PRzMN 2027 Rankings Update: Hardest Hitters

We're starting to get deep into the 2027 Rankings Update, and before we briefly move on to the 2028 drop, we've got some more prospects to cover. If you've been with us for a couple of ranking updates or more, you already know that I like letting our subscribers know about the hardest hitters in each and every cycle, and this 2027 class will be no exception. PrepRedzoneMN's 2027 Ranking Update's Hardest Hitters, in your face, right here, right now!   If you have any questions on the rankings, of if you know of someone we missed, please feel free to email: oliver@prepredzone.com   --    Springfield's [player_tooltip player_id='1288305' first='Aiden' last='Moriarty'] could have qualified under a number of different article headlines and ideas for this recently published 2027 PRzMN update. Biggest/fastest/strongest, most versatile, biggest passers of the "eye test", in this case, hardest hitters, and most importantly: future P4 signee. Moriarty is a certified stud, with an excess of boxes checked on his still-growing and developing athletic resume. A rising three-year starter and three-phase contributor, Moriarty is the son of Springfield's OL coach Pat Moriarty, Springfield High School's long-time principal who was a former MSU-Mankato football player who spent time as a DE, TE, and OT. Coaches kid, lots of varsity experience, and is ridiculously versatile at a confirmed 6'3, 240+, Moriarty played TE, LB, DL, EDGE, punter, RB, and fullback, and his production was outstanding, especially for a sophomore. He totaled 89 tackles, 12 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 FF, 1 INT, as well as 48 rushes for 219 yards and 7 TDs, as well as 28 catches for 346 yards and 2 more TDs through the air. Additionally, Moriarty has the verified athleticism to back up the next-level tape, production, and mobility at his size, with a strong showing at the Gophers prospect camp last summer in the testing department at over 230 pounds.   Moriarty is a crushing and monstrous fullback who looks like an F150 running through the hole as a lead blocker, and he makes collisions that remind you of car crashes as well. The 240 lber. dominates at the contact point, and you rarely stand a chance of staying on your feet through contact, much less defeating the block or making the tackle. He's also light on hs feet and nimble, allowing him to get defenders off-balance before he decides to drop the pads and hit them with a mean truck stick, and he demonstrates impressive contact balance that you'd hope for with a RB of his size. He's also dangerous down the seam as a TE/HB, with good get-up and acceleration, and he displays the long-speed to pull away from pursuers after big gains. He also possesses soft hands, including a one-handed snag in 2024, and can win contested catches through tight coverage in the first two levels of the field. Moriarty displays a good catch radius and shows some body control in the air, as he has a couple beautiful back-shoulder snags that he high points through contested coverage around 2:30-3 minutes into his highlight tape.   Defensively, Moriarty is a fluid off-ball LB who is nearly unblockable, shows good closing speed, and is a thumper at the contact point, and he can play standup EDGE and overwhelm as a pass rusher, particularly with power rushes and straightforward chop/rips. He shows a great rep in coverage as an off-ball LB where he reads pass, flips his hips, and rolls perfectly underneath a drag route for an interception, but not before running hash to has to display some impressive top-end speed as well. Plus, he covers noticeable ground when he sticks his cleat in the ground and gets upfield and vertical in both run and pass support. Great range and closing speed for a 240-pounder. Moriarty will be seeing big-time offers sooner rather than later.     One of a deep array of dazzling and exciting RBs who currently reside in our PrepRedzoneMN 2027 rankings, especially in the Top 105, Anoka's sophomore sensation is doing a great job of bringing some offensive representation to this Minnesota Hardest Hitters feature. Rush has made his impact felt on both Anoka's program and the state's 2027 class since he entered the freshman ranks two seasons ago, posting 29 rushes for 162 yards and 2 TDs in his introductory season to high school football. However, an offseason injury during a basketball game resulted in a torn ACL, and the 2024 season served as somewhat of a runway for Rush to get fully back to 100%, leading to the resurgence of UMD-bound linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='641223' first='Zach' last='Welch'] as the Tornadoes RB1. Fortunately, Rushed showed he's back and fully healthy and explosive at this past December's PrepRedzoneMN Stock-Up Showcase, going nearly 30" in the vert, 4.76 and 4.79 in the 40, 4.69 in the shuttle, and 9'1 and 9'5 on the broad jump. We've clocked him as high as 31" on the vert and 7.32 on the L-drill, and he's taken big strides and bettered his times since he was a freshman while coming in at a legit 190 pounds.   Rush's sophomore tape has shades of pins trying to tackle the bowling ball, as he has reps of him plowing through tackle attempts and bouncing tackle attempts off him like a combine harvester with the rock in hand. He displays a massive truck stick that can sit down would-be tacklers with authority and great fight when he's carrying the rock, with visible effort to toss, stiff-arm, and work through defenders like every carry was his last. Rush also shows noticeable burst when he sticks his cleat in the turf and works to get vertical, and effective jump cut and impressive lateral agility, and smooth and sudden COD and cuts. He sees and uses space well, does a good job of bouncing the ball outside and upfield when the opportunity presents itself, soft hands out of the backfield, and an ever-present physical edge as a tailback. Rush is 100% going to be a top contender for breakout RB of 2025 this upcoming fall.     One of my personal favorites from the 2027 class and a kid I'm willing to stand on the table for early, Orono's hard-hitting safety [player_tooltip player_id='1629924' first='Owen' last='Paulsen'] caught my eye in the Spartans' highly-ranked showdown with Totino-Grace during the 2024 regular season, one of the toughest games of the whole of 2024. Against the Eagles, Paulsen stood out for a couple of reasons. #1: he was a sophomore starter on Orono's physical and experienced defense. #2: Paulsen was rocking a clubbed hand, which when combined with #3: his fearlessness and aggression into contact and tackling ability, were a combination you couldn't take your eyes off of. Paulsen will clean your clock, and he could also be on a PrepRedzoneMN 2027 "Most Explosive" article, as Paulsen took an eye-popping two kickoff returns back for six as a sophomore. There's favorable data suggesting that multi-phase contributors, as well as specific evidence that players who can take kicks back for six have the kind of high-level athleticism that translates to successful college football careers. Paulsen can put on the burners as a returner and take a kick back to the house untouched, and that same speed helped him put booming tackles on tape. Paulsen comes into contact at an all-out sprint and with lethal intentions, creating big-time, highlight-reel-worthy collisions whether he chooses to go low or high. He also possesses impressive defensive range and play speed, especially in run support, and is a physical enforcer as the third level who closes decisively and with pace. The sophomore is a sideline-to-sideline defender in run support and pass defender and is a lethal and ballhawking MOF defender who can read, cover ground and make plays on the ball all over the field. If you make an errant pass, Paulsen is going to make you pay. The Spartans free safety also has some good reps of him hawking down loose ball carriers as well. The sophomore totaled 42 total tackles, 3 INTs, and 2 kickoff returns for six, numbers I'm putting money on he'll best in 2025. You want a fun and hard-hitting DB to watch? Look no further.     A sophomore Outstater I'm very bullish on right now, Aitkin Gobbler [player_tooltip player_id='1629905' first='Parker' last='Fulton'] is a kid who I could see gaining some steam on the recruiting trail. A multi-sporter who also plays hockey for Aitkin, Fulton only played six games in 2024 due to a minor injury that he has since fully healed from but managed to post 70 carries for 305 yards and 4 TDs, and 8 catches for 56 yards + 42 tackles and an interception on defense. I like how he moves, his top-end speed, dynamic two-way ability, and noticeably imposing size on tape that hopefully measures out at around 6'2-6'3-215 pounds. Fulton opens his tape with a devastating lead block that sent a LB flying out of the play like a war movie, as well as some real-deal shake as a ball carrier, with light feet and effective cuts that get tacklers reaching and off-balance. Fulton possesses exciting acceleration for a bigger back of his size and comes into contact full throttle, creating havoc at the contact point and bringing the pain and the thump to the defender. He sent DL and LBs flying off their feet and onto the ground like three people just ran into them, and he struck an intimidating presence as a ball carrier, as I saw a couple of defenders on tape make business decisions and cop out of tackles in the open field. As a linebacker, the Aitkin product can gain depth in his drops and is an instinctive pass defender who does a good job of reading crossers and receiver's attacking the seam, attacks blockers as a LB and can put bigger interior onto their butts inside the box, takes good angles to the football, and closes with pace with noticeable pop as a tackler. I'm itching to see this dude live and in person ASAP.     Keep an eye on Lakeville North's [player_tooltip player_id='1610248' first='Gavin' last='Casey'] if you're interested in following potential stock risers, as the hard-hitting safety had some of the most physical and bone-shattering hits I saw out of the entire 2027 class's evaluations. A multi-sport athlete out of the 6A Metro ranks, it ain't easy starting on the Panther's defense as an underclassman, but Casey looked like a hardened vet on tape who excels especially well as a tackler and in situations involving contact. Casey is a crushing tackler who lit some receivers up like Christmas trees, coming down into contact like he was shot out of a cannon and rattling cages and laying the wood like a professional hard hitter. The 170 lber. crumples receivers and RBs backward when he stamps them, and does a good job of creating clean shots and squaring up on ball carriers when he sticks them. He also comes out of the secondary like a missile and is an enforcer in the MOF, and laid a bruising and aggressive hit on a helpless Roseville WR to prove it to opposing offenses on tape. He also is an instinctive and productive pass defender who does a good job of reading route concepts and the QB's eyes to step into passing lanes around the first and second level of the field and does a good job of generally reading, processing, and then triggering on the ball with intensity, play speed, and bad intentions like you're you can only find out of Lakeville North defenders. Casey also displays loose hips, can gain depth in his backpedal to stay on top of receivers going vertical, and does a good job of high-pointing and playing the football out of the air. It shouldn't surprise anyone that a Lakeville North defender is one a list as one of the state's hardest hitters.    --

We're starting to get deep into the 2027 Rankings Update, and before we briefly move on to the 2028 drop, we've got some more prospects to cover. If you've been with us for a couple of ranking updates or more, you already know that I like letting our subscribers know about the hardest hitters in each and every cycle, and this 2027 class will be no exception. PrepRedzoneMN's 2027 Ranking Update's Hardest Hitters, in your face, right here, right now!