Minnesota's Biggest Summer Camp SZN Winners Part 1

And just like that, the chaotic roadtrip of a nine week cyclone that is the Summer Camp SZN - the busiest and most important segment of the offseason - is in the rearview. The 2025 Summer Camp SZN was one to remember, with Minnesota natives heading to camps all around the country and putting in thousands of miles under the tires in search of serious scholarship money and roster opportunities from the P4 to the DIII and NAIA levels. Additionally, between fellow PRZ scout [player_tooltip player_id='1292716' first='Nate' last='Wahl'] and I, PrepRedzone attended 29 total camps, 22 different individual college camps, across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with the full breakdown of each scout's roadtrips below. It's more than fair to say that PrepRedzone is by far the most comprehensive source for the summer camp season in the Upper Midwest, and we're here to finally share the biggest winners from Minnesota's 2025 Summer Camp SZN. No more introduction needed! Dig in.   11 camps for Oliver (Bemidji State Team Camp, Winona State Prospect Camp, Bemidji State Prospect Camp, Crown College Prospect Camp, UWRF Mega Camp, North Dakota Flagship #1, Macalester College High-Academic Camp, Minnesota Gophers RTB Prospect Camp #1 and #2, inaugural UW-Oshkosh Mega Camp, UW-Eau Claire Big Men Mega Camp + two 7v7 events and four rankings updated)   18 for Nate (Northern State Prospect Camp, Jamestown Prospect Camp, Minot State Prospect Camp, Sioux Falls Prospect Camp, Minnesota-Duluth Big Dog Camp, Valley City State Prospect Camp, Crown College Prospect Camp, Central Minnesota Mega Camp, North Dakota State Prospect camp #1 and #2, South Dakota State Prospect Camp #1 and #2, UWRF Mega Camp, North Dakota Flagship #1, Macalester High-Academic Camp, inaugural UWO-Oshkosh Mega Camp, UW-Eau Claire Big Man Mega Camp, Minnesota Gophers RTB Prospect Camp #1   --   [player_tooltip player_id='212480' first='Blake' last='Betton'] (Shakopee) 2027. SAF/LB. 6'3, 200 lbs.   Pre Summer: North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota State, South Dakota offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Iowa State, Washington State, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Illinois, Mizzou, Michigan, Northwestern offers   Notes: With Benilde-St. Margaret's stud OT Dajohn Yarborough off to Arizona to finish off his prep football career, Shakopee's rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='212480' first='Blake' last='Betton'] takes over the state's #2 overall ranking, and if you have been tracking that Summer Camp SZN haul of offers, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Starting with an in-person workout and offer from the always MN-friendly Iowa State Cyclones and LB coach Colby Kratch, Betton went on a hot streak, earning in-person camp offers from Washington State and Minnesota and igniting the string of P4 offers from some of the nation's heaviest hitters. PRzMN got to watch Betton at the Gophers camp that ultimately led to the B1G offer, where he was a can't-miss standout thanks to his size, now-verified athleticism, and effectiveness in man coverage out of the slot. The offer came with the pretext of Betton projected closer to the LOS as a linebacker, and when we saw Betton later in the summer at the Bemidji State Team Camp, he was looking incredibly looming, dynamic, and rangy in run support. With a year of varsity dominance under his belt going into 2025, I can't wait to see what kind of impact the 2027 SAF will create this fall.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BettonBlake/status/1929747075534581948 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='924336' first='Sawyer' last='Jezierski'] (Edina) 2026. DT. 6'3, 265 lbs.   Pre Summer: South Dakota, Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, Washington State, Army, South Dakota State, Boston College offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Iowa offer and commitment, Wyoming and Kansas State offers   Notes: You could see the B1G steam and momentum bubbling under the recruitment of Edina's massive DT [player_tooltip player_id='924336' first='Sawyer' last='Jezierski'] prior to the Summer Camp SZN really kicking off in June, but boy did things blow up. With P4-worthy size, pass-rushing capability from the interior, and some noticeable production at the Minnesota Big School level, Jezierski came into Iowa City and absolutely tore up the Hawkeyes first prospect camp of the summer. After earning the offer, Jezierski set an official visit for the following weekend, where the Edina product saw all that he needed to see in the visit to the perennial B1G contender, locking down a spot in the Hawkeyes 2026 recruiting class before his senior season of prep football kicks off. Given the tradition of Kirk Ferentz staffs ability to hit on Minnesota-born-and-bred recruits, I'd be watching this kid closely both in 2025 and beyond.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SawyerJezierski/status/1932493568196948359 </div></figure>   Ajbola Khalid Ayufe (Stillwater) 2026. DE. 6'4, 260 lbs.   Pre Summer: Northern Iowa offer   Post Summer Camp SZN: Iowa State offer, official visit, and commitment   Notes: The Stillwater Ponies defensive end opened the 2025 Summer Camp SZN on a hot note for the state of Minnesota, catapulting himself into the national recruiting scene thanks to a standout individual performance at the first Iowa State Cyclones camp of the summer. A strong performance at said Iowa State Big Man camp led to the offer, then official visit, then commitment a mere two weeks later for Ayufe, presenting himself as another Minnesotan from the 2025 Summer Camp SZN to earn and then commit to, his first P4, B1G, and/or D1 offer. Ayufe also had a notably impressive showing at the first Minnesota Gophers RTB Prospect Camp in front of the eyes of PrepRedzoneMN, performing well in all three phases of the camp with metrics befitting the upper echelons of college football. Despite not earning the offer at the camp, Ayufe very easily launched himself into offer-watch with the Gophs, but he did the smart thing by jumping on his Big12 offer from the Cyclones, who have one of the loftiest traditions of Minnesota prospect development. Will the Stillwater product be yet another "one that got away?" Only time will tell!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Khalidafuye1/status/1934297415953088929 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1506853' first='Micah' last='Bush'] (Hills-Beaver Creek) ATH. 6'1, 175 lbs.   Pre Summer: Northwestern (IA), Augustana, Sioux Falls, Dordt offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: South Dakota State offer and commitment   Notes: Arguably the biggest stock-riser of the entire summer, Bush showed up and showed out at the first South Dakota State prospect camp of the summer and left as it's biggest winner, earning his first D1 offer from the recent back-to-back FCS national champions thanks to a performance that included a 10'1 broad and a dominant showing during competition and drill work. Coming into the summer with hyper-regional DII and NAIA offers, but hit the jackpot in that SW Minnesota/SE South Dakota area with the Jackrabbits pulling the trigger thanks to a strong 2025 Summer Camp SZN performance in Brookings. Bush, who was one of the most electric, dynamic, and productive two-way performers at last year's Prep Bowl, brings a polished route-running skillset to the table that also acts as a rangy, physical, and instinctive defensive back who can and will make plays all over the field. Especially with the hyper-local ties to the SW Minnesota area, this is a good pickup for the Jackrabbits. Additionally, Bush is in contention for one of the state's most valuable players going into the 2025 season, as he plays an incredibly crucial role in the Hills-Beaver Creek 2025 campaign that will seek to avenge its 2024 loss in the 9Man state championship. Go Jacks!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Bush22Micah/status/1933575246801502584 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1614789' first='Sawyer' last='Riffle'] (Brainerd) K/P. 6'1, 220 lbs.   Pre Summer: Western Illinois PWO   Post Summer Camp SZN: Wayne State (MI) offer, North Dakota offer and commitment   Notes: The #1 specialist in Minnesota going into the 2025 season has been crowned this summer, and his name is [player_tooltip player_id='1614789' first='Sawyer' last='Riffle']! The Brainerd Warrior not only has the best boot in the state, he's also built like a Division 1 linebacker, with great testing scores behind him and the ability to kick field goals, punt, and handle kickoffs if need be. Riffle will be a kicker at the next level, however, and he proved he was up to stuff at the North Dakota Fighting Hawks' first flagship camp of the summer, owning the specialist portion of the camp and walking away with his first D1 scholarship, which happened to come from one of the FCS' biggest heavyweights. Less than a week later, Riffle shut things down and committed to the Hawks, cementing himself as the state's Big Dog in the specialist ranks going into the 2025 season. Stay on the lookout for Riffle's name in the newspapers this fall, folks! I smell some big boots coming.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SawyerRiffle/status/1935389089747935377 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1452200' first='Nehemiah' last='Ombati'] (Shakopee) 2027. DL. 6'3, 265 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, North Dakota offers   Notes: A rising junior, Waconia turned Shakopee's stud DL [player_tooltip player_id='1452200' first='Nehemiah' last='Ombati'] was this Summer Camp SZN's [player_tooltip player_id='212362' first='Roman' last='Voss'], going on a prolific camp run that turned an offer sheet from blank to LOADED in the span of a couple weeks. Starting with North Dakota State's first individual camp of the summer, which came in at well over a 1,000 prospects strong, Ombati went three-for-three on offers after heading to Fargo, Brookings, and Grand Forks for the trifecta of Missouri Valley scholarship offers. North Dakota's technically came after a visit following their second prospect of the summer, but either way it's an enormously successful summer for the rising junior, perfectly platforming himself for P4 attention and potential offers during or after his junior season with the Sabers. Additionally, the 6'3 defensive linemen was moved up to the top group at the Minnesota Gophers second RTB Prospect Camp of the 2025 Summer Camp SZN, so expect some gameday and unofficial visit invites heading to his inbox soon. Ombati, a noted PrepRedzoneMN Showcase MVP and Top Performer, has done a great job of sharpening his pass-rushing skillset and tools throughout the offseason, and you can tell he's much more comfortable, intentional, and reactive in 1v1 settings. I got a first-look of Ombati with the Sabers at the recent Bemidji State Team Camp, and he took over the line of scrimmage at times. Get excited, Shakopee fans!   [player_tooltip player_id='1694135' first='Zak' last='Walker'] (Moorhead) 2027. CB. 5'11, 170 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers, not on the radar   Post Summer Camp SZN: North Dakota State offer   Notes: Not quite sure how it happened, but Moorhead unleashed a brand new wave of talent during the 2025 Summer Camp SZN, all of which were completely tucked away and under-the-radar prior to June's chaotic camp scene kicking off. Rising junior cornerback Walker is the diamond amongst the treasure chest, as he's a superb athlete with lightning-quick reflexes and COD ability and elite speed and explosiveness that absolutely took over a couple of camp stops on the 2025 trail. Starting with the first Minnesota Gophers RTB Prospect Camp of the summer back in early June, Walker tested off the charts, and his loose hips and aggressive & sticky coverage skills made him an easy choice for a Top Performer nod that looked like it could potentially fit into a D1 and/or P4 roster. Well, Walker put the region's recruiting scene on notice a couple of weeks later, showing up and showing out in Fargo and earning a North Dakota State Bison offer after their second prospect camp of the summer. Additionally, Walker has posted some eye-popping times on the track during the 2025 outdoor season, headlined by a 10.65 100M, 21.42 200M, 50.51 400M, 23'1.5" long jump, and 44'2.5" triple jump. This kid is dynamic, as well as an ELITE athlete, and through a couple of weeks of camp work he's catapulted himself into an exclusive group of 2027 in-staters who could earn a P4 offer sooner rather than later, or never. Proving yourself against 6A WRs is a good way to do it, keep an eye on Walker and his Spuds during 2025!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Zakwalker_22/status/1936539550504853799 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1246911' first='Jaxon' last='Brown'] (Wayzata) 2027. ATH. 5'7, 155 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Kent State, North Dakota State offers   Notes: Another standout stock-riser from the 2025 Summer Camp SZN, Wayzata's two-way dynamo [player_tooltip player_id='1246911' first='Jaxon' last='Brown'] has asserted himself as one of the state's most explosive weapons and fun-to-watch athletes during a few stops on the summer circuit. A PrepRedzoneMN Showcase Top Performer who regularly puts up sub-4.6 and sub-4.5 40 times to solidify his gridiron and track speed, Brown's explosiveness, twitch, body control, and playmaking ability made Brown nearly untouchable in space and 1v1 competition settings, and the Wayzata product was equally effective in coverage, as his instincts and toughness kept him in-phase and right in the pocket of the WR no matter who he was covering. Brown proved himself against top competition at the likes of the Minnesota Gophers RTB Prospect Camp, right in front of the eyes of the PrepRedzoneMN staff, and his consistently elite testing numbers are recognized as top-tier and hold up against larger and more seasoned competition. Kent State's Mo Ibrahim called Brown and offered a FBS scholarship out of the MAC after Brown's performance at the Minnesota Gophers' prospect camp, and Brown followed it up that next weekend with a fantastic showing at the North Dakota State prospect camp, earning an offer from the hosting Bison and skyrocketing his name up the recruiting charts of the 2027 class. With a year of varsity action under his belt from the 2024 season, stay on the lookout for a breakout performance in 2025 from Brown and his hungry Trojans.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JaxonBrown5908/status/1936554585046266131 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1537111' first='Jaymel' last='Kalimu'] (Lakeville South) 2026. DE. 6'3, 260 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Bemidji State, Winona State, MSU-Mankato, Sioux Falls, MSU-Moorhead, St. Thomas offers   Notes: Sometimes, all it takes is one camp and one exposure point for a prospect to blow up. In this case, Lakeville South's Jaymel Kalimu propelled himself into scholarship money thanks to a performance at the 2025 UW-River Falls Minnesconsin Mega Camp, where the 6'3, 260 lber. showed up and showed to say the least. Kalimu, after measuring in at 6'3, 250 lbs., ran a 5.06 40, 4.62 shuttle, 8'10 brad, and 29.3" vertical to showcase some real-deal athleticism, and the DII colleges in attendance sure took notice. Four NSIC schools offered after the event, and St. Thomas also added a FCS roster spot in July after Kalimu performed well in St. Paul at one of the Tommies individual camps. PrepRedzoneMN got to see Kalimu in the winter at an LOScrimmage Showcase, and you could tell he was primed for a big offseason, as his length, quickness, and production during 1v1s was hard to miss at his size, and Kalimu had also put on some serious weight since the winter when we saw him in River Falls. Sack chart stay ready!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Jaykali777/status/1935554648296804720 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1489428' first='Evan' last='Zabel'] (Alexandria) 2026. OL. 6'4, 270 lbs.   Pre Summer: Concordia-St. Paul, Air Force offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Bemidji State, Sioux Falls, MSU-Mankato, MSU-Moorhead, Jamestown, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Thomas, Northern State, Southwest Minnesota State offers, North Dakota offer and commitment   Notes: PrepRedzoneMN takes me to some cool places, and I always feel lucky when I find myself in front row seat for a prospect's biggest moment. [player_tooltip player_id='592117' first='Howie' last='Johnson'] earning the Gopher offer was a big one last summer, same with [player_tooltip player_id='1555622' first='Jayden' last='Bates'] this year as an incoming freshman, but one of my favorite moments from the 2025 Summer Camp SZN goes to [player_tooltip player_id='1489428' first='Evan' last='Zabel']. The Alexandria Cardinals mauler was up in Grand Forks for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks' first flagship camp of the summer, along with PRzMN, and we got to witness Zabel battle in his recruiting trail's moment, fully padded and against the top competition the camp had to offer, including a massive Golden Gophers LB bounceback, in what would result in a MVFC scholarship offer and commitment. You know things are getting heated when they ask an OL or DL prospect to take multiple reps in a row, and Zabel was called upon late in the camp to perform 1v1 against the best of the best. More than ready for the moment, Zabel's combination of size and athleticism proved steady and effective in pass rushing settings against a variety of rushers, and he was stout at the point of attack and always worked to finish. A couple of weeks later and Zabel got the call, earning the offer from Head Coach Eric Schmidt, and he committed eight days later to hold down a spot in the Fighting Hawks' LOADED 2026 class. It was a summer to remember for the rising senior offensive tackle!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/evanzabel_/status/1946280378790035483 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1602726' first='Simon' last='Vinton'] (Orono) 2026. DL. 6'5, 220 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: MSU-Mankato, Sioux Falls, Minot State, Bemidji State, St. Thomas, Central Michigan offers   Notes: More of a slow burn here compared to some of his counterparts on this star-studded list, but Orono's [player_tooltip player_id='1602726' first='Simon' last='Vinton'] has done more than enough to hold down a spot on this roster of 2025 Summer Camp SZN Biggest Winners. The only thing PrepRedzoneMN has needed on Vinton in order to bump him into the FBS-tier of prospects, where his size and on-field exploits place him, is some verified athleticism, and boy did this kid blow it out of the park this summer. At a stop in Brookings at the first South Dakota State prospect camp of the summer, Vinton blew the roof off the testing portion of the event, and I think word eventually got around to the likes of the new Central Michigan Chippewas football staff, who offered Vinton's first FBS offer in late July. A verified 6'5, 220 lber. who posted double-digit sacks against one of Big School's tougher schedules, Vinton is dripping with potential and upside, and I hope he seriously considers that offer from the Chips before the season begins. Either way, it's going to be a massive year for the Spartans minted pass-rushing stud.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SimonVinton/status/1948423170756612438 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1255905' first='Chris' last='Bridges'] (Duluth Denfeld) 2026. OL. 6'2.5", 300 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Southwest Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, Minnesota-Duluth, MSU-Moorhead offers, Bemidji State offer and commitment   Notes: Did someone say: "rankings bump"? Duluth Denfeld is adding to their rich tradition of football products with rising senior OL [player_tooltip player_id='1255905' first='Chris' last='Bridges']. During the rankings update of the 2026 class uplift, it was hard to get the true feeling and essence of Bridges' game, a game that is stuffed and overflowing with overpowering PHYSICALITY. Bridges, who kicked things off with an awesome showing at the first South Dakota State prospect camp of the summer, netting him offers from the likes of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State, Bridges made his way to Grand Forks for North Dakota's first flagship camp of the summer, which proved to be the most impactful of the 2025 Summer Camp SZN. Fully padded, Bridges was asserting his will and really throwing his weight around during 1v1 pass rush competition, proving himself to be one of the top linemen at the camp, and Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth, and Minnesota State-Moorhead followed up with DII scholarship money. A little more than a month later, Bridges shut things down and committed to the Beavers, who he impressed at the UND camp, setting himself up for his future collegiate home in Bemidji. Bridges really rose his stock during the 2025 Camp SZN, which will be represented soon in a 2026 rankings update.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ChrisBridges64/status/1947320762441805989 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='923852' first='Noah' last='Kalipe'] (Prior Lake) 2026. DB. 5'11, 185 lbs.   Pre Summer: No offers   Post Summer Camp SZN: Jamestown, St. Thomas, Southwest Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, Northern State offers, St. Thomas commitment   Notes: I'm sorry, Mr. Kalipe, I wasn't familiar with your game! The Prior Lake cornerback must have been putting in work this offseason, and he came into the UW-River Falls Minnesconsin Mega Camp ready to seize the moment and make the most of his opportunity. Kalipe tore the roof off the testing portion of the Mega Camp, measuring in at 6', 178 and going 4.55 in the 40, 4.06 in the shuttle, 9'2 in the broad, and 33.4" in the vert! Yes, folks, that is scholarship-worthy athleticism, and he transitioned his game into on-field competition, where his stickiness and physicality, as well as deep-speed that never forfeited vertical routes to opponents, made him one of the top skill players of the 1500+ strong Mega Camp. After earning nearly half-a-dozen offers over the course of the month, Kalipe liked what he saw at St. Paul's University of St. Thomas, where he will cut his teeth against Pioneer League FCS competition. But first, someone is in store for a rankings bump! Can't wait to see some updated tape on the this 2025 Summer Camp SZN Big Winner.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/thenoahkalipe/status/1951053547295969692 </div></figure>   --

And just like that, the chaotic roadtrip of a nine week cyclone that is the Summer Camp SZN - the busiest and most important segment of the offseason - is in the rearview. The 2025 Summer Camp SZN was one to remember, with Minnesota natives heading to camps all around the country and putting in thousands of miles under the tires in search of serious scholarship money and roster opportunities from the P4 to the DIII and NAIA levels. Additionally, between fellow PRZ scout Nate Wahl Nate Wahl 5'8" | 210 lbs | DL Big Lake | 2027 MN and I, PrepRedzone attended 29 total camps, 22 different individual college camps, across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with the full breakdown of each scout's roadtrips below. It's more than fair to say that PrepRedzone is by far the most comprehensive source for the summer camp season in the Upper Midwest, and we're here to finally share the biggest winners from Minnesota's 2025 Summer Camp SZN. No more introduction needed! Dig in.