Prepredzone Minnesota Showcase MVP series – Colten Gunderson

Brian Jerzak May 13, 2025 @ 09:05 PM

40 Yd    Shuttle                Broad Jump     L-Drill   5             4.5                        8'11                      7.22   As a three-sport athlete good enough at two of them to have college interest, Prior Lake's [player_tooltip player_id='1522534' first='Colten' last='Gunderson'] doesn't have many days off. Even so, he made time to participate in the Prepredzone Minnesota Spring Showcase. Showing football is one of his top sports, he walked away with a wide receiver MVP performance.   "I thought it went well," Gunderson said. "I didn't know what to expect with it, but once it got going, I expected to do as well as I did because I had done it before."   "I wanted to compete and make plays," Gunderson continued. "I wanted to run fast times and catch every ball I could. Just perform and show people what I could do."   Gunderson took some of the coaching and added it to his training.   "Some of the release drills we did and some of the basic releases are things I can build off of for my training and practice for this season."   He feels his splash plays helped him get MVP votes.   "I think I had some highlight plays going up and getting contested balls. Just making big plays and getting jump balls helped me stand out."   This winter, the Lakers' junior started on the basketball team.   "I played basketball this winter. We lost in the section championship. "I am the starting center. I am mainly a rebounder and defender but scored almost ten points a game. At the same time, I was training once a week for baseball. Now we are into baseball season, and I am rolling with that."   Baseball – not football – might be the sport he plays in college.   "I am a starting pitcher. My fastball is my best pitch. I throw a curveball, a changeup, and a little sinker."   On the football field, Gunderson played multiple positions.   "Last year, I was planning on playing tight end, but I got moved to receiver before the season because the coaches thought I would be more useful at receiver because of how our offense was going to be run. I played out wide most of the season, but towards the end of the season, I started to play some receiver/tight end combo type things."   He felt splash plays led him to the Showcase MVP, and he feels they make him an effective player when the games are real.   "I am best when I am catching contested, fifty/fifty balls. I feel I am a good blocker on the outside."   With the skills he is focused on, Gunderson continues to use the skills he learned at the Showcase.   "I am working specifically on my route running, so I am more than a fade guy in the red zone. I have been working on some short, in-breaking routes and my releases. Just working on being quick and fast with those movements and getting separation."   After baseball season, his focus swings back to all three sports.   "This summer, I am playing in some baseball tournaments. I will be going to some camps for football, and then we have our team camp and the practices a couple times a week. The same thing with basketball. We have practices two or three times a week."   Recruiting for football has ramped up for Gunderson – with baseball recruiting likely not far behind. "I have been to a couple of junior days and have a lot of camps planned. Northern Iowa and Minnesota-Duluth have offered, and have been talking to Northwestern, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State. I haven't gotten any recruiting interest for baseball yet. That will be coming this summer. I am playing on a club team this summer."

40 Yd Shuttle Broad Jump L-Drill