2023 Dakotas Ranking Update: The Newcomers, Part One

<strong>DAKOTAS-- </strong>We take a deep dive into the Class of 2023 as we look at 10 of the newcomers to our 2023 rankings. These ten prospects are in no particular order when it comes to their rank and is all over the board, from the off-the-radar small school gems all the way to possible scholarship level prospects at the Division I level we found. Since we added a significant amount of newcomers, don't think for a second that we won't continue diving into who cracked our rankings this week as we focus on this class before we dive into the Class of 2024 rankings later this week! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161240" first="Nate" last="Ratzlaff"] | Linebacker | Sioux Falls O’Gorman | <a href="https://twitter.com/NateRatzlaff">Twitter</a></strong> Ratzlaff is a linebacker prospect we identified shortly after dropping the last update of our Class of 2023 rankings and was one we knew we had to add on this time around. Ratzlaff has a solid crashing ability into the first level and brings a lot of size to the linebacker position at 6’1 215 pounds as just an incoming junior. Let’s not forget Ratzlaff’s versatility as well, as he does a little of everything from running back, long snapper, and in my eyes, the most dominant at linebacker. Ratzlaff gets off blocks quick at linebacker and has solid footwork and vision to identify where the best positioning is for him to make a play on the ball. He also shows off a high physicality level when making contact. Ratzlaff checked as our highest ranked newcomer chiming into the top 25 in the Class of 2023. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/14287630/60346d4c32dce30258bda1a5">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161254" first="Cody" last="Oswald"] | Defensive Back | Yankton </strong> Oswald showed a solid wiggle in his step when changing directions with his footwork and is a prospect that logged six interceptions last year for the Bucks. He plays as a deep safety but has a big motor and can cover a lot of ground throughout the field. Oswald really stuck out to me on tape in the Bucks game against Brookings by getting solid contact on one of the Dakota’s most powerful runners in SDSU commit [player_tooltip player_id="56238" first="Josh" last="Buri"]. Oswald gets off his blockers quick and is, from my eyes, going to be a stockriser on our list as his 6’3 size in the secondary is nothing to joke about. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13651875/5fac6cadf327a70990158d62">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161243" first="Noah" last="Hutmacher"] | Linebacker | Chamberlain | <a href="https://twitter.com/Noahjhut">Twitter</a></strong> The little brother of Nebraska defensive linemen Nash Hutmacher, Noah, is still an under-the-radar prospect in the Class of 2023. He doesn’t have a ton of film available yet, but from what I could find, I am a big fan of his high level of contact at the linebacker position. Hutmacher had an excellent spring season on the wrestling mat, so I am excited to see how he uses that strength on the football field this fall for the Cubs. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EPG0Y">Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161222" first="Austin" last="Pillsbury"] | Wide Receiver | Menno | <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinPillsbur3">Twitter</a></strong> Pillsbury is a prospect that can make plays on the football inside some really tight windows. He also does well from the start of his route, creating separation from the cornerback with his strong footwork out the gates. Pillsbury has a great knack for when the play breaks down, creating his own route and his own opportunities to get the football. He also brings a pretty solid stretch in his arms when it comes to his catch radius. He’ll need to develop a strong lower body to attain more yards after the catch in my eyes. This kid was excellent with the deep routes as it only took him 13 receptions to get 254 yards last season, which is equivalent to nearly two first downs per catch. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2DGciN">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161227" first="Aiden" last="Mason"] | Running Back | Rapid City Central | <a href="https://twitter.com/AidanMason45">Twitter</a></strong> While I watched some game tape on Mason, I was impressed when he flipped his hips at the defensive back position to the right as he showed a terrific explosion when going in that direction. Mason also gets a solid pad level on his contact from the bulk of the reps I have seen on tape. Most important at running back, this young man gets solid yards but may not break the big one, but he gets a ton of great inside contact yards as in some of his reps against Sioux Falls O’Gorman; this kid showed that he is a battler inside. Mason got duel reps on JV and varsity for the Cobbler’s last season, so it will be fun to see how his game translates to heavy varsity reps in 2021. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ep9ab">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161241" first="Isaac" last="Johnson"] | Linebacker | Tea Area </strong> Johnson is a linebacker; that was a recent add-on that I feel is flying under the radar. He does a solid job at being patient yet is an attacker regardless of the direction the play is going. He has that versatility that I like watching in linebackers that don’t particularly favor one side or the other when it comes to where they are at their best. His vision of the ball is also a great trait he has in his game as his plays on the ball are made with consistent contact. He has a quick shedding ability despite being a little undersized at 200 pounds. All in all, when I watch Johnson’s tape, I see a prospect that could be a gobbler at the next level at just logging plenty of tackles every game for whatever program he ends up at. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ej86L">Jr Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161295" first="Brian" last="Johnson"] | Tight End | Aberdeen Central  </strong> Johnson very well could be the best tight end in the Dakotas before it’s all said and done. Looking at the frame alone (6’2, 225) as just an incoming junior is enough for college coaches to take a look. Throw on his film, and you see a kid that is a strong blocking tight end that gets strong contact on his blocks. He’s a little raw on his route running, but he still shows that he can be a big targetted red zone threat for the Eagles. He seems to have a better burst and a solid turn in his footwork especially deep in opponent territory. Johnson is overall just a tough-tackling target just because of his strong lower body, and I think he’s going to get even better in 2021 and has the highest ceiling of all of the Dakota tight end prospects in the Class of 2023. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EsFc7">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="160912" first="Fehi" last="Faonelua"] | Quarterback | Northwestern Area</strong> When I watched Faonelua’s tape for the first time, although it was visually hard to watch, I could tell this young man had some raw skillset that he’s got two years to build on. When he sets his feet, he has the really solid touch and arm strength on the football. When he throws off-balance, he shows more air on the ball than I would like to see, which he can work on this off-season, etc. What I did catch on some of the off-balance throws, however, is Faonelua has good percison on leading his receivers which; if he can work on those throw’s touch, it could be fun to watch once he develops that throw more. His best throws are his mid-range throws when he puts all of his skill sets together and makes a solid throw over the middle of the field. Faonelua, with that development, could turn a good small school prospect in the coming years but is really off the radar at the moment. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EfaGC">So Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="161260" first="Chase" last="Jones"] | Defensive Back | Dell Rapids</strong> Jones is a prospect that could develop better on his backpedal, but there is no one questioning his motor when it comes to putting the gas pedal on the floor and covering some solid range to make a play on the ball carrier. He also is a defensive back prospect that has good ball instincts in getting a read on the ball to get the best positioning to make a play on the ball in the air. Jones will need more film to show us more of what he’s got in 2021, but Jones cracked our rankings based on the excellent yet limited plays he made in 2020. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ETi8U">Tape</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="160933" first="Jacob" last="Goettle"] | Tight End | Bismarck St. Marys</strong> Goette is a two-way prospect that looked the most natural at the tight end position. One word to describe this kid? Sneaky. When you watch his tape, you don’t see the most sizeable tight end on tape, but you see a kid that has a lot of unseen strength in his lower body to grab more yards than you would expect after contact.  Goette also makes a lot of plays deep inside that first level at linebacker, which could be what the college coaches will see more of for him at the next level despite a natural-looking tight end. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EJHWK">Tape</a>