2026 Film Reviews: Woodbury/White Bear Lake

With the 2025 season over, I wanted one more shot to highlight some 2026 athletes from a couple of 6A programs. I found a handful of seniors who are uncommitted and under the radar, so enjoy!    A big-body defensive end whose potential is clear to me, Varela could make a huge impact for a variety of different college programs. His size is evident on tape, as is his strength. If you check his X, you'll see a litany of weight room posts, and you can see it translate on his tape when he muscles through bigger offensive linemen. He's a power rusher who moves well for his size. I like how Varlea gets his hands up before the ball comes out; he's batted down passes before on his film. He's relentless in his pursuit of the QB and possesses a dangerous bull rush that can decimate smaller IOL. I'm pumped to see where he commits for next fall.     Schmitz was a state track entrant last season, and his tenacity and athleticism were the first things I noticed when diving into his tape. On his tape, he was frequently contacted at or before the line of scrimmage, but Schmitz is exceptionally difficult to bring down. He's got plays where he's hit a yard or two behind the LOS, and still manages to get 5 yards out of the play. If he gets the edge or space in the open field, he's liable to burn a defense. At the right college, Schmitz could evolve into a dangerous back.     A three-sport athlete (Football/Wrestling/Track) with a comprehensive senior tape, Watton is an athlete who deserves more recruiting hype. A lot of his tape is as an IDL, but he's quick enough to potentially move out to the edge at the next level. One of my favorite parts of his film is how he's able to disrupt screens. He's smart and has sniffed one out on more than one occasion, either tallying a TFL or forcing the play to break down. More often than not, he's double-teamed by bigger offensive linemen, but Watton can break through that double team and work down the line effectively. Someone is going to get a steal next fall.     Snuggerud was a borderline breakout player this year for the Royals and has gone severely underrecruited over the course of his senior year. Not only does he possess the frame of a college QB, but his athleticism can give offenses an entirely new dimension. Snuggerud is more than capable of carrying the rock, both during read options and designed QB runs. He boasts a snappy release, and his decision-making while working through progression has bright spots. He throws on the run well, allowing him to buy time for his WRs to get open or extend a play-action play. I think Suggerud's ceiling is intriguing.     I had done some pre-season tape study on Okanlawon this year, so I was excited to see the evolution of the WBL defensive lineman. He's not quite a true NT, but for what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for with his athleticism. Okanlawon is an explosive athlete who fires off the LOS like a missile. He's able to create instant penetration with his first step and has a number of moves in his bag that allow him to beat an offensive lineman nearly in an instant. Swims, rips, and speed rushes around the end are only part of his repertoire. He more than validated the SMSU offer he got at the start of the year last season, and he's got the potential to be a major playmaker at the next level.     Finding a good tight end is rare; finding a good tight end who stands at 6'4" is like finding a diamond in the rough. Wickland is a FORCE when run blocking. At his best, he's functionally another offensive lineman, capable of pancaking defenders of all sizes. He's 6'4" but he gets super low when blocking, which pays dividens. He doesn't have a ton of receiving tape, but his size alone makes him a valuable prospect, and when combined with his experience blocking, I think Wickland is going to be a steal for someone.     A quick and gritty center, La Pean put forth a TON of tape from his senior campaign, and I was pumped to break it down. He may be a little undersized, but La Pean uses that to his advantage. He gets underneath defenders' pads and moves them off the LOS with quick choppy steps. He can position block well, too, sealing the defensive linemen off from the rest of the play. Against massive NTs, La Pean uses his quickness to successfully reach block them out of the play. When blocking on a double team, he shows no issues working to the second level and beyond. His pass-pro is effective as well, often stonewalling big defenders quickly.     I've been a fan of Animasaun's game for a while now, and he was one of the first names that came to mind for this piece. He was the QB1 last season for the Bears, and he put together some great tape in the process. Immediately, when watching his film, you pick up on his athleticism. Dude is a true dual-threat QB and is a problem in the open field with legit top-end speed and crazy agility. He's an incredibly elusive runner who can both make defenders miss and break tackles. His ability to extend plays when the pocket breaks down is unrivaled among MN QBs. As a passer, he's solid. Throws a good ball with both above-average touch and accuracy. He could play a variety of positions at the next level. Whoever gives him that shot is going to get a good one.

With the 2025 season over, I wanted one more shot to highlight some 2026 athletes from a couple of 6A programs. I found a handful of seniors who are uncommitted and under the radar, so enjoy!