Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase: Top Linebackers

ABERDEEN-- We move to the linebackers that stood out from our eyes and into our notebook at last Sunday's Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. This linebacker list might have the most 2025 sleepers in any group and there are some good names to add to your early boards for 2026 and 2027 too that we got from our live evals on Sunday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1213313' first='Jett' last='Heck'], LB, Bismarck Legacy 2028 <a href="https://x.com/JettHeck">Twitter</a>   Although Jett was one of the youngest linebackers in the group at our Prep Redozne Dakotas Showcase, I still like the growing upside this young man showed off in Aberdeen. He showed off one of the longer wingspans in the group at 74 inches (6'2) and also showed off some fluidity with his change of direction with a 7.4 in the L-Drill and 4.65 in pro agility which are both great numbers for just a freshmen linebacker. The 5'10 170 pounder, I also could grasped his developing football IQ from the reps I got to watch and it lines up on tape as Jett showed off good pre-snap vision which floats consistently on tape and in the live eval. Hopefully he can put together a highlight tape, so we can see more of his upside that is brewing in my eyes.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575863' first='Trevor' last='Chapman'], LB, Bismarck Century 2026 <a href="https://x.com/Trevor_Chappy50">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1912-rotated-crop-481x316-1734027206.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578594" style="width:354px;height:auto" /></figure>   Trevor is a 2026 linebacker that got on my radar early during our showcase due to his sudden agility that he flashed in the early reps. You can tell that the upside is there for Trevor at the linebacker position despite playing mostly defensive end during the season but showed off developing change of direction in the reps I watched. He also showed more power off blocks with his hands in the reps I got to watch as I feel his football IQ and game-speed over draw some of his testing numbers. Will be intrigued to see more reps for this likely linebacker at the next level   [player_tooltip player_id='848943' first='Conner' last='Chapin'], LB, Aberdeen Central 2026 <a href="https://x.com/conner_chapin">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1900-rotated-crop-481x316-1734026864.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578589" style="width:341px;height:auto" /></figure>   Conner is a 2026 prospect that has been on my radar before as an Aberdeen player to watch and the live eval I felt was even better. At 5'10 180 pounds, he might not be the biggest linebacker you will ever see but his constant presence in watching him during Indy drills showing off instinctive vision and great pursuit angles showed off some great skillsets in the live eval. Conner was in the top tier amongst the linebacker group in testing, with one of the fastest 40 yard dashes (4.75) and was third in the group with his L-Drill at 7.25. By getting some updated junior tape, I certainly believe this young man has a good shot of playing on Saturdays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575945' first='Nathan' last='Gaikowski'], LB, Wessington Springs 2027   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1884-rotated-crop-481x316-1734026783.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578586" style="width:372px;height:auto" /></figure>   Nathan surely was one of the best 2027 linebackers we had in attendance at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase and another one that I felt the live eval certainly flashed out to me. I thought his change of direction played out even smoother in-person than what you see on tape as Nathan was our top tester in the L-Drill at 7.12 at 5'10 183 pounds and also having some of the biggest hands amongst the linebackers at 9.5 inches. Nathan was another linebacker that the pursuit physicality struck a chord me with during his reps I got to watch in Aberdeen showing a linebacker that even pre-showcase, I thought plays bigger than his measurables might show you. Nathan seems to have a sound upside too built with his football IQ in my eyes. I can't find him on Twitter yet, but even as just a sophomore I like the odds of playing at the next-level. Gabe also has a fantastic 4.16 GPA.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575926' first='Jaxon' last='Zuehlke'], LB, Britton-Hecla 2026   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2051-rotated-crop-481x316-1734026330.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578580" style="width:340px;height:auto" /></figure>   Jaxon is a linebacker that when watching tape pre-showcase, I had his name circled as a linebacker to watch and I came away impressed with the live-eval. He is another linebacker that came into our showcase with honest measurables and measurables that were on my early eye-test list at 6'2 208 pounds. Jaxon impressed with the physicality he has strength wise with his hands from the reps I watched as there is plenty of upside too to grow his pad level for even more destruction. He also in my eyes has sound upside with his football IQ, as from what tape to live eval showed he surely shows off the athletic movement to be a sideline to sideline linebacker in the future in my eyes. Jaxon is a 2026 that is not on Twitter yet, but should make one soon as I like the shot this kid has at the next-level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1236465' first='Laythan' last='Lucas'], LB, Spearfish 2026 <a href="https://x.com/LaythanLucas">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1978-rotated-crop-481x316-1734026191.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578578" style="width:329px;height:auto" /></figure>   This wasn't my first live-eval on Laythan, as I got one last summer at the Dakota State prospect camp. However since then, the games and tape intrigued me so I knew I had to get a before and after eval at our Prrep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. Where Laythan has grown the most is with his instincts, as he impressed me more in this live eval with his agility off the snap and like I have said before, is a 2026 linebacker that plays above his measurables he shows as his physical presence showed to be even more fluid in this eval in Aberdeen. I also thought in the reps I watched show why Laythan has such good position flexibility at the next-level, but the the fit at linebacker might be best for those college coaches that are reading. Laythan surely proved he should be a next-level target.   [player_tooltip player_id='1568248' first='Dawson' last='Unruh'], LB/K, Sioux Falls Christian 2026 <a href="https://x.com/DawsUnruh54">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1944-rotated-crop-481x316-1734025825.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578567" style="width:325px;height:auto" /></figure>   With over 140+ athletes in attendance it's hard to catch eyes on everyone in attendance once, much less twice which was the case with 2026 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1568248' first='Dawson' last='Unruh'] of Sioux Falls Christian. In the early reps, Dawson popped out with his significant fluidity he showed off on his reps which I felt too caught the eyes of the college coaches in attendance as well. What else stood from my eyes with Dawson, is his attention to detail as I felt he did the small things that maybe the naked eye doesn't see with his improved technique that I saw with his shedding ability that grew as far his pad level. You could gauge also the chip on his shoulder mentality that Dawson played with in Aberdeen as even though he was an All-State specialist in 2024, you could tell he had much more athleticism that the bulk of specialists I have scouted in the Dakotas over the years. The Chargers have a sound 2026 class coming back for more in 2024 and it won't surprise me much if Dawson gets more looks at linebacker, because I become a fan on Sunday of his football IQ.   Tony Turner, LB, Spring Lake Park, MN 2025 <a href="https://x.com/TonyJTurner">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2029-rotated-crop-481x316-1734025742.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578565" style="width:332px;height:auto" /></figure>   Tony showed off as a 2026 linebacker that impressed me in numerous large camps last summer and continued that strong impression at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. He was intriguing with his early reps from the eye test, as he showed off the sound change of direction and plenty of agilty turning his hips. That translation came in visible during watching him in the pro agility, in which he ran a 4.31 in that testing drill as a prospect that actually came in bigger than his pre-showcase measurables coming in at 6'0 205 pounds. Getting to watch Tony during Indy, we saw more consistency as he was in my top-tier amongst the linebackers as he attacked his reps with persistent position angles and was not fooled in any of the reps I watched by the RB group's change of direction and moves. Even though this was a non-padded showcase, Tony also excelled with his determined physicality and finish when he made contact which shows me now after a handful of live evals, I surely love the shot Tony has at playing at the next level as I like him as a late D2 fit for those schools still hunting to finish up their class.   [player_tooltip player_id='1556641' first='Gabe' last='Stern'], LB, Brookings 2025 <a href="http://Twitter.com/Gabestern06">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2053-rotated-crop-481x316-1734025427.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578561" style="width:341px;height:auto" /></figure>   Gabe's name has appeared all over my Twitter timeline all year long, so I knew I had to get a live eval for this 2025 linebacker, somehow still with no offers. I always like when a prospect checks in with ideal measurables from pre-showcase which is the case with Gabe. He showed off a high premise of balance when I watched his reps and it showed off to be well-versed in run stopping and pass coverage reps. This young man plays with a heck of a lot of range and processes like a linebacker that gets from sideline to sideline, which lies consistent from his live eval to tape, in which he logged 121 tackles in his senior season and was named an All-State linebacerk in 11AA and part of the Elite 45 team. He impressed me with his quick release of his hips with his change of direction and you can tell plays with a HUGE amount of game speed which also credits his great football IQ. The 6'0 185 pounder from Brookings to me is an offer now prospect that is getting missed by college coaches out there. If I was a college recruiting coordinator on the hunt for 2025s at our showcase, Gabe would surely be one of my first offers overall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1551807' first='Lane' last='Deutsch'], LB, McCook Central-Montrose 2025 <a href="https://x.com/DeutschLane8">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2182-rotated-crop-481x316-1734025007.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578555" style="width:331px;height:auto" /></figure>   Lane's name came up probably the most frequently in the conversations I had with all the college coaches in attendance on Sunday, and after getting the live eval of our linebacker MVP from Aberdeen yesterday, I am very shocked of how under the radar he is in this 2025 class with just one offer thus far. In the reps I got to watch from Lane, he showed that he is stacked with the football IQ you want to have at the next-level at the linebacker position as his excellent vision and agility soared with physicality in the 1v1 reps I got to watch. Another high nod I heard myself and from the college coaches in attendance, was this young man's excellent character. If you want a motivator in your linebacker room next year, Lane would be great fit as he was constantly motivating the other linebackers in the group from what I saw yesterday in Aberdeen and without a doubt, I expect his recruiting trail to gain a lot more traction in the coming month or so. Lane is sure a 2025 linebacker that will get a big bump in our next 2025 rankings update upcoming

ABERDEEN-- We move to the linebackers that stood out from our eyes and into our notebook at last Sunday's Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. This linebacker list might have the most 2025 sleepers in any group and there are some good names to add to your early boards for 2026 and 2027 too that we got from our live evals on Sunday.