Emergent Series: Class of 28' Standouts in Class 3A

Resuming our search of the top upcoming sophomore names to watch in Minnesota, we move up to Class 3A, where we found several names who have already saw their stock surging up our ranking boards, including one team that boasts an impressive sophomore class with 3 of their players on this list. Today, we reveal 6 sophomores from Class 3A Minnesota that you should watch out for in 2025!    Brooklyn Center holds 6 players on our rankings watchlist for the Class of 2028, including 5 players that rank in the top 100 for this group. Topping the list for Brooklyn Center is [player_tooltip player_id='1658187' first='Alpha' last='Meaway'], the #1 ranked RB prospect in MN for this group. In his freshman season, Meaway ran for 523 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 8.3 yards per carry, while catching 10 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. Meaway also impressed during our Combine Series event in April, posting a 4.75 40 yard time, an 8'10" broad jump, and a 6' wingspan. Meaway is incredibly explosive with the ball in his hands, showing great twitch, vision, and speed running outside the perimeter. Meaway will be a monster leading the way for the Centaurs' offense going forward.     Pairing with Meaway for the offense is [player_tooltip player_id='1654545' first='Larry' last='Smith'], who saw extensive playing time during his freshman year under Center, and managed to flash enough talent to win district QB of the year honors as a freshman. Smith finished with 1192 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6 picks, adding 201 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Smith is a strong athlete, and he's clearly been getting stronger over the offseason. During our Combine Series in April, Smith posted a 4.9 40 yard time, a 4.28 shuttle, and an 8'11" broad jump. Smith is dynamic and throws well on the run, maintaining sharp accuracy even when throwing cross-body. Smith has great vision and awareness in the pocket, keeps his eyes down-field, and is able to make some impressive throws in difficult spots. Smith is a bright young improviser who's already shining brilliantly in this conference.     [player_tooltip player_id='1640892' first='Josiah' last='Turner']'s development has been interesting to watch not just with Annandale, but also shining during the offseason participating in 7v7 competitions with the Minnesota Grind program. Playing at RB and slot WR, Turner shows an impressive amount of speed bursting off the line, seeing his lanes well and making quick cuts to break into the open field. Turner flashed his route-running ability during our combine series event as one of the better performers among that group, and with a max bench of 230 lbs and a max squat of 285 lbs, Turner has been putting in a lot of work over the last year to build his strength. Turner should be on the watchlist toward having a huge breakout season in his sophomore year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1655356' first='William' last='Kutz'] is a bit undersized right now as a defensive-lineman, but in no way should that make his opponents underestimate his ability. Kutz played impressively well as both a standard DE, and as an off-ball OLB, showing solid technique, tackling form, and football IQ to win the edge, while possessing speed and agility to break away from the Tackles and not get caught on a block. Kutz does an excellent job at reading plays and adjusting to where the ball is going, and even provides value on the special teams unit on kick coverage. With a bit more muscle over the next few years, Kutz could really develop as a viable Edge Rusher among this class.     [player_tooltip player_id='1654632' first='John' last='Hughes'] saw quite a lot of playing time on varsity for St. Cloud Cathedral's defense last season, putting up pretty good numbers in his freshman year, recording 63 tackles and 4.5 TFLs as he helped the team to a section championship game. Working his way into becoming a full-time starter by week 3, Hughes impressed with an impressive amount of explosiveness bursting through the gaps and finding exactly where the RB is going to stuff the play. Hughes is a tough, clean tackler aiming at hip level, doesn't get fazed by cuts or double-moves easily, and he's relentless in terms of being able to stop the ball-carrier and limiting extra yardage. Hughes will be a great leader for this defense over the next few seasons.     Rounding out this impressive class is another Brooklyn Center standout, [player_tooltip player_id='1242812' first='Kashawn' last='Parker-Watkins']. Parker recorded 20 tackles, 4 PBUs, a forced fumble, and an interception in 2024. What he lacks in size he makes up with effective play and relentless effort regardless whether he's playing as an outside CB or as a deep Safety over the middle. Parker-Watkins shows great instincts in coverage and against the run, seeing where the QB is looking, and planting quickly to make his pursuit to break up the play. Parker-Watkins shows uses his hands well, whether it's to punch the ball out of the receiver's hands or reaching to swat the ball away. Parker-Watkins is a stud that plays well beyond his size, making him a worthy addition to Brooklyn Center's impressive sophomore class.

Resuming our search of the top upcoming sophomore names to watch in Minnesota, we move up to Class 3A, where we found several names who have already saw their stock surging up our ranking boards, including one team that boasts an impressive sophomore class with 3 of their players on this list. Today, we reveal 6 sophomores from Class 3A Minnesota that you should watch out for in 2025!