Twin Cities studs

I have noticed that when I cover kids throughout the state, I tend to focus on the metro suburbs with most of my coverage, and then I cover outstate kids with much of my other coverage. One area of the state that I don't cover enough – I feel, is the kids in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In an attempt to right that, here are five guys playing in the city who should be getting looks and will be impact players next fall.    Alexander does a little bit of everything on the offensive side of the ball for the Teddies. He lines up on the wing, in the backfield, and as a Wildcat quarterback. He can be a punishing runner, but he also has good speed to go along with that power. He uses that physical play as a solid blocker and uses his athleticism to make plays in the passing game. A two-way player, the junior has a good first step as a defensive end, making him tough to block in the Minneapolis City Conference.     Fletcher can play sideline to sideline. He has good speed, which allows him to make plays outside the tackle box. Not surprisingly, with his ability to play on the edges, he flows nicely to the ball and doesn't give up on plays. He tracks down plays on defense and special teams that many kids would give up on. Inside the tackle box, he gets downhill well and is a solid tackler.     Yeah showed his talent at the Minnesota Winter Stock-Up Showcase, and watching last season's highlight package verified his outstanding showing at Park Center High School. Yeah can play multiple positions on the offensive line, and his power is evident wherever he lines up. His upper body strength is noticeable, especially in pass protection, as he is able to lock out his arms and keep defenders from getting a hold of him. He is athletic enough to make plays at the second level – requiring him to stay with smaller defenders.     Lachermeier has a big arm with a smooth release. The junior uses that big arm to throw an effective deep ball, but more impressive is how he lasers intermediate throws into small windows. He makes good reads in the RPO game and gets the ball out quickly once he makes his read. Lachermeier has more than just a fastball. His touch, on throws into the flat, and other underneath throws provide catchable balls for his receivers. He's not a guy who looks to use his legs; he does run effectively when working off quarterback RPOs.     Defenders are not going to be able to arm-tackle Hayes very often. He is built low to the ground – not giving defenders much to hit. The junior is very powerful – not just in his leg drive but also in the upper body. Tacklers often bounce off Hayes. With Hayes pinballing off would-be tacklers, he shows great balance working his way through defenders. His vision and patience in setting up blocks at the line of scrimmage and in the open field make him an even tougher runner to bring down.

I have noticed that when I cover kids throughout the state, I tend to focus on the metro suburbs with most of my coverage, and then I cover outstate kids with much of my other coverage. One area of the state that I don't cover enough – I feel, is the kids in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In an attempt to right that, here are five guys playing in the city who should be getting looks and will be impact players next fall.