Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase: LB Standouts

We move into the linebacker position and who were my top standouts in what was a group that we saw plenty of growth since the 2024 season, our December Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, and more.    Bennett was a new name I added to my 2028 South Dakota radar on Sunday that intrigued me in a handful of live reps I got to watch. The 5'10 linebacker out of Milbank, showed off as a LB prospect that I thought played bigger than his measurables might show, due to his contact he made at the point of attack, and possessed more instincts getting off his blocks smoother than you would expect from a 2028 target. The athletic traits are certainly brewing in the right direction, as Bennett also caught my attention in the pro agility matching the instinctive change of direction I ended up seeing later with a 4.56 pro agility time. No tape yet, but one that is intriguing out of Milbank from our live eval in Aberdeen.     Jett came into our PRZ Dakotas Showcase as our LB2 in the North Dakota 2028 class and I would surely say he rose the bar well with the live eval we got in Aberdeen. The 5'11 165 pounder from Bismarck Legacy, brought a 74 inch wingspan (6'2) and the use of that length paid off dividends in the reps I watched. He showed off well-versed short-area vision for his age and I loved the pursuit angles he took the ball in the multiple reps I caught while also showing off a fluidity with the use of his length getting off blocks with intriguing tendency. His athletic profile also landed him in the top-tier amongst 2028 LBs in attendance in Aberdeen showing off progressive upside that is coming his way over the coming years.     If we are talking about athletic growth from our last showcase in December to last Saturday, I don't think there was a 2026 linebacker that grew more in North Dakota than Bismarck Century's [player_tooltip player_id='1309993' first='Brayden' last='Morris']. The verified 5'9 195 pounder, showed that he has been working behind the scenes with his speed, agility, and explosiveness as there were plenty of testing numbers that caught my attention and too the attention of the college coaches I talked with during our Dakotas Showcase. He went 4.87 in the 40 yard dash (was in the 5.0-5.1 range in December) 4.56 in the pro agility, 9'2 in the broad jump (in the top tier amongst linebackers) and 7.56 in the L-Drill. When I watched Brayden during Indy and 1v1s, I could tell this young man was raising the bar when it came to his attention to detail, which is another skillset that rose the bar for Brayden in the live reps. He showed off great fluidity with his movement and I felt there was a quicker process at getting downhll to the ball. Surely loved seeing the development of this young man progress from just a few months ago.     Evan was in my "LBs to Watch" preview ahead of our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, and I felt based on the live reps he lived up to that hype we had pre-showcase. I could tell, that Evan is a linebacker that lives for the live reps as his game-speed, high motor, and downhill movement all were in play in the reps I got to watch during Indy drills. I also was impressed with the traslation from tape to live reps from Evan, as he showed off a sound base of balance when watching his pursuit angles. One that is certainly due to be a stockriser by our next 2026 rankings update coming up soon.     Logan was another 2026 linebacker that pumped up his stock at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase last Saturday in Aberdeen. This young man is the definition of fluid and showed that off in every rep I got to watch. He appeared also had more agile balance than what I grasped from his 2024 tape with his change of direction and I was intrigued by how sudden he was with his burst off his release points. He showed off the swiftness in his hands getting off blocks as I liked how well processed his technique was during the reps I got to watch. I had Logan outside my top 100 overall, but that surely will be changing by our next 2026 update coming out in a couple of weeks.     Caleb showed up with one of the more physically imposing frames at the linebacker position at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Aberdeen. The verifed 5'11 225 pounder from Fertile-Beltrami, showed off an upside that can grow with his change of direction and balance in the reps I watched, but what impressed me with Caleb was how sudden he was getting downhill and persistently showed off well-versed pursuit angles against the running back group. He showed off one of the biggest hand sizes at our Dakotas Showcase and you can tell is one you don't want to meet in the A-gap as not only did he pass the eye test early, but plays with a well-ran motor that possesses the quick vision needed at the linebacker position on Saturdays. Caleb is one that got quick leverage and pad-level and in my eyes, has position flexibility too to possibly be a fit at nose guard too at the next-level.     Kaden hit his his high-mark during the live reps when it mattered at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Aberdeen on Saturday. I had him down as a LB to watch pre-showcase and I was even more impressed with his growing football IQ during the live eval. The All-State linebacker from Watertown, showed off athletic movement that appeared with a quicker twitch to the ball versus what I saw from the 2024 season, which is a good sign as we head into summer camp season. I also thought Kaden's range served better during the live eval in Aberdeen as a LB that plays with a ton of instincts. He was also more agile with his hands getting off blocks than I expected despite being below the measurables threshold college coaches want at linebacker. I still stand where I did before that Kaden could have position flexibility at safety at the next-level and that range told the tale in Aberdeen. Kaden surely was in my top-tier for "instincts" amongst this 2026 linebacker group, that I like as a riser by next 2026 update.     A 2026 linebacker that my gut told me pre-showcase was going to have a big day at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, was Aberdeen Central's [player_tooltip player_id='771526' first='Joey' last='Dallmann'], who in the end was our linebacker MVP. The verified 6'0 212 pounder, was one of the most popular names I heard in conversations with college coaches on Saturday and for good reason, as Joey' saw his stock rise in just about every category on Saturday in Aberdeen. I loved watching this young man's football IQ take full advantage during the live eval, as Joey showed off well-versed technique with his hands getting off his blocks. The defensive rep that impressed me most was at the end of 1v1s in a battle of the MVPs as Joey showed off in pass coverage how physical he can be, how sound his longevity appeared to be, and how sound his instincts were. You have to love the upside this young man has at linebacker, as you wouldn't know how light his linebacker tape was from the 2024 season based on what I saw on Saturday.

We move into the linebacker position and who were my top standouts in what was a group that we saw plenty of growth since the 2024 season, our December Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, and more.