PrepRedzoneMN 2023 Rankings Update: Oliver's 10 Favorite Tapes

This one is about as straightforward as it gets! I watched somewhere north of 400 different rising seniors in preparation for the recent PRzMN 2023 update and thought it may be interesting to narrow things down and tell our wonderful subscribers about my 10 favorite highlight tapes of the entire class. Whether it was a hard-hitting style of play, outrageous versatility, eye-catching measurables, a natural playmaking ability, these athletes’ film caught my eye for a number of different reasons and I am excited to tell you guys all about it in this PrepRedzoneMN feature. Additionally, I haven’t written about most of these prospects yet - which is always nice for me - and these recruits project to a number of different positions as well as divisions of college football. Hope you enjoy the highlight tapes as much as I did! Thanks for reading. [player_tooltip player_id="112136" first="Lance" last="Nielsen"] Jr. (Centennial) ATH. 6’, 190 lbs. @lance_nielsen5 My three cousins went to Centennial High School, so I’ve been watching and following the Cougars football & hockey teams particularly closely during my formative years. Throughout that time I’ve been lucky to see some prospects who I really liked, as names such as Clayton and Sammy Byrd, Riley and Tucker Trettel, Levi Falck, Jake Hartford, Luke Chuol, and Connor Zulk all come to mind off the top of my head. These dudes were some studs, which makes me even more excited about 2023 ATH [player_tooltip player_id="112136" first="Lance" last="Nielsen"], whose tape I am a bigger fan of than even 2016 grad Jake Hartford. Nielsen opens his tape with an explosive hit that crumpled a STMA fullback backwards and continues the thrilling highlights with long TD runs and catches, athletic interceptions, and more bodies hitting the floor. The rising senior has game-breaking speed and good vision as a ball carrier and operates well in space both when shaking defenders as well as tackling. He lined up all over the field in 2021 on both sides of the football and brings a physical edge to whatever position he is playing. At a strong 190 pounds, I think he could develop into a beast in a college weight room and his skillset would probably lend itself well to the linebacker position at the next level. I cannot wait for his senior tape! Roll Cougs. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13095281/615ba50eb018990b88b2eac9">2021 Junior Season</a> [player_tooltip player_id="235707" first="Mark" last="Rogalski"] (St. Thomas Academy) OLB. 6’1, 190 lbs. @Markrogalski2 Holy moly will this dude hit you. I saw some giant tackles, blocks, hits, and block defeats while watching tape for the 2023 update and no one had as many eye-popping thumps as the Cadet outside linebacker. A prospect who was new to my radar and new to the rankings, Rogalski has natural pop, closing speed, and an innate nastiness and violence that helps provide the maximum amount of physicality to each and every play. He sent more than a few QBs, RBs, and WRs airborne and horizontal in 2021 and has a nose for the football as well as a giant right leg that he used to thunder the ball downfield as the STA punter. I’ve watched his junior highlights all the way through on multiple occasions and it does not lose its luster after the first viewing. Rogalski told me he potentially may get snaps in the defensive secondary as well as on offense in 2022, which gives me even more reasons to be excited for his senior tape. Keep an eye on him for next year’s "Hardest Hitter" award. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/13076760/6174ae8a64df850af4d23e2d">2021 Junior SZN Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="19002" first="Max" last="McEnelly"] (Waconia) RB/LB. 5’11, 205 lbs. Committed to wrestle for Minnesota The 3x AAA state champion wrestler and Golden Gopher wrasslin’ commit McEnelly is also a heckuva player on the gridiron and just finished up his third season starting on varsity for Waconia this past fall. I am pumped to watch him wrestle for the hometown team in a couple of years, but his early commitment to stay on the mat in college obviously muddies the water in terms of his hypothetically projecting him to a football position at the next level. Despite being a "tweener" of a recruit when talking about what position he’d play in college, his experience, production, explosiveness, and top-tier athleticism in the state of Minnesota keeps him really high on my personal rankings board as well as the 2023 class. In 2021 the two-way standout posted 1,557 rushing yards at a 6.2 YPC average and 16 TDs while adding 87 tackles, 8 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 2 INTs for the Wildcats defense. McEnelly has burst, vision, quickness, and the lower body strength to power through tackle attempts at his waist and legs. I think his speed really is displayed well on defense as a linebacker, where he shoots out of his stance out on the edge of the LOS like he’s shot out of a cannon and is running through QBs in the blink of an eye. He plays faster than just about anyone in the state defensively, and that same speed, as well as his loose hips, also really aid him in coverage. The contact balance on offense and his play speed on defense are my favorite parts of his tape, and as an avid fan of amateur wrestling it shouldn’t surprise a lot of people that McEnelly made my list of favorites. The kid flies around and then some. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GMWas">Junior Year Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="295962" first="Owen" last="Leach"] (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton) QB/ATH. 6’6, 190 lbs. @OwenLea24470352 Every year in Minnesota there are a handful of basketball-first athletes who are big, fast, and move very well for their size who I really wish would throw themselves into football the recruiting process. A big-time newcomer to the 2023 update fits this mold and has size that you simply can’t ignore for an athletic high school quarterback. Meet: [player_tooltip player_id="295962" first="Owen" last="Leach"]. The Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton product runs like a deer and was a huge weapon with his legs out of the QB spot for the Rebels who doubled as a fearless edge defender and MLB and posted 35 tackles, 1 sack, and 12 total TDs in 11 games of 2021. Generally, the quarterback of a high school squad is the best athlete on the team, and Leach definitely checks that box, which even further expands my enthusiasm in the 6’6, 190 lber. as a prospect. He’s got speed, shake, and body control at that at that size and could potentially play a number of different positions at the next level. With so much potential and athleticism in a small school Minnesota dual-sport prospect it just really gets my imagination running wild and the juices flowing. I’ll be very attentive to his development and recruiting process going forward. Good luck with hoops, Owen! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13063919/6191907466562e08bcf9e0f9">Junior Year</a> [player_tooltip player_id="295816" first="Jackson" last="Thompson"] (Moose Lake-Willow River) RB/LB. 5’8, 185 lbs. @24JThompson When I was in high school and starting to grow my passion for Minnesota prep ball, Moose Lake-Willow River had some tough, strong, and physical teams that went deep into the Class 2A playoffs and right on the cusp of multiple state championships. The name Jake Disterhaupt used to carry a lot of weight up in NE Minnesota and Grand Forks, ND, and since then names such as Aidan Szczyrbak and Logan Orvedahl have taken the reigns of the Rebels and helped them win the section 7AA championship 15 times. Class of 2023 RB and LB [player_tooltip player_id="295816" first="Jackson" last="Thompson"] is stepping into those shoes of success, and I gotta say, I really liked this dude’s film. Despite being traditionally undersized, he carries on that tradition of tough, hard-nosed Moose Lake-Willow River RBs and posted 64 carries for 846 yards and 12 TDs in 2021 and holy moly does he have some contact balance for his size. The second play of his tape is nuts, as he took a carry against Esko and stiff-armed and sprinted his way through half-a-dozen tackle attempts without even a stumble. He’s even got a rep about 1:30 into his tape where he channels his inner LaMichael James when he landed on top of a defender and had the awareness to get up and keep trucking forward. He can break tackles like it’s his job and is also a crushing blocker in the run game. With burst and speed he can even help out in the return game. This kid can tote the rock and showed a very appealing ability to break tackles through contact from the RB position. Someone is going to land a tank! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13191044/61bcf3aa176c7909f4246a0a">Junior Season Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="112055" first="Joey" last="Krouse"] (Prior Lake) WR/RB. 5’10, 175 lbs. @joeykrouse23 Krouse has been on my radar for a while now thanks to his playmaking ability on the varsity level since he was an underclassman, no easy feat against 6A competition. Coming out of a high school with a strong strength and conditioning program, i know that Krouse’s 5’10, 175 lb. frame is a lean, mean, powerful machine, and in his junior tape he highlights just how explosive of an offensive weapon he is after posting 28 receptions for 526 yards and 7 TDs plus 55 carries for 401 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. He runs a solid corner route out of the slot thanks to some swivel in his hips and soft hands, and his speed in his releases as well as at the top end make him a tough matchup in coverage for DBs and/or LBs. Once he gets the ball in his hands you can see him shift into a different gear to outrun defenders, and at 175 pounds he can slip through tackle attempts without losing balance. Defenses need to be aware of where he is on the field at all times, and I think he’s one of the best and most dynamic offensive weapons in Minnesota. Prior Lake has some studs next year. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12864772/61806a07578d72063ca91bb1">2021 Junior Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="112044" first="Sawyer" last="Seidl"] (Hill-Murray) RB. 5’10, 170 lbs. @SawyerSeidl2 The older Seidl has been on our radars since his freshman season of high school ball and I was quite pumped to see his first offers come in as New Mexico State, Western Illinois, and Army-West Point reached out to the #1 true RB in the state of Minnesota this spring. Additionally, it was quite a joy to watch Seidl fly around the rink of the Xcel Energy Center with his Hill-Murray squad this past week on the quest for a AA state hockey championship. His junior season, in which he posted 190 carries for 1,573 yards and 18 TDs, show highlights that are electrifying, skillful, and eye-catching, as his cuts and ability to create separation with the ball in his hands in short areas of open space are more than impressive. He also has the speed to pull away from defenders and outrun angles, and it wasn’t until a minute and 40 seconds into his junior tape that we finally saw the Pioneer RB get tackled, and even after that he was still popping off long TD runs. That’s a good sign in a RBs film! He’s got speed and shiftiness for days, and if you enjoy touchdowns and/or appreciate RBs, just like me, this is the tape for you. Love seeing talented, FBS-quality RBs like this come out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, especially when they play hockey! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13054161/61777f129680c90b80db230c">Junior SZN</a> [player_tooltip player_id="112043" first="Carson" last="Hansen"] (Lakeville South) RB. 6’1, 195 lbs. @CarsonHansen21 Any avid reader of PrepRedzoneMN is probably aware of the fact that I am a big fan of Lakeville South Cougars RB and projected athlete [player_tooltip player_id="112043" first="Carson" last="Hansen"]. Although listed as the #1 RB in Minnesota in our latest update, there has been a lot of chatter throughout the state and among college programs about what position the 6’1, 195 pounder will play at the next level. However, he’s a RB only for now, and his RB highlights are what made me fall head over heels for him as a prospect when I checked out his varsity tape as a sophomore starter in a loaded Cougars backfield. This past fall as a junior, Hansen somehow upped his game even more and was - in my opinion - the best player on the state’s best team, totaling 168 carries for 2,012 yards and 23 TDs and posted a ridiculous 34 carries of 20 or more yards in 2021. He’s a monster in the T-formation, RB-heavy offense of the ’21 6A state champions, and has legit 4.5-4.4 speed to go along with plenty of quick-twitch muscles in those long legs and some shifty, powerful cuts near the LOS and in the open field. His frame, experience, production, speed, and athleticism are too hard to ignore when discussing the top players in the state, and for his efforts he’s been rewarded with P5 offers from Iowa State and Kansas State and FBS/FCS offers from Western Illinois, Army, SDSU, Colorado State, Air Force, UNI, Wyoming, Central Michigan, North Dakota, NDSU, South Dakota, and Illinois State. More are coming. To me personally, it’s been a while since I can remember a big-school offensive weapon show this kind of dominance and athleticism for this many years in Minnesota and I am hoping and praying the Gophers reach out with an offer soon. Man, I’d be pumped if he was a Gopher. Always got a fan in me, Carson! <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/12288768/61b272f14ba80804209a80a9">Junior Highlights ’21</a> [player_tooltip player_id="112053" first="Kade" last="Gilbertson"] (Rosemount) LB. 6’1, 210 lbs. @GilbertsonKade A monster in the weight room who recently maxed out with a 475 pound squat, Gilbertson eliminates blocks better than maybe anyone in the entire state and flies around the gridiron with maximum effort and the willingness to sacrifice his body to make the play for his team. His motor never quits, and because getting off blocking attempts is one of the most important parts of being a LB and a highly appreciated skill I like seeing on film, Gilbertson easily got himself in the running for one of my favorite tapes in the entire 2023 class. Things were solidified around 1:20 into the junior tape when he sent an Edina Hornet HB completely horizontal on a swipe-back block behind the LOS. Whoever lands this guy is going to get an expert defender of the run game. Also, I used to wear #35 in college and think that it’s an excellent number for a thumper at the linebacker spot. Rosemount churns out LBs like a factory and I love watching these boys play. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GMb2H">2021 SZN</a> [player_tooltip player_id="295817" first="Jadon" last="Hellerud"] (Shakopee) RB. 5’10, 195 lbs. @HellerudJadon To build off my already mentioned love of wrestler/football standouts, meet Shakopee RB [player_tooltip player_id="295817" first="Jadon" last="Hellerud"]. I got a sneak peek at the powerful ball carrier this past summer at a preseason four-team scrimmage and was quite excited about what I saw, and that was before I found out he also was a state championship-caliber wrestler on one of the state’s best programs in Shako. Hellerud unfortunately is just coming off a 1-0 loss in the 195AAA state title match to the aforementioned McEnelly, but that does not diminish his talent and potential as a dual-sport prospect on the gridiron and wrestling mat. He is a truck stick waiting to happen from the RB spot, with a mean stiff-arm and a ton of power in his lower body that makes him extremely hard to tackle in 1-on-1 situations. He’s also got noteworthy quickness and balance and can take advantage of defenders who assume he is going to run straight when they commit to a tackle. Generally, we mainly see the benefits of wrestling manifest in offensive and defensive lineman, so I get especially juiced up when I see the toughness and always-forward, never-quit mentality show itself in a RB. He’ll be one of the best RBs in the Metro and one of the least-fun to tackle in all of MN next season. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GL4PY">2021-’22 Highlights</a> Honorable Mentions: [player_tooltip player_id="112057" first="Braden" last="Mohr"] (Farmington) DE. 6’3, 240 lbs. [player_tooltip player_id="295961" first="Mason" last="Kolling"] (Kingsland) ATH. 6’5, 235 lbs. [player_tooltip player_id="112137" first="Devin" last="Jordan"] (Eden Prairie) DB. 6’2, 185 lbs. [player_tooltip player_id="112103" first="Marques" last="Monroe"] (Bloomington Kennedy) DB. 6’1, 185 lbs. [player_tooltip player_id="112150" first="Tyler" last="Walden"] (Eden Prairie) RB. 6’2, 210 lbs.