Outstate ballers - Northeastern Minnesota

Northeastern Minnesota is one of my favorite places to visit in the state. I spent the better part of three years in the area before moving into the metro area. The area is crazy about their high school hockey, but they also play some great high school football. Here are five soon-to-be seniors from the area who are on the gridiron more than the ice.    Nelson is a shifty, multi-threat player who contributes in all three phases of the game. A solid kick returner, his quick feet and vision make him a challenge for any defender to corral one-on-one. He has good speed, too – good enough to house a 98-yard touchdown catch. That is the reason the coaching staff moves him in from wide receiver to a wing position – just get the ball in his hands. Those hands are solid, too – he can make plays on balls that are not perfectly thrown. Those hands translate to defense, too. He plays the ball well on both sides of the ball.     Manns moves well through traffic, but when he can open it up – like when he returns a kickoff – he can outrun most defenders. He has excellent balance when working his way through the line of scrimmage, whether spinning off tacklers, running through tackles, or making quick cuts. He is a patient runner, willing to pick his way through the trash at the line of scrimmage. His vision makes him dangerous both at the line of scrimmage and in the open field. That vision – combined with good power, makes him tough to bring down – even when defenders get him squared up. Manns has great hands – so much so that he lines up in the slot and out wide.     Adamski is an athletic big man coming off the edge for the Agates. He is such a good athlete that – although defensive end is his primary position, he sometimes lines up as a lead blocker on offense and has a forty-yard run on his resume. Back at his primary position, he has explosive speed coming off the edge. That speed allows him to repeatedly run plays down from behind. He uses his hands well to keep blockers off his body to both shed blockers and move laterally down the line of scrimmage. Adamski has great instincts against the pass. He gets those hands in passing lanes all the time. I don't have any official stats, but he would be high on the list if there were a leaderboard for tipped passes.     Here is what I wrote about Owens six months ago.   Owens has excellent man-to-man coverage skills. He can get in the hip pocket of receivers and shadow them all around the field. The junior has solid ball skills and gets his hands on plenty of passes. He adjusts well to the ball when in the air. His closing speed allows him to break up passes and makes him a factor in the running game – closing on ball carriers. Owens is not looking to make ‘business decisions.' He is coming in low and with bad intentions. On offense, the junior runs the read option well, and when he decides to keep the ball, that speed and power translate into his running style. He makes solid reads in the running game and knows when to pull the ball down and run during a passing play. Not just a runner, Owens throws well on the move and has good arm strength to throw deep – even when on the move.   Eu-Claire, Southwest Minnesota State, and Minnesota State-Moorhead have offered Owens. He has been in contact with most of the DII programs in Minnesota and some Dakota DIIs.     King is one of the most dominant players at the 9-man level. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism is just too much for most offensive linemen. King plays both defensive end and defensive tackle for the Rangers' defense. He is powerful enough to split double teams and quick enough – both with his hands and feet – to throw off an initial block as well as a running back in pass protection. When he gets to the ball, he doesn't tackle; he engulfs the ball carrier. As a pass rusher, he has developed some solid pass-rush moves to go along with his quickness and strength.     I feel like I have been writing about Williams for a long time. He has been that good – even as far back as his sophomore year. Entering his senior year, he is one of the top running backs in the state. @NWahlScouting has a great write-up from the spring. Here is what I would add to Nate's comments.   As a running back, Williams is the complete package. To call him a power back or a scat back would be short-selling the soon-to-be senior. He has good speed and balance. He has quick feet and can make multiple moves in a small space. With all that, he has the leg strength to blow through arm tackles and drag smaller tacklers for extra yardage. He has position flexibility as he lines up at the quarterback position in some formations. A two-way player, he has good range as a safety, and based on his running back attributes, you can make your own assumptions about how physical a defender he can be.

Northeastern Minnesota is one of my favorite places to visit in the state. I spent the better part of three years in the area before moving into the metro area. The area is crazy about their high school hockey, but they also play some great high school football. Here are five soon-to-be seniors from the area who are on the gridiron more than the ice.