Preseason Preview: Forest Lake Rangers

There are very few 6A teams that have as much hype building around their season as Forest Lake. Headlined by one of the top prospects in the state and a bunch of returning starters loaded with collegiate potential, the Rangers look like they're going to be a legitimate contender for the state title. Meet some of the stars of the 2025 Forest Lake Rangers!   Regular Season Schedule:   Week 1: Vs. Prior Lake   Week 2: @ Anoka   Week 3: Vs. Park of Cottage Grove   Week 4: Vs. Woodbury   Week 5: @ White Bear Lake   Week 6: Vs. East Ridge   Week 7: @ Mounds View   Week 8: @ Stillwater    At this point, most people know who [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson'] is and what he's about. The 4-star Gophers commit is a multi-sport athlete who recently took second in the state for shot put. Last season, his numbers were eye-popping. In 10 games, he tallied 87 tackles, 32 TFLS, 4.0 sacks, 1 FF, and a fumble recovery. His film is about as impressive as you would expect. Johnson frequently terrorizes offensive linemen and can consistently bully them by pushing them several yards behind the LOS. He's got an incredibly explosive get-off and always seems to find a way to disrupt the play in some way. Johnson is a problem for offensive linemen and should be the driving force on a dangerous defense this fall.     Another standout member of the Rangers' defensive line returning in 2025, Schleif was a very productive DE, tallying 42 tackles, 4 TFLS, 2.0 Sacks, and a fumble recovery. Despite this, and some incredible weight room numbers, Schleif remains very underrated and underrecruited. His tape is pretty impressive. Although Schleif isn't the biggest defensive lineman, he's got a high motor and one of the quickest first steps I've seen in a minute. That Rangers defensive line is going to be one of the best in the state, and I expect Schleif to play a large role in that once again.     If you asked me to pick someone on Forest Lake who I think will see their stock skyrocket throughout this season, I would likely pick Christenson. A state entrant at 172 lbs last winter, Christenson only started 5 games last season, but still managed to rack up 24 tackles and a blocked punt, which he returned for a TD. In his film, Christenson is a physical outside linebacker who plays hard downhill. He stonewalls lead blockers at the point of attack, and still can make the tackle while engaged with a fullback. He's quick to shed blockers and works well through the wash. Christenson already boasts an offer from St. Olaf, and I imagine there are more in his future after his senior year.     It's no secret that I'm a fan of Johnson as a prospect, and the Forest Lake QB who has been a "Rankings Riser" this offseason is primed for a huge senior year. Last year, he threw for 1003 yards with a 62.9% completion percentage and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed for an additional 350 yards and 6 TDs. He's been putting in a ton of work since last fall, but his junior tape is still tough. Johnson thrives in his pro-style offense. He's able to roll out and dot up receivers while on the run, and excels with play-action passes. I'm also a big fan of his toughness in the pocket. Johnson will repeatedly take a big hit to deliver a dime. He's also capable of extending the play with his legs and can pick up a first down on the ground when needed. I think this senior year is going to be a big one for Johnson.     A two-sport captain and a returning All-Conference football player, Ndirangu was a PROBLEM on the ground last season. On only 76 carries, Ndirangu rushed for 500 yards and 7 TDs, averaging an impressive 6.6 YPC. He also caught 10 balls for 138 yards and 3 TDs. Although he typically lines up as a wingback, Ndirangu sees a lot of success running between the tackles. His vision as a ball carrier is very high level; he's able to anticipate and react to the rapid closure and opening of run lanes. His versatility as an athlete is also impressive. You can line him up as a receiver with no issue. But perhaps the best part of his game is how much of a team player he is. Ndirangu is a reliable lead blocker who can drive linebackers clear out of the frame. He's a total Swiss Army knife on offense.     McConn is an athlete who didn't see a lot of varsity time last season, but nevertheless has teammates excited about what he might do this fall. Last year, he brought down 6 tackles in 4 games, but he's expected to emerge as a starter, so expect those numbers to skyrocket. His JV tape has a ton of bright spots. He's primarily a safety, but can shift down to corner, and sometimes for the better because his man coverage is one of his best assets. He breaks well to the ball and can easily pick off balls thrown behind or at the receiver. I'm a big fan of McConn's potential during 2025.     A 10-game starter at RT last season for the Rangers, Chelgren recently received his first offer from WIAC member UW-River Falls! On the field, Chelgren is very much a stereotypical right tackle, and that's to say he's an aggressive run blocker who excels at clearing defenders out of a run lane. Chelgren reach blocks well and takes ideal paths to maximize the amount of leverage he has against DTs and DEs. He's shown that he's got the ability to pick up blitzes on the fly and will lay out to disrupt the path of LBs. Chelgren looks to be the Rangers' anchor up front and should play an essential role in their rushing attack next fall.     Jurkovich is the definition of a bellcow ball carrier. As a sophomore, he was named First Team All-Conference and rushed for 1,165 yards and 9 TDs on a stunning 8.4 YPC. He also caught 7 balls for 80 yards and 2 TDs. His offseason has been nothing short of stunning as well. The now-junior has put a ton of time in the weight room, and I suspect that will show immediately come August. His tape is fantastic. Jurkovich has verified 4.6 speed (with time to continue to develop), and it shows immediately on his film. He's often one of, if not the fastest, person on the field at all times, and on top of all that, he's quicker than he is fast, with a PRZ combine verified 4.0 shuttle time. Once he sees daylight, Jurkovich is gone. He's the #19 overall athlete in his class for a reason; there's a massive 2025 campaign loading for the Rangers junior.     Always a good sign when a team returns its WR1, and Westman led the team in both receptions and receiving yards last season. As a junior, he caught 29 balls for 274 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 215 yards with an additional TD on the ground. His tape also boasts some insane highlights. The dude is a disgusting route runner with some insane quickness and agility. The separation he creates is immediate, and he's incredibly slippery once he gets the ball. Forest Lake has no shortage of athletes they can just feed the ball too, and Westman is no different.     One of the most underrated TEs in the state, Rehfeld led his team in receiving TDs with 4, and had the second most receiving yards with 265 on only 12 receptions. He's got surprising quickness for a TE, and when you give him a release on a go route, you can see his speed shine. He's not just a route runner, though. When paired with his physicality and demonstrative run blocking, it's clear that he's got collegiate potential. MIAC or WIAC easily, but NSIC upside. Another fantastic addition for the Rangers' offense to return in 2025.

There are very few 6A teams that have as much hype building around their season as Forest Lake. Headlined by one of the top prospects in the state and a bunch of returning starters loaded with collegiate potential, the Rangers look like they're going to be a legitimate contender for the state title. Meet some of the stars of the 2025 Forest Lake Rangers!