Minnesota 2028s Balling out this Fall Part II

There have been so many Minnesota 2028s coming onto our radar this fall that we had to split a PrepRedzoneMN special feature into two parts! It's been a solid year of action for Minnesota's freshman football players in 2024, and because PrepRedzoneMN is your comprehensive source for MN prep football, you know that this is where you're going to find the talent first. Check out Part II of our PRzMN special naming the Minnesota 2028s Balling out this Fall! Get on the bandwagon now!   --    The younger brother of big-bodied Delano 2026 WR/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1257220' first='Andrew' last='Bruett'], a 6'5, 200 lb. three-sport standout baseball, football, and hockey player, 2028 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1651469' first='Grant' last='Bruett'] started his high school football campaign well as a freshman, starting and contributing in seven games for the Tigers varsity. Bruett tallied 32 tackles in seven games, as well as 7 BPUs, one INT, and one fumble recovery, and he opens his freshman tape with a nice rep of him climbing the ladder and snagging a deep fade right out of the air and the WR's hands while in man coverage and carrying the wideout far down the field. The freshman anticipates and reads route combinations well in zone defense, shows off a solid back pedal, gets out of his breaks well, and can make 1v1 tackles. The young cornerback does a good job of making tackles through coverage out on the perimeter, as well as playing with pursuit leverage and holding the edge, and he got reps as a punt returner in 2024 as well. An offseason of work in the weight room is going to do wonders for his continual development and improvement, and like his older brother, Grant is a multi-sport athlete with a lot to like in his athletic profile. Fun name to watch going forward.     Another young signal-caller to get on your radar early, 6'1, 185 lb. New Ulm freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1654557' first='Owen' last='Castleman'] has good size, is a three-sport athlete who also competes in basketball and baseball, and earned a ton of varsity action in 2024 as a freshman. A noticeably athletic gunslinger with quick and sudden cuts and COD ability, Castleman shows off his athleticism when scrambling, stepping up into the pocket, making rushers miss and look silly behind the LOS, and improvising and extending plays. Seems to have a good connection and understanding with his WRs and when they should be breaking down or working to get open in a scramble drill. He's also cool, calm, and collected when scrambling, doesn't panic, keeps a cool head, and doesn't seem to force things unnecessarily. Good balance and speed as a ball carrier as well. Castleman can throw with accuracy, timing, and zip to all three levels of the field, and the ball really pops out of his hand and he can stretch the field and lead WRs open who are going vertical. The young buck throws a good ball on the run to boot. Really like his skillset at such a young age against varsity competition.     Representing the Class 4A private school ranks and the Hill-Murray Pioneers, freshman RB/LB Grady Buettner had a strong freshman campaign with the 9-2 Pioneers in 2024. The first year posted 37 rushes for 262 yards and 3 TDs, the rushing yards going for third most on the team, and he also caught 14 passes for 110. That's some solid varsity experience and production, and the film reveals a stud two-way contributor with some impressive and eye-catching tape coming out of his first year of high school action. The top-end speed and overall effort are on full display in the opening play of his highlights, running down a loose Becker Bulldog RB as the backside CB more than 40 yards downfield to save a TD. Defensively, Buettner is a strong tackler who can operate and find success in both space and around the box, and I love how love how he comes into contact at a full sprint and without hesitation, full of aggression and creates some big hits and collisions for his effort. Offensively, the young Pioneer has the speed to take the edge and hurt defenses once he gets to the sideline, uses quick cuts and sudden lateral agility help him force missed tackles and make defenders miss when he sticks his cleat in the ground and gets elusive, and he sees and utilizes space well as a ball carrier, and when he gets a gap, it's usually at full tilt. Buettner also owns solid contact balance and will run behind his pads, picking up short-yardage gains and tough yards when needed. He also plays for the Pioneers excellent hockey team, and also plays baseball. Can't wait to keep watching this kid play football.     First off, apologies for Lassahn's school being listed as "NREHG" instead of ""NRHEG", I did not create his profile myself. Either way, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva has an exciting freshman on their hands in 2028 5'7, 160 lb. RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1370533' first='Sean' last='Lassahn'], who posted 26 tackles and a TFL in 2024, as well as 15 carries for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Lassahn's varsity success can be partly attributed to his weight room success, where he reports a 245 lb. bench and 350 lb. squat. The freshman put some good things on tape on both sides of the ball in 2024, but I really like his offensive juice, where he displays the speed to take the edge on a defense and some elusiveness in the open field. The 160 lber. does a good job of seeing space and bouncing the rock outside when the blocking requires it, and he will run behind his pads but also possesses suddenness when he sticks his foot in the ground and makes a move laterally. As a LB, the freshman shoots gaps and closes on ball carriers with pace, and showed a little bit of pop when he put his pads on a RB. I'm excited to see how the Southern Minnesota freshman gets after it this offseason.     An important piece of Brooklyn Center's loaded 2028 group of prospects who are putting their head down and grinding towards a program turnaround under new head coach Rodney Pierce-Tyler, who just finished his first season with the Centaurs. In his first year under center with Brooklyn Center, 5'10, 155 lb. Smith went 56-98 (57%) for 1,192 yards and 7 TDs to 6 INTs, as well as 43 rushes for 201 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. He was named All-District and District QB of the Year in 2024 for his efforts. Smith also plays DB and tallied 6 tackles, a FF, and 3 PBUs. The tape shows a young signal-caller possessing a good arm that can stretch the ball downfield, throw with accuracy to all three levels of the field, and get the ball out of his hand quickly. Smith is also fast, and uses that speed to extend plays and find space behind the LOS while keeping his eyes downfield. The freshman is a talented scrambler who can throw a good ball on the run and hurt defenses when he tucks and takes off. Good athlete, plentiful varsity reps and experience, and a good arm. Should be a great high school career for the young buck.     Already a well-known name to PrepRedzoneMN, Monticello's [player_tooltip player_id='1241332' first='Johnathan' last='Moore'] has done a good job of getting himself out there to compete against the best, catching the eye of our scouts at a number of events, including PrepRedzoneMN and PrepRedzoneNEXT Showcases. Moore has good size at a verified 5'11, 180, and he's a good athlete who has jumped 8'11, in the broad and as low as 4.38 in the shuttle. He also consistently runs in the 4.8s and low 4.7s in the 40. Moore also plays basketball, and in 2024 as a freshman he ran with the Magic's freshman and JV squads, showing off dynamic two-way ability and a knack for big plays. Moore, as a LB, is a hard hitter who identifies, triggers, and closes on the ball with pace, and he also showed off good ball skills and can help out in pass defense from his LB spot. Also is able to tackle in space and in 1v1 situations. Moore has the speed to take the edge on a defense and take a carry to the house once he gets to the third level of a defense. He also can change direction quickly, keeps his feet active and is light on his feet, and sees the field well, using his vision to find and take advantage of big holes in a defense. Plus, he displays good hands in the screen game and out of the backfield good balance, and fight with the ball in hand. I found myself most impressed by Moore's vision once I really dug into his film. Must-know name in the 2028 class!     Not a ton of information publicly available for the freshman out of the SMB co-op, but I do know that the first year high school player came on strong at the end of the 2024 season, getting serious playing time for the Wolfpack's varsity as a TE. Hyder is strong for his age with solid size, and he uses good technique in the run blocking game. I like his physicality and willingness to get after it in the trenches.     Always a good move to follow bloodlines in the recruiting world, and we have an exciting freshman from the 507 in Faribault Falcon [player_tooltip player_id='1651471' first='Conner' last='Lockerby']. The younger brother of Devin Lockerby, a PrepRedzoneMN Showcase standout and North Dakota State sophomore OG, Conner already has promising size as a 6'2, 260 lb. OL/DL, and he's also a three-sport athlete who competes in basketball and track & field. No tape or stats available, but you can bet your butt we'll be following the younger Lockerby closely this offseason.     Looks like the line of recent Blooming Prairie standout prospects is in good hands in 2028 WR/OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1654561' first='Jaxon' last='Meier']. The young buck split time between JV and varsity in 2024, scoring a varsity on a fumble recovery off a muffed punt, and on JV he showed off strong hands that can reel in catches through traffic and contact, a big catch radius and can make catches fully extended, and quickness after the catch. Meier plays the ball well in the air and also has a little bit of burst with the ball in hand as well. Go Awesome Blossoms!     You always have to take notice of up & coming prospects out of Mankato, especially Mankato West High School, and OC/DT [player_tooltip player_id='1654571' first='Beau' last='Baukol'] caught our attention at PRzMN due to his freshman year exploits. A strong kid at the point of attack, I love how Baukol consistently works to finish. He runs his feet post-contact, gets inside hand placement and does a good job of utilizing leverage to get defenders off balance, where he drives them into the turf with aggression. The 210 lber. is nimble enough to climb to the second level and combo block effectively, and he's got a bit of a nasty streak in him and shows outstanding effort whistle to whistle. We'll see how he grows and hits the weight room and dining room this offseason, but the physicality and run blowing ability already looks promising.     Got a good tip on KMS's [player_tooltip player_id='1654563' first='Miles' last='Morrison'] from the Fighting Saint's coaching staff, and there's a lot to be excited about in the two-way contributor's game and skillset as a young freshman. Morrison started nine games in 2024, posting 11 tackles, 2 INTs, a TFL, and five catches for 81 yards and a TD in his freshman campaign. Good size, lots of room to go, ample varsity reps, two-way contributor, and coming out of a program that produces tough, hard-nosed, and dynamic prep football players ready for the college level. Can't wait to get my eyes on some of Morrison's tape soon.     Representing Cottage Grove and the Park High School Wolfpack, 6'1, 170 lb. TE/DE [player_tooltip player_id='1654575' first='Brandon' last='Morris'] did some good things as a freshman, posting 12 tackles, 5 sacks, a FF, 235 receiving yards and a TD in the non-varsity ranks of 6A football. Morris is quick at the top of the route, coordinated when the ball is in the air that helped him make some slick catches in traffic and through tight windows, and can high-point the ball in the air and over tight coverage. He displays solid speed and can pull away from defenders once they lose eye discipline and can finish runs after the catch for six, and defensively, he sheds blocks around the LOS and gets active in run defense. I'm excited to see how he grows and hopefully fills in this offseason.     A rising pass-catcher out of the 2028 class, Weitzel was manning the helm of the Stillwater Ponies' freshman squad in 2024, leading his team to an undefeated 8-0 record this fall with the 6A competitor. Weitzel also plays point guard on the basketball team, Weitzel shows quick release, smooth mechanics, solid arm strength, and good touch on his passes downfield. The young buck will stand in there and deliver throws through big hits and oncoming contact and navigates the pocket smoothly and will step up and climb the pocket through pressure. Lots to work with in the Big School competitor's game.     6A Farmington has a solid LB/RB rising through their ranks in 2024. Playing for the freshman football team, as well as wrestling with the JV, Kolten Kienholz posted 32 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 FFs, and an INT, and he proved himself to be a strong tackler who keeps his feet active and does a good job of not over-committing to a ball carrier in the open field. He reads and gets into the backfield quickly, and as a RB, Kienholz is slippery, able to catch the rock out of the backfield, dangerous in space, and changes direction well.     A young Aitkin Gobblers freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='1654583' first='Bo' last='Sanford'] is a 5'9, 155 lb. QB and safety who got significant varsity reps in 2024. The film is fun, as Sanford is a three-phase contributor with a dynamic skillset that is highlighted by his top-end speed. Sanford shows a good arm that can stretch the field vertically and fit the ball into tighter prep windows, throw on the run and with accuracy, and complete tough throws in clutch situation - like his 33-yard completion on 4th and 5. Sanford is also an athletic and fearless scrambler and ball carrier with speed and vision who popped off a 41-yard kickoff return to spotlight some speed and explosiveness. I'm excited about this kid's future, especially on offense.         --

There have been so many Minnesota 2028s coming onto our radar this fall that we had to split a PrepRedzoneMN special feature into two parts! It's been a solid year of action for Minnesota's freshman football players in 2024, and because PrepRedzoneMN is your comprehensive source for MN prep football, you know that this is where you're going to find the talent first. Check out Part II of our PRzMN special naming the Minnesota 2028s Balling out this Fall! Get on the bandwagon now!