Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders Film Room

Cretin-Derham Hall has one of the most storied programs in the state. From Minnesota legends like Joe Mauer, the Raiders have put forth legendary athletes who've seen untold success at the next levels of their sport. Fresh off a state appearance where they lost a 22-21 war with Owatonna, CDH looks primed for another big state-run behind these returning athletes. There are some absolute GEMS on this team who need immediate collegiate attention. Enjoy!    Johnson has consistently been one of the most underrated QBs in the state, and after a phenomenal junior year, I hope he starts to get the recognition he deserves. His 2024 season tape is electric. Johnson shows off his big arm early and often on his film, and he's got a litany of tape of him hitting high-level throws you wouldn't expect a high school QB to make. Johnson puts phenomenal touch on the ball, particularly when it's slung past 20 yards. He hit a number of near-perfect back-shoulder fades, all of which impressed me. CDH could be very dangerous with Johnson back at the helm for their offense, and coaches would be wise to pay extra attention to him ahead of his senior season.     Although he was unfortunately injured most of his junior year, I'm very excited to see what Tolson can do during his 2025 campaign. He still maintains a ton of electric film from his sophomore season for us to break down. On his tape, it's clear nearly immediately how fast he is. He claims to run a 4.5 flat and I dare say that's not ridiculous. He's reliably head and shoulders quicker than most athletes on the field, to the point where he can take suboptimal pursuit angles and still hawk down the ball carrier. Tolson excels in man coverage where he's able to match wideouts stride for stride while rarely giving them any space to make plays. When he gets healthy Tolson is going to be a problem in the Raiders secondary next year.     Another high-level Raiders DB who is going to be returning in 2025, Muhammad is a fast and physical corner with a bright future ahead of him. You often don't think of corners as exceptionally physical, but Muhammad plays hard and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's incredibly disciplined in his zone and does an excellent job of disrupting passes in the off chance that they're thrown his way. In man coverage, Muhammad repeatedly showcases his ability to completely erase a wideout from the field of play. If you leave him on an island, he's going to bully whatever receiver is unlucky enough to be matched up against him. He'll drive him out of bounds, never giving his opponent any room to breathe. The Raider's secondary looks fierce next season, and I expect Muhammad to be a key part of that.     One of the most underrated trench dogs in the state, Malloy is a mammoth who does a great job of working to the second level. He's exceptionally mobile, especially for his impressive frame. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger and more agile in the state, let alone in 5A. While Malloy plays a bit high at times, he's still able to bully defensive linemen at the point of attack with relative ease. He works well off of double teams to linebackers and should provide a solid veteran presence up front for the Raiders who graduated a few starting trench dogs. His upside as an athlete is clear, and he may even warrant a scholarship spot at the next level.     I'm a big fan of Thompson's game. The returning starter rushed for over 1,200 yards as a junior, and he put together some exciting tape in the process. On his tape, Thompson is an explosive athlete who makes some filthy cuts between the tackles for gigantic gains. He's a patient back who can wait for the play to develop before finding an open running lane and cutting upfield immediately. His thick frame allows him to break a handful of arm tackles on every play, and he is not the kind of back I would want to see charging downhill at me. Thompson wastes no time getting upfield and looks to return as an elite offensive threat for the Raiders in 2025.     I expect the Raiders secondary to be one of the best in the state next season, and athletes like Russell are part of the reason why. He's a long and athletic corner who shines when put on an island. He's got legit 4.5-speed which I was able to see firsthand at PRZ's StockUp Showcase, and when combined with solid ball instincts and some talented recovery skills Russell proves to be a big problem for offenses. On his tape, he's got a lot of tough reps which he won against high-level wideouts who received NSIC offers. He doesn't let up a lot of space and should be considered a fast-rising 2027 prospect.     Thom had a solid junior year with the Raiders, but I think that the big 2026 wideout could have a breakout senior season. On his tape, Thom provides a valuable target on shorter routes where he can take the rock and extend the play. He's fairly quick, especially for a prospect that possesses a frame as large as his. CDH graduated a talented TE1 this year, and with a prospect that has the upside that Thom does, it is a very reasonable assumption to say that his targets will skyrocket in 2025.     An uber-productive defensive lineman who returns looking to continue that success in 2025, Henry may be a bit undersized but his tape and stats speak for themselves. The first thing that jumped out to me was his speed and tenacity as a pass-rusher. Henry has an incredibly quick first step off the LOS, and he fights tooth and nail for every inch in the trenches. He can line up anywhere on the line and frequently beats bigger offensive linemen with his fast feed and hand fighting. Henry is a challenge to move off of the LOS and does a great job of splitting double teams. He looks like he's going to be a problem this fall, and he could be a fantastic pickup for MIAC and WIAC schools.     Another wideout whose stock I imagine rises quite quickly next season, Heath is in a perfect position to have his targets and catches skyrocket this fall. He's a lanky and quick receiver with a big catch radius and a very explosive release off of the LOS. Heath's got high-level open-field speed and tracks the ball well when it's in the air. His film always makes me want a little more, and he should definitely be on the shortlist of receivers to watch in 2025.     Here's a sophomore with potential FBS or even P4 upside. Possessing an insane frame for a 2027 athlete, Frierson has all the making of a high-level edge rusher. Typically standing up on the edge, Frierson moves like an athlete. He's got nuts speed for his size, combined with some insane strength, he's an immense problem for tackles. While he plays too tall at times, he still possesses a nasty bend around the edge and frequently manages to apply pressure to the QB. He's got all the tools to be incredibly successful both at this level and the next one. I implore coaches to check him out because I think he's got a very high ceiling as an athlete.     The younger brother of CDH QB [player_tooltip player_id='592229' first='Izaak' last='Johnson'], Landon Johnson is a freshman interior offensive lineman who could end up seeing varsity time as a sophomore. He's still a young prospect who has time to physically develop and continue to hone his technique, but he possesses a few raw attributes that serve him well. He moves well for his size, and can really punish a defender once he locks in under his pads. He needs to play with more knee bend but he can put a defensive lineman on skates fairly easily once he garners leverage. Even if he doesn't start as a sophomore, it's very likely we see Johnson get a bunch of varsity time over the next several years.

Cretin-Derham Hall has one of the most storied programs in the state. From Minnesota legends like Joe Mauer, the Raiders have put forth legendary athletes who've seen untold success at the next levels of their sport. Fresh off a state appearance where they lost a 22-21 war with Owatonna, CDH looks primed for another big state-run behind these returning athletes. There are some absolute GEMS on this team who need immediate collegiate attention. Enjoy!