More Central Minnesota ballers

My journey around the state started with athletes in central Minnesota, bringing me back to the region. Why? There were too many good players in my make-shift area of central Minnesota not to highlight some more outstate athletes. Spoiler alert: check back next week, and there might be more outstate central Minnesota athletes to be featured on Prepredzone.    Hooge checks all the quarterback and read-option boxes. He handles the ball well. His height is perfect for making quick, slant passes, which are essential for the read option to work. When the read is for Hooge to keep the ball, he has sneaky speed to get the corner and good vision when finding space between the tackles. Although quick slants are his strength, he has good arm strength to push the ball deep and the athletic ability to make accurate throws on the run.     Jackson is set up to be the best kicker in the state. The Minnesota Gophers' commit was extremely consistent all season. If his offense got into the red zone, he was automatic, making all forty-six non-blocked extra points and every kick under thirty yards all season. He also has excellent range, making three of five kicks from over forty yards, including a long of 52 yards. His kickoffs were – sorry, as a Gophers' commit, I have to do it – elite. Over 80 percent of his kickoffs went for touchbacks. Recruited as a kicker, he also handled the punting duties for the Cardinals.     Omoke has great speed and size as a receiver. He is too physical for most cornerbacks but also has the speed to blow by defenders. His size and hands allow him to make contested catches. Despite his long strides, he makes quick cuts – getting him the separation because of his size – that he doesn't even need half the time. Just because he is long, he still has the athletic ability to make plays on the ball that are down around his knees. Omoke is dangerous on the end-a-round, and he even throws a nice deep ball when asked to do it.     Ogundeji has a little bit of everything as a runner. With a long-striding style, he has good straight-line speed. Even with his long strides, he does a great job making quick cuts. Once he is in the clear, he has another gear to outrun many defenders. His size allows him to bounce off tacklers and run through defensive backs if they don't square him up. Ogundeji's lower-body strength keeps the pile moving if he is met at the line of scrimmage. As a defensive back/linebacker hybrid on defense, the junior is all over the field, using his speed and explosiveness to be effective against both the run and the pass.     Another Cardinal makes the list. Kludt looks so smooth when he is running his routes. His long striding style makes it look like he glides over the field more than running. His speed alone allows him to get by defensive backs and create space. He also does a solid job of putting his foot in the ground to make cuts at the top of his routes. He is smooth as a defensive back, too. Kludt looks effortless as he rotates his hips in coverage. He has great closing speed, and – not unexpectedly – his hands translate from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side.

My journey around the state started with athletes in central Minnesota, bringing me back to the region. Why? There were too many good players in my make-shift area of central Minnesota not to highlight some more outstate athletes. Spoiler alert: check back next week, and there might be more outstate central Minnesota athletes to be featured on Prepredzone.