The Third Unit: MN's Top Kickers of 2025:

Our second edition of the top special teams' standouts across Minnesota through the 2025 high school football season, we start out with the placekickers, who ended up getting busy, whether it was the high volume of Kicks to punctuate for high scoring offenses, or by testing their range to get 3 points on the board, these Kickers have been fixtures toward the most overlooked component of the sport. We unveil 7 Kickers who have shined through the 2025 season!    [player_tooltip player_id='1492966' first='Thomas' last='Geiger'] didn't have a lot of volume in kicks this season, but he was by far the best long-range placekicker in the state. Geiger finished 7 of 10 on field goals and 18 of 22 on extra points. Of those kicks, he finished 4 of 6 from 40+ and made his lone 50 yard attempt against Rochester Century. Geiger has been growing continuously over the course of the season, and he recently earned top scores at a Phase 3 Kicking event for overall kicking performance. With how much Geiger has been trending over the last few months, Geiger has primed himself to be a priority target in this upcoming recruiting class as a special-teams commodity.     Toren Piltingsrud has been developing quite greatly after a solid sophomore campaign as he's ensured his status as a prime placekicking specialist to watch out for heading into his senior season. Piltingsrud finished the year 7 of 9 on field goals and 38 of 41 on extra points. Piltingsrud has also served as the team's Punter, punting the ball 17 times with an average of 22.7 yards per punt. Piltingsrud has shown with his ability to boot long, deep kicks down the field that his mechanics have been growing exponentially and he may be one of the best upperclassmen special teamers to be on the lookout for in 2026. Piltingsrud is currently 4 of 4 on field goals through the playoffs as he looks to help the Cadets to a state championship run this season.     Jacob Hahessy is a Kicker with LB size and a strong leg that has added himself to Buffalo's impressive group of placekickers over the last few years. Hahessy finished 6 of 9 on field goals and made all 23 of his extra point attempts. Along with his reliability on extra points, Hahessy has shined greatly on kickoff duties that blends his strength and depth with an impressive level of control that allows him to kick either short of the returner or with a short hangtime that makes it difficult for returners to adjust to the ball quickly. Hahessy has potential to bring his unique skillset to the next level following a strong senior showing.     [player_tooltip player_id='1648486' first='Jayden' last='Onuonga'] has been flourishing at Forest Lake, having earned raves as a special teamer filled with D1 potential. Onuonga finished his senior campaign 6 of 8 on field goals and 29 of 33 on extra points with 2 field goal made from 40+ yards. He also punted the ball 13 times, averaging an impressive 39.2 yards per punt while also hitting 33 touchbacks on kickoffs and punts. His season-long kicks of 42 and 45 yards showcased a level of effortlessness with his range that you would expect to see from a D1 level kicker, showcasing impressive depth and consistency with his boots over the course of the season. It will be interesting to see who may pick up Onuonga going forward, but his future looks bright with his sharp ability.     Playing in nearly every facet of the team, the two areas that Ian Myhre has shined the most for Minneota this season has been at DB and at Kicker. As a DB, he notched an impressive 5 interceptions, and on special-teams, he served as the bookend for the Vikings' explosive offense. Myhre went 57 of 59 on extra points while making both of his field goal attempts, impressive noting that both of his field goals came from 40+ yards (43 and 45). While Myhre hasn't been called for a lot of standard field goal attempts, there's no denying that he's got legitimate range when called upon to do so. As Minneota continues driving through the playoffs, we will hope to see more opportunities for Myhre to get field goal attempts to continue flashing his range as a placekicker.     [player_tooltip player_id='1640040' first='Preston' last='Berg'] will be playing baseball going forward for Bethel, but he continued to flash his impressive leg as the centerpiece of Maple Grove's special teams' unit. Berg finished 2 of 3 on field goals and 55 of 58 on extra points. Berg has been consistently reliable in punctuating the drives for Maple Grove's dominant offense, with his longest kick coming in the first game of the year, nailing a 36 yarder against Stillwater. Berg will look to conclude his high school football career over the next few weeks by helping the Crimson bring in a second straight 6A championship.     A talented Kicker/Safety, Justin Driver's role on the special teams for Centennial has continued to expand greatly in 2025. Driver finished 3 of 5 on field goals and 34 of 36 on extra points, which included a career-long 50 yard field goal against Champlin Park. Entering in as one of the top rising Kicker prospects following a strong offseason, Driver has for the large part lived up to the hype as his range and kicking power has grown stronger while maintaining a strong level of accuracy with his kicks. Driver's stock could be further boosted heading into the offseason as Centennial looks to make a push to the 6A championship over the next few weeks.

Our second edition of the top special teams' standouts across Minnesota through the 2025 high school football season, we start out with the placekickers, who ended up getting busy, whether it was the high volume of Kicks to punctuate for high scoring offenses, or by testing their range to get 3 points on the board, these Kickers have been fixtures toward the most overlooked component of the sport. We unveil 7 Kickers who have shined through the 2025 season!