Nate's North Dakota Big Dogs of the Week: Off. Skill Week 1/2

We are back for year five showing off across the Dakotas our weekly selections for Big Dogs of the Week, starting off in North Dakota with the offensive skill positions. Have a Big Dog of the Week that you want to nominate? Each week you can tag or DM @PrepRedzoneDAK on X to nominate a player that stoodout to you during any game across the Dakotas. Here are our selections for Week 1/21   Quarterbacks    Brody is our current QB2 in the North Dakota 2027 class and had a stellar Week 1 performance against Watford City. He went 13/18 passing (over 72% CP) 223 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Where this young man has grown from a year ago that I saw in Week 1 is with his pocket awareness, as Brody appears more instinctive getting out of jams with his legs and still maintaining the ideal poise you want at the quarterback position. His first clip on tape also shows great ball placement in a tight window on a deep route that got the Squirrels in the end zone. His second touchdown of the day shows that instinct that I was referencing, as he showed off a quick release after seeing the significant opening downfield with his wide receiver on an intermediate route for touchdown number two on the day. He's certainly take a step forward too with his mechanics which I will keep my eyes on too this season.     Jace had an impressive week not only by the stats he put up against Turtle Mountain, but he's shown growth in his development since watching his tape from the 2024 season. Rolling thru the tape, he shows off a deeper arm strength than his freshmen season and even more balance with his touch, as his first throw on tape showed off excellent touch and ball placement that fit right in a bucket to give his wide receiver an edge getting upfield. He's showning already that he is one of hte most elusive quarterbacks in this 2028 class throughout the Dakotas as he gets out the pocket with ease and surely can make well-versed throws on the run. Jace is surely a North Dakota QB trending upwards in my eyes.     Our QB3 in the 2028 North Dakota class had some stat stuffing numbers that are intriguing in his Week 1 game against Hazen. 50% of Easton's passing completions went for touchdowns as in only one quarter of work, he logged two touchdowns. Since we had Easton at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, the growth I've seen is apparent with his release as his throws seem to come out quicker than they did a handful of months ago. Another area of improvement for Easton lies with his ball placement as the percentage of tight window throws he made against Hazen were at a premium which should set him up for continue growth the deeper we get into the 2025 season.   <a href="https://x.com/EastonMonson">Twitter</a>     In his 11AA debut against Devils Lake, Gabe showed off why he is one of the biggest 2026 quarterback stockrisers we have in this North Dakota class. He went for 206 total yards (172 pass, 34 rush) with three touchdowns offensively for the Vikings in their 42-12 win over Devils Lake. The poise Gabe possessed was evident, not just inside of the pocket but outside of the pocket too with some of the throws he made last Friday night as you can grasp quickly the chemistry he has with power four target [player_tooltip player_id='1027992' first='Brooks' last='Bakko']. He elevated the Vikings offense with high efficency and also logged an interception on defense for the now 11AA powerhouse. Gabe is surely one that these first three games could elevate his recruiting trail in my eyes.    Running Backs    Beckett is our certified RB1 in the 2027 class in North Dakota, and had a monster Week 1 with nearly 250 all purpose yards (180+ rushing) which when you do the math, adds up to nearly 14 yards per carry which is a stellar number for a Week 1 performance. You can see the suddenness that Beckett displayed once he reached the second level and in the open field right away on tape. The eluisve is apparent on every Week 1 clip I was able to watch from Beckett as without a doubt he showed off his shifty change of direction which set the tone early in his reps to utilize his vision in the open field into the second level. He got out of tight areas easier than than they should be too, as those quck tosses to outside were eye-opening with his presence around the edges and the open field. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Beckett should be an early offer in this 2027 North Dakota class.   <a href="https://x.com/BeckettPri4837">Twitter</a>     Grand Forks Central named Naz Fisher their offensive player of the game against Bismarck St. Mary's in Week 1. I saw the upwards trend for Naz this summer at a couple camps I was in attendance as the 5'9 205 pounder came off more fluid and it was apparent that he took a step up from a year ago with his vision and patience. That appeared to be the case against BSM last week, as on the light clips I was able to watch looking back he's turned even more patient with what his offensive line gives him plus is growing his position flexibility for the next-level as well. Naz is one that surely I'll continue to track this season out of Grand Forks Central.    Wide Receivers    Ty is our top prospect in the North Dakota 2029 class and had an excellent outing at wide receiver in the Outlaws 39-20 win over Turtle Mountain. He logged eight receptions for 102 receiving yards, one touchdown and logged one interception on defense as well. What popped out right away on tape is the athleticism that Ty has at his disposal with his receptions as the first couple of clips showing how well-versed his hands are while getting in the air for the ball. That athletic consistency appears the same with his defensive efforts from Friday night which show off how versatile this young man is on both sides of the ball. The connection between quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1452278' first='Jace' last='Becker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1740349' first='Ty' last='Barman'] is one of my favorite QB/WR duos amongst uppperclassmen in the Dakotas for sure.

We are back for year five showing off across the Dakotas our weekly selections for Big Dogs of the Week, starting off in North Dakota with the offensive skill positions. Have a Big Dog of the Week that you want to nominate? Each week you can tag or DM @PrepRedzoneDAK on X to nominate a player that stoodout to you during any game across the Dakotas. Here are our selections for Week 1/21