Nate's ND Big Dogs of the Week: Week 1-2 LB/DB Standouts

Last but not least, we move to the Linebackers and Defensive Backs that caught our attention last Friday night throughout North Dakota. It was a big night for 2026s that are flying under the radar, 2027s rising their stock, and more.    One of the more intriguing linebacker tapes I found in North Dakota in Week 1, came from Bismarck Century 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1309993' first='Brayden' last='Morris'] as a prospect that was demonstrating his growing upside against Fargo Shanley. Where I could see the most growth with his skillsets since our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase was with his instincts, as he was swifter with his hands getting off blocks and displayed the sound short-area vision quickly off stopping the run or with short passes. Another area of development Brayden showed was with his pursuit angles on his tackles at middle linebacker as a prospect that I have graded as a stockriser upcoming in this 2026 class.     Watching Dylan on tape in Week 1 against Fargo South, you can certainly grasp the position flexibility that is there for the taking on either side of the ball. Where he stood out most in my eyes lies at the safety position as the interception he had against the Bruins showed off that he has solid instincts to be in the right spot at the right time with his ball-tracking ability as it looked natural in my eyes. The range Dylan has is also intriguing at the safety position. At wide receiver, he showed promising seperation ability while still having the ability to make his receptions in high traffic areas. He's got one NAIA offer at the moment, and I would bet after the next couple weeks will get more attention.     A newer name to my 2027 radar at linebacker this week is Ellendale-Edgeley-Kulm's [player_tooltip player_id='1319848' first='Benet' last='Giesler']. What popped out right away when I rolled Benet's tape, was his short-area vison as this kid will get to the ball to stop the run early or slow down the pass-catcher around the edges. The now 5'11 200 pounder also gives off the thumper type of linebacker that you don't want to meet in the middle of the A-gap due to the physicality you see on his tackles. This applies as well at fullback, as Benet gets ahead of his running back and laid a crack on his early game tape just in time for his RB to find the end zone. Yet another 2027 linebacker from EEK that I will continue to track in his junior season.   <a href="https://x.com/BenG0413550">Twitter</a>     A recent top-tier defensive back at our spring Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, is [player_tooltip player_id='1625528' first='Madit' last='Ajak'] of Fargo South who had a promising Week 1 on tape. I could easily track the growth Madit's made over the summer especially with his footwork as he appears more agile and gets around the ball quicker from what I saw from his 2024 season with the Bruins. The versatility he shows at safety was also intriguing in Week 1 as the 5'9 150 pounder got downhill quickly nearly into the backfield to slow down the running game for Dickinson quickly. Madit is playing with a notable presence around the ball that despite not being the biggest safety you will ever see, he surely plays above his measurables with the physicality he delivers around the ball.     Cooper is one that certainly impressed me with his vision in Week 1 in a repeat of last season's state championship in 11AA against Grand Forks Red River. Whether it was around the edge of the inside box or along the sidelines, Cooper utilized his motor and fluidity to his advantage against the Roughriders. His forced fumbed he created showed off a textbook pursuit angle and all the physicality you want your linebacker to create on contact. There is not a clip within the first 45 seconds of his tape where he's not in the backfield or within two yards outside of it. I'll admit, this young man needs to probably be a stockriser in my next 2026 North Dakota update.   <a href="https://x.com/_cooperfuchs">Twitter</a>     Yet another West Fargo Horace linebacker I have clearly been sleeping on is [player_tooltip player_id='1590549' first='Kaisen' last='Nordick']. Although his Week 1 reps show him off as more of an EDGE rusher, you can grasp from a mile away that this 5'11 190 pounder is a linebacker at the next-level. Kaisen had 9 total tackles (2 TFL), 2 sacks, and a forced fumble against Grand Forks Red River which is surely a stat-stuffer on defense. Consistency is key when we evaluate game tape, and the violent hands that Kaisen showed with that getting off his blocks. With his first sack he had on the Roughriders, you see plenty of natural athleticism when he got downhill as he looks like a prospect with a growing football IQ as well, despite a likely size mismatch. If Kaisen keeps stacking weeks like last week, he certainly should get more attention from college programs in my eyes.

Last but not least, we move to the Linebackers and Defensive Backs that caught our attention last Friday night throughout North Dakota. It was a big night for 2026s that are flying under the radar, 2027s rising their stock, and more.