Minnesota 2025 Power Backs Report

Nothing quite gets PRZMN excited like an extra large tailback thundering downhill, breaking tackles, putting defenders flat on their butts, and generally embarrassing defenses, whether that's in person or on tape in a prospect's highlights. With 2026 rankings and some special postseason All-State content currently getting work done under the hood in preparation for releases in the near future, we wanted to make sure to highlight some of the biggest and baddest tailbacks and fullbacks the Land of 10,000 Lakes had to offer in 2025, some of which are looking for new homes at the next level! Check out this 2025 Minnesota Power Backs Report below!   --    Always good to kick off a feature with a scholarship commit, and we got an extra large power back to start this Minnesota special in Pipestone Area's [player_tooltip player_id='1648474' first='Xavier' last='Banjoko']. Self reporting at around 6'2, 230 lbs., the future Minnesota State University-Moorhead Dragon is a hulking LB/RB hybrid who will be representing Southwest Minnesota and the Class AA Arrows program at U.S. Bank Stadium next week at the Minnesota All-Star Team's South side.   Banjoko opens his tape with a massive collision reminiscent of a helplessly stuck sedan parked on the train tracks, and he showed great range and play speed for his size as an off-ball linebacker, as well as great pursuit angles to the football. He's also strong and heavy handed and has no problem shocking and shedding interior OL in the box. But the real meat is in his RB tape, as watching him stiff arm and step over would-be tacklers like the Mascot vs. Middle Schooler halftime show at the Vikings game is quite the sight for any lover of truck sticks and power backs. The 230 lber. needs three or four tacklers to bring him down seemingly every rep, and he adds good hands out of the backfield and can be utilized as a pass catcher for an offense for good measure. Excellent contact balance, good vision, noticeable and impressive get-up and acceleration are a fun mix in a tailback of his size, and overall the Pipestone product is powerful and frightening when he gets a full head of steam, whether on offense or defense. MSUM got a good one! Go Dragons!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Xavierbanjoko8/status/1981447470904181176 </div></figure>     A hulking ATV of a Class A power back/linebacker hybrid from the back-to-back state semifinalist Thunderbirds up in Northwest Minnesota in the White Earth Nation, 6'1. 220 lber. Brody Lhotka is also taking his talents to Moorhead and the MSUM Dragons in college at the next level. This follows a decorated prep career with Mahnomen/Waubun that included 106 rushes for 915 yards and 13 TDs for an astonishing 8.6 YPC average in 2025, not to mention 44 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 2 INTs on the defensive side of the ball this fall.   The size, production, and two-way versatility made the small school an obvious scholarship-worthy prospect in the 2026 class, and it was a treat once again watching him and his Thunderbirds teammates at U.S. Bank Stadium for yet another go-around at the Class A state title. Unfortunately, the Class A title didn't come home to the White Earth Reservation, but it doesn't make Lhotka any less of a promising collegiate prospect, as the 220 lbers. first five week highlight opens his tape with a terrifyingly violent collision on a streaking WR over the middle reminiscent of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1vCZ6zt4Es">The Hit</a>, which was on repeat back in my formative days watching football hit compilations on Youtube. Lhotka is able to truck over not one, not two, but times even a handful of attempted defenders in a single carry, and he also has the acceleration to pull up out of contact and finish big runs thanks to his top-end speed, a frightening combination for a 6'1, 220 pound bal carrier. He even played some deep safety at 6'1, 220 pounds in 2025, which was as physical and bone-crunching as it sounds if you were unfortunate enough to Lhotka over the middle off a full head of steam. Overall, as a RB, Lhotka shows excellent contact balance, as well as leg drive post-contact, and is light on his feet and has some juice in the open field besides the power game. Can't wait to see what MSUM does with the XL senior.     A bit of a mysterious powerback out of Greenway High School and the Greeenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin co-op up in the Iron Range by Hibbing. Listed on MNFootballHub at 6'1, 230, 2027 fullback Cameron Jayson posted 31 tackles, 1 sack, and 55 rushes for 221 yards (4.0 YPC) in 2025 as a junior, and he's also the shooting guard and occasional point guard for Greenway's basketball team in the winter, a fun multi-sport utility for a XL fullback. Although he only has one rep from the 2025 season, it's an intriguing one, as Jayson bowls over a thickly-built ILB in easy fashion before battling with a strong safety for a big gain and another near forced tackle. I hope the young man gets some more film updated soon, he looks like a fun one!     Renville, tucked squarely in-between Willmar, Redwood Falls, Marshall, and Motevideo in the Southwest/South Central section of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, has been one of the quieter producers of talent from MN's 9Man ranks since I've been working with PRZMN. Representing the Jaguars 2026 class, 6', 215 pound power back Jacob Savig had an accomplished senior campaign on the gridiron, posting 221 carries for 1,276 yards (5.8 YPC) and 5 TDs for the 3-6 Jags, and he looked like a runaway freight train when he's trucking downhill North-South and bowls over would-be tacklers like they were sitting amongst pins on a Friday night at Memory Lanes. Physically imposing on tape, Savig displays excellent contact balance and has no problem breaking multiple tackle attempts in a single carry. The 9Man tailback is one of the more graceful power backs on this illustrious crop of XL ball carriers, see his stiff arm of an attempted tackler while airborne in his senior midseason tape, with an aggressive, run-your-butt-over play style and a ton of confidence behind those 215 pounds. With only six followers on Twitter, mainly from regional programs such as UW-River Falls, Hamline, Morris, and Macalester, and zero reported offers, visits, or interest, I think it's safe to say we have a sleeper of a power back on our hands!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JacobSavig007/status/1901336970594242688 </div></figure>     Listed on his MNFootballHub profile as a 6'2, 244 lb. behemoth of a Class 9Man two-way dynamo, [player_tooltip player_id='1629939' first='Bryce' last='Nielsen'] is one of the biggest, baddest, yet most mysterious power backs on this star-studded roster of XL tailbacks presented to you by the one and only PRZMN. Representing the SW corner of Minnesota and the Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda co-op, [player_tooltip player_id='1629939' first='Bryce' last='Nielsen'] had yet another tremendous season on the gridiron with the Coyotes, totaling 166 carries for 983 yards and 9 TDs + 14 carries for 198 yards and 2 TDs + 42 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 FF, and 1 PBU in his third season as a varsity contributor and second as a full-time starter. Sadly, I can't find a lick of publicly available football tape, only brief basketball highlights, so I can't give you a breakdown of the pickup truck of a RB's skillset, but maybe, hopefully, one day soon. Bryce, if you're reading this, please put some tape up!     Aitkin High School going back to back with power backs, including an uptick in the size department, as the Gobblers go from Jacob Williams (2025, 5'11, 220) to [player_tooltip player_id='1629905' first='Parker' last='Fulton'] (2027, 6'3, 220) in a huge display of physical presence from a prep program's RB room. Fulton, a massive, overpowering F150 on the gridiron, brought home a boatload of hardware thanks to his 2025 junior campaign that saw him tally 140 carries for 1,085 yards and 19 TDs + 108 tackles and 2 INTs. Fulton earned Team MVP, District Defensive MVP, Team Defensive MVP, Team Offensive MVP, All-Area First Team, and All-District honors, as well as a nod as a captain of Aitkin's hockey team, while displaying a skillset of power, speed, and quickness at a devastating 6'3, 225 pounds.   Donning the black and red of Aitkin, Fulton looks like a terrifying mass of muscle staring across from opposing QBs in the middle of the defense, and he demonstrates quick, balanced lateral agility and quickness for a prep off-ball linebacker of his size, as well as the ability to dominate at the contact point and consistently win in 1v1 situations between the tackles and in space. With his flexible, noticeably low pad level at 6'3+, Fulton does an excellent job of reading his keys, scraping flat down the LOS, and taking good angles to the football before loading up his hips and exploding through contact, whether that's on ball carriers or iOL. He also displays a keen ability and instinct to step in front of crossers and pick off passes in his zone drops around the hook/curls. Plus, as a massive ball carrier, he shows off great vision, noticeable acceleration and get-up for a RB of his size, and can pinball attempted tacklers off his shoulder pads like he's playing against middle schoolers. Fulton can step through tackle attempts at his lower body like he's stepping through some overgrown underbrush, and his strength and power are obvious in how little momentum he loses when working through contact. I LOVE watching this kid play football, hope to see him on the offseason circuit sometime soon.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ParkerFulton34/status/1996616056564306135 </div></figure>     One of a mere handful of prospects who PRZMN discovered during and came out of the 2025 incredibly excited about in terms of rankings debut & recruiting potential, New Prague has a budding star on their hands in 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1691430' first='Kormick' last='Smith']. A 6'3, 235+ lb. EDGE/HB/TE/P, Smith is incredibly dynamic skillset for his size and age and the top-end speed and acceleration is especially exciting from a RB perspective, as it creates a very big problem for would-be defenders as they attempt to square up and take down the XL ball carrier. There's a lot to be excited about in a lot of the facets of Smith's game, very much including RB, where he shows off great vision, lateral twitch to go along with his power game, and frightening acceleration from his fullback spot at 6'3, 230, which also helps him get wide open as a route runner out of the backfield. Really tough mismatch assignment for LBs in coverage duty, and Smith triples as a crushing fullback who will knock you straight on your butt.   Additionally, as a standup 4-3 EDGE outside of the tackle, Smith is a big-time thumper and contact creator who can knock the ball loose from the sheer size and power embedded in his 6'3 230+ pound frame. He owns impressive power in his hands, and when he shocks, sheds, and locks out his arms you can see offensive tackles take noticeable steps backwards as they look to regain their balance and foothold. Plus, Smith can unlock his hips and bend the corner, demonstrates noticeable closing speed from his EDGE spot, and shows some impressive overall juice as a pass rusher. One rep of Smith's especially stood out when the 235 lber. was manning the Spartans punter spot, as he converted a 4th down after a muffed snap that went over his head, tearing down his home sideline and into a massive collision right at the first down marker for a huge momentum shifter for his New Prague team. Big body, dynamic, and just a good overall football player and playmaker. I could see D1 ball in his future, no doubt.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneMN/status/1981898529502011565 </div></figure>     With the upcoming departure of [player_tooltip player_id='924346' first='Jayveon' last='Kelly'] to Vermillion, South Dakota to play some heavyweight Missouri Valley FCS college ball with the 'Yotes, Bloomington Kennedy is already flexing their recruiting momentum with another potential big-time front-seven prospect. Enter Joshua Amadi, a 6'2, 210 lb. LB/RB and power back who took home some exciting hardware after his junior campaign finished with 106 carries for 719 yards and 8 TDs + 50 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks, 3 FF, 1 PBU. Amadi was named All-District, Kennedy's Defensive POY, and District Linebacker of the Year for his efforts, and some heavy hitters on the recruiting trail have took notice of the junior thanks to his in-season and post-season exploits. Amadi, after going went 4.59 in the 40 and 28'6" in the triple jump at North Dakota's Flagship Camp in late June, combined with the midseason tape, earned an offer to Grand Forks for an unofficial gameday visit to watch the Fighting Hawks in late October, setting up what could potentially be a fruitful offseason for the Bloomington product in the all-important junior year of recruitment.   Amadi, who took snaps as both a traditional tailback as well as wildcat ball carrier in 2025, shows off great vision, as he sees the cutback well and is light and nimble on his feet in traffic and in space + owns the speed to finish big runs once he hits the third level of a defense. The Kennedy Eagle displays a strong lower body and excellent contact balance, which combine to allow him to blow through multiple tackle attempts in a single rep, pumping and driving his legs through contact and weaker tackle attempts at his upper and lower body, and he even has a well-timed B-button at his disposal when working back against pursuers. The 210-215 lber. also shows noticeable acceleration out of his cuts once he definitively sticks his cleat in the ground and gets vertical, and defensively, he has a nose for the football. The linebacker demonstrates good play speed and range from his ILB spot, production as a blitzer, and he does a good job of shooting gaps with timing and decisiveness to meet RBs in the backfield for TFLs and drive-stopping plays. Plus, Amadi is able to defend and break up passes on TEs in contested catch situations. Hope to see this dude at a camp stop this offseason, there's some serious pros working in his favor as a 2027 prospect.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Joshamadi34/status/1977383914063716826 </div></figure>    --

Nothing quite gets PRZMN excited like an extra large tailback thundering downhill, breaking tackles, putting defenders flat on their butts, and generally embarrassing defenses, whether that's in person or on tape in a prospect's highlights. With 2026 rankings and some special postseason All-State content currently getting work done under the hood in preparation for releases in the near future, we wanted to make sure to highlight some of the biggest and baddest tailbacks and fullbacks the Land of 10,000 Lakes had to offer in 2025, some of which are looking for new homes at the next level! Check out this 2025 Minnesota Power Backs Report below!