MN's Must-Know New Names on the Recruiting Trail: OL Edition

With professional and college football nearing the end of their 2025 seasons, marking the final conclusions to what is and has been a fantastic year of football, PRZMN is pivoting fully to ranking updates and recruiting coverage. As I currently finish up the final 2026 update (the senior class generally takes the longest), I've planned some some recruiting-focused content to hold our lovely readers over while the ranking's overhaul nears completion. Yes, we all know the Big Names of the 2027 recruiting class, such as [player_tooltip player_id='1368410' first='Eli' last='Diane'], [player_tooltip player_id='212480' first='Blake' last='Betton'], [player_tooltip player_id='1452200' first='Nehemiah' last='Ombati'], [player_tooltip player_id='1029336' first='Caden' last='Gutzmer'], and the trio of superstars up in Moorhead, but this past 2025 prep football season in Minnesota uncovered some Must-Know New Names that PRZMN thinks can generate some serious heat on this current recruiting trial. We're splitting things up by position, heading next to the Offensive Line, where we have some physically massive, imposing, and athletic mammoths that could really set Minnesota's recruiting trail on fire this offseason. Get to know these potential recruiting stars now!   --    Stepping into the literally massive cleats of Minnesota Gophers'-bound senior OT [player_tooltip player_id='591732' first='Andrew' last='Trout'] is no easy task, but Rocori seems to organically produce top-tier athleticism, and every now and then, a blue-chipper, so hang tight. I believe PRZMN got the ever-important First Look of 2028 Rocori Spartans OL Grayson O'Neal at a Minnesota Gophers prospect camp last summer or the one before, where O'Neal impressive in a few important parts of the camp. Now a hulking 6'4, 265 lber., I really should have had O'Neal on the recent defensive tackles feature that kicked off this new PRZMN recruiting-focused special series, but I didn't do enough homework coming into the tape breakdown and assumed O'Neal was on the offensive side of the ball. However, I can't lie and have to admit that I was delighted to see O'Neal lining up as a 3T DT, where he proved himself to be an impact player from the interior of the DL with impressive, can't-miss strength for a sophomore.   O'Neal displays a quick first step, strong hands that can shock & shed off the snap and at the contact point, and impressive closing speed, which impacts his pass rushing ability positively. The Rocori Spartans lineman halts ball carriers at the contact point and can win at the gain line - halting an RB or QBs momentum where he puts the pads on them, and he's strong through contact and can maintain his balance and an ideal tackling-position when splitting doubles. There's tons of force off the snap and at first contact, and O'Neal does a good job of loading his hips up and exploding through OL off the snap. College coaches are going to have to keep Rocori on the must-stop list the next couple cycles!     One of my favorite up-and-coming Minnesota prospects on the steaming 2026 recruiting trail, Northwestern MN is represented boldly by Roseau Rams towering 2028 OT Toby Bryan. A colossal 6'7, 280ish as a rising junior coming out of one of the higher-quality producers of OL talent in the nation, Bryan is still somewhat under-the-radar, only showing a camp invite from North Dakota back in May while seeing South Dakota as his lone D1 follower right no on Twitter. No matter, under-the-radar is what we do best, and Bryan had a strong sophomore campaign with Roseau that displayed an LT who is a bull at the contact point who runs his feet through contact and through the whistle, working to finish and visibly operating to put a defender flat on his back as often as possible.   The 6'7 sophomore is a crushing force at the contact point off the snap as a run blocker while also showing lateral explosiveness and is able to reach DEs and set the edge from his LT spot, with that aforementioned nasty streak showing up all over his 2 minute highlight tape. In addition to the great balance, length, and physicality, Bryan, especially for an Outstate underclassman, owns the base, balance, footwork, and heavy-hands of a high-quality foundation in pass protection, and he brings his signature aggression to pass protection reps. As they say: pass pro isn't passive! Love how he plays DL's hands and he does a good job of staying square while working to depth in his pass set. If the in-person eval can come close to what he shows on tape, Bryan has D1 OL written all over him.     I still remember the day. Presented under the backdrop of a beautiful summer afternoon up in Bemidji, but as I walked towards the western shore of Lake Bemidji through Chet Anderson Stadium at Bemidji State, my picturesque landscape was interrupted by two towering Holy Angels linemen. Massive, filled in, and dominating in a 1v1 board drill at the BSU Big School War on the Shore Team Camp, the two AHA OL/DL hybrids were brand new to PRZMN's radar and turned out to be twins, the first of which we'll be breaking down for this OL recruiting-focused special. 6'5, 255 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1642886' first='Lucas' last='Jacobs'] is the bigger of the two Jacobs boys, and as a first year starter on the varsity scene in 2025, it's safe to say he walked away from the season as a breakout performer and name to know.   Jacobs, acting as a RT who looks big, long, and possessing noticeable room to fill in on his 260ish pound frame, is strong enough to dominate at the contact point and works to finish between the whistles with consistency throughout his junior highlights. The Richfield product runs his feet with so much force that he takes DL off his feet and more often than not, on his back. Jacobs had some seriously physical finishes in 2025 from his OT spot and can send smaller DL flying when he locks out and extends his arms, and his quick, light feet make me excited for his projection to the next level. Jacobs shows off impressive balance and nimbleness for his age and size, and when you combine it with the strength at the point of attack, you have a Metro 4A OL with a legit chance of signing with a D1 team in the 2027 cycle. I think it's going to come down to workouts and potentially the summer camp circuit for Jacobs to make his money. Stay tuned with PRZMN and @OJW_Scouting on Twitter!     It always seems like Farmington is producing high-end athletes, s/o to the Tigers S&C program, of which you've heard of discuss at length here before. With a talented 2026 class set to depart to the college ranks here shortly, the Tigers need rising seniors to step up, and I think FHS has an exciting lynchpin and tone-setter along their offensive front in 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1972052' first='Rocco' last='Fulk']. A crushing puller with positional versatility as a guard or tackle on either side of the ball, Fulk can lay the boom and put 6A DL flat on their rear ends at first contact, especially when asked to pull, trap, or kick out around the LOS. Even on simple down blocks or base blocks it seems like Fulk is putting defenders on their butts, but don't get it twisted, Fulk is quick for a big fella, owning good balance and doing a good job of staying upright through and after contact. I'm especially impressed by his get-off as a run blocker. The Farmington product gets off the ball with noticeable force, loading up his hips and coming off the ball with impressive pad level while doing a good job of getting his hands up and under OL chest plates. Jamestown reached out before Christmas and South Dakota State sent Fulk a junior day invite. Plus, newly-minted Minnesota Gophers WR coach Isaac Fruechte stopped by Farmington at the end of the week to check in on the Tigers rising prospects. More recruiting news coming out of the 6A Metro contender soon, I'm sure.     There are some serious gems coming out of Edina High School as of late, with some especially freaky athletes representing the multi-sport ranks as both football and hockey standouts for the Hornets. Yes, we all know [player_tooltip player_id='592125' first='Mason' last='West'] and [player_tooltip player_id='923840' first='Chase' last='Bjorgaard'], but the football/hockey hybrids also have recently Wyoming-offered 6'5, 250 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1629875' first='Gage' last='Geyer'] in the midst, as well as 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1739373' first='Wyatt' last='Perry'], a breakout star from the 2025 state championship run with the Hornets who has impressed PRZMN in-person and padded up on multiple occasions throughout the season, including high-pressure, win-or-go-home state playoff and championship settings.   A bendy, flexible, and physical LT and LG, Perry is aggressive in the trenches with good hand placement and an understanding of leverage and how to win at the point of attack, even in pass pro settings. Speaking of pass pro, Perry is very technically sound, with a clean pass pro set who is far from passive and looks for work around the LOS with effective results. The lean 230 lber. can really accelerate and generate a full head of steam, leading to big collisions as a puller or trapper when asked on assignment, where he also shows off clean, impressive footwork, and he's a smooth, effective combo blocker who can stay upright and work fluidly to the next level to knock off LBs at the second level as well. Perry uses his big body and long arms to naturally cut off and box out DL, and when you combine it with his natural strength, it leads to some massive holes around the LOS for his RBs to take advantage of, and there's some heavy hands and noticeable pop in his pads that show up all over his sophomore tape. Perry also reports a 300 lb. bench, 375 lb. squat, 5.2 40, and 28" vertical coming out of Edina High School. I think this kid could be a sooner-than-later popular name on the recruiting trail, so, as always, stay tuned with PRZMN and OJW_Scouting on Twitter!     It just feels right to have a beast in the trenches and well-regarded OL or DL prospect coming out of Lakeville North High School! The Panthers 2027 class is well represented by massive 6'6, 290 lb. OT [player_tooltip player_id='1665770' first='Matt' last='Popp'], who just kicked off the all-important junior year offseason with one of the best possible stops a Minnesotan can hope for: a North Dakota State Junior Day. Fresh off the stop from Fargo, I'm sure the Bison enjoyed Popp's quick, nimble feet, standout mobility and balance, and overwhelming size/strength at the contact point, all of which are showcased wonderfully on his junior tape.   While only playing in 6 games due to a neck injury, the hulking RT opens his tape with an exciting rep of him getting out into space from his RT spot, sticking his cleat in the turf and taking a tight angle while honing in on a Blaine Bengals defender and driving the LB 5-10 yards out of the play in an exciting show of mobility, body control, and strength at 6'6, 290ish. Popp is crushing at first contact, as he can drop his hips and really generate some force behind his pads and his hands when working up to that first collision, and he sets the edge well and can overwhelm smaller DL at the LOS. I love how fast he runs his feet between the whistles and through contact. For a massive RT of his size, he does a good job of staying upright and maintaining positive body positioning while accelerating and generating a ton of contact working forward while putting DL on skates. Plus, he shows a clean pass set and is able to gain depth impressively for a big prep OT. The Lakeville product is consistent and effective at applying his coaches technique in live pass protection game reps, really rounding out his skillset well for a massive prep OT prospect going into the all-important junior year offseason. Keep an eye on this Lakeville North Panther!     A new, exciting, and promising young sophomore OL talent out of Delano, 6'4, 235ish lb. Brady Martin had a strong underclassman debut with the Tigers in 2025. Martin, primarily working from his RT spot, can effectively climb to the second level, drop his hips, and corral quicker LBs and DBs in space for challenging wins for an underclassmen 4A OT prospect. He's raw in his pass set - as it is basically a back pedal - but he did show he gain depth to handle speed rushers challenging that outside shoulder and take advantage of DL when they get over their toes and off-balance.   The 235 lber. can also win at the contact point and really move mass when he locks out and extends his arms. He runs his feet post-contact and visibly works to finish and punish DL when given the opportunity, and I especially love his reps out in space and when he's allowed to move and cover ground around the box and LOS. The kid looks athletic, always a great place to start with big Minnesota-born-and-bred Offensive Line talent.     Not the newest name on this beefy list of Land of 10K Lakes OL, however, Hamer is still due for a big-time campaign on the recruiting trail this offseason after earning a Big12 offer from Matt Campbell's Iowa State Cyclones this past summer. The colossal 6'7, 330 lb. bruiser of an offensive tackle is a bendy, overpowering run-blocking specialist coming out of the Lakeville South program, and P4's took notice this fall. Hamer earned recruiting graphics and/or gameday invites from the likes of Minnesota, Ohio State, and Iowa State, whose OL coach Ryan Clanton popped over to Penn State with newly-minted HC Matt Campbell.   The P4 upside is dripping all over Hamer's junior tape. His 500 lb. squat and 300 lb. bench are obvious in Hamer's earth-moving power off the ball that also cleanly personifies the "low man wins" mentality despite his sky-scraping size and height. The Cougars' OT can chop his feet and cover ground when setting the edge impressively like a power forward on the hardcourt, as well as chuck varsity 6A DL aside like they are his younger cousins at a Thanksgiving Day brawl. Hamer's controlled, jittery short-area quickness is impressive as he scoops, sets the edge, and gets out in space with impressive effectiveness, and he easily overwhelms and overpowers DL in run blocking settings thanks to his size, strength, and athleticism. His next offer is due to be an important one, but I don't see why every MVFC program wouldn't offer ASAP. As for the Gophs, Hamer, like many a Minnesotan before him, will have to try and earn that offer at camp. Stay tuned with PRZMN and @OJW_Scouting on Twitter!

With professional and college football nearing the end of their 2025 seasons, marking the final conclusions to what is and has been a fantastic year of football, PRZMN is pivoting fully to ranking updates and recruiting coverage. As I currently finish up the final 2026 update (the senior class generally takes the longest), I've planned some some recruiting-focused content to hold our lovely readers over while the ranking's overhaul nears completion. Yes, we all know the Big Names of the 2027 recruiting class, such as Eli Diane Eli Diane 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Wayzata | 2027 State MN , Blake Betton Blake Betton 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Shakopee | 2027 State MN , Nehemiah Ombati Nehemiah Ombati 6'3" | 275 lbs | DL Shakopee | 2027 State MN , Caden Gutzmer Caden Gutzmer 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Minnetonka | 2027 State MN , and the trio of superstars up in Moorhead, but this past 2025 prep football season in Minnesota uncovered some Must-Know New Names that PRZMN thinks can generate some serious heat on this current recruiting trial. We're splitting things up by position, heading next to the Offensive Line, where we have some physically massive, imposing, and athletic mammoths that could really set Minnesota's recruiting trail on fire this offseason. Get to know these potential recruiting stars now!