PRZ South Dakota: 2027 Top 10 Rankings Edition

We move over to South Dakota, where it's time to unleash the best prospects that made our 2027 class in the Mount Rushmore State great. We broke down every single prospect that landed within our top 10, going over their best skillsets they bring to the table, where we graded them level wise, and more.   New to PRZ? Use the promo to save 50% with WAHL50    Rush was an offensive linemen that was in our top tier amongst the hog mollies at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase this winter, and that live eval showed why he is a significant stockriser in this class moving into our top 10. The 6'6 265 pounder from Rapid City St. Thomas More, shows off a solid base with his bend and that shows to be consistent when he gets down on his blocks, as Rush has plenty of driving strength with his upside that shows off the talent that is there not just now, but upcoming. I was impressed with the growth from the 2024 season to our winter showcase with his pad-level, as I felt he was even more balanced with his frame than I expected. He is one that surely will draw more attention at college camps this upcoming summer and the D1s are starting to taking notice from all over the place.   <a href="https://x.com/RushTurner71">Twitter</a>     Austin is a 2027 newcomer to our rankings and is also one top highest debut coming in at #9 overall and our DL3 in the class that also has great position flexibility to play tight end at the next-level. The 6'4 225 pounder from Brandon Valley, is a pass-rusher with excellent finesse and agile mobility in the reps I was able to watch prior to this rankings update. He has excellent hands, strength and fluidity on tape mostly as a tight end, but the reps I found at defensive end intrigue me a lot for his next-level future. Not to mention the physicality that Austin shows on EVERY rep on tape is top-notch and I can gauge he has an excellent football IQ in my eyes. <a href="https://x.com/AustinDowd_20">Twitter</a>     Another offensive linemen that was a stockriser in this 2027 class, is another Madison Bulldogs target in [player_tooltip player_id='1293155' first='Ashten' last='Dorhout'] who moved up around 5+ spots with this update. The 6'3 260 pounder, has such fluid movement on both sides of the trenches and is not an offensive linemen I would not want to be in front of as a downhill pull-blocker as on it seemed like every rep, Ashten shows off a massive punch. The quickness of Ashten's punch also was striking on tape, as off his first step (3rd play on tape) as if you blink, you miss the damage that he caused. Ashten also has plenty of fluidity in his athletic movement getting to the second level as one that should be a sure target to know early, not later as one of my favorite offensive linemen out of Madison I have scouted over the years.   <a href="https://x.com/Ashten_09">Twitter</a>     Staying inside our top 10 and our OL3 in the 2027 class, is Yankton offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1264230' first='Austin' last='Conway']. The 6'3 260 pounder, has very sound footwork for his frame and wastes no time showing it as a pull-blocker that packs a excellent punch on a persistent basis. Austin is an left tackle that shows off great versatility with the skillsets he offers across the board and again, I believe Austin has some of the best footwork in this grouping of offensive linemen in our top 10. He certainly is a OT target that college coaches should get to know quickly in my eyes from the Bucks.   <a href="https://x.com/AustinC20839721">Twitter</a>     I already have called it out, but Alexander is one of my favorite 9-man prospects in this class in all of the Dakotas. The 6'4 270 pounder from Dell Rapids St. Mary, is very proficent getting to the second level and it doesn't take long to tell how great this young man's work ethic shows to be in the trenches as one that blocks until that whistle blows. Alexander is a constant finisher with every chance he gets on tape too. Love how fast and fluid he is as a defensive end with his hands as you can see the instincts pop out right away especially with his inside moves. There is a huge amount of position flexibility with Alexander on both sides of the trenches as one that I could see playing at just about any spot especially defensively. My gut tells me there will be plenty of college coaches this summer at camps that are surprised that he is just a sophomore.   <a href="https://x.com/alindeman75">Twitter</a>     Our biggest mover in this 2027 class that entered into our top five, is [player_tooltip player_id='1300022' first='Dylan' last='Frederick'] out of 11AAA powerhouse Harrisburg. Dylan went from our 2027 watchlist to becoming the top offensive linemen in this South Dakota class. He shows off one of the most athletic bends in the Dakotas in this 2027 class and possesses constant great pad-level and leverage in what I grasped on tape. Dylan has the drive blocking ability to move defensive linemen with his strength alone nearly to the first down marker as this shows off continously on tape rep after rep. There also is a superb balance with Dylan's punch and his football IQ shows that he understands when to utilize the proper punch based on pass/run blocking schemes. Dylan is one that I'll dish out a Division I grade that should be on 2027 radars across the Midwest.     It might sound repetitive, but its worth repeating that nobody took South Dakota by storm at the quarterback position or any position in general, more than our newest QB1 [player_tooltip player_id='1263883' first='Brody' last='Schafer'] did out of Sioux Falls Lincoln in the 2024 season leading the Patriots to another state championship. The gains he made from his freshmen season were superb in a live eval sense, as Brody on tape shows off excellent poise and a quick release that easily can make any throw on all three levels. I can't get enough of just how balanced Brody's throws were in 2024 as just a sophomore, as his arm strength and precision especially were almost always on point all year long. Here we are in 2025, with another Schafer brother leading the pack as our QB1 in our 2027 rankings and I'll say it: I am kicking myself he wasn't our consensus QB1 from the jumpstart of this class.   <a href="https://x.com/Brody4Schafer">Twitter</a>     We move up to the #3 overall spot, as we dive into the tape eval from our consensus DL1 which is [player_tooltip player_id='1152874' first='Rocky' last='Clark'] out of Mitchell. The 6'3 280 pounder for the Kernels, has some of the best short-area vision amongst defensive tackles in this 2027 class in the Dakotas and the ample fluidity Rocky shows getting off blocks has gotten even smoother with his sophomore tape. He also intrigues me with his well-noted strength and pad-level on a consistent basis and no doubt with being one of the best wrestlers in South Dakota is why I love the translation with wrestling to football as you see the stamina and strength you want to with Rocky. I've even him get off blocks with only one hand free, but still making it look effortless. Rocky is a 2027 defensive tackle college coaches need to offer ASAP.   <a href="https://x.com/rockyclark123">Twitter</a>     Another 2027 stockriser moving deep into our top 10 into the #2 overall spot and continuing as WR1 in the class is Drake Mikkelisen out of the 11A 2024 state champion Lennox Orioles. The 6'5 195 pounder has some of the smoothest hands the Dakotas has to offer in this 2027 class and uses his contact balance really well on his routes with an ideal basketball background. Obviously with those measurables, Drake shows off great length in his wingspan to cash in on precision throws with his reachs and also has a huge catch radius. His ability to improvise on his routes also are really intriguing on tape. Drake also has great fluidity with his route-running and is another one in this class without his first offer yet, but I would bet that changes this summer if not before.   <a href="https://x.com/Drake_Mikkelsen">Twitter</a>     We move into our top overall spot, which has been owned since the launch of this 2027 class by [player_tooltip player_id='1027999' first='Cooper' last='Terwilliger'], who has several power four offers from just about every conference. The 6'5 225 pounder from Pierre T.F. Riggs, has an absurd catch radius in which he wastes no time showing on tape. I just love how highly efficent Cooper as a run-blocker without the ball, as just about every skillset I look for on tape with blocking, this young man exemplifies to a T from pad-level, leverage, pursuit angles, etc. He also has excellent twitch as a route-runner off the snap and no doubt some of the best hands amongst tight ends in the nation and shows off everything you want to see as a power-four target. He was one off the bat with the start of our 2027 rankings, that I knew would be the best in the Dakotas before he got his first P4 offer.   <a href="https://x.com/CooperTerwilli1">Twitter</a>

We move over to South Dakota, where it's time to unleash the best prospects that made our 2027 class in the Mount Rushmore State great. We broke down every single prospect that landed within our top 10, going over their best skillsets they bring to the table, where we graded them level wise, and more.