Prep RedzoneMN Showcase: Nate’s Hog Molly Standouts
In this article:
MAPLE GROVE– Time to dive into the Hog Mollies that made my list as standouts from Sunday’s Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. This list has plenty of stockrisers from year by year, prospects that are just scratching the surface of their…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMAPLE GROVE– Time to dive into the Hog Mollies that made my list as standouts from Sunday’s Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. This list has plenty of stockrisers from year by year, prospects that are just scratching the surface of their upside, and a few first look OLs that caught my eyes on Sunday. Time to meet the fellas upfront that pave the way of the offense, the Hog Mollies!
Alex Dreher Alex Dreher 6'1" | 270 lbs | OL St. Paul Central | 2024 State MN , OL, St. Paul Central (2024) Twitter
Watching Alex on Sunday, I just continue to be more intrigued with the growth this young man has made since I first watched him last summer at the UWRF prospect camp as he’s gotten a ton more polished with his technique since last May. He showed off such swiftly quick footwork from the reps I caught in Indy drills and later into 1v1 action. He also has a super consistent pad-level that has highly superb balance with his leverage he gets from the early point of attack. Alex is also a OL prospect that has a blue-collar work ethic that you can assure will block until that whistle blows and his tape shows consistent drive blocking ability with excellent physicality drive blocking into the second level. I said it this week and I stand by it 100%, this young man needs more Division II attention as any program will also love to get this kid in the locker room due to his outstanding character as well. Also a high GPA prospect with a 3.81 GPA.
Isaac Cariveau Isaac Cariveau 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Detroit Lakes | 2024 State MN , OL, Detroit Lakes (2024) Twitter
Time to meet the OL MVP from Sunday’s Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase in 6’3 287 pound Detroit Lakes junior Isaac Cariveau Isaac Cariveau 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Detroit Lakes | 2024 State MN . It is becoming a trend for me at our Prep Redzone Showcases that when anytime one of those Lakers come to camp, these eyes stick like glue to watch them as that was the case with Isaac on Sunday. Isaac’s force in his hands on Sunday was a force to be reckoned with as his punching ability has so much nastiness with it, you certainly don’t want to be on the receiving end with all the force he has in his plethora. I watched a handful of reps from Isaac on Sunday and loved how quick his hands reacted off the whistle as he was quick to engage and was another OL that hit the pad at a consistent level in Maple Grove. He also played with a giant amount of strength which the MVP photo we took should do the justice why with just the eye test. Isaac certainly is going to be one to keep tabs on this summer at the FCS and Division II levels.
Jonah Blackman Jonah Blackman 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Big Lake | 2024 MN , OL, Big Lake (2024) Twitter
A member of our offensive linemen 2nd Team of top testers, I had the luxury of watching Jonah in back to back days perform at a strong level in the weight room on Saturday and Sunday at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. I watched Jonah’s junior tape within the last 2-3 days and I am pretty intrigued with the gains this young man has made with his skillsets since the 2022 season ended. He showed growth on Sunday with his technique and based on what I have learned about Jonah recently, this young man is very dedicated to improving his craft to get to the next-level. I always love when I see a prospect waiting in line for their next rep that uses their time wisely on what they just learned in Indy drills, as Jonah was one of very few that kept using what he learned while waiting for his next rep. At 6’2.5 230 pounds, this is a two-way prospect that should continue to grow his size this offseason as he has some wiggle room as I like Jonah’s potential as one of Big Lake’s leaders next year.
Jake Singleton Jake Singleton 6'3" | 290 lbs | OL Fairmont | 2024 State MN , OL, Fairmont (2024) Twitter
Another OL prospect that has grown Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase after showcase is Fairmont junior Jake Singleton Jake Singleton 6'3" | 290 lbs | OL Fairmont | 2024 State MN . If I recall correctly, I had Jake on my 3rd team All-Camp Team for offensive linemen and this session he grew his skills into my 2nd team from yesterdays list. What has developed from Jake is the explosion level he showed from top to bottom in early testing and when I got to watch him in Indy drills. He showed off some smooth looking footwork and I liked how fluid his change of direction was flowing when I watched him in the short shuttle. By the looks of his brief tape I watched, that growing pedal with his footwork is going to pay dividends and create an even bigger smash of physicality when he’s getting downhill as a pulling guard, which is one of my favorite skills he shows on tape. He also did well on Sunday with his angle blocking, as he showed a plethora of great strength in his 6’1.5 280 pound body from the reps I caught. I have learned over the years the blue collar work ethic these Fairmont Cardinals have from their camp to our showcases and by the looks of it, Jake is next in line to that description to play at the next-level.
Payton Jax Payton Jax 5'11" | 220 lbs | OL Byron | 2024 MN , OL, Bryon (2024) Twitter
I am not a huge buyer of stock with testing numbers with offensive linemen, but the biggest number that popped out to me was the 4.53 short shuttle and 7.56 L-Drill that Byron 2024 offensive linemen Payton Jax Payton Jax 5'11" | 220 lbs | OL Byron | 2024 MN ran on Sunday thru our testing session. I liked watching how well his reactive hands progressed rep after rep on Sunday, as I could see the development in Payton’s game the deeper he got into the first session at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. You don’t see too many centers that have the instincts with technique and now with the verified speed that Payton has put on the table. I also loved watching his bend on Sunday, as he has the flexibility from what I watched in the early stretch, to use his stamina to win the rep with his finish. Payton is an example we like to say in scouting you go outside the measurables threshold for, as his work ethic in his 5’11 230 pound frame. Payton would be one of my first new add ons to my All-Camp Team from Sunday.
William Storm William Storm 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL Bloomington Kennedy | 2025 State MN , OL, Bloomington Kennedy (2025) Tape
William was an OL prospect that is on my list of prospects I wish I had more time to watch on Sunday at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase in Maple Grove. I liked watching how much length in his reach William showed off in his 6’2 260 pound body, as I thought he stretched out his punch to look longer than that from my live evaluation than the tape showed. I see some development brewing with his explosion of his punch and his footwork based in the coming years, but when William uses that stretch he has, you can expect that he will certainly grow that explosion level in the coming year or so. William would be one of my honorable mentions on my All-Camp Team if I added to it.
Carson Lund Carson Lund 6'2" | 235 lbs | OL Maple Grove | 2025 State MN , OL, Maple Grove (2025) Twitter
Carson was a local prospect I needed to get a live evaluation on Sunday based on the consistency of his numbers from the testing session especially in the short shuttle. This young man quickly showed off that same consistency I saw in testing with his pad-level as another OL prospect on this list that shines on tape as a prospect that will drive you with his strength into the next area code if you don’t have your feet aligned. Another skillset that caught my eyes with Carson is how quick his footwork was, as he showed some solid fluidity no matter which direction he had to turn his feet in which I saw during Indy drills. Carson was a menace with his JV tape last season for the Maple Grove Crimson, as is one I expect to continue his dominate traits with his good technique onto the varsity squad next year. Another great thing about Carson? I see this kid hitting a growth spurt making his frame even longer.
Robbie Wollan Robbie Wollan 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL St. Thomas Academy | 2024 State MN , OL, St. Thomas Academy (2024) Twitter
It is time to meet one of our honorable mentions for OL MVP on Sunday in St. Thomas Academy 2024 OL Robbie Wollan Robbie Wollan 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL St. Thomas Academy | 2024 State MN . As a Prep Redzone Showcase veteran, Robbie showed off some smooth skillsets especially with his footwork on Sunday in Maple Grove as he had brought more development juice in his lower body and with his character as well. Robbie also showed a growing first step which I saw especially during Indy drills and it elevated a bunch from his junior tape he showed off. Robbie is another prospect on this list that probably is the best finisher once he gets into the second level, and I will say that I absolutely love a OL prospect that after he finishes he jumps on the defender to assure he won’t get another rep on that particular play. Robbie also has impressive 4.2 GPA and should be a great suitor for academic college football programs this summer at camps. 1st Team-All Camp Team member.
Michael Wagner Michael Wagner 6'6" | 260 lbs | OL Maple Grove | 2025 State MN , OL, Maple Grove (2025) Twitter
In my eyes, Michael likely has the biggest upside as far as where his game can take him on this entire OL list. I love how instinctive Michael is with his footwork, as when he used his change of direction like a downhill train that you do not want to be in front of. He showed off a ton more strength on Sunday than what his current measurables will tell you, as when a college football program adds some frame to him, expect his vicious punching ability to become even more ferocious. He also impressed me with just how smooth he was with his balance as he won a handful of reps on Sunday with his pure athelcsm alone. If I was an FBS program, I would certainly get Michael higher on their radar early going into summer as I see him being a prospect that could open up plenty of Division I eyes this summer.