Minnesota Multi-Sport Standouts: Wrestling Edition, Class AA

Minnesota does a lot of things well in the prep sports space, but what I really think the Land of 10,000 Lakes does uniquely successfully is produce high-level multi-sport athletes at the high school level. To reinforce this belief, PRZMN is diving into a Multi-Sport Special Series while we are knees deep in updating the 2027 Big Board. Up first: wrestling! We'll be doing three installments of the wrestling series to round the week, continuing with some must-know football/wrestling hybrids from Minnesota's Class AA ranks. State tourney will be here in no time, get to know these standouts now!   *Rankings provided from The Guillotine's February 5th update of the state's high school wrestling rankings   --   Class AA    I have fond memories of attending the MSHSL state wrestling tourney with my dad back in the day, and many of those memories are set under the echoes of the Xcel Energy Center's PA broadcasting a Lake Crystal-Wellcome-Memorial wrestler deep into the state individual rounds. Always a scrappy, balanced, and of course, tough, prep wrestling program, I've also really begun to appreciate the Knights football team and their consistency in pumping out beef, multi-phase producers, and tough SOBs on the gridiron that always seem to dot our ranking's Big Boards. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1288339' first='Mason' last='Adams'] is one good looking junior football prospect, measuring in at 6'3, 250 pounds, owning two All-District nods on his football resume, a 2024-25 state wrestling qualification at 215, and a junior season that included 12 TFLs and 5 sacks to go along with 52 tackles and a forced fumble.   Now ranked 3rd at The Guillotine's February 5th latest update for 285AA, Adams is a legitimate contender for a state title come March with a senior and a sophomore ranked ahead of him. However, the gridiron tape should not be ignored by NSIC and scholarship DIIs/NAIAs in the region, as Adams displays the burst and play speed that makes for some excellent defensive range for the defensive line, especially at his size. Adams is a strong kid who overpowers at the contact point and an especially effective run defender thanks to the size/quickness/power combination. He easily disengages from blockers thanks to his hand usage and general motor, owns a nose for the football, and flashes some effective power as a pass rusher. Tons to like in this kid's growing athletic resume.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MasonAdams58/status/1984324677360308385 </div></figure>     There's a lot to like about Brooklyn Center's roster going into the 2026 season. With star power at their skill positions, the Centaurs success is really rooted in their stingy, tough-as-nails, never-take-a-play-off, two-way linemen. One of their most key structural components is 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2081508' first='Anthony' last='Benson'], a multi-time PRZMN Showcase standout who is one of the more productive defensive linemen in the state, clocking 20 TFLs and 7 sacks in 2025 as a junior. He's also a heckuva wrestler and is currently tearing up the Class 285AA ranks, coming in at 4th in the state in the latest The Guillotine update, and he is already a state qualifier from his sophomore campaign on the wrestling, bringing some much-needed experience to the X if he can come out of Section 5 unscathed.   Flexible and bendy, Benson has an excellent base and some incredibly heavy hands that helps him toss aside opposing OL when he's shocking & shedding with scary ease. He explodes out of his stance, consistently wins the leverage battle, and owns a great get-off that can easily split doubles as well as work and tackle through contact. He also shows some twitch for a DT, smooth and fluid mover and operator who is comfortable and effective in 1v1 settings and at shedding and beating blocks in a variety of different ways. Plus, Benson absolutely flattened some rushers in pass pro as an OL, showing two-way physicality amongst a boatload of other positives. I'll be very eagerly watching this 285AA crop of standouts come sections and state looming in the horizon.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/AnthonyBenson27/status/1981894311567360332 </div></figure>     If you aren't already aware, there is some serious momentum coming out of the Byron Bears program right outside of Rochester. Despite the then-upset in the Class 4A, section 1 championship to eventual Class 4A runner-ups Kasson-Mantorville 31-28, Byron still had a strong 2025 campaign, producing a Mr. Football finalist in Mankato State-bound [player_tooltip player_id='1104940' first='Carson' last='Heimer'], as well as 10 (!) college-bound seniors all set to make their mark on the next level. Luckily for Byron, the Bears have a ton of talent ready to step into bigger roles as rising seniors, but success in Minnesota starts in the trenches, and Byron has some exciting pieces, notably the mauler that is [player_tooltip player_id='1580757' first='Mason' last='Edwards'].   Edwards is also a standout on the wrestling mat, making a nice debut and improvement from the January 22nd to February 5th ranking's update on The Guillotine, coming in at 6th at 285AA with sections and state right on the horizon. A physical finisher who does a good job of winning at the contact point, Edwards is consistently finding good hand placement, readjusting and loading up his hips, and running his feet until he hears the whistle. He's a nonstop presence in the run game and a strong kid who can ragdoll and move mass along the LOS against all kinds of DL, including high-level competition. Plus, he shows great mobility that allows him to combo and climb to the second level with efficiency and is a fluid mover with great foot speed and concise small-area quickness and COD ability that makes him an asset as a versatile puller and mover from his LG position. Plus, he's an All-District selection who allowed zero sacks in 2025. Talk about a baller!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MASONEDWAR86769/status/2019823908405539293 </div></figure>     Rounding out the LOADED 285AA crop of ranked multi-sporters with a familiar name in Fergus Falls product [player_tooltip player_id='2078799' first='Nolan' last='Field']! A recent Top Performer from December's PRZMN Stock-Up Showcase, Field was the best OT in attendance at the Brooklyn Park Sports Dome, showing off strength, foot speed, competitiveness, and some great hand usage, which we can credit with his strong wrestling background with the Otters. Currently ranked 10th at 285AA, Field is a standout in all three styles of wrestling, and he recently surpassed 75 career wins and 50 career pins this winter while earning junior day invites from North Dakota and Bemidji State. Field has also visited St. Thomas, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State in January, making for a busy January between his two sports and accomplishments.   The LT does a great job of staying square and distributing his weight evenly consistently through a variety of settings and situations, as he owns great balance, excellent lateral agility, and is a shut down presence on the edge of the LOS. Field is overpowering to try and disengage from once he gets his paws on a defender and is especially effective in space, as he can climb to the second and third level of a defense with fluidity and strong body position. Also very consistent in his technique, and overall displays great body control that you can very much see rooted from his wrestling background. Should be a big summer for Field on the Summer Camp Circuit.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/NolanField63/status/2005846971924287938 </div></figure>     I still remember going down to New Prague for a tri-wrestling tournament as a junior in high school, and boy were our lowly Southwest Lakers outclassed that evening in the 507. The Trojans, with one of the more packed bleachers I saw all winter, turned off the lights and flipped on the mat light, really setting the stage for what was a legendary butt-whooping that us Lakers were very ready to get home from that evening. My long-winded point being that New Prague's wrestling team is LEGIT, borderline frightening, so it's hard not to be bullish on 2027 standout multi-sporter [player_tooltip player_id='1952497' first='Owen' last='Johnson']. A brick of a 5'11, 215 lb. ILB and RB for the Trojans football team, Johnson is also on a tear of a junior wrestling campaign, currently ranked 3rd at 215AA with his eyes firmly set on a state championship come March.   On the gridiron, Johnson posted 73 tackles, 13 TFLs, and a defensive TD in 2025 while displaying a ton of speed and power from the middle of the Trojans' defense. Johnson reads/reacts with pace and urgency and hammer at the contact point as a tackler who is a nightmare of a 1v1 assignment for would-be blockers around the box. Johnson is a strong kid who is able to make arm tackles through contact, takes good angles to the football, and owns sideline-to-sideline pursuit speed. He also easily slips through the LOS and lived in opposing backfields last fall thanks to his instincts and speed and is an effective open-field tackler if a RB happens to break through the LOS. Johnson is already in the midst of a stock-rising junior offseason that should really get some college programs excited.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/OwenJohnso42/status/1985513448663629970 </div></figure>     A multi-sport monster shrouded in mystery, 6'2, 225 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1288342' first='Eli' last='Roiko'] is a transfer from MENAHGA to Perham, joining the Yellowjackets powerhouse wrestling team and talented football program to finish out his prep career. Roiko, who is recently surpassed 100 career wins on the wrestling mat, is currently ranked 5th at 215AA and a key piece to a Perham wrestling squad currently listed as "Lean and Mean" by The Guillotine. No tape for Roiko since his 2023 season with MENAHGA, but at 6'2, 230+ pounds during the football season, I'd keep this name in your eye line going forward, especially if you're looking for sleepers.     One of the biggest winners and top performers from the 2025 Prep Bowl's semifinal and state championship rounds undoubtedly was Kasson-Mantorville's Parker Richards. Loaded at the top-end by two-way senior talent, KM's juniors did a great job of cementing themselves as high-end prospects in their own right, particularly LB/RB hybrid Parker Richards. The hard-charging 2027 6', 200 lber. was arguably the hardest running RB of the entire tournament, forcing himself North-South behind his pads with frightening aggression and speed, and he was also a sideline-to-sideline tackle machine from his ILB spot who was rocking opposing ball-carriers once he put the pads on them defensively.   To sweeten the pot, and as I always LOVE with Kasson-Mantorville prospects, Richards is a stud wrestler with the Komets outrageous wrestling squad, currently coming in at 8th at 189AA and rocking the resume to make some serious waves in the state tourney thanks to the Komets jam-packed wrestling room. However, the kid is a beast of a LB prospect projecting into college, as he's patient, instinctive, and a brick at the contact point who blocked a couple PATs for some good special team utility and playmaking ability in 2025 as a junior. Both twitchy and powerful as a ball carrier with the homerun speed to take it the distance if given the opportunity, Richards is an excellent 1v1 tackler who is fundamentally sound and packs quite a punch, and he closes space and does a great job of sucking in space and getting hip to hip with ball carriers with technically-sound tackles that don't advance past the contact point. Can't wait to get this dude on the 2027 Big Board ASAP.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ParkerPaul2008/status/1994480758048817496 </div></figure>     One of the better multi-sport athletes out of Kasson-Mantorville in the past decade - which is certainly saying something - 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1653240' first='Keymoni' last='Bent'] only strengthened his growing & impressive athletic resume with the Komets 2025 state 4A runner-up campaign. Nothing like win-or-go-home playoff football at U.S. Bank Stadium to make an underclassman get used to the bright lights, and Bent has also proved his has multi-sport accomplishment in him, coming in at 10th at 172AA in the January 22nd ranking update from The Guillotine. Plus, he posted an 11.59 100M and 23.14 200M in sections of the 2025 outdoor T&F season last school year to really up the ante.   On tape, Bent proved he was a dynamic utility weapon with game-changing speed in the Komets' triple-option attack, and he opens his tape by hurdling a would-be tackler on a kickoff return in the heavyweight section final against Byron to showcase his explosiveness. Bent displays great contact balance for his size and electric open-field quickness and footwork that makes for a fun combination to watch on tape, and he was a big-play machine as both a RB and receiver for Kasson-Mantorville as a sophomore. Bent also displayed excellent 50/50 ball and contested catch capability, as well as strong hands and the vertical bounce to fully extend, climb the ladder, and reel in and finish catches through contact and big impact. Could possibly project to either side of the ball in college. Excellent sophomore campaign for the 2028 talent!     After the senior season recruiting explosion that rocketed 2026 OT and future South Dakota Coyote [player_tooltip player_id='1921151' first='Parker' last='Maloney'] into the D1 recruiting sphere there are a lot of eyes onSt. Peter's prep football program. Although the Saints graduated a significant amount of talent from their 2026 graduating class, St. Peter has some exciting names returning, one of which is multi-sport standout Ryan Moelter, who is currently ranked 4th at 189AA and building some serious momentum going into sections.   On the gridiron, Moelter tallied 187 carries for 1,007 yards and 17 TDs + 17 receptions for 141 yards and 2 TDs in 2025, and he opens his tape with a beast of an individual effort, pumping those legs and churning through a dog pile of 4, 5, even 6 tackle attempts for a physical TD that is sure to leave an imprint of his teammates and adoring fans from that night. Moelter owns great burst, shifty footwork in the open field, and strong contact balance that allows him to work through multiple tackle attempts in a single carry. Plus, Moelter demonstrates some ball skills and 50/50 ball ability as a pass catcher, and the kid is never out of a play, as he lays through the whistle and never, ever quits fighting for yards and extra gains. Gotta get this dude on the ranking's Big Board ASAP!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ryanmoelter21/status/2020235194612216061 </div></figure>     There's some exciting names and talent coming out of Fergus Falls right now. PRZMN is bullish on a couple of names in particular, one of which being 2027 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='2078790' first='Caleb' last='Fronning']. An absolute hammer on the wrestling mat, Fronning came in to Brooklyn Center and absolutely tore up the PRZMN Stock-Up Showcase, clocking a 40 in nearly the 4.7s and adding green numbers in every other event of the session. The ultra-experienced wrestler also recently surpassed 150 career wins on the mat to go along with nearly 100 career pins, and he's currently ranked 9th at 160AA in a loaded bracket going into the state tourney.   On the gridiron, Fronning owns great vision, twitchy cuts, and game-breaking speed in the open field as a tailback. He displays a mean stiff-arm and the pace to take the edge on a defense, as well as find paydirt once he gets to the sideline. He also demonstrated excellent contact balance and pulled out some very shifty, effective cuts in 2025, more than catching the eye of PRZMN in the evaluation of his junior highlights. Plus, Fronning doubles as a physical OLB who can set the edge and really brings the pop to the offensive blocker, as well as at the tackle point, where his wrestling background shows up in some aggressive and technically-sound 1v1 tackles in the open field. I could see this dude as a football/wrestler multi-sporter in the MIAC in a recruiting cycle. What a stud and multi-sport talent!    --

Minnesota does a lot of things well in the prep sports space, but what I really think the Land of 10,000 Lakes does uniquely successfully is produce high-level multi-sport athletes at the high school level. To reinforce this belief, PRZMN is diving into a Multi-Sport Special Series while we are knees deep in updating the 2027 Big Board. Up first: wrestling! We'll be doing three installments of the wrestling series to round the week, continuing with some must-know football/wrestling hybrids from Minnesota's Class AA ranks. State tourney will be here in no time, get to know these standouts now!