I can’t say I got the complete picture of his game. However, the Winona State staff got a hard look at him throwing a ton of balls during the SDSU camp, and I dang sure trust their evaluation and his potential fit to the DII level. To solidify things, Minnesota State-Mankato offered last week, as did WIAC heavyweight UW-River Falls. Going to be a big year for Sampson and his Mustang counterparts, another of which we’ll be breaking down below.
The second Mounds View Mustangs summer camp szn winner, RB Mitchell Olson Mitchell Olson 5'9" | 180 lbs | ATH Mounds View | 2025 MN ran the 5th fastest 40 of the nearly 1,000 prospects in attendance at the second annual UW-River Falls Minnesconsin Mega Camp, popping off a 4.49 in the 40 and immediately capturing the attention of regional DIIs and NSIC competitors. After his performance at the UWRF Mega Camp, which also involved a strong showing during 1v1s as a pass catcher, Olson was offered by Northern State, Bemidji State, and UW-River Falls, going from 0 offers to 3 offers in 4.49 seconds. I saw Olson last fall against the STMA Knights, and although he did create some splash plays and popped off some big runs for his offense, I wasn’t aware of just how fast and dynamic he truly is. This Mustangs offense is looking dangerous going into the fall.
Highlights
A long, physical, and competitive CB out of Edina, Trillion Sorrell Trillion Sorrell 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB Edina | 2025 State MN , a product of Vermillion, South Dakota, started his slow and steady come-up on the recruiting trail this spring, earning his first D1 offer on April 21st from Northern Iowa’s safeties coach Q Black. North Dakota also joined on May 23rd, but it was an eye-catching performance at the first PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp earned him South Dakota State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota offers. 6′ and 160 pounds with long arms, loose hips, and burst out of his breaks, Sorrell is a patient yet strong press corner with quick and fluid COD ability that helps him maintain phase with receivers at every point of a route. Once he gets hip to hip he’s not going anywhere, and his physicality and balance help him disrupt receivers at they try to hit their landmarks and really gets in their heads throughout a day of competition. Sorrell also tested very well at the multiple events I saw him at, with top-end speed to stay with even the fastest of receivers and the length to compete at the catch point against bigger pass catchers. Total package who locks in and saves his best performances for the biggest moments. Sorrell committed to the back-to-back defending FCS champs SDSU on the 18th, adding an exciting summit to what has been a steady and impressive recruiting climb. Jacks got a stud!
Highlights
Miller’s path to becoming a summer camp szn winner began during the outdoor track and field season, wherein Miller posted a sub-11 second 100M (10.95) and added a 21.96 200M for good measure. With eyes firmly on him going into the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp with the Gophs, Miller had one of the best performances in attendance, earning his first three D1 offers from South Dakota State, North Dakota, and St. Thomas in what turned out to be an ultra-accelerated recruitment process for the Shakopee Saber. A week after earning those offers, Miller shut things down and added another Minnesota defensive back commitment to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2025 class of recruits. He was aggressive and controlled when I saw him live in Dinkytown, showing some real pace out of his breaks and great timing as he undercut and broke up passes around the intermediate areas of the field. The aforementioned speed showed up as well, and Miller’s hips and COD ability were well on par with a Division 1 cornerback. It’s crazy how so much of this young man’s life and football journey culminate in one big moment, which Miller took and ran with. Now, he’s a Jackrabbit on the quest for more FCS hardware. PRzMN will be watching excitedly.
Highlights
Hard-hitter, thumper, mauler, bull at the point of attack, Farmington’s beast of an offensive center is all that and then some, and is smack dab in the middle of an eye-catching, pads-popping summer camp grind that has really shot his stock up in the state’s OL big board. Coming into the live evaluation period, Gournaris didn’t hold any offers, but it was game over as soon as colleges got to see him in person, and especially in pads. Northern State offered after Gournaris camped in Aberdeen, and Bemidji State, Jamestown, Minot State, St. Thomas, Concordia-St. Paul, and MSU-Moorhead have all gotten in the mix, all of whom have seen Gournaris at some point this summer. His summer camp szn was highlighted by a fantastic and physically dominating performance at the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect camp, where his hand usage, understanding of leverage, competitiveness, and brute strength were on full display. As Edina product Quinn Carroll said: this kid is a “dawg.”
Highlights
The small town, giant-sized 9man standout Chase Evink Chase Evink 6'5" | 240 lbs | ATH Hancock | 2025 State MN is having a productive summer camp szn, putting a face, name, and giant frame to what is one of the most memorable highlight tapes I’ve seen in my time with PRzMN. As expected, he’s been putting his hand in the dirt and playing DL, which I was curious to see, as transitioning from RB/LB in a 9man setting to trench warfare against Metro and big school opponents in high-pressure environments like these college camps is a big ask. However, Evink showed up and showed out, winning some big-time reps at the first PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp in Dinkytown while displaying a good get-off, strong punch, and physicality in abundance. Definitely raw, but he’s verified big and athletic and is a ball of clay that a college DL coach could mould into a monster. After balling out at Minnesota, SDSU, and NDSU, MSU-Mankato, Minnesota-Duluth, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State have all offered. It’s going to be one of the best years of 9man history in a while, folks. Evink is a big reason why.
A multi-time PrepRedzoneMN Showcase standout and veteran, Wrbanek is an easy choice for a summer camp szn winner. Passes the eye test at 6’3, 215 lbs. and really excels laterally and in the quickness department, Wrbanek is a productive 6A Metro LB with a nonstop motor and a ton of coachability and competitiveness, making for an excellent recipe to catch some eyes on the camp circuit. Wrbanek kicked things off with a Big12 PWO down in Manhattan, Kansas at the Kansas State Prospect Camp, then followed it up with a major PWO from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. St. Thomas and accomplished DC Wallie Kuchinski reached out with an offer, and North Dakota State followed it up with another PWO. Excitedly, Wrbanek just committed a few hours ago to the North Dakota State Bison, adding himself to one of the most decorated PWO lines from the Land of 10,000 Lakes there is. Gotta feel good coming into your senior year as a Bison commit.
Highlights
One of the spring’s biggest stock-risers on the recruiting trail, Minnesota has another standout specialist hailing between our great borders, and he comes out of the 507 and Rochester Mayo. At a big-time 6’3, 225 lbs., Ethan Post Ethan Post 6'3" | 195 lbs | K Rochester Mayo | 2025 State MN is a 5star rated punter, who also has a boot as a kicker, who camped with the Golden Gophers and earned a B1G PWO from Special Teams Coordinator Bob Ligashesky. Post went onto camp with Wisconsin, Washington, Iowa State, Florida State, and Georgia. He also visited Cornell University for an official visit, so it’s been a busy month for the Rochester product. Keep an eye on this one, Gopher fans!
The younger brother of standout 2025 Waseca DB Damarius Russell Damarius Russell 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Waseca | 2025 State MN – now a SDSU Jackrabbits commit – 2026er Deron Russell Deron Russell 6'1" | 165 lbs | DB Waseca | 2026 State MN popped his recruitment off early, earning South Dakota State and Northern Iowa offers after camping with the Golden Gophers in early June at the PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp. Fantastic out of his breaks and when triggering on the ball, Russell broke up a ton of passes over the course of the Gophers camp, playing with a fired up, competitive, physical, and high-energy coverage style you want to see out of a CB prospect. Great to see his recruitment kick off early. More offers are coming!
Highlights
I was not ready for Minnesota to have a P4 2027 so early, but here we are. Still a lot of unknowns and a lot of runway left in this recruitment and development, but holy cow do we have a potential star on our hands in Moorhead’s rising sophomore RB Taye Reich Taye Reich 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Moorhead | 2027 State MN . I got my hands on some of his testing numbers from a recent camp this summer, and this kid is real-deal athletic, folks. He must have really made some waves after camping with Kansas State to kick the month off, earning a P4, Big12 offer from RB Coach Brian Anderson in-person, live, and with shoulder pads. Wish I could have seen him ball out down in Manhattan, but it was an unforgettable performance nonetheless. Moorhead is coming for hardware this year, be ready.
Highlights
St. Thomas Puts in Good Work on the Recruiting Trail
The Tommies have been hitting the road hard this summer, evaluating prospects from all around the Midwest, and most recently, at their Prospect Camp in St. Paul. Check out some of the big winners from the Tommies summer evals below, in quick-hitting fashion.
Michael Bruggers Michael Bruggers 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Champlin Park | 2025 State MN (Champlin Park) 2025. DE. 6’3, 240 lbs.
Bruggers put on a show at the second PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp, going 100% in wins during 1v1 pass rush settings and showing off twitch, physicality, and a nuanced pass-rushing repertoire. Coaches kid with a ton of experience who has been a consistent top performer each and every exposure point I’ve had with Bruggers, he’s now a D1 prospect who the Tommies would love to land. No surprises here!
Bo Bokman Bo Bokman 5'7" | 175 lbs | ATH Lakeville South | 2025 State MN (Lakeville South) 2025. ATH. 5’8, 185 lbs.
A cut up, muscular utility athlete with big school powerhouse Lakeville South, Bokman earned his first offer from the D1 Tommies after camping in St. Paul. He’s too much of an eye-catching, both in his dynamic ability and athleticism, to not pull the trigger on from the Tommies perspective. Fun to watch and could project to multiple positions at the D1 level. I like the move by UST.
Beau Thielen (Eagan) 2025. LS. 6’4, 225 lbs.
Big-time LS prospect got his recruitment going in St. Paul at the UST Prospect Camp, earning a D1 FCS opportunity from the Tommies specialists coach Ben Janson. Great size on the rising senior from Eagan as well.
Parker Wangen Parker Wangen 6'4" | 200 lbs | ATH Stewartville | 2025 State MN (Stewartville) 2025. WR. 6’4, 200 lbs.
Great size, dynamic ability as a two-way prospect and XL safety, Wangen went into St. Paul and earned a FCS opportunity from the Tommies. He held DII offers prior to this, but as one of our favorite names at PRzMN, we can see the fit to the FCS level.
Connor Cade Connor Cade 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Lakeville South | 2025 State MN (Lakeville South) 2025. RB.
Real, verified track speed and All-State track & field accolades must have caught the attention of UST’s coaches at the Tommies prospect camp, as Connor Cade Connor Cade 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Lakeville South | 2025 State MN came into offerless and left a D1 offeree. Fast, playmaking ability, and comes out one of the top rushing programs in the Metro and entire state. Love the move by the Tommies.
Michael Naber Michael Naber 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Shakopee | 2025 State MN (Shakopee) 2025. LB.
The Tommies became the first offer for Shakopee’s Michael Naber Michael Naber 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Shakopee | 2025 State MN , and an FCS offer coming in as your first offer has to be a good feeling. Not the biggest LB around, Naber brings explosive play speed and lightning-quick COD ability to the table. The testing and 1v1 performance must have caught the Tommies staff, and seeing how UST produces some extremely accomplished collegiate LBs, you have to get excited about the move here. Great showing in St. Paul for Mr. Naber!
Sebastyen Fries
Sebastyen Fries
A TE/HB who I did have on my radar but had yet to get on the rankings, Lakeville North’s 6’2, 230 lber. committed to the Jackrabbits last week, and although I’m not positive how it happened, it’s hard to say he’s not a big winner from the camp season, seeing how he came into June without an offer. Fries competed at the Lindenwood Mega Camp, but I’m not sure if he was at SDSU or not, so keep your eyes out for a more indepth evaluation and summary of his recruitment once I can gather more info. Lakeville North churns out physical and aggressive prospects at a high clip, so I can see why SDSU got involved just on paper. We’ll be talking more about Fries soon!
Beau Bakken
Beau Bakken
To further solidify my claim that 2024 is going to be one of the best 9man races in the past decade, we have yet another D1 9man prospect on our hands. Hills-Beaver Creek’s Beau Bakken has good size, is a dynamic, two-way contributor, and started to blow up this month after some live, in-person evals and performances. Northern State, Minot State, Sioux Falls, Dordt, and Southwest MN State all offered in the span of two days, and on the 13th, Bakken announced his commitment to the defending back-to-back FCS champs South Dakota State. Excellent find by the Jackrabbits, who was pretty much under-the-radar going into the summer and is now a big-time FCS commit. Can’t wait to get this dude on the rankings, you’ll be getting a full eval on Bakken in the coming weeks. What a month for the HBC rising senior.
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