Minnesonsin Mega Camp: Linemen First Looks

<p><strong><em>*Code Johnson30 gives you a 30% discount on a Prep Redzone subscription*</em></strong></p>   <p>Minnesconsin Mega Camp performed up to its usual standards that it has steadily built up over the past 5 or so years. Hundreds of athletes descended upon the UW- River Falls camp in hopes to stand out in front of dozens of college coaching staff and recruiters. Session I of the day featured the big dawgs. The OL and DL in a padded setting following the combine portion of the day. Among the group were several athletes from across WI who I was able to get my first live look at. Plenty of them stood out and verified that they do have the talent to play at some level of competition at the next level. Those athletes are who we spotlight today.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Malik is a 2027 I have been itching to see this offseason. He checked in at a prototypical 6'4" 242 lbs on the day of the camp and it is safe to say that the elite frame was not having any issues holding and carrying that weight. Watching the big man battle in pads vs OL was an intriguing site. It is clear that the big man is raw in turns of technique as a pass rusher, but the gifts are hard to ignore. Elite length, solid first step out of his stance, and the upper body strength to have always created at least a glimpse of separation to attack and beat blocks with. Malik also flashed the power to be able to bull rush through OL to get into the backfield at will during some reps. His performance earned him an offer from the hosts, UW- River Falls.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/mhassannco/status/2067735122485403855 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">It is hard to find a DL, or lineman in general, who had a better day than the Fond du Lac DE/Edge. Tyvon is an absolute freak in the weight room and has been for years. That dedication has translated to the field and made him a dynamic and effective edge defender. The 6'1" 232 lbs beast dominated every part of the day. He started things off with one of the best combines of the entire day. 4.69 in the 40, 4.56 in the shuttle, 9'9" in the broad jump, and 38.3" in the vertical. Freaky numbers for a freaky defender. When the pads went on Pate left no doubts about his on the field talents. Lightning quick out of his stance, speed to rush the edge and leave OTs turning to chase. The powerful DE also flashed the quick twitch change of direction to cut back inside. Further setting him apart from the crowd is how strong he is during reps. His initial contact is enough to create space. The leg drive is there to bull rush OL that are 50+ lbs heavier than him. The kid checks every box. This is a special defender who has done nothing but show consistent growth on and off the field and 100% dedication to year round development. Don't miss out on this one.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">This was an interesting performance to watch. As you can see, we think very highly of Noah as a DL. However, at UWRF we watched Noah compete at OL. Great to see the Hudson athlete is open to playing either side of the ball at the next level. Even better to see him prove that he can get it done at OL. The 6'5" lineman is now up to 270 lbs and with those long arms I can't argue that he does look the part of an OL. It was impressive to see how much of a natural he was in pass pro. He did well to stay balanced and patient so that he could stay in a position where he could deliver strong punches. Noah is light on his feet and did well sliding and changing direction reacting to the pass rusher. Plus we also saw that he had no issues flexing his strength in the board drills vs DL. The Hudson standout lineman definitely can play either side of the trenches based off what we saw at the camp. That is only going to improve how we feel about him. Get on this kid before it is too late.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/NoahDunawa19349/status/2067361621761007634 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Eli was a new athlete to my radar, and maybe my favorite find of the entire event. You don't see many 6'4" 314 lbs linemen with legitimate arm definition, but Eli didn't perform like many OL. He put on a show from what I saw. That muscle has clearly come from plenty of weight room dedication because the big man was whooping DL all day. In board drills he explodes out of his stance with quick feet and a wide base. He was able to get hands inside and the second he had that secured the DL was going for a ride until the whistle blew. What really impressed was how fluid of an athlete he was mirroring pass rushers. The big man has an athletic base and a strong anchor. Eli should have a lot of interest and offers following that performance.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">It was great to see the Union Grove TE competing at OL at the Minnesconsin Mega Camp. That is where the standout 2027 best projects at the next level with his towering 6'6" 262 lbs athlete. He has the build to potentially develop into a standout OT at the next level with his athletic lower body and strong upper body. The 262 lbs is so easily carried too on a frame that has the ability to get to 280+ easily. The 2027 TE/lineman is quick out of his stance. In pass pro it looked easy for him to kick slide or move laterally to stay engaged with the rusher. The powerful upper body was able to control DL when he locked his hands inside. Plus Anthony has a ton of success as a run blocker in the Union Grove offense where he was already playing as basically an extra OL at TE. Don't miss out on this kid.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">What a day from Aiden in the 1v1s at the Minnesconsin Mega Camp! I had to force myself to go watch other groups once he caught my eyes. The 2027 OL was whooping DL all afternoon. He dominated with his quickness at the snap, closing the gap with the DL and getting hands inside and erasing any space after that. Aiden did a great job loading up his lower body and then using all that force to make initial contact with DL. Sinking his hips would give him the leverage advantage and allow him to stand up bull rushers. There was another rep where he showed off the upper body strength, tossing a DL to the ground after running him around the loop past the QB. Aiden was a big surprise for me, but he proved to have the quickness and technique to play at the next level. Serious steal potential right here.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">It was awesome to watch Kaben work in the trenches live. We were already a big fan of what he has put out on tape, but this first look was even better than what he was last fall. Kaben checked in at 6'3" 235 lbs, ran a 4.87 40, 4.57 shuttle, and jumped 8'8" in the broad jump. All great numbers for a DE/edge defender. As good as those numbers are it was nothing compared to when the pads went on. Kaben dominated in pads. The long and lean DE has a first step that launches him out of his stance. From there we saw him best trait. His ability to transition that initial speed into power. Power that allowed him to literally run OL backwards. Between the length, leverage, and that power Kaben proved to be a nightmare matchup for his group. I am expecting a big senior season from the Whitefish Bay standout after putting up 13 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and 15+ pressures in 2025. Ziegler currently holds six offers.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/kabenziegler55/status/2067371374855807284 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I have really enjoyed watching Max's tape this offseason and I have loved all the talk about him that I have heard from his teammates hyping him up to me without even asking. The 2028 OL is clearly a talented athlete, starting at RT for Verona all of 2025 already. The 2028 checked in at 6'4" 221 lbs and then put on a show in the combine running a 4.92 40, 4.73 shuttle, 9'3" broad jump, and a 34.7" vertical. Obviously he will need to continue to fill out, but what he can already do at 220+ lbs on the OL tells me his ceiling is one of the highest if he can fill out that frame. The '28 is a technician and showed it in 1v1s. Wide base and quick feet to not only stay in front of his man but also be ready to absorb bull rush attempts. I was able to see him eat up a bull rush attempt and stand up the DE thanks to those traits and perfectly placed hands. Big things ahead for this kid. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Another DL/Edge who caught me completely off guard was 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2236251' first='Cory' last='Capen'] of Shell Lake. I came across Cory in 1v1s and watched multiple reps of his that blue helmet kept ending up free in the backfield. The '27 DE has a solid frame to continue to build on at the next level. He stood out from his group with how explosive he was out of his stance. His first step alone nearly won him reps. What finished it was the acceleration and the nimble agility to cut or bend and leave OL punching and grabbing at air. The kid is putting in the work in the weight room this offseason too. Coaches, don't let the Shell Lake 2027 fall under the radar. He has the tools to be a disruptive edge defender. I'm excited to see how he performs in his final season.</p>

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