Although in a losing effort, Menard was the overall most impressive player I saw. On offense, he threw several impact blocks. He blew open a big hole and then destroyed another defender on another running play early in the game. Late in the game, his lead block sprung running back Sawyer Wilkie Sawyer Wilkie 5'11" | 205 lbs | RB Lakeville North | 2024 State MN on a long run. On defense, he made a tackle on the outside. Then, he was immediately in the backfield to make a tackle on the outside for a short loss. Against the pass, he chased down the quarterback on a rollout for a sack on third down. He capped off his night with a sack late in the game.

Lakeville North’s stud of an edge rusher, Antonio Menard Antonio Menard 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Lakeville North | 2024 State MN is a well rounded athlete who can be defined by his quickness off the ball. The 6-foot-3, 215 pound defensive end may be on the leaner side, but the speed he generates off the line is far more valuable than the few pounds he lacks. He slaps offensive lineman’s hands away before they can engage, generates holds by getting behind the line before anyone can get their hips around, and hawks down quarterbacks from the backside thanks to his long strides and stellar top speed.  Once he gets to the quarterback, he hits them so forcefully that there is always potential for a fumble. Lining up in a nine technique more times than not, Menard’s versatility and speed means he can be plugged in just about anywhere at the next level, which is a college coach’s dream come true.

We’re moving back down the rankings before we head up again, and this time we’re rolling all the way down to the Top-15 and our current #12 ranked prospect in Lakeville North EDGE Antonio Menard. The 6’3, 215 lber. has received his fair share of press from us since the season ended, but if you don’t already know, the Panthers standout has a lot of exciting factors built into his recruiting profile. The younger brother of former NDSU All-American and LNHS legend Greg Menard, younger bro Antonio is also a standout wrestler in the upper weights of Class AAA and brings a hard-hitting playstyle to the gridiron that FCS and FBS programs have begun to take notice of. After a bunch of unofficial gameday visits during the fall, Wyoming kicked things off with an FBS offer from the Mountain West, and since then Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, Yale, South Dakota State, and Army have all joined in the recruitment of Menard. On tape, he makes plays from all over the defensive line and can play from a two or three-point stance efficiently, and I really like how he impacts both the run and pass game with a variety of different methods. The first step, closing speed, quickness when beating blockers to their inside shoulder, and strength at the point of attack keep lineman guessing and on their heels, and he gets into the backfield as fast as anyone in the state. Plus, he can make plays in space and 1-on-1 settings and be able to get a lot of practice in 2022 when he was left unblocked a boggling amount. Opponents won’t make that same mistake again this year.