NDSU FBS Camp 1: Must-Know Monster LB/RBs Uncovered

Scouting the North Dakota State Prospect Camp, especially the Bison's first FBS camp in the program and school's history, was one of thie highlights of my budding professional career. The precipice of toughness, competition, organization, and ROI (in terms of attendees signing up), the Bison's camp is a beast any way you look at it. It also provided me one of the best platforms for scouting prospects in my career, as the padded, highly-competitive environment and excellent drillwork and exercises ran by NDSU and local collegiate coaches gave me an up-close-and-personal look at the 100s recruits and their makeups, and I can't lie, I really think I found some gems. Completely under-the-radar Upper Midwest monsters, highly-touted 2028s, representation from all around the USA, and under-appreciated recruiting grounds, this feature has it all. Dig in! And Roll Herd.   --   Best Finds & Fun First Looks   Arizona    All the way up from Arizona and ALA-West Foothills High School, RB Kenyon Rosenthal really caught our attention and carved out a good niche for himself during 1v1 pass-catching competition against LBs. Rosenthal was the best route runner of the RBs that we saw, as he was consistently winning deep, was twitchy and fluid at the top of the route, and was creating separation against even the best coverage LBs in the group. Hope he earned some attention over the weekend in Fargo!    Arkansas    It was awesome to see the Great State of Arkansas well represented at the North Dakota State FBS Camp #1. Shoutout to Bentonville High School, who have a stud of a rising junior LB in 6'1, 190 lber. Davis Kulka, a sleek, dynamic, violent, do-it-all three-down 'backer who is about to enter his upperclassman campaign in Arkansas' Big School, Class 7A ranks. Possessing an eye-catching, silky frame with muscle definition and some noticeable length, Kulka was overall rangy, as well as dynamic and effective in every setting you could think of for a projected LB, including running routes out of the backfield as a RB. Physical in every sense of the word, but incredibly effective, Kulka had juice as a blitzer and could win with twitch, power, and balance, but he was even more impressive in pass coverage from his LB spot. Running against both RBs and TEs, Kulka was sticky in coverage and easily able to stay in the hip pocket of offensive skill players throughout the rep, and his technique and speed were more reminiscent of a safety than an off-ball 'backer. Great catch technique at the top of the route, and his timing at the catch point and overall overall disruptiveness and effectiveness in pass defense. This dude is about to have a big year down in the Natural State.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DavisK14855327/status/2066260892099178880 </div></figure>    Illinois    A new name out of the always-talented Land of Lincoln and Class 5A Morris Community High School, located around an hour and 45 minutes southwest of Chicago, 2027 LB Mick Smith was hard to miss at the first NDSU's FBS Camp, as his green cleats, ankle socks, and sleek, cut-up build were advertised and marketing himself well amongst a sea of prospects who swam their way to Fargo to camp. His overall play speed was as impressive as it was effective throughout drills and competition, and he got better as the action ramped up, especially in a physical nature. Smith was impressively twitchy, and his ability to unlock his hips, not to mention play with both speed and power as a blitzer, made him productive and a handful of a blocking assignment during pass pro exercises against RBs and TEs. He earned some good wins against both position groups during pass rush/pass pro but really turned it on during 1v1 pass coverage reps. The PBUs were coming easy, as Smith's physical catch technique at top of route, quick breaks and short-area quickness, and patience in pass coverage made him a dynamic and consistent presence in 1v1s throughout the day we spent up in Fargo. The physicality, three-down skillset, build, and athleticism were a fun watch padded up at a real tough guy camp. Smith made the trip up worth it as well, earning his first D2 offer of his budding recruiting resume.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Micksmith07/status/2066208214308278542 </div></figure>    Iowa    The LB group at the first NDSU FBS Prospect Camp of the summer was stacked to the brim with talent of all ages, and an immediate eye-catcher out the gates came out of Iowa and South Hardin High School. Kameron Adams, a versatile rising junior with a good build and obvious strength in his frame, possessed a large lower body that could generate some serious power in a variety of LB-related settings. Adams showed he could run the hoop cleanly and with some bend during drill work, and he transitioned well to 1v1s, where his explosive get-off, twitch, heavy and active hand usage, and overall physicality, made him a disruptive and overall productive force during 1v1 pass pro/rush reps against RBs.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KameronAdams25/status/2066248696618967190 </div></figure>    Minnesota    As the lead scout at PrepRezoneMN, I'm naturally always on the lookout for the Next Great Minnesota Prospect, and as I walked to my car after scouting NDSU's first-ever FBS Prospect Camp, I was maybe the most juiced about the uncovering of Albany's Nicholas Van Heel. With eye-catching size, coming in at a lean, long 6'4, 210-220 pounds with significant room to grow, Van Heel was incredibly impressive during drill work and movement exercises, and it may sound like hyperbole, but he was changing direction, breaking, and accelerating out of his cuts like a defensive back as opposed to an EDGE/DE. Van Heel was ridiculously explosive, as well as eye-poppingly rangy, and covered an immense amount of ground during the county fair of drills put on in Fargo. Additionally, his start/stop ability and body control made him comfortable and effective in pass defense as an off-ball linebacker, and he was tough, strong, and physical enough to hold up and find success through the gauntlet of 1v1s manufactured by NDSU's staff. Van Heel was running with the underclassmen up in Fargo, but was quickly moved up to the rising senior-heavy Big Dog group thanks to his tools and performance during 1v1 pass-rushing exercises. He was a bit raw in his technique, but the traits were successful and hard to manage for OL when he was able to put it all together from a pass-rushing perspective. Van Heel is set to make a massive initial debut in the PRZMN 2028 Ranking's Big Board ASAP.   @NicholasVanheel     Not to toot our own horn, but PRZMN did successfully hit on Annandale's [player_tooltip player_id='2005361' first='Rylan' last='Horsch'] big-time debut ranking that you see in his PrepRedzone profile to your left. Verified size and athleticism, plus a full year of starting experience on a 2025 Annandale squad that went undefeated and won the Class AAA 13-0 state championship run. With the NDSU staff firmly watching throughout the competition, Horsch was one of the smoothest, most fluid, and fastest performers during drill work, and he could run the hoop, break down/settle smoothly, and generally change direction with little wasted movement and noticeable ease. Horsch showed great acceleration, coordination and soft hands as a pass catcher, and a ton of juice as a blitzer. Great hand usage, strong at initial contact, and could unlock his hips at all, Horsch was coming into pass-rushing situations with a plan, the ability to execute, and the athleticism to counter on the fly. Big-time talent and a no-doubt D1 prospect out of Greater Minnesota and the small school ranks.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HorschRylan/status/2060001617894596737 </div></figure>     The younger brother of NDSU redshirt freshman DE Blake Schiltz, Pine Island's [player_tooltip player_id='1629919' first='Cody' last='Schiltz'] was a must-watch up in Fargo at NDSU's FBS Prospect Camp #1. A massive, eye-catching LB prospect with the size to fit into a collegiate LB room comfortably, Schiltz was one of the strongest and most physical 'backers in attendance, and was absolutely flattening his peers and competition throughout the various drills and exercises put on by NDSU's staff. He was routinely putting kids on their backs, just from pure power alone, and was eating and working through contact with impressive ease, both when running routes as a TE and as a LB in coverage or when blitzing. Speaking of blitzing, Schiltz was heavy handed and flashed some good rush moves as a blitzer, especially with his ability to unlock his hips and those violent, active hands. I could watch this dude lay the wood all day. Don't be surprised if he ends up on NDSU's roster after this coming signing day.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/cody_schiltz/status/2051072274908721244 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1634068' first='Zion' last='Davis'] has been very busy this summer. Accompanied by his father, the Davis family, led by 2028 Lakeville North [player_tooltip player_id='1634068' first='Zion' last='Davis'], has been a mainstay on the 2026 Upper Midwest regional camp circuit, both in attendance and overall performance. A starter for the 6A Panthers in 2025, Davis is in the midst of a strong offseason, and he is really looking put together during the summer and through the various stops we've seen Davis at. I was a bit inbetween in terms of positional projection for Davis, but his performances at these camps has me solidified in Davis heading to play RB at the next level. Very well-rounded, Davis is strong, tough, and very balanced, with a center of gravity that is very hard to get out of position or off-balance, no matter the situation. Shifty, concise light footwork, was a physical, high-technique RB in pass protection, and was a strong, dynamic route runner with better hands than a lot of the WRs in attendance. Davis was generating some serious hype amongst the colleges in attendance, was a class favorite, and was even generating some buzz from the hosting Bison. Should be a big junior season and year on the recruiting trail for this Lakeville North Panther.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ZionDavis2028/status/2066527509617737815 </div></figure>    Nebraksa    Amongst a physically impressive group(s) of LBs at NDSU's FBS Camp #1, Lincoln, Nebraska product and Lincoln Christian High School rising junior Carter Hiatt still remained a First Team All-Eye Test selection. Hiatt, especially for his age, was a walking refrigerator of a linebacker, filled out very well with big hands and feet and an equally bulky upper and lower body. Despite the size, Hiatt could move, and he was nimble, with the ability to flip hips, work laterally and start/stop smoothly, and run hoop as well. With little wasted movement, Hiatt was impressive in coverage, as he could flip his hips and accelerate, drop his hips and mirror route runners with patience, and of course, play with physicality. I was impressed by the deep speed in coverage as well. No wonder this Hiatt is so highly-touted as a Nebraska 2028.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CHiatt56/status/2066606391117128002 </div></figure>    North Dakota    Staying close to home and camping in Fargo with now-FBS North Dakota State, Fargo Davies' High School had a can't-miss 2029 at the Bison's first camp of the summer. Repping with the underclassmen, Johnson was head-and-shoulders above his peers, both in size and talent, and he was showing off some noticeable twitchy one-cut ability, acceleration and burst, and physicality, as he was running kids over in any kind of padded 1v1 exercise. Size was legit too. Big name to know out of North Dakota's 2029 class.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ElijahJohnsonDL/status/2066260460383375463 </div></figure>     An up-and-coming LB/DL out of Bismarck, North Dakota and Legacy High School, Rasmusson flashed and caught our attention during pass pro vs. pass rush drills pitting the LBs versus the TEs/RBs. Rasmusson demonstrated big time power and physicality when blitzing, with heavy hands, good technique, and a effective power moves, rushes and counters when working against LBs or TEs. Tons of pass rushing juice for this ND rising junior.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/QwentrellR/status/2067102095782687228 </div></figure>    South Dakota    Gage West, a rising senior out of Sturgis Brown High School in South Dakota, was one of the best built prospects at the entire NDSU FBS Prospect Camp. Sculpted, well-defined, and cut up in eye-catching fashion, West was a no-doubt First Team All-Eye Test selection who had the play and versatility to match. Explosive in-and-out of his breaks and overall rangy, West played fast and physical, and he had the make-up speed to play aggressively in coverage against both RBs and TEs alike. West produced some good PBUs throughout 1v1 competition against RBs and TEs, especially with the speed, quickness, and loose hips, and the 210 lber. was also a hammer during pass pro reps. I loved watching this kid play football.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GageWest1636/status/2068100148224237934 </div></figure>    Wisconsin    One of the biggest winners of North Dakota State's first-ever FBS camp came out of the always-loaded Badger State and the Thorp High School Cardinals' big-time budding 2028 TE Cooper Rosemeyer. Possessing the frame and already-present size that would fit in well in a collegiate TE room, the First Team All-Eye Test selection also possessed the play level, skillset, and competitive makeup of D1 TE signees we've scouted in the past. With Rosemeyer's rare physical gifts, the Wisconsin native was versatile and checked boxes in both the old school traditional TE roles and jobs still asked of 12 and 13 personnel packages in the Missouri Valley, as well as contemporary expertise in the pass-catching and route running game.   The Thorp High School rising junior was a strong, bendy, technically-sound in-line blocker during 1v1 pass pro/rush reps against LBs while padded up in Fargo. The length also aided him as a blocker, and Rosemeyer would stick his face into an opponent and did a good job of adjusting and staying engaged against both power and twitch. That huge frame was also very impressive as a pass catcher, as he possessed an impressive catch radius and a ton of ball skills. With a flashy combination of bounce, ability to climb the ladder, and body control, he was catching anything and everything thrown his way during 1v1s. With the NDSU staff working closely with Rosemeyer, he showed that he could beat talented competition in a variety of situations the Bison's FBS camp could throw at him. I'd expect a breakout year on the gridiron and recruiting trail for Rosemeyer in 2026-27.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/cooperrose_6/status/2066368891257868492 </div></figure>     Didn't get the longest look at Grantsburg's [player_tooltip player_id='1715901' first='Daxter' last='Schultz'], from what I did get to see, PRZ sure liked! A well-built, silky-smooth linebacker who didn't look like he missed many days in the weight room, Schultz was playing with as much speed, explosiveness, and overall range as anyone in the group, especially in pass defense and coverage. Schultz also produced a crazy one-handed interception to highlight his playmaking ability in the brief window we got to see of him. Productive weekend for this Wisconsinite in Fargo!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DaxterSchultz/status/2067716136943165595 </div></figure>     Another eye-catching LB prospect out of Wisconsin, Amherst High School's [player_tooltip player_id='2103542' first='Ayden' last='Nerdahl'] sure made an impression on PRZ over the weekend at NDSU's first FBS Prospect Camp. Sleek was a great way to describe Nerdahl's wiry, muscular, cut-up, long frame and build that is only going to get more physically-impressive in a college S&C program. A mean, aggressive, and physical presence, Nerdahl was extremely versatile, proving himself to be a dynamic three-down presence that could produce and find success in any setting a LB could find himself in. Nerdahl was exploding out of his breaks like a defensive back during 1v1s against RBs and TEs, and he was rewarded for his efforts by a multitude of INTs throughout the various competitions. Nerdahl was also a twitchy blitzer during pass pro and really had an edge to his play style and skillset that caufht and held our attention.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Ayden_Nerdahl/status/2024165391107305680 </div></figure>     Osceola High School in Western Wisconsin is home to some massive human beings that happen to play football for the Chieftains Division 4 program. Absurdly under the radar, rising junior Reid Ohman was an easy eye-catcher at NDSU's first camp of the summer and first FBS camp in their existence, no doubt thanks to his towering frame and figure that we clocked for our hypothetical First Team All-Eye Test squad from the camp. The play matched the looks and the measurements too, as watching Ohman during drill work and indy was impressive, to say the least. His ability to crossover, flip his hips, settle, break, and shut down and drop his hips was exceptional for his size and age, as was his overall range and ability to transition and change direction. Plus, Ohman was very coordinated and soft-handed, with a massive catch radius and some juice as a route runner when lining up offensively. Ohman was also physical, quick, effective, and played through contact smoothly during 1v1 pass pro/pass rush reps against RBs and TEs. Tremendous body control for this massive young linebacker. Talk about under the radar, too!   @ReidOhman on X     Scanning the various fields and position groups congregated at NDSU's first FBS camp would undoubtedly have your eyes find on River Falls High School's pickup truck of a 2028 RB [player_tooltip player_id='2085835' first='Trevor' last='Bartlett']. Towering over his peers and position group members, you'd have thought it was a senior who was paired in an underclassmen group, or maybe lost LB or DL in the wrong group, but no. This rising junior is an XL RB, and he had some serious juice to back up the size. With nimble feet and some impressive body control for his size and age, Bartlett was a standout during drill work and the various exercises the prospects were cycled through, and he did a good job of keeping his eyes up and generally staying in good position, not overextending or getting off balance, and bending at the hips.   Plus, Bartlett had a ton of acceleration and burst, both in drill and competitive action, and his hands were simultaneously soft when catching passes and strong when dealing with contact. Watching Bartlett absolutely crush a kid during RB vs. LB pass pro reps sealed the deal for me in terms of figuring out if this kid was a stud or not, and watching him win reps and act as a dynamic route runner and pass-catching weapon out of the backfield only sweetened the pot. Could beat much smaller LBs vertically with ease during 1v1s. River Falls has some fun weapons going into the 2026 season.     Another strong representation of the River Falls' strength & conditioning program, as well as football team, [player_tooltip player_id='1709831' first='Bo' last='Benedict'] is an up-and-coming 2028 with some serious juice from the RB position. This dude has not missed any workouts this offseason, and was a jacked, cut up 180ish pounds, and he was putting the strength, speed, and explosiveness to good use during 1v1s. The speedy deep threat was consistently burning LBs vertically, and proved himself to be a dynamic route runner with some serious juice at the top of the route. Should be some major production coming out of the Benedict camp in 2026.    Wyoming    Laramie High School was well represented in Fargo at North Dakota State's FBS Camp #1, especially in the front-seven position groups. A dynamic and eye-catching pass catcher caught the attention of PRZ early into the camp, Dax Beidleman was a very impressive TE prospect with a heckuva lot of room to grow in his 6'3, 205+ lb. frame. With noticeable length as well, Beidleman was a burner of a route runner who was torching defenders when asked to work vertical, and he was consistently making LBs lose leverage, as well as create separation at the top of the route. Beidleman also held up well during inline blocking drills against a loaded LB group that descended on Fargo for camp. Kid's a fun watch, that's forsure.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/daxbeidleman/status/2064424130607456415 </div></figure>     The very first prospect to catch my eye and earn some attention in regard to my recruiting notebook may have coincidentally been the best defensive player in attendance, especially amongst back-end defenders. Representing Casper, Wyoming, as well as Natrona County High School, True was a dude, a stud, a dog, insert whatever superlative you want, and True was generating some serious buzz amongst the college coaches in attendance, including the hosting Bison.   Big-time frame that was strong, tall, and powerful, not to mention eye-catching, and the size, physical development, and play strength all pointed toward a LB prospect more ready for the college ranks than most. Additionally, during drill work and indy, where the 225 lber. was a consistent Front-of-the-Line presence, leader, and competitor, True was strong in every setting (inadvertently knocked a fellow LB over and on his butt with a pad in drill work) , laterally agile, and able to drop his hips and accelerate out of his cuts with urgency and explosiveness. Things got even better during competition. During LB vs. TE/RB pass pro/pass blocking, True was playing out of his mind, with speed, power, balance, and a ton of physicality, demonstrating real-deal blitzing ability and technique. Things got even better during 1v1 route runner/pass defense, where he was a dynamic route runner with a ton of juice out of his breaks, deep ball tracking ability, and noticeable ball skills. He was also absorbing and eating contact for lunch as a route runner at the top of the route, and on either side of the ball, LB or RB, he was tearing up the competition and beating the best prospects in the LB/RB groups in dramatic fashion. 0 reported offers as well, which is truly mind-boggling.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PattonTrue/status/1999165313448051111 </div></figure>

Scouting the North Dakota State Prospect Camp, especially the Bison's first FBS camp in the program and school's history, was one of thie highlights of my budding professional career. The precipice of toughness, competition, organization, and ROI (in terms of attendees signing up), the Bison's camp is a beast any way you look at it. It also provided me one of the best platforms for scouting prospects in my career, as the padded, highly-competitive environment and excellent drillwork and exercises ran by NDSU and local collegiate coaches gave me an up-close-and-personal look at the 100s recruits and their makeups, and I can't lie, I really think I found some gems. Completely under-the-radar Upper Midwest monsters, highly-touted 2028s, representation from all around the USA, and under-appreciated recruiting grounds, this feature has it all. Dig in! And Roll Herd.