6A 2027s on Breakout Watch

The class of 2027 is a loaded class, stacked with talent across the state, but 6A, the state's largest class, is stacked especially. I've found 8 athletes across 6A who are teetering on the edge of breaking out, whether that be with P4 offers or finally snagging some big-name gameday invites. Enjoy!    Zollar has now had back-to-back big seasons, and he's got the recruiting attention to show it. This kid is a legit athlete, with a D1 frame and the redzone stats to match. He's not just a big body; however, Zollar can move, too. He possesses one of, if not the best, catch radius in the state, complete with the ability to reliably bring in one-handed catches thrown seemingly far out of reach. His goal-line fade catch percentage is wild, and he's got such a unique combination of size, athleticism, and hand-eye coordination that you rarely see. It isn't crazy to say he's an early candidate for 2026 Mr. Minnesota Football. He's had gameday invites to Minnesota, South Dakota State, and Wisconsin. His recruitment this offseason should be exciting to watch.     Another one of the top athletes in the state, Jurkovich, just finished an insanely productive junior campaign, rushing for over 1,000 yards while missing two games. His junior tape is legit. This kid is a game breaker. His speed, vision, and elusiveness make him VERY challenging to tackle in the open field, and he always seems to make the right cuts to find paydirt. His acceleration out of the backfield is impressive, and he's shown upside as a receiving back, too. In the passing game, Jurkovich shows off great ball tracking and route running far better than you're used to seeing from RBs. He already holds a Bemidji State offer and has gameday invites from North Dakota and North Dakota State. He's getting a lot of NSIC attention so far, and I'm pumped to see where he goes from here.     A standout wrestler who made the state tournament at heavyweight as a sophomore, Olson has an equal if not bigger upside on the gridiron. The big DT had a fantastic junior year for the Ponies, and he put forth the tape to prove it. He's got uncommon speed for his size and works relentlessly through defenders. He gives centers and guards headaches with his agility, and can both work down the line to the ball carrier and collapse a gap by himself. He plays low consistently, which is a major contributor to his success as a defensive lineman. This year, he went on gameday visits to North Dakota, Jamestown, and St. John's. I hope to get to watch him in person during the camp circuit this summer.     A productive OLB/EDGE rusher during his junior season, Winslow put out a ton of 2025 tape as both an on-ball and off-ball athlete. The aspects of his game that stand out to me immediately are his closing speed and aggressiveness. He's undersized for a conventional DL, but he makes up for it with aggressiveness and tenacity. Winslow works through offensive linemen quickly, often shedding one or two blocks and still finding his way to the QB before the ball leaves his hands. He does a good job of never letting the OL fully lock onto him, and plays with an intensity I love to see out of defenders. I'd love to see more of him this offseason. I think his athleticism and positional versatility could make him an intriguing prospect.     Rohne had an electric junior year for the Rangers as both a standout DB and a return man. Watching his film, it's clear to see that this kid is a physical and downhill DB. He can consistently make big tackles in the box, despite playing several yards outside of it. In the pass game, Rohne does a fantastic job of reading the QB. He's jumped routes more than once for big plays, and also has showcased his athleticism by high-pointing INTs against bigger receivers. Rohne is a problem in zone coverage. He's often seen quickly closing the gap between him and wideouts in an instant, and finds a lot of PBUs that are near interceptions. I'm a big fan of Rohne's upside, and it's looking like he's tracking to have a big senior year next fall.     Harper is a standout baseball player who made an impact on the Roseville offense as a wideout and on special teams as a punter/kicker. He's got a decent frame on him, the size is notable on tape, and his route running impressed me. Harper makes quick cuts on the top of his routes and has shown that he can stretch out to reel in tough-to-catch passes. He's got solid ball-tracking ability, too. As a punter, I was really impressed with his tape. The kids got a leg on him and was able to flip the field for his defense on more than one occasion last season. I like his upside as both a wideout and a specialist, and I hope he hits the camp circuit to continue to maximize his exposure this offseason.     There is a ton to love about Isabel. He was a captain as a junior last season and finished his campaign by being named First Team All-Conference. Also boasts a 4.2 GPA. This kid was a stat machine last year, and it shows on his tape. He's a disciplined, intelligent, physical, and downhill linebacker, the perfect combination for an ILB. There aren't any glaring weaknesses in his game. He's a great run stopper and closes the distance rapidly when coming down on receivers, lighting them up when he tackles them. Against some of the best athletes in the state, Isabel has racked up TFLs and made his presence felt across the field. This kid needs more attention and has all the potential to be a major stock riser this offseason.     There were very few LBs across the state as statistically impressive as Hinkel was this fall; he finished his junior season with just over 80 total tackles. What jumped out to me on his film was how gap sound he was, and how quickly he was able to work through the wash in between the tackles. He's got top-notch ball carrier pursuit, systematically erasing cutback lanes and rarely over-pursuing. When he tackles a ball carrier, he makes his presence felt with a physical collision. He's a weight room monster, with a lot of upside. I can't wait to see what Hinkel does over this offseason.

The class of 2027 is a loaded class, stacked with talent across the state, but 6A, the state's largest class, is stacked especially. I've found 8 athletes across 6A who are teetering on the edge of breaking out, whether that be with P4 offers or finally snagging some big-name gameday invites. Enjoy!