What can be said that hasn’t already been said about Tomes? The Gopher’s basketball commit missed most of his senior season due to injury, but made his presence felt once he got back on the field. In only two games, Tomes went 30/48 (62.5%) through the air, for 369 yards and 2 TDs. His game isn’t limited to passing, however, and he burned defenses in the final two games of the season. Tomes rushed for 204 yards on 47 carries, finding the endzone twice and converting a 2-point once. He’s incredibly explosive and is this team’s X-factor. When he’s on, the Raptors are a force to be reckoned with.

The class of 2026 is the year of the multi-sporter, and our #1 Top Newcomer in the PrepRedzoneMN 2026 rankings goes to standout East Ridge Raptor hooper and quarterback Cedric Tomes Cedric Tomes 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH/QB East Ridge | 2026 State MN . Ranked as the #5 2026 hooper on PrepHoopsMN, the point guard has been a varsity contributor since 8th grade and has been averaging over 30 points a game this basketball season as a junior. He currently holds basketball offers from Minnesota, Bryant, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Drake, Oklahoma, and Saint Louis University. He’s also a tremendous football player, holding down the QB1 spot for the Raptors and leading them to an impressive end-of-season run that included an upset of the #1 ranked Lakeville North Panthers and a playoff win over Rochester Mayo, with a two-point, nail-biting loss to Champlin Park nearly adding another notch of excitement to their postseason rally. Tomes went 94-147 (64%) for 1,120 passing yards and 10 TDs to 7 INTs while adding 139 carries for 568 yards and 10 more TDs. Without even turning on the film, you can safely assume that Tomes is a tough, dynamic athlete on the gridiron with the twitch, competitiveness, bounce of an elite basketball player, and is even better than advertised when he tune into the film.

Tomes climbs the pocket effectively and is naturally elusive behind the LOS when scrambling and extending plays. Can quickly sidestep and cut by rushers, is tough to run down and corral when he’s scrambling, and is effective and dangerous with both his arm and his legs. He can keep his eyes downfield, see and process the field, and move the chains with his arm, but he always needs to be accounted for as a ball carrier and can pick up big chunks of yardage when he tucks and runs as well. The 175 lber. has a good arm and a quick release that can push the ball downfield with both accuracy on touch and has some good reps of accuracy and timing, as well as ball placement over tight coverage, particularly on fades and when facing down an oncoming rusher. In addition to the arm talent and accuracy he showed in 2024, Tomes is also a twitchy ball carrier who can start/stop and shut down in a blink, sending defenders flying by him out of control, and can make free DBs and LBs miss in space with ease. He does a good job of following his blocks and running with patience, noticeable burst when he sees space and has a mean stiff arm, as well as good contact balance that can bounce weaker tackle attempts off his lower body. Tomes is a high-level athlete at the QB position, and although I don’t have any verified data on the junior, the basketball background and major offers cement an athleticism that few high school players possess. He’d probably be a WR or DB at the next level if he opts to play football, so there’s some positional uncertainty that goes into his current debut ranking, but if he’s interested in playing football in college, and if I can get some eyes on him this offseason, there’s no reason why he won’t keep climbing the rankings charts.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15934544/6728078bbf323254c1869601