Minnesota 2024 Regular Season Stock Risers: Junior Edition

As expected, the 2024 excitement and theatrics have continued into the playoffs, and we are seeing some last-second drama, game-winning, go-ahead scores, and unpredicted upsets that have shaken up the sectional and potential state tournament scene. With the pool of still-playing high school football programs shrinking by the week, PrepRedzoneMN wanted to capture and highlight some of the recruiting momentum that Minnesota's 2026 class has captured due to their regular season play. The junior class is looking like a good one, and we had some major new names hit the recruiting scene in force, as well as some already-established talents significantly raising their stock. Check out the biggest and brightest Minnesota 2024 Regular Season 2026 Stock Risers below!   --    Biggest stock riser, top breakout star, highest in-season, introductory rankings debut in PRzMN history, and the best recruiting story out of Minnesota's 2024 season all rolled into one. As mentioned in our 2024 PRzMN Regular Season Superlatives & Awards feature, it's been an unforgettable fall for Hopkins star hooper [player_tooltip player_id='1522278' first='Jayden' last='Moore']. After being convinced by his younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='1651164' first='Tre' last='Moore'] - our PRzMN Freshman of the the Year - to come out for football, the high-major basketball offeree was the Royals' sparkplug to their 2024 turnaround season that saw the former 6A giant snap their 29-game losing streak and string together three-straight 6A victories to inject some much-needed life and energy into that once-esteemed football program. In his first football season since the 7th grade, Moore has posted 39 catches for 833 yards and 11 TDs, good for the 5th most receiving yards in the state and tied for 8th in TDs. His production, splash play ability, and influence were hard to ignore, and a little past the midway point of the 2024 the hometown Minnesota Gophers and Head Coach PJ Fleck came calling, offering a P4, B1G scholarship to catapult Moore into the nation's top multi-sport ranks.   Not a ton of available film, but Moore is easily able to take the top off the defense, tracks and plays the deep ball well, and can accelerate away from pursuers after the catch with ease. He naturally stacks DBs once he gets a step on them and shows off fantastic ball skills, as he climbs the ladder and high-points the football with noticeable control, grace, and explosiveness that you'd hope to see from a high-level hooper like Moore. Plus, he's twitchy and sudden after the catch, with great burst and the top end speed to turn routine receptions into long TD runs. Elite-level athlete doing what elite athletes do.     Another fun combination of a Breakout Star/Stock riser, Stillwater's standout DE [player_tooltip player_id='1120508' first='Ajibola' last='Afuye'] put on a couple inches and around 20 pounds this past offseason, propelling himself from a 6'4, 200 lber. into some premier measurables at one of football's most important and sought-after positions after a 2023 sophomore season spent in the JV ranks. Now a 6'5, 225 lb. 6A, Big School defensive end who put together some solid production in his first year on varsity - totaling 53 tackles, 5 TFLs, a sack, 2 PBUs, and 1 blocked kick -Division 1 football programs have been taking notice of Afuye since the season kicked off. Since September, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, Minnesota, and Michigan State have all reached out with gameday invites, a great sign in a young prospect's budding recruitment. It's also one of the best recruiting hauls (attention-wise) of any prospect in Minnesota this fall, and Afuye has taken visits to Minnesota, UNI, and Iowa State in what has been a busy past couple of months for the Stillwater product.   The film shows off a long, mobile, and physical defensive end who is positionally versatile as a standup EDGE - sometimes aligning as a WIDE9 - who can put his hand in the dirt and slide down to a 5T if needed. The noticeable and significant length is very exciting. Afuye blocked a kick on a FG by sticking his massive mitts into the air without even jumping, and he uses that length to hold linemen at bay once he locks out his arms. He can also long arm and shed blocks due to the space he creates when he extends. The 225 lber. does a good job of locating and sniffing out the football and not getting tied up in traffic, also strong enough to hold a gap through contact. He is laterally quick, a strong tackler, shows a high motor, and can unlock his hips and bend tight off a OTs backside. He comes flat down the LOS and closes quickly enough to make TFLs in the backfield as the backside defensive lineman and his long legs and shows top-end speed for his size when he opens up his gait. I want to see that sack number rise, but Afuye is still raw, and there's a noticeable foundation of a pass rushing skillset already present. The length, quickness, and hips make me excited about his upside projecting to the next level. Obviously athletic, no problems playing with physicality, and has a great frame that grow into monstrous proportions. Keep a close eye on the Stillwater Pony this offseason on the recruiting trail.     The younger brother of 2025 Villanova commit [player_tooltip player_id='1191511' first='Damian' last='Devine'], one of the most underrated linebacker prospects in the entire Midwest, 2026 younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='1476059' first='Daniel' last='Devine'] is already bigger than his older brother, measuring in at 6'4, 225 lbs. and passing the in-person eye test with flying colors. Devine hit the offseason hard, dedicating himself to the weight room and gaining around an inch of height and 20 pounds of mass, the results of which are already paying dividends. I got to see both Devines in Week 1 of the regular season when Holy Angels took on Minneapolis North, and he was a consistent disruptor with noticeable athleticism and the look/play of a potential Division 1 prospect. College programs began to take notice in August, with FBS and FCS teams sending recruiting graphics, and during the season, UPenn, NDSU, SDSU, Dartmouth, and North Dakota have reached out, with the Dakota schools all sending gameday invites.   There's a noticeable size and speed combination in the first few plays of his highlights, and the younger Devine, as a DE and TE, can create splash plays as a pass catcher, as well as on defense, where he took an INT 90ish yards back to the house and created more than his fair share of TFLs and sacks throughout the season. He's strong enough to block and create gaps at the LOS against DL but fast and controlled to take out second and third level defenders in space. I love the play and top end speed from his DE spot. He can run down QBs out on the edge, pursue to the sideline and from the backside of the LOS, and close with noticeable pace for a 6'4, 220 lber. Plus, Devine is a crushing blocker who fires off the ball quickly on both offense and defense, and is overall physically dominant, physically impressive, versatile, moves well, and disruptive. I think he's going to get a ton of D1 attention this offseason.     Apple Valley is home to quite the pair of 2026 athletes, and one half of the two-headed monster is really seeing his recruiting stock rise thanks to his 2024 play as a junior. Ward Jr. has received three different customized recruiting graphics from the Kansas State Wildcats and gameday invites from South Dakota State and North Dakota State, both of whom he visited in October. A three-sport athlete who is a point guard on the Eagles' basketball team and competes in the 300M hurdles and the 200M for the track team, Ward Jr. brings that functional athleticism to the CB position, where athleticism is much needed and always at a premium. Ward Jr. has great technique, great hips, and is overall sticky, showing the ability to break up passes and shut down receivers in both off-man coverage and when pressing. He demonstrates good footwork, patience, eye discipline, loose hips, and stays square and doesn't bite on route fakes. I love how he keeps the gate closed and times his punch out well when pressing, and he is physical with his punch and when he gets his hands on receivers, sometimes completely moving them off their marks. Ward Jr. has the speed to stay on top of receivers going vertical, stays in-phase well, competes at the catch point and knows how to use his length to help break up passes. Plus, he demonstrates splash play ability as a receiver and can win contested catches through contact and big hits, and is an explosive tackler he puts his pads on a ball carrier. I'm quite bullish on the technique, hips, physicality combination, strengthened even further by some noticeable and significant athleticism. No wonder he's hearing from such a variety of D1s. Could be a fruitful offseason for the Apple Valley junior.     Someone is due for a rankings bump! After two years spent in the freshman and JV ranks for the Mounds View Mustangs, highlighted by some strong film and even better track times, [player_tooltip player_id='923834' first='Godson' last='Rufus-Okomhanru'] has burst onto the varsity and 2026 D1 recruiting scene like he has something to prove. Now a 6', 180 lber. playing WR, OLB, and RB, Rufus-Okomhanru, with his 11.15 100M and 22.0 200M speed, has raced himself into some serious D1 looks, earning Northern Iowa and North Dakota State gameday visits in October thanks to his on-field play at the midseason point. He's gaining some serious steam on the recruiting trail, and he should be, as he's a three-phase contributor, multi-sporter, with big-time explosiveness and a hard-to-find fluidity that makes him very smooth and very fun to watch on film. He took a 99-yard kickoff return back to the house against Woodbury to highlight his explosive, big-play ability and is also a slippery, sudden ball carrier with great vision who seems to glide by opponents in the open field. He displays fluidity, sleek body control and play style, especially with the ball in-hand, and great speed that can take the ball to the house on any given play. Rufus-Okomhanru also demonstrates great ball skills, as he can fully extend and reel in tough catches, a big catch radius, strong hands, and noticeable body control in the air. He slips and floats by tackle attempts with impressive smoothness and ease, shows good contact balance, especially for his size, and accelerates out of his breaks and can cut at top speed, which helps him make free defenders miss in space. The 180 lber. is also a good route runner that can create separation at the top of the route and win contested catches. Rufus-Okomhanru is playing himself into a FCS scholarship of he keeps this up.     Our new LB1 in the 2026 class after the last micro-update this fall, things are all coming together for Park of Cottage Grove's stud 6'4 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='923835' first='Aidan' last='Boche']. This is Boche's first year of 6A varsity action, but he really started to create some momentum on the summer camp trail, where college programs got to check out what we at PrepRedzone have gotten to see at a couple of our showcases, namely his excellent frame, length, athleticism (4.56 shuttle, 9'1, broad, 7.28 L-drill), three-down LB ability, and physicality. Boche has done a good job of transferring that momentum into his in-season play, and the junior film looks good, earning Boche a nod on one of our in-season features naming some of the top Minnesota 2026 and 2027s next up to earn a Division 1 offer. Boche has earned gameday invites from Northern Illinois x2, Augustana, and South Dakota State, taking an unofficial visit to DeKalb to see the Huskies in October.   According to MNFootballHub, Boche has posted 71 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 2 INTs, and one pick-six in 2024, and the midseason tape shows a long, rangy, physical, and instinctive 3-down LB with a frame that could explode in a college S&C program. He undercuts routes around the hook/curl and flats and shows some natural instincts in coverage for a LB. He can produce INTs and PBUs in both man and zone coverage and does a good job of reading route combinations and dropping into passing lanes. His length helps in a variety of ways, including coverage, and Boche also does a good job of ripping and punching at the ball to force fumbles. The 6'4, 205 lber. is rangy in run defense, closes and fills with pace and urgency, covers ground in run support and when coming up to stick ball carriers around the LOS, and his pursuit speed helps him chase down ball carriers sideline to sideline. Boche takes good angles to the football, closes with pace, and provides some noticeable thump at the contact point as a tackler. He can also make tackles through contact and is a tough blocking assignment for his opponents thanks to his length, quickness, and physicality. Lot to like already and hard not to think of the upside in his frame and athleticism. I'm interested to see who comes calling first!     A PrepRedzoneMN Showcase standout, linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1454326' first='Jack' last='Carlson'] is doing a great job of raising his stock thanks to his 2024 season play, firmly supplanting himself onto the radar of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, one of the best evaluators and finders of small school Minnesota talent out there. A 6', 215 lber., Carlson took a gameday visit to Grand Forks in September and has also received a gameday invite from Augustana in Sioux Falls. A RB, LB, fullback, I think he'd be well-suited for the fullback position in college, as he's a physical blocker with great leg drive post-contact and does a good job of identifying the biggest threat to his RB. I like his juice as a ball-carrier, as the Goodhue High School product displays smooth cuts, good vision, and some shake and/or physicality when he sees that free defender in space. Plus. Carlson can catch the rock out of the backfield. Defensively, Carlson gets up and under blocking attempts and can make tackles through contact and is a strong tackler when he puts his pads on a ball carrier. The Missouri Valley still honors fullbacks, make sure you keep an eye on this one!     In the spirit of [player_tooltip player_id='1522278' first='Jayden' last='Moore'], I am happy to present another elite multi-sport athlete out of the 2026 class in East Ridge QB [player_tooltip player_id='1602754' first='Cedric' last='Tomes']. A 6', 160 lb. point guard on the Raptors basketball team, Tomes holds basketball offers from Bryant, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Drake, and Oklahoma, but should also be garnering some serious interest on the gridiron due to his 2024 play. As the QB for the 6A Raptors, who came on strong at the end of the regular season with a big win over then #1 Lakeville North, Tomes went 94-147 (64%) for 1,120 yards and 10 TDs to 7 INTs while adding 139 rushes for 568 yards (4.1 YPC) and 10 TDs. This came against some of the top defensive competition in the state and shows off real-deal dynamic and playmaking ability padded up. No public football film yet, but given Minnesota's long-standing tradition of outstanding football/hoops athletes, I think it'd be smart for college coaches to start sniffing around here.     Heckuva stock rising season for Northfield Raider [player_tooltip player_id='400478' first='Kayden' last='Oakland']. A long-time ranked athlete who PRzMN has had on our radar since early in his freshman year, now-6'5, 215 lb. Oakland is also a talented hooper who runs with MN Fury on the AAU circuit. He didn't update any tape from his 2023 sophomore season and didn't have much for stats, so I honestly wasn't sure how interested or invested Oakland was in playing football at the next level. However, I couldn't have been more wrong, and Oakland has had a breakout junior season that has catapulted him into the D1 recruiting sphere out of Minnesota. Great size that fits into his small forward/wing skillset on the hardcourt, lots of length that can add weight at the next level, and a two-way contributor who plays WR, TE, OLB, and TE and also competes in track & field. In 2024, Oakland posted 26 receptions for 300 yards and 3 TDs, as well as 11 TFLs, 5 sacks, 8 PBUs, 2 FF, 2 INT, and one defensive TD for some impressive production that certainly caught the eye of college programs. North Dakota hit him up with a gameday invite in early September, followed by South Dakota State and DIIs Augustana and MSU-Moorhead. Oakland made the trek to Grand Forks to watch UND a couple weekends ago, so keep an eye on the Fighting Hawks in this budding recruitment out of Southern Minnesota.   Oakland is a standup EDGE rusher with lateral quickness and can beat blockers with sudden inside moves and some serious speed off the edge, both as a blitzer and when running down ball carriers from the backside of the LOS. He displayed noticeable pop and can win 1v1 reps with power rushes, sometimes just off initial contact and can shed blocks, rip, and disengage off opponents thanks to his strong and active hands. Plus, he's a physical tackler who rocked some QBs in 2024 as a blitzer. Oakland is long and instinctive enough to sniff out passing lanes and get his arms up into traffic to knock down passes - hence the 8 PBUs, and he tipped one of those PBUs to himself and took it back for six in 2024. That speed at 6'5, 215 created splash plays on offense, and he owns a big catch radius and can climb the ladder and high-point the rock in traffic as a TE/WR. I think he's best suited to play EDGE at the next level, where he's instinctive, free flowing and does a good job of processing, identifying, and adjusting to an offenses play rep to rep, aided by his balanced skillset and functional athleticism at 6'5, 215 that helps him make plays in a variety of different scenarios. I'd keep an eye on him and various Missouri Valley suitors this offseason.     Always exciting to see another PrepRedzoneMN Showcase alum take off on the recruiting front, and Spring Lake Park's [player_tooltip player_id='605457' first='Lamari' last='Brown'] has the makings to potentially become a big-time RB prospect in the near future. I got to see Brown in October against Monticello, and boy oh boy is this kid fun to watch. About as twitched-up and sudden of a ball carrier as we have in Minnesota this year, Brown was giving the entire Magic defense fits in their 5A matchup, where the 5'9, 180 lber. broke or forced more than dozen missed tackles in only four quarters of action. At last December's PrepRedzoneMN Showcase, as a sophomore, Brown went 4.71 in the 40, 4.25 and 4.47 in the shuttle, 9'2" in the broad jump, and 6.96 in the L-drill, numbers I'm sure he can best now as a junior, so he can see why he's so hard to tackle, and sometimes even touch, on the gridiron. College programs have taken notice as well, as NDSU has been all over this kid this fall, getting him up to Fargo for a gameday visit two weekends ago. Augustana has also sent a gameday invite over.   Brown has posted 150 rushes for 1,027 yards and 10 TDs for a 6.8 YPC and 114.1 YPG average in 2024, and he shows off a skillset of vision, power, and twitch that made defenders and defenses look silly in 2024. Brown doesn't give away where he's cutting to, displays good footwork and balance and sudden COD ability and cuts that leave defenders grasping at air and lunging the wrong direction in his wake. He demonstrates solid speed that can create big gains once he gets to the second and third level of a defense, great vision, and a strong lower body (355 x5 squat) helps him churn his legs through contact and break tackles. Plus, he's a legit receiving target out of the backfield with some solid route running ability, a big catch radius, and soft hands that can catch the ball away from his body. And overall, Brown can consistently make that free defender miss in a variety of situations. Can't find this kind of raw, untethered elusiveness and tackle breaking ability very often. I think it's going to come down to that top end speed as to how high Brown's stock can climb. Should be a fun offseason for the Spring Lake Park playmaker.     Rochester John Marshall is in the midst of their best season in a decade, currently sitting at 7-2 going into a rematch with Owatonna in the Section 1 championship, and only two years off an 0-9 record in 2022. The lynchpin of the Rockets turnaround success is their talented 2026 gunslinger [player_tooltip player_id='1120576' first='Savy' last='Vath']. A football team can be made or broken on the all-important QB position, and it's a huge testament to Vath's leadership and intangibles, as well as physical tools and gifts, that he has helped create so much in success in the Rockets locker room and program in so little time. A dual-threat QB who went 80-153 (52%) for 1,191 yards and 18 TDs to 7 INTs through the air and added 62 rushes for 521 yards and 7 TDs on the ground, Vath has earned gameday invites from NDSU, North Dakota, Augustana, MSU-Moorhead, and Western Illinois so far this fall, and WIU and NDSU have gotten visits from the junior this fall. Iowa State even sent some mail.   The tape shows a passer with a big arm that can stretch the field and drop the ball into a bucket, throw with solid accuracy and timing that helped him put the ball into some tight windows for the prep level, and put good touch on his passes. As a ball carrier, Vath demonstrates noticeable burst when he tucks and runs and can speed by defenders without them able to get a hand on him. He has the speed to take the sideline and break contain on a defense and is elusive in the open field, displaying a smooth cutting ability that can force missed tackles when he sticks his cleat in the ground and works laterally. Good athlete, proven winner, dynamic, and only getting better. Can't wait to see how busy Vath's offseason gets.     Given the beast that is 2025 6'4, 220 lb. South Dakota State signee [player_tooltip player_id='1573209' first='Beau' last='Bakken'], it's no wonder college programs are really paying attention to Hills-Beaver Creek in 2024. A prospect catching the eyes of college programs is 6'1, 175 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1506853' first='Micah' last='Bush'], a three-sport athlete who plays WR and DB for the Patriots and also competes in basketball and track and field. Bush has been one of the busier Minnesota 2026s this fall, taking gameday visits to South Dakota State, Sioux Falls, and Northwestern College while receiving more gameday invites from MSU-Moorhead and Dordt.   A big play, three-phase contributor who produced more than his fair share of splash plays in 2024, Bush was lethal in space and on another level of playmaking ability against 9Man defenses. The 175 lber. is dangerous in the open field, using spin moves, big-time sudden cuts, jets up the sideline, and a variety of different moves to makes defenders miss. Bush bursts upfield out of his cuts with effectiveness and also shows some shake at the top of the route. He also displays good ball skills on both sides of the ball and has some bounce and 50/50 ball ability. As a safety, Bush comes downhill and attacks blockers and ball carriers from his high safety spot, covering ground and coming into contact with aggression, and I love how fast he closes. Bush can cover significant ground when he locks onto a target and sells out. Hard to say how he projects to the college level just yet, but it's not hard to see that he has raised his recruiting stock thanks to his 2024 play.     There are some seriously intriguing defensive backs in the 2026 class, and St. Thomas Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='1271512' first='Avery' last='Buckner'] has raised his stock about as well as any DB during the 2024 season, earning gameday invites and visiting the likes of Iowa, Iowa State, and NDSU during the fall. It's not a Minnesota high school football season if St. Thomas Academy doesn't have a standout college prospect, and Buckner is keeping the tradition of sought-after Cadets alive and well this fall. Sadly, he hasn't updated his public film from the season, so I can't give a complete evaluation, but I'll be eager to check it out once he publishes some junior tape. Following the visits and college interest is always a reliable recruiting tool, and it's not a fluke that he's received some big-time gameday visits this fall. STA takes on Apple Valley in the Class 5A, Section 3 Championship this Friday. Look for Buckner to make a splash under the bright lights of playoff football.    --

As expected, the 2024 excitement and theatrics have continued into the playoffs, and we are seeing some last-second drama, game-winning, go-ahead scores, and unpredicted upsets that have shaken up the sectional and potential state tournament scene. With the pool of still-playing high school football programs shrinking by the week, PrepRedzoneMN wanted to capture and highlight some of the recruiting momentum that Minnesota's 2026 class has captured due to their regular season play. The junior class is looking like a good one, and we had some major new names hit the recruiting scene in force, as well as some already-established talents significantly raising their stock. Check out the biggest and brightest Minnesota 2024 Regular Season 2026 Stock Risers below!