Minnesota 2024 Regular Season Stock Risers: Senior Edition

Time flies, and with the 2024 regular season in the rearview mirror, we are now firmly looking into the playoff picture, and this picture is looking like a pretty one. As we head deeper and deeper into the win-or-go-home sections and eventually state, PrepRedzoneMN believes that we now have a large enough sample size to start naming some of the state's biggest Stock Risers from Minnesota's 2024 regular. Whether they are raising their stock due to their on-field heroics and production, or as college prospects, and most of the time both, PRzMN is excited to name these seniors as Minnesota's biggest regular season stock risers from the 2024 season, so far. Dig in, and if you're a college coach reading this, make sure you get these boys on your roster. As we say: studs only!   --    Along with being an undoubted 2024 Regular Season Stock Riser out of the senior class, Roseville's standout RB [player_tooltip player_id='1581556' first='Javon' last='Minor'] could be in contention for the state's comeback player of the year. Minor, who missed a lot of the 2023 season due to an injury, has bounced back with a fire lit under his butt, popping off 166 carries for 1,163 yards (7.0 YPC) and 10 TDs in eight games of action, averaging over 145 yards a game while captaining his Raiders to a 3-5 record so far this season. Also a captain of the Raiders track and field team, Minor is a very impressive 200M runner, placing 7th in Minnesota in the 2024 200M finals with a 22.14 PR and also holding an impressive long jump PR of 21'10.5 and a 100M near 11.3. After visits to Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State-Moorhead this spring, Minor earned offers from the two NSIC contenders in June, and I'd be surprised if more don't follow after the year he's having as a senior.   Minor is an exciting combination of suddenness and violence, with quick cuts and shifty running style keep defenders off-balance and guessing, as well as a mean stiff-arm and the ability to run with physicality, lowering the pads and really putting a hurt on defenders when he chooses to use his truck stick. He shows a strong lower body and contact balance helps him easily run through weaker tackle attempts and is a generally powerful runner who can drive his legs and carry defenders and dog piles for extra yardage after contact. I like how Minor uses angles and sets up defenders to suddenly bounce it outside or cut back, and he utilizes every inch of the field when possible. The 195 lber. is sudden laterally and can cut on a dime, which helps him make that free tackler miss at the second or third level of the defense, and also displays good hands and a big catch radius for a RB out of the backfield. Minor even has some reps as a LB - where he tracks the hip, mirrors, and does a great job of running down ball carriers and tackling in space. Scholarship kid all the way. No wonder he's having one of the best seasons of any 2025 RB in the Metro.     Someone is due for a rankings bump! Now up to 225ish pounds, I was thoroughly impressed by Totino-Grace's standout DE/FB [player_tooltip player_id='945340' first='Calvin' last='Mcintosh'] when I saw his Eagles take on Orono in a Top 5 4A matchup a couple weeks ago. Hair-on-fire, run-through-your-face fullback who popped off some huge runs and rumbled over some seemingly helpless defenders, McIntosh also had demonstrated some effective pass rushing ability and is overall a versatile and natural football player who is going to make his future college look very smart for recruiting him.   I could see him playing on either side of the ball in college, and he put some very intriguing reps on tape as both a fullback and defensive end. As a FB, McIntosh owns good vision and burst, and the size and pace he generates forces defenders to make business decisions. You can see would-be tacklers go less than 100% in to contact, and he carries the rock like a runaway train - eating and working through contact like you'd hope to see from a 225 lber. Besides his excellent truck stick that puts defenders flat on their butt, McIntosh can also throw a mean block, and can help open big runs for his fellow ball carriers. Defensively, McIntosh is technically sound, demonstrates visible closing speed, and runs his feet post-contact effectively. He displays lead in his hands, can go speed to power, and can beat blocks with power and raw strength. Plus, the 225 lber. shows quick get-off and can win reps with his first step, a strong rip through contact, lateral twitch, and the ability to make 1v1 tackles in space. No ifs, ands, or butts about it, McIntosh is a dude.     Evans is the lynchpin to the Eagan Wildcats 2024 success, a 6', 180 lb. dynamo of a quarterback who put up some ridiculous athletic numbers this summer on the camp circuit. We wrote about Evans in-depth in our Top 25 Uncommitted Sleepers feature last month, but he's been impossible to miss throughout the 2024 season thanks to his knack for big plays and power to influence wins and tight ball games in Minnesota Big School football. No Twitter, and his Instagram doesn't have any recruiting updates, so I have no idea where's at as a prospect, but I do know that his on-field production and verified athleticism can help him succeed at a high level of college football.   Evans, a triple-option QB, owns big play speed and burst that can get to the third level of a defense in a blink and float by defenders pursuit angles and finish big runs, sometimes untouched. He displays footwork and can cut quickly and effectively, can cut at top speed and and shows good bag of tools and tricks to make defenders miss. Plus, Evans had good contact balance and will run behind his pads, and has has busted out multiple 80+ yard TD runs in 2024. It has to be said that his influence on a ball and ability to help his team earn hard-fought wins is a big addition to a potential college roster as well. Hope colleges have been by Eagan this fall!     The Zimmerman Thunder are primarily led and built on a talented foundation of juniors and sophomores, so it's good to see a senior gain some steam on the recruiting trail in 2024. A 6'4, 210 lb. OLB and TE, Torren Johnson, who came into the season without any reported recruiting attention, earned gameday invites from Hamline, UW-Eau Claire, St. Thomas, and Bethel, all thanks to his 2024 play. Hamline and Bethel have gotten visits from the senior, who reports a 365 lb. squat, 205 lb. bench, and 245 lb. hang clean, and I'm assuming a college decision is large and looming on his recruiting horizon. According to MNFootballHub, Johnson has recorded 43 tackles, 13 TFLs, 3 sacks, a FF, and 7 catches for 120 yards and a TD, and the tape shows a productive, consistent, two-way contributor with some noticeable length and room to fill in. I think he does his best work as a DE/EDGE, particularly as a pass rusher, where his solid get-off, long arms, and twitch as a pass rusher help him make splash plays behind the LOS. His impressive speed helps him run down QBs and RBs out on the edge and from the backside of the LOS, and he can rush as a stand up EDGE or a class 5T with his hand in the dirt. Plus, Johnson sheds blocks with his strength and hand usage and can tackle in space and in 1v1 settings. As a TE/HB, he's a reliable target with good hands who can get open up the seam or around the flats and be counted on in clutch situations. He even has reps of him winning 1v1 reps against CBs out on the perimeter. Dynamic, productive, great frame, it looks like Johnson's best football is still in front of him.     A senior Stock Riser out of the defending 6A state champs, Centennial Cougars 6'3, 230 lb. DE Aiden Evans offers an intriguing blend of size and athleticism, and he reports some solid numbers in the weight room, including a 385 lb. squat, 295 lb. bench, and 305 lb. clean, as well as a 37" vertical, which would be very impressive if true. The tape shows a strong 5T or 4i defensive end with effective power rushes who can also split and hold a gap through doubles around the LOS. Evans can shed blocks and tackle at the edge and in space, displays strong hands, and crumples ball carriers when he gets a clean shot on them. He also recovered a block punt for six this season. Also worth mentioning that Evans is a talented and effective punter who has a big leg and can punt with accuracy and confidence, as he put a couple punts right inside the 20 or even 10, and forced a fumble thanks to a low trajectory on one of them as well. No reported interest or offers, get at this kid!     Another prospect featured on our Top 25 Uncommitted Senior Sleepers report a month ago, Rogers Royals' monster 2025 DL/OL [player_tooltip player_id='743248' first='Cal' last='Myrin'] has premier size and athleticism at 6'5, 260 lbs. and able to run a short-shuttle in the 4.7s and sometimes even lower. Nearly an 80" wingspan, can play multiple positions on the OL and DL, and has impressive weight room numbers like his 345 lb. bench, 425 lb. squat, and 500 lb. deadlift. Myrin was a standout performer at this summer's North Dakota Fighting Hawks prospect camp, and is a diamond in the rough who hasn't a reported a college offer at the time of this article's publishment.   Owning a great get-off with impressive lateral agility and body control when running down ball carriers around the LOs and out to the edge, and he owns powerful hands and shock & shed ability and follows it with strong and effective hand usage. Myrin is patient once he gets in the backfield and reads and processes quickly, and can easily make his way into the backfield through a variety of means and is athletic enough to run down, corral, and tackle ball carriers in space. He can beat double teams thanks to his base, raw strength, and hand usage, can string together pass rushing moves, and will get his hands up into passing lanes when he knows he's not getting home. Plus, he's a crushing run blocker as an offensive lineman. The combination of size and athleticism does not grow on trees. Someone sign this stud senior!     Watchlist no longer! Lakeville North's stud senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='348783' first='Sam' last='Ripplinger'] is undoubtedly one of the state's Breakout Stars of 2024, as well as one of its biggest recruiting Stock Risers, leading the state in carries (212), leading Class 6A in rushing yards (1,212, tied for 10th in MN), and tied for first in 6A in TDs (14). The 5'8, 190 lber. is a load-and-a-half to bring down, and is a beast of North-South runner who somehow doesn't have an offer yet. No updated tape, and his social media isn't updated yet either, so I'm going to assume there are offers behind the scenes, but the lack of tape means I need to rely on my game report from Week 1 of the 2024 season, where he popped off in a rainy mess of a game. Here's what I wrote about her performance in late August: "Shifty, good burst, gets vertical with pace, and is sudden in his lateral movements. Ripplinger also possesses good vision and patience, can run behind his pads, and consistently made that free defender miss on Thursday night. Showed some hands out of the backfield as well." I hope this kid is playing college football somewhere next fall.     An Outstate diamond of a sleeper out of Pelican Rapids, 6', 150 lb. WR and S [player_tooltip player_id='1425934' first='Treyvon' last='Benson'] is putting together some impressive senior tape and has the production to match. Benson is currently tied for 11th in Minnesota with 44 catches, is 9th in receiving yards with 714, and is tied for 9th in receiving TDs with 11. No reported offers or recruiting attention, but has followers on Twitter from Valley City State, Dakota State, Waldorf, and Dakota Wesleyan, and his performance as a senior has surely shot his stock up in the eyes of college suitors.   Benson looks unguardable in his 2024 regular season film. He displays explosive play speed that can take the top off the defense, good burst, quick footwork and cuts after the catch, nd excellent ball skills and 50/50 contested catch ability. He has reps of him high-pointing the rock over multiple outstretched defenders and is shifty at the top of the route and makes DBs look like they're stuck in the mud. Benson also tracks the deep ball well and accelerates out of his breaks, and is obviously athletic with a nose for splash plays. Also able to play DB. Hearing from that first college suitor really can create an imprint on a college recruit. Who is going to be Benson's first offer?     DeLaSalle's [player_tooltip player_id='1582856' first='Anthony' last='Starks II'] has been playing out of his mind in 2024, posting some eye-catching personal stat lines throughout the regular season. I really wish MNFootballHub's DeLaSalle page was updated so I could get a real sense of his overall production, but he's posted four games of over 200 all-purpose yards and scored 14 touchdowns in those four games of posted highlights as well. A dynamic athlete who plays both QB and safety for the Islanders, Starks II possesses a good arm that can spread the ball around the field and throw with timing and accuracy to all three levels, as well as throw and execute throws with velocity and zip. Starks II owns a good command of his offense and can easily execute the routine throws around the field to keep the chains moving. Plus, he's a silky smooth athlete who can extend plays with his legs and really hurt defenses when he tucks and takes off, and displays good range and speed in run support as a defensive back. Not sure where his best position in college would be, but it's dang sure worth finding out. Opposing high school coaches I've talked to haven't been shy in praising the senior. College coaches: get it on the ground floor!     Undoubtedly one of the best uncommitted seniors in Minnesota's small school ranks, Ada-Borup West's 6'3, 225 lb. WR/OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1582482' first='Mason' last='Larson'] is a certified small town sleeper, measuring in at around 6'3, 220 lbs. and bringing some real-deal dynamic ability to the table at that size. Larson earned his first college football this past summer, as Minnesota State-Moorhead reached out with an NSIC offer, and FCS Pioneer League competitor Valparaiso reached out with a gameday invite this month.   A noticeably massive, towering, intimidating presence from his ILB spot, Larson is a heckuva disruptor from the middle of Ada-Borup West's defense who fires off the ball like a missle and shoots gaps and gets in the backfield with impressive pace. The 220 lber. explodes through contact, shoots his hips, runs his feet, and brings so much power into contact he can easily lift ball carriers off their feet. He does a good job of working laterally down the LOS when working to the ball, smoothly drops into passing lanes and is productive in pass coverage, and is turnover-savvy. Larson does a good job of putting his hat on the ball, or in some cases, aggressively ripping the ball out like he's taking candy from a baby. Offensively, Larson demonstrates good speed and ball skills as a wide receiver that can beat DBs as a route runner and/or pull away after the catch, a big catch radius that can reel in receptions on a full extension, and he's a crushing blocker from his HB/WR position. The size/athleticism/versatility/production is not easy to find and I'm surprised he doesn't have more offers or suitors at this point in time. Hit my man up!     There are some seriously impressive uncommitted senior RBs in Minnesota right now, and I've been lucky enough to see a number of them this fall with PrepRedzoneMN. One of the most impressive is Totino-Grace's [player_tooltip player_id='1221973' first='Marquel' last='Keten'], who had a heckuva game when I saw him cut up a physical and talented Orono defense a couple weeks back. Patient runner with great vision and some serious shake in the open field, Keten also had some impressive reps as a route runner, converting a clutch 4th down on a beautiful slant, and is overall a dynamic bundle of playmaking ability. Through eight games of action in 2024, Keten has posted 123 carries for 1,107 yards and 13 TDs, 16 catches for 112 yards, and has completed one pass for a TD, which just so happened to be the go-ahead, game-winner against Orono, late in the 4th quarter.   Displaying quick, shifty cuts, great contact balance, and a powerful lower body, Keten can bounce off and slip through weaker tackle attempts as well as carry dogpiles for extra yardage. He runs behind his blockers, allows the play to develop and holes to open up, and shows good burst when he sees daylight. Sees the cutback well too. The combination of his quick feet and loose hips allows him to really get elusive and present a hard-to-manage tackling assignment in the open field, especially in 1v1 settings. Keten made some defenders look silly so far in 2024. The 180 lber. is also an explosive kick and punt returner who nearly took a couple back to the house this fall, and also shows an effective stiff-arm. The combination of vision, balance, and quickness really makes me bullish on his ability to produce at the college level. Somehow though, no offers.     Our third Totino-Grace Eagle on the list, 6'4, 260 lb. senior DL and Northern Iowa commit [player_tooltip player_id='945348' first='Theo' last='Thomas'] is the easy choice for Minnesota's Top 2025 Stock Riser, as he's the only senior from MN to earn an in-season P4 offer in 2024. In late September, the UNI commit was offered by the Iowa State Cyclones, currently the Associated Press #10 ranked team in the nation. His first P4 offer, Thomas is looking solid with the FCS heavyweight Northern Iowa, and I got to see the standout defensive lineman live and in-person during Totino-Grace's last-minute win over fellow 4A heavyweight Orono. A can't-miss, colossal high school senior playing both DL and TE for the Eagles, Thomas showed some pop as a pass rusher, bringing down Orono's QB on a big-time third down sack, and he was also a physical blocker who didn't mind getting dirty in the trenches on offense as well.   The senior year regular season highlights shows a positionally versatile OL can play all around the LOS and is physically overwhelming at the point of attack against 4A OL. Thomas displays effective and sometimes dominant power rushes, as well as some twitch off the snap, getting blockers to overthink, lunge, and come into contact already out of position. The 260 lber. closes quickly for a big guy, uses an impressive chop/rip through contact, does a good job of consistently working flat down the LOS off the edge, and he hits like a truck when he makes contact off a full head of steam, has a rep of him of stonewalling a RB - who was coming in hot - like they ran into a brick wall. That big, that powerful, that twitchy, and that fast, no wonder the Cyclones came calling.     I need to get this kid on the rankings ASAP. Our final prospect and final Totino-Grace Eagle raising their recruiting stock this season thanks to their play, I could not have been more impressed by 6', 205 lb. linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1581562' first='Michael' last='Strong'] when I saw him live and in person against the Orono Spartans. Strong is the heart & soul of the Eagles stingy, physical defense, and is one of the toughest and hardest hitting linebackers in Minnesota this fall. Strong is a huge reason why the Eagles are currently 8-0 and ranked #2 in Class 4A going into sections.   With a nose for the ball like a bloodhound, a strong 205ish pounds coming at you full throttle and hellbent on destruction, and sideline-to-sideline range, Strong absolutely destroys kids at the point of contact. He opens his regular season tape with a play I got to see in-person against Orono, where Strong takes an out-route in the flats, sticks his cleat in the turf and gets upfield, and runs over a 6'3, 200 lb. safety like it's a practice pad. It was as electric in-person as it was on tape, and the second play of his tape shows him hitting a Minneapolis North Polars RB so hard that it legit looks like he knocked the kid unconscious. The good times keep rolling, as the third play of his tape is him completely upending a DE and popping him into the air a couple feet on a wrap-back block as a HB. Crushing, thunderous, devastating, there are a ton of adjectives applicable to just how hard Strong hits, but it's more than obvious that he's one of - if not thee - hardest hitter in Minnesota right now. Besides the instincts and physicality, I like Strong's burst, closing space, and unrelenting motor whistle to whistle. He shows an effective arm-over when getting around blocks but can also drop his hips and rip up and under blocking attempts as a blitzer. Strong sifts through traffic and finds and destroys the ball smoothly and with urgency, and he even shows some juice as a ball carrier, as he can bounce the rock and find space quickly and has contact balance and quickness. To sweeten the pot, Strong reports a 10'2 broad jump and 38.5" vertical. One of my favorite regular season highlights of 2024. College coaches: get on this kid.    --

Time flies, and with the 2024 regular season in the rearview mirror, we are now firmly looking into the playoff picture, and this picture is looking like a pretty one. As we head deeper and deeper into the win-or-go-home sections and eventually state, PrepRedzoneMN believes that we now have a large enough sample size to start naming some of the state's biggest Stock Risers from Minnesota's 2024 regular. Whether they are raising their stock due to their on-field heroics and production, or as college prospects, and most of the time both, PRzMN is excited to name these seniors as Minnesota's biggest regular season stock risers from the 2024 season, so far. Dig in, and if you're a college coach reading this, make sure you get these boys on your roster. As we say: studs only!