Fresh Evaluations for Top Performers in 2028

We are hitting this project from all angles in our quest to write up as many student-athlete evaluations as we can this offseason. In this piece, we include some of the top 2028 players lacking one on their Prep Redzone Iowa profile pages.   Let's fix that:    The state's top player in the 2028 Class, Barrett started at left tackle as a Maroon freshman. If you have any sense of how rare that is at one of Iowa best programs, you know there's potential for a special player here. I saw Barrett during the state 5A semifinals against rival Valley last November. It took about two seconds to notice him. His combination of size, agility, athleticism and polish for such a young guy jumped out right away. It might be an overstatement to say someone looks natural at left tackle as a ninth-grader, but it can be said about Barrett. The floor is high and the ceiling higher for this young man, as he shows during his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22498340/674e7eaea523797f61bb9a75">freshman highlight video</a>.     Another member of Iowa's loaded 2028 offensive line class, Shannon landed his first offer from Nebraska on March 29, 2025. Iowa, Iowa State and others also are heavily involved. Pop on his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22556767/674c9924ce73d8d9eca2123c">freshman highlight video</a>, and you'll see why he already has major colleges involved. Shannon pushes people around. He's big and strong, overwhelming opponents. That's not uncommon. It is to do that with explosion and agility. Shannon reaches blocks in space, including down the field. He fires into D-Linemen from all angles with his quick get-off. Those skills also could work at defensive tackle.     Parks broke onto the scene with a 47-catch freshman season in 2024. He gained 561 yards on those grabs with a pair of touchdowns. He gets off of the line and into his routes quickly while operating out of the slot. He runs them crisply and has a knack for finding holes in the defense. Parks shows reliable hands and the steadiness to come down with the ball in traffic. He makes defenders miss in space with sharp cutting and acceleration. Parks already is fundamentally sound, so it's a matter of refining those skills and adding to his bag as he develops.     Asani wasted no time in producing at the varsity level. The freshman piled up 85.0 tackles (59 solo, 3.0 TFL) in 2024. We can see how Asani got it done when watching his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/24089327/672438f2b66cc40f792734f8">ninth-grade highlight video</a>. The Huskies move him around the formation, which speaks to his versatility at linebacker. Asani might fit better at safety in some schemes. Hoover lines him up in the deep middle of the field where a safety would be in many of them. He diagnoses plays quickly and runs well sideline to sideline. Physicality is a big part of Asani's game with him welcoming contact and showing a willingness to put his head on the ball.     Ehlers flashed potential during his opportunities as a freshman on the varsity in 2024. That proved especially true as a returner. He averaged 39.3 yards and scored a touchdown on seven kick returns. Ehlers also looked solid in the secondary and gained 12 yards on his only touch on offensive last season. When we watch his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22115196/674f3db937384643752fb9aa">ninth-grade highlights</a>, the easy speed shines through on a long return. Ehlers makes good decisions when bringing the ball back, which helps him find the seams. He accelerates well through the holes. His film also includes clips of him making tackles on special teams' coverage. Keep an eye on this kid this season as breakouts in the other two phases seems like a good bet.     Nielsen intrigued me when I saw him operating during the 2025 Back to Ballin 7-on-7 tournament in Cedar Falls. He's a long-limbed athlete with potential on both sides of the ball. Nielsen looks fluid running routes and catching passes. He may be even more intriguing as a taller cornerback that we're seeing become more popular these days. It's not easy for someone 6-3 to play the position, but Nielsen shows good actions there, including change-of-direction and break on the ball. Linn-Mar relied heavily on senior receivers last season, so there's an opportunity for Nielsen to help there in 2025. No matter where he lines up, keep tabs on Nielsen.

We are hitting this project from all angles in our quest to write up as many student-athlete evaluations as we can this offseason. In this piece, we include some of the top 2028 players lacking one on their Prep Redzone Iowa profile pages.