612Qs Academy Week 8: Top Performers and Standouts

Yesterday, PrepRedzoneMN made the late-night trip south to Savage, MN, and the MASH Campus for the 612Quarterbacks Academy Week 8 installment of their game-changing, quarterback-specific, development program that is unlike anything Minnesota and the Upper Midwest have seen. Broken down into weekly installments and workouts throughout several months, two dozen Metro-area quarterbacks signed up for an intense mix of film study, workouts, training, and presentations from college coaches, nutritionists, and motivational speakers, not to mention a ton of QB-specific drill work and of course, passes and throws. Yesterday, Concordia-St. Paul Head Coach Shannon Currier spoke to the young signal-callers about what it takes to play quarterback at the scholarship level, what colleges are looking at when evaluating QBs, and a little bit about the recruiting process. After, the boys broke up into two groups, one working out in the MASH Campus's beautiful workout facility, while the other group took to the turf for drills involving pocket mobility, off-platform throws, throwing through pressure, making reads, finishing throws, footwork, and playing with urgency, Lead Coach Quinn Frisell oversaw the operation of current and former scholarship QBs, including Park of Cottage Grove and Bemidji State Harlon Hill nominee + All-NSIC First Team QB Brandon Alt, with energy, passion, and an eye for the each quarterback's mechanics. We ended with some competition between the two groups, which required the QBs to rip a backside dig through oncoming A or C gap pressure, and between the workouts, PRzMN got some real solid looks at QBs from four separate graduating classes and from all over the Metro. Check out the Top Performers and Standouts below!   --   Top Performers    QB5 in the Minnesota 2025 class was once again on the money last night in Savage. This is the 5th or 6th exposure point PRzMN has had on the younger Dean in which the Lakeville South Cougar has impressed. You could absolutely see why Dean is a scholarship QB signing heading to Sioux Falls after his senior year, as the 5'11, 170 lber. didn't seem to miss a throw for the first two hours of the event, displaying consistent mechanics, smooth footwork, a tight, compact throwing motion, and a quick release, and on-the-money accuracy, especially on first and second-level throws. Plus, he could really whip the pigskin and was quietly locked in and competitive throughout the night. Sioux Falls got a good one!     A first-year varsity starter with CDH, who made a ruckus in the Class 5A playoffs, winning their section and appearing in the state quarterfinal, where they narrowly lost eventual runner-up Owatonna 22-21, 2026 gunslinger Izaak Johnson had a strong showing yesterday in Savage. Johnson recently saw his ranking rise upon the PRzMN 2026 update going live last week, and the way he balled out on the gridiron, as well as in the now 4-5 offseason exposure points we've had of Johnson through 7v7 and 612Qs, I'd expect that ranking to continue to climb, especially in the QB positional class. Johnson is a big kid who measures in at around 6'3, 195 lbs., and he has a strong arm that can stretch the field with accuracy and touch. Johnson seemed to have the biggest arm at the Week 8 workout, and he could easily handle some of the tougher throws thrown at the signal-callers throughout the workout, particularly throws off their back feet and different off-platform attempts. Plus, Johnson was a cool, calm, collected operator who was locked in and focused throughout the entire workout. He got into rhythm quickly, and after that he was money in the accuracy department. No throw or angle was off-limit or out of Johnson's range last night. The arm strength, size, and accuracy make the 651 product a must-know name in the 2026 QB class.     Belle Plaine has quite the freshman quarterback on their hands. Now-verified 6'1, 160 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1543013' first='Reed' last='Creighton'] originally got on our radar thanks to 612Qs, as we got a look at the then-8th grader at the 612Q's Offensive Skills Camp last spring at Concordia-St. Paul's campus, where his delivery, arm strength, poise, and accuracy looked far above that of an average middle schooler. Fast forward half a year and it comes as no surprise that Creighton was the varsity starter at Belle Plaine, taking over after Week 1 of the season and now in his first offseason at the high school level. Creighton's arm talent is just too hard to ignore, and the underclassman is already a ropy, lean 6'1, 160 with a ton of room to fill in. Creighton owned a compact, tight throwing motion and release, and the ball rifled out of his hand with noticeable and impressive zip, tightness, and accuracy. Creighton was right on the $ with just about 100% of his passes, and his arm continued to catch my attention throughout the night of competition.     Another top performer represented from the senior class, Princeton's [player_tooltip player_id='743246' first='Brayden' last='Shafer'] is heading to the NAIA ranks and Forest City, Iowa, where Waldorf University calls home, during the summer of 2025, and the Warriors offense should be excited about the 6'3, 190 lber. Shafer has a long, lean frame that is going to blow up in a college S&C program, and that long right arm could really generate velocity on the rock and whip the ball into a receiver's hands. The ball just looks good coming out of his hand, and Shafer's snappy arm helped him throw a great ball on the move and stay consistent in his accuracy and ball placement throughout the night. He was also named a coach's top performer as well. Waldorf is getting a good one!    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/img_7360-crop-3226x2118-1738098890.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1612380" style="width:662px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">612Qs Workout </figcaption></figure>   Honorable Mention Standouts    In contention for a Top Performer nod despite the talent-rich group of peers he was up against, BSM's [player_tooltip player_id='592128' first='Peyton' last='Meyers'] was one of the more confident signal-callers in attendance, doing a great job of leading WRs and putting the ball on a rope on a couple of impressive tosses, especially on the move. He showed good touch, quick feet that helped him maneuver the pocket with ease, and used his strong arm to push the ball into the short and intermediate areas of the field with accuracy and zip. Meyers has a good arm, sound mechanics, and was impressive during the competition portion of the workout, when the QBs had to throw a backside dig off their back foot through oncoming pressure. I think Meyers' stock is rising going into the 2025 season.     Farmington junior is the heir apparent for the Tigers QB throne, set to take over for a decorated [player_tooltip player_id='234773' first='Jonah' last='Ask'] for the 6A competitor's offense. Farmington should be excited about the upcoming starter too, as Boyles flashed some of the best throws of the evening and a booming arm that you couldn't help but pay attention to. Although he was a bit inconsistent, Boyles displayed a compact, quick release and a big arm that could stretch the field well. The 180 lber. also was able to throw off platform and was accurate on a variety of routes and in a variety of drills and situations the signal-callers were put in throughout the night. Also good to see him grinding and perfecting his craft in preparation for his big senior season next fall.     The Mankato West starter in 2024, 5'11, 180 lber. Charlie Bobholz showed why he was the varsity starter for one of 5A's perennial contenders, as the junior was naturally talented and showed all the tools to succeed against 5A competition. Owning a quick release, a tight spiral, and solid accuracy, Bobholz is poised for a big senior season now that he has that first year of starting experience under his belt.     With prototypical size for a pocket-passer, 6'4, 200 lb. Mounds View gunslinger [player_tooltip player_id='447798' first='Beckham' last='Wheeler'] had a good showing in Savage, displaying a live arm that could rip the ball off his back foot and stretch the field with ease, accuracy on the move, great size, and was noticeably consistent in drill work, especially towards the end of the night of competition. All the tools were there in the 6A signal-caller.     A 2028 QB out of Lakeville South, Stene had a good showing for a freshman amongst a group of upperclassmen and even college QBs. Built like a freshman but still has a lot of time to grow and develop, and although he didn't have the biggest arm in attendance, he was consistent in his accuracy and could really put the ball on the money and right into the breadbasket of a receiver's awaiting hands. Got better and better as the night wore on and had his teammates and peers fired up with some of the big boy throws he pulled off towards the end of the workout. I'm never going to complain about accuracy! Looking forward to seeing this kid continue to develop.     2027 gunslinger [player_tooltip player_id='725721' first='Thor' last='Soukup'] made the prep transfer splash of the offseason so far, announcing to us at the PRzMN Stock-Up Showcase that he was now enrolled at Wayzata. he then followed it up with an MVP performance out of the QB group at last December's Stock-Up Showcase, and if you didn't figure it out by the introduction, this kid has some serious arm talent. Not only that, he's also the most physically imposing QB in the 2027 class, as well as at yesterday's 612Qs Academy workout, at a rock solid 6'2, 220ish with a massive lower body, broad shoulders, and more room to continue to fill in. Soukup could put some serious heat on the ball, with a baseball-esque delivery and a super tight spiral that can push the ball all over the field with velocity. Soukup was a bit up and down in the accuracy department, but the young man is still only a sophomore and has a ton of football left in his prep career. Loved watching him sling it around yesterday in Savage.     Already possessing solid size at 6'1, 180 as a sophomore in the 6A ranks at Rosemount High, [player_tooltip player_id='1061080' first='Tristan' last='Karl'] is also a standout baseball player whose arm talent really came alive during crunch time competition yesterday in Savage. Karl, whose ability to navigate the pocket and throw off platform were in the spotlight during the end-of-night 1v1 sudden death knock-out throw-off, and prior to that he flashed some big throws and a live arm during group work. Name to know in the still-developing 2027 QB class!     Another 2027 gunslinger, Prior Lakes' [player_tooltip player_id='1290754' first='Bauer' last='Tabatt'] came alive during the final competition of the evening, which required QBs to throw a backside dig right in the face of A or C oncoming pressure, putting the ball on a rope over and over and over to excite both his peers and the 612Qs staff. Tabatt was also on the money on his downfield throws and seemed to thrive under pressure and during competition. Didn't expect such a big arm on a still-growing sophomore QB.     The final honorable mention performer of the night once again comes out of the 2027 class, as Willmar High School's QB/FS extraordinaire made the deep drive from Willmar to attend the 612Qs session. It was a smart move too, as the sophomore had a good showing, showing off a quick, snappy release, a tight spiral that looks good coming out of his hand, and consistency on a variety of throws throughout the evening. Another QB name to get on the 2027 Big Board soon!

Yesterday, PrepRedzoneMN made the late-night trip south to Savage, MN, and the MASH Campus for the 612Quarterbacks Academy Week 8 installment of their game-changing, quarterback-specific, development program that is unlike anything Minnesota and the Upper Midwest have seen. Broken down into weekly installments and workouts throughout several months, two dozen Metro-area quarterbacks signed up for an intense mix of film study, workouts, training, and presentations from college coaches, nutritionists, and motivational speakers, not to mention a ton of QB-specific drill work and of course, passes and throws. Yesterday, Concordia-St. Paul Head Coach Shannon Currier spoke to the young signal-callers about what it takes to play quarterback at the scholarship level, what colleges are looking at when evaluating QBs, and a little bit about the recruiting process. After, the boys broke up into two groups, one working out in the MASH Campus's beautiful workout facility, while the other group took to the turf for drills involving pocket mobility, off-platform throws, throwing through pressure, making reads, finishing throws, footwork, and playing with urgency, Lead Coach Quinn Frisell oversaw the operation of current and former scholarship QBs, including Park of Cottage Grove and Bemidji State Harlon Hill nominee + All-NSIC First Team QB Brandon Alt, with energy, passion, and an eye for the each quarterback's mechanics. We ended with some competition between the two groups, which required the QBs to rip a backside dig through oncoming A or C gap pressure, and between the workouts, PRzMN got some real solid looks at QBs from four separate graduating classes and from all over the Metro. Check out the Top Performers and Standouts below!