Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase: Meet the MVPs

BROOKLYN PARK-- We check in from yesterday's Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase and dish out our MVPs and the why behind of what we saw of their nominations from the notes we have logged in our notebook from all day yesterday at the Park Center Dome.   Quarterback MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='725721' first='Thor' last='Soukup'], QB, Wayzata 2027 <a href="https://x.com/thor_soukup">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2298-crop-406x267-1734414636.jpg?w=406" alt="" class="wp-image-1582347" style="width:313px;height:auto" /></figure>   Talk about a young man that went hammer down in the weight room from my last live eval, it was pretty easy to see why Wayzata quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='725721' first='Thor' last='Soukup'] was named quarterback MVP. Thor has surely grown his poise in the pocket since our last Minnesota showcase as he didn't just hit his wide receivers in stride, he certainly has developed his timing since last time and that was seen on all three levels of the field that I watched at Park Center. He also in my eyes brought more fire with that growing frame with his arm strength and surely was one of the best mechanically sound quarterbacks we saw on Sunday.   Running Back MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1075477' first='Edwin' last='Ekah'], RB, Centennial 2028 <a href="https://x.com/edwinekah1">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2260-rotated-crop-481x316-1734414535.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1582341" style="width:325px;height:auto" /></figure>   I watched Edwin get a ton of reps with the running back group, as this young man played with the stamina you want in your backfield. In the reps I watched from our running back MVP, he was one that I felt from start to finish of our showcase to end developed the quickest in the running back group as Edwin showed off great fluidity in the reps I watched and a quickly grew with his change of direction by taking the coaching he was given and putting it into fruitition. Edwin also showed off sound hands and showed off more of a catch radius in the reps I watched than you would expect from a 2028 prospect. This is one of the first time's too I recall us giving an MVP to a freshmen, which in credit to Edwin is impressive.   Wide Receiver MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1228794' first='Mason' last='Novak'], WR, River Falls, WI 2026 <a href="https://x.com/Masonenovak">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2279-rotated-crop-481x316-1734414391.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1582339" style="width:326px;height:auto" /></figure>   I could tell early from the wide receiver group I watched that [player_tooltip player_id='1228794' first='Mason' last='Novak'] was one of the most technically sound route-runners I got to witness on Sunday as this young man checked a ton of boxes I look for at the WR position. His change of direction with every route I watched on his route tree was absurd to see in the live-eval as he looked like a man amongst boys in some of the reps I watched and had great route creativity too in the reps I watched out of Mason. At 6'0 175 pounds, I also was very impressed with Mason's vertical and catch radius as just a junior as he also intrigued me with how crisp he was with his suddenness he had with his speed and change of direction. Mason went from a name I didn't have on my radar to one that honestly was one of my favorite athletes overall at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase on Sunday. I surely will be tracking the QB and WR connection of [player_tooltip player_id='700211' first='Tino' last='Massa'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1228794' first='Mason' last='Novak'] for the Wildcats next year for sure as I feel Mason could become a name to know on the recruiting trail this summer.   Offensive Line MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1581357' first='Evan' last='Jones'], OL, Rochester Century 2026 <a href="https://x.com/EvanJonesy_76">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2264-rotated-crop-481x316-1734414295.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1582333" style="width:326px;height:auto" /></figure>   Our hog molly MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1581357' first='Evan' last='Jones'] of Rochester Century was advertised by the offensive line coaches in attendance as a "fist fighter" in the trenches and I thought based on the reps I watched, that was the perfect description of what I saw. Evan showed off some great pad-level in the reps I watched during 1v1s and it showed off to be very consistent all day long with his sound technique in the reps Brian Jerzak and I got to watch. He also was consistent and proficent with his footwork, as he used his foot speed and overall strength to slow down the inside moves in our top performers competition at the end of our first session. Evan surely was a fighter in the trenches to say the least.   Defensive Line MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1229407' first='Prince' last='Locoh'], DL, Rosemount 2025 <a href="https://x.com/LocohPrince">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2262-rotated-crop-481x316-1734414171.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1582328" style="width:331px;height:auto" /></figure>   Even though I wasn't with the defensive line group all that much at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, 2025 Rosemount defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1229407' first='Prince' last='Locoh'] stood out from the eye test alone amongst the 120+ kids in attendance in the first session. The 6'3 240 pounder, showed off to be very agile with all of his downhill movement he showed in the top performers reps I watched at Park Center and his persistent speed along with his well-versed plethora of inside, outside moves, etc. trended towards more rep wins in the late going of our showcase. Based on what we saw from Prince, I am just shocked that he only has just one D3 offer thus far.   Linebacker MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1120544' first='Jamal' last='Smith'], LB, Spring Lake Park 2026 <a href="https://x.com/jamal2shiftyy">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2267-rotated-crop-481x316-1734414229.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1582330" style="width:329px;height:auto" /></figure>   Not only was he the first linebacker to catch my eyes on the day, but [player_tooltip player_id='1120544' first='Jamal' last='Smith'] of Spring Lake Park came home with our linebacker MVP. He flashed excellent speed with a 4.56 40-yard dash which I have yet to see from a first run in a group during any of our Midwest showcases I have scouted throughout the years. Jamal also showed off such great physicality in his hands getting off his sheds in the reps I watched as a linebacker I could gauge very early from reps plays with a ton of finesse and range you want at the linebacker position as his fluidity had to be some of the best we saw in reps we had in the linebacker group. He showed off the agility too from his first step from what I grasped in his reps and even with all that talent, he was captioned as such a hard worker and coachable by the linebacker coaches at our showcase. Jamal surely showed off to me like a linebacker that should be playing scholarship football on Saturdays.   Defensive Back MVP:   [player_tooltip player_id='1523144' first='Ashton' last='Harris'], DB, Robbinsdale Cooper 2027 <a href="https://x.com/Ashton_Harris21">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2299-crop-401x264-1734414873.jpg?w=401" alt="" class="wp-image-1582349" style="width:323px;height:auto" /></figure>   I didn't spend a lot of time with the defensive backs, but man you could gauge this young man's elite football from across the dome at Park Center. He also showed off the stickiness in our top performer 1v1 reps as a defensive back that you could tell relished the attention to detail within his reps I got to watch at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. He also showed off the closing speed which showed off some excellent instincts and range for his size with the angles he showed off attacking the ball. What's even better is Ashton is just in the 2027 class and still has the upside to grow his skillsets out even further as by far the best ball-tracker we saw at Park Center as a 2027 defensive I believe has a football future at the next-level upcoming.

BROOKLYN PARK-- We check in from yesterday's Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase and dish out our MVPs and the why behind of what we saw of their nominations from the notes we have logged in our notebook from all day yesterday at the Park Center Dome.