D1 Recruiting: 10 MN Prospects/Storylines to Watch this Offseason
The 2022 high school football season in Minnesota was one to remember. Every class of football was stacked with contenders, and we saw a plethora of undefeated team performances and eye-popping individual efforts from 9man up to the 6A big…
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Continue ReadingThe 2022 high school football season in Minnesota was one to remember. Every class of football was stacked with contenders, and we saw a plethora of undefeated team performances and eye-popping individual efforts from 9man up to the 6A big school brackets, and things excitedly concluded in an unreal state tournament stuffed with upsets, heavyweight battles, and some downright outrageous finishes worthy of Sportscenter Top-10 status and game-of-year accolades. We’re wrapping our 2022 season coverage this week, naming the top player at each position on the gridiron tomorrow and hurrying through our PRzMN Player of the Year honors before rankings updates start next week, but before that I wanted to take a quick look into the future and name of the top prospects and recruiting storylines I’ll be closely watching during this offseason. 2024s, 2025s, and even a ’26 or two, we’re talking Division 1 recruiting for this latest PRzMN feature and some historic narratives relevant to the state’s high school recruiting pool while hopefully naming one or two of the next prospects in line for a Power5 opportunity. Can’t wait for the offseason recruiting news! Thanks for reading.
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Prospect: Emerson Mandell Emerson Mandell 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Irondale | 2024 State MN (Irondale) C/o 2024. Offensive Tackle. 6’5, 295 lbs.
Storyline: Who will be the best blocker in Minnesota next season?
I just mentioned it in yesterday’s Frank Ragnow Award semifinal feature, but Minnesota’s top position group when talking recruiting is the offensive line, and with the departure of the loaded 2023 OL class from the prep ranks, the question of who the state’s best blocker is becomes especially prevalent. The frontrunner undoubtedly emerged during the 2022 season, when Irondale’s Emerson Mandell Emerson Mandell 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Irondale | 2024 State MN burst onto the scene with a home-state offer from the Gophers in late October. Iowa State and Syracuse have since joined the mix with offers, and Kansas and Iowa were in contact, so heading into the offseason you can bet your bottom dollar that Mandell is going to be busy with junior day visits and eventual workouts. Powerful, with a great base and heavy, efficient hands, Mandell is athletic enough to dominate at the second level of the defense in space and strong enough to enforce his will in the trenches. I also like how he can finish opponents off with only a couple of steps once he is engaged thanks to his strength and understanding of leverage, and he uses his hand placement well and can get up and under a DL’s chest plate. Mandell is a big name to know during this current offseason.
Other 2024 Names to Know: Ethan Sims Ethan Sims 6'7" | 300 lbs | OL Eden Prairie | 2024 State MN (Eden Prairie) OT. 6’7, 285 lbs.
Hayden Venenga Hayden Venenga 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL Willmar | 2024 State MN (Willmar) OT. 6’6, 265 lbs.
Aiden Horel Aiden Horel 6'5" | 325 lbs | OL Prior Lake | 2024 State MN (Prior Lake) OT/OG. 6’4, 315 lbs.
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Prospect: Maxwell Woods Maxwell Woods 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Chanhassen | 2024 State MN (Chanhassen) C/o 2024. Running Back. 5’11, 180 lbs.
Storyline: Minnesota RB recruiting underappreciation as of late
A fantastic junior campaign with 5A heavyweight Chanhassen put junior RB Maxwell Woods Maxwell Woods 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Chanhassen | 2024 State MN firmly onto the Division 1 recruiting radar and into the driver’s seat for MN’s RB1 in the class of 2024. This isn’t a big surprise, as word around town was Woods was a special one since he was a young freshman tailback, but where, how, and when his recruiting will take off will depend on a few things. The big one is his testing numbers, especially the verified speed, and this question has impacted Minnesota-born RBs particularly hard the past half-decade or so. Carson Hansen Carson Hansen 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB Lakeville South | 2023 State MN (2023s RB1) faced questions about if he could play RB at the next level. Before him, it took Holy Angel’s monster rusher Emmett Johnson up until the final hour to earn that coveted first P5 offer from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Evan Hull was the last P5 RB before him, and his recruitment also concluded late, and Jason Williamson also faced positional questions at the next level and only held a single P5 offer as well. Go Gophers. It’s not a huge gripe I carry, but I would like to get RBs from the Land of 10,000 Lakes to garner a little more respect, and I’d be ecstatic if Woods‘ recruitment popped off and his offer list grew far and wide, and his film certainly strengthens his case. He’s lethal in the open field in terms of elusiveness, with balance, quickness, and timing, and his vision, hands out of the backfield, and burst all pop on tape, making him an intimidating assignment to try and tackle in the open field or in traffic. As mentioned, that top-end speed will be important in how big his recruitment could get, but we’ve seen it before with MN backs that it certainly isn’t everything. He’s a D1 back no doubt, but I’m interested to see if the camp season in particular can shoot him into the P5 sphere earlier rather than later.
Other 2024 Names to Know: Savion Hart Savion Hart 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Saint Thomas Academy | 2024 State MN (St. Thomas Academy) 5’10, 190 lbs.
(Montevideo) 6′, 235 lbs.
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Prospect: Wyatt Gilmore Wyatt Gilmore 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Rogers | 2024 State MN (Rogers) C/o 2024. Defensive End. 6’4, 245 lbs.
Storyline: Who will be Minnesota’s #1 recruit next season?
The top uncommitted and top overall 2024 recruit, as well as the top recruit returning to the high school scene regardless of graduating class, goes to Rogers monster DE Wyatt Gilmore Wyatt Gilmore 6'4" | 250 lbs | DL Rogers | 2024 State MN . Thanks to him attending a PrepRedzoneMN Showcase as a freshman, we’ve known about his impressive athleticism before anyone, and he’s grown even more impressive as a now-6’4, 245 lb. DE with a 40 in the 4.7s, a 35″ vertical, and a 9’10” broad jump. He also can bench 350 pounds, squat 485, and clean 285. Gilmore just earned his first SEC offer yesterday from Mizzou, and he also earned an NDSU offer during the ’22 season. North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Akron, Central Michigan, and Iowa State are also all on the table. We have an established crop of rising seniors and juniors with P5 offers, but no one comes close right now to number or variety that Gilmore has right now. That number is only going to grow as well. Strength, athletics,, and some bend and some twitch all stand out to me on his junior tape, where the junior stands out as both a DE and a TE. Offensively is where he really shows off those athletic tools, possessing soft hands, contact balance and quickness after the catch, and top-end speed when running routes. As a DE, the first step, closing speed, and prowess at the point of contact all make him an intimidating and dominant matchup at the prep level and a surefire bet to play P5 ball in a couple of seasons. Can’t wait to continue following this recruitment.
Other Contenders for the Most Popular Recruit in MN Next Season: Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'1" | 175 lbs | WR Bloomington Jefferson | 2024 MN (Bloomington Jefferson) C/o 2024. Wide Receiver.
KhiJohnn Cummings-Coleman KhiJohnn Cummings-Coleman 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Coon Rapids | 2024 State MN (Coon Rapids) C/o 2024. Wide Receiver.
Emerson Mandell Emerson Mandell 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Irondale | 2024 State MN (Irondale) C/o 2024. Offensive Tackle.
Prospect: Zach Bentler Zach Bentler 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Two Harbors | 2024 State MN (Two Harbors) C/o 2024. DE. 6’4, 230 lbs. – Hunter Kallstrom Hunter Kallstrom 6'4" | 220 lbs | ATH Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg | 2024 State MN (Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunberg) C/o 2024. TE/DE. 6’4, 210 lbs.
Storyline: Who is the big dog (recruiting-wise) behind Koi Perich from Outstate
Esko’s fantastic 2022 campaign saw success on the field as well as the recruiting trail, highlighted by their superstar junior Koi Perich boosting himself into the P5 ranks of prospects as Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa all entered the mix with offers. The future safety is a beast, a natural, tough, and athletic two-way contributor more than capable of succeeding at the highest levels of CFB. With Perich firmly planted in the P5 sphere, the question now moves to who is the next big dog on the recruiting trail is from Outstate Minnesota. There seems to be two frontrunners at the moment, Two Harbors‘ DE Zach Bentler Zach Bentler 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Two Harbors | 2024 State MN and Kerkhoven’s projected DL Hunter Kallstrom Hunter Kallstrom 6'4" | 220 lbs | ATH Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg | 2024 State MN .
Bentler: Firmly on North Dakota State’s recruiting radar, Bentler also visited Iowa State, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota for gameday visits this fall and possesses the size that Division 1 programs are looking for out of a DE/EDGE prospect. As a junior, he posted 59 tackles, 14 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks and shows off a ton of strength when working through blocks, both with bend around the arch and the base to not get washed out of his gap along the interior. I also like his get-off and how he uses his hands to throw opponents off balance and shed blocking attempts. Also is tough enough to dominate as a run blocker and athletic enough to impact the pass game, both from his TE position.
Kallstrom: Quieter with his Twitter activity, Kallstrom hasn’t reported much in terms of recruiting attention but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The Gophers are very aware of him, and I’m sure the Missouri Valley schools have him on their boards as well. Made some great catches as a TE, showing off ball skills and coordination, and also is comfortable in space with the ball in his hands or when pursuing a ball carrier. Long, strong, and dynamic, he can do a lot of things on the gridiron and do them all well. I could see a future on either side of the ball for the small school stud. I’m very interested to see how the summer camp circuit in particular goes for Kallstrom.
Prospects: Dylan Hudgens (Minnetonka) Linebacker. 6’2, 215 lbs. & Damarius Russell (Waseca) Athlete. 5’11, 160 lbs.
Storyline: Power 5 2025s
This season, we saw sophomores Abu Tarawallie Abu Tarawallie 6'4" | 260 lbs | DL Heritage Christian Academy | 2025 State MN (Providence Academy) and Emmanuel Karmo Emmanuel Karmo 6'3" | 205 lbs | LB Robbinsdale Cooper | 2025 State MN (Robbinsdale Cooper) become the first two Minnesota 2025s to become Power 5 recruits as the Iowa State Cyclones once again showed their appreciation and trust in Land of 10,000 Lakes talent. Now, it’s safe to ask “who’s next?” Two big-time contenders and names to know from the MN 2025s are Dylan Hudgens (‘Tonka) and Damarius Russell (Waseca), who both finished sensational sophomore campaigns this season and are set to make some serious noise during this offseason.
Russell: An electric three-phase contributor with noticeable speed, start/stop ability, and strength in his 5’11, 160 pound frame, I really like Russell as a CB. where he looked smooth and athletic in his 2022 tape. Fluid and comfortable with his footwork, Russell shows loose hips, speed out of his breaks, ball skills, and instincts when reading and triggering on opposing routes. Also torches defenders as a receiver and as a kick returner. His fluidity and comfortability from the CB spot are very impressive for his age and I believe he’s got a very bright future ahead of him. I’m not the only one who thinks that either!
Hudgens: Minnetonka has an excellent tradition of LBs and they have themselves a potential superstar in sophomore 6’2, 215 lber. Dylan Hudgens. The well-built ‘backer reads, triggers, and closes on ball carriers with noticeable speed and timing, and he’s strong at the contact point, laying some big hits in 2022. The ILB also takes good angles when pursuing the ball, can slip by blocks or beat them with strength, and shows off the speed to pursue to the sideline as well. Can be successful around the LOS or out in space and moves well for a good-sized underclassman out of the Metro. Watching him read and shut down screens are a thing of beauty! I can’t wait to see how the Eye Test and camp circuit go for the ‘Tonka LB.
Prospect: Max Mogelson (Two Rivers) C/o 2024. Defensive Line. 6’4, 260 lbs.
Storyline: Talented 2024 DL Group; Potential Gopher Offer
If we’re talking potential Gopher offer or next up for a P5 opportunity, Two Rivers standout DL Max Mogelson has to be part of the conversation. After a fantastic freshman season followed by an injury-ridden sophomore campaign, Mogelson was back to 100% in 2022 and put up some eye-catching film as a junior, earning game-day invites and visits to Minnesota and Kansas. The three-sport standout earned All-Conference and Section Lineman of the Year awards this fall, not to mention his basketball and baseball accolades, and as an iDL he looks like a man amongst boys at times, flying off the LOS with a great get-off and laying the boom like he’s playing against freshman competition. He also can close and chase down ball carriers more like a LB than a massive prep DT, and can shed blocks like his 6’4, 250+ pound frame would suggest. His offensive tape also reinforces mobility, showing off juice with the ball in hand as a TE. He looks and plays like a P5 DL on film, now it just has to be backed up in person. He’ll have a ton of eyes on him during the summer camp szn, and I have a good feeling he’s going to knock the socks off some big-time coaches and recruiters. Can’t wait to see it!
Other Names to watch: Jide Abasiri Jide Abasiri 6'6" | 290 lbs | DL Prior Lake | 2024 State MN (Prior Lake) DL. 6’6, 260 lbs. – Offers from Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa State
Zach Bentler Zach Bentler 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Two Harbors | 2024 State MN (Two Harbors) DE. 6’4, 240 lbs.
Dane Borene Dane Borene 6'6" | 240 lbs | DL SMB | 2024 State MN (SMB) DE. 6’6, 244 lbs.
Mo Saine Mo Saine 6'5" | 275 lbs | DL Eden Prairie | 2024 State MN (Eden Prairie) DT. 6’5, 280 lbs. – Iowa State offer
Easton Suess Easton Suess 6'5" | 215 lbs | DL Kasson-Mantorville | 2024 State MN (Kasson-Mantorville) DE. 6’4, 205 lbs.
Prospect: Antonio Menard (Lakeville North) C/o 2024. DE. 6’3, 215 lbs.
Storyline: NDSU prospects
I don’t need to reiterate the fact that a North Dakota State offer is a big deal in Minnesota and there’s an argument to be made that it’s up there with a P5 offer, given the amount of Minnesotans they’ve sent to the NFL over the years. There are plenty of NDSU fans and recruiting fanatics inside MN’s borders, and to satisfy some of the Bison recruiting hunger I wanted to shoutout a big-time name with the size and skill to play for NDSU, not to mention his Bison lineage. The younger brother of former NDSU All-American DE Greg Menard, 2024 Lakeville North DE Antonio Menard is finishing a junior campaign that saw him visit Minnesota, Iowa State, NDSU, UND, and SDSU for gameday experiences and put some impressive reps on tape from all over the LOS. Strong, quick like his brother, and physical through contact, Menard was deadly from his Wide-9 spot but is strong enough to operate in the interior of the DL and can play from a two-point or with his hand in the dirt. He can beat blockers in a variety of ways, even showing some bend at the top of the arch, and can finish plays when given the opportunity, even if it’s in space or in a 1-on-1 situation. There’s a lot of good things working for him and his play alone would make him an easy bet for a NDSU target. Get familiar, Bison fans!
Prospects: Riley Grossman Riley Grossman 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Lakeville North | 2025 State MN (Lakeville North), Luke Emmerich Luke Emmerich 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Monticello | 2025 State MN (Monticello), Chase Thompson (Alexandria)
Storyline: Talented 2025 QB Battle
What was a two-QB battle for MN’s 2025 QB1 coming into the season has gotten a lot more interesting now that the ’22 season has concluded. Grossman, a 6’1, 175 lber. who set the MN prep scene on fire in the fall of 2021 after he became the first freshman to start at QB for Lakeville North in a couple decades, still holds a strong argument for top dog thanks to his arm talent, athleticism, and big-game experience. His fellow well-known counterpart, Monti’s Emmerich, did a ton of different things in 2022 and did them very impressively, potentially editing his positional categorization from QB to ATH and showing off a dynamic and playmaking skillset in his 6’2, 195 lb. frame, particularly with the ball in hand and with his legs. The newcomer was discovered and hyped by PrepHoops’ Ryan James, and 6’7, 200 lb. Alexandria gunslinger Chase Thompson sure shows a high ceiling, both literally and figuratively. Easily able to stretch the field vertically, accurate in the pocket and on the run, and possessing an eye-popping build and frame, Thompson adds a very intriguing third party in the race for 2025 QB1. All three of these guys show an exciting and high-potential skillset and could possibly combine to make the strongest QB class I’ve seen since my time in high school. Only time will tell, but all three of these guys show D1 talent.
Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'1" | 175 lbs | WR Bloomington Jefferson | 2024 MN (Bloomington Jefferson) C/o 2024. Wide Receiver. 6’1, 175 lbs.
Storyline: Football or Basketball?
This one is more straight forward, as we’ve all known about Freitag’s talent as the #1 dual-sport athlete in Minnesota for 2024 and have heard of his two-sport capability and offers for the next level. Kansas State offered for both football and basketball in late November, Virginia offered a scholarship for hoops in October, and Wisconsin, Minnesota, Baylor, Iowa State, Iowa, and Nebraska are also on the table for basketball. Minnesota also has offered for football as a wide receiver, and with this diverse array of options I know I’m not the only one who is on the edge of their seat in anticipation for Freitag’s eventual decision. Well, that decision date is looming closer and closer, and the Bloomington product is going to have to decide what sport, or sports, and where that will happen, before his senior year begins. I can’t give you much inside info at this point, but I do know that football has just as good of a chance as basketball, and his love for the home state does play a role in his future college choice. Selfishly, I hope he’ll be a Gopher, but we still have a lot of time until a decision needs to be made and I’d be very surprised if more programs don’t join the fray over the offseason. His two-sport prowess and suitors speak for itself.
Prospects: Sam Macy Sam Macy 6'5" | 230 lbs | LB Chanhassen | 2024 State MN (Chanhassen) C/o 2024. LB. – Zach Ladu (Rochester John Marshall) C/o 2024. Safety. 6’4, 170 lbs. – Dylan Gross Dylan Gross 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Brainerd | 2024 State MN (Brainerd) C/o 2024. LB. 6’2, 220 lbs. – Wyatt Osterbauer (Buffalo) C/o 2024. LB/DE. – Zashon Rich Zashon Rich 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB MPLS North | 2024 State MN (Minneapolis North) C/o 2024. DB/ATH.
Storyline: Other 2024s to Know
Macy: South Dakota offered a FCS scholarship in late September. Great size (6’5, 205 lbs.) and a frame that could add a ton of weight and muscle in a collegiate S&C program. Third year with strong film, second year manning the edge for Chanhassen’s varsity defense, and can blitz, tackle, and shed blocks, all while impressively holding and defending the edge.
Ladu: You don’t see safeties with Ladu’s eye-popping size very often, and the Rochester product can back up the size with his play, showing range both in coverage and run support, ball skills, and some thump as a tackler. Also athletic enough to make big plays as a WR and has a good hoops background as well. I believe Missouri Valley schools should get this kid on their boards fast, NDSU has firmly been in touch and I think he’d ne a good fit at the FCS level.
Gross: Strong, powerful size, tons of varsity experience, and plays a position that MN historically produces well at. One of the hardest hitters in the state and comes from a Brainerd program that just sent a LB to North Dakota State. Things are quieter than they should be for Dylan Gross Dylan Gross 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Brainerd | 2024 State MN . He’ll have to show the size and mobility in person to start reeling in some scholarships.
Osterbauer: At 6’4, 225 lbs., Osterbauer is particularly enticing as an ILB, where his film shows him able to move and change direction with notable ease for his massive frame. Similar to Gross, the Buffalo LB is going to have to back up the film with some verified testing numbers to see how he truly fits at the next level.
Rich: The #1 DB in the state, Polars junior Rich just earned All-metro Second Team honors this season after stepping in and playing QB for the 612 powerhouse. Although it’s good to show versatility, we now have less DB film to evaluate for the junior and with recruiting still pretty quiet on Rich’s front he’s going to have to get in front of the eyes of colleges this offseason. There’s still a lot of time for Rich to get popular on the recruiting trail.
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