The Offensive Alpha

I would like to bet across our entire network of Prep Redzone duirng camp season that there hasn’t been a more explosive fullback this summer than Princeton’s Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN . The verified 6’1 237 pounder for the Tigers, ran a 4.82 40-yard dash and a 4.38 pro agility, but what he did in the live reps is what caught several college coaches attention in Grand Forks. During the RB vs. LB drills, Carson took his competiton for a ride they probably didn’t want to be on with his highly physical blocking ability, not once but several times that had the “wow factor” locked in from the college coaches I watched Carson with during his reps. The excellent pad-level and leverage have continued to grow for Carson since we watched him at the RTB Gopher Camp this summer, and he surely has elevated his stock over the past couple of weeks on his recruiting trail. A workhorse of a competitor with excellent character that colleges programs are going to have a recruiting battle for here soon for next year.

Carson just picked up his first D1 offer this week, and without a doubt this young man should have more coming his way as he caught the attention of both PRZ scouts in attendance for what he showed off at the Minnesota Gophers Prospect Camp. Carson is not one you will miss on the eye test, as we’ve been saying that for awhile now but man, getting to watch him during the testing period he was on another level against his position group. The live reps at camps too, keep developing as Carson showed off as one of the most relentless finishers in reps I watched in camp on Tuesday night in Dinkytown. He has the Grade A character you want in your locker room and the outstanding work ethic too.

Princeton’s finest Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN produced a stock-rising performance at the Minnesota Gophers’ first prospect camp of the summer, as well as one of the cooler narratives. Pruett, a well-known face on the Minnesota 2027 recruiting scene, took a prudent approach to his first camp of the summer, working out as a fullback with a significant number of Missouri Valley and NSIC schools in attendance. Both of those conferences like them some fullback, and Pruett blew the roof of testing, measuring in right around where he’s listed at on our site. Pruett was also dynamic as a route runner and earned more than his fair share of 1v1 wins versus a competitive, variety-packed LB group. Pruett is just a straight-up good football player.

One of the most athletic EDGE players in Minnesota’s 2027 class, Princeton is home to a tandem of extremely fun, physical, and dominant juniors going into the Summer Camp SZN. One of this duo is EDGE Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN , who totaled 41 tackles, 10 TFLs, and 2 sacks in 2025, and he’s undoubtedly one of the more versatile and dynamic defensive players in Minnesota and a beast in a camp setting, in large part thanks to his green athletic and testing numbers at 230+ pounds.

Pruett owns maybe the best get-off in the state. His timing, leverage, and explosiveness are all slapping you in the face when watching Pruett fly off the ball at the snap, and his motor and overall effort embody the hair-on-fire mentality you can’t coach with high school prospects. The twitched-up block defeater can do serious damage as a hand-in-the-dirt DE or from a standup EDGE position, and his acceleration and ability to go 0-60 from a start/stop position do not go unnoticed in his junior highlights. Pruett can easily shed blocks and not get tied up around the LOS, and he’s a particular mismatch from the NG spot, where he’s an especially productive blitzer who can beat iOL and OTs with either speed or power, or both. Pruett forces the pigskin loose thanks to the velocity and force he comes into collisions with, and he knocks ball carriers backward on force of contact alone. The 230-pounder is a hammer at the contact point who sends helpless QBs bouncing off his pads like he ran into a middle schooler on accident, and he’s strong enough to knock the ball loose when he gets an arm on the ball in a tackle. Pruett can go speed to power, bull-rushed a LT straight into his own QB for a beast of a sack in his junior highlights, is a strong 1v1 tackler in space, and can pursue and hawk down ball carriers out to the edge and the sideline from his DE spot. This is going to be one popular Princeton Tiger this upcoming Summer Camp SZN!

Let’s just say it was a good day in the trenches if Carson was your first name, as Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN of Princeton was one in my eyes that was one of the most technically sound defensive ends at the Pro MN Athletics Camp in Edina on Saturday. If you wanted to see the most fiery hands in the group, Carson showed that off persistently also adding more groomed pad-level which shows you the blue-collar work ethic this young man has at his disposal. The amount of control Carson gathered with his hands was impressive as a 2027 prospect that in my eyes looks like an early offer target in this class.

We recently broke down Pruett’s midseason tape for a Film Room special on PrepRedzoneMN a couple of weeks ago, so this evaluation will be fairly similar, as we don’t have a significant amount more tape to work with since we last checked out his Hudl profile in depth. Princeton’s highly-ranked 2027 LB Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN has made the transition down to DL in 2024 as a sophomore, measuring in at 6’1, 220 lb. and showing off some fantastic production against 4A opponents despite being an underclassman in his first year of varsity action. Pruett has totaled 39 total tackles (26 solo), 12 TFLs, 7 sacks, 4 FFs, and 1 INT in nine games of 2024 action, and those 7 sacks really get me fired up, as does the tape.

Here’s what we liked and highlighted from Pruett’s midseason film a couple of weeks ago: “wins a ton of reps at the first step thanks to his impressive and very noticeable get-off, which thrusts him into the backfield before anyone is ready, where Pruett can make 1v1 tackles behind the LOS and when given the chance to make a play. Besides that great get-off that shoots into the backfield with pace, Pruett bounces off blocking attempts like a bowling ball, attacks them with proper leverage, and occasionally knocks the blocker on their own butt thanks to his strength. He displays some twitch, good speed as a pass rusher that can also go speed to power, and a great rip that helps him force his way into the backfield through contact and with an OL hanging all over him. The speed he brings to the position, as well as the production, has me bullish on the young man’s future, but a lot of how high he projects depends on how big he’ll get, especially at defensive line.”

Some DIIIs and NAIA coaches have taken notice on Twitter, but Pruett is still flying under the radar despite raising his stock on-field as a sophomore. Princeton has a big showdown with #1 Becker tonight in some sectional championship action.

Another sophomore is doing a great job of raising his stock thanks to his 2024 play, Princeton’s Carson Pruett Carson Pruett 6'1" | 240 lbs | EDGE/LB Princeton | 2027 State MN is a big reason why the Tigers are 8-0 and ranked #3 in Class 4A’s up-in-the-air bracket. At 6’1, 220, Pruett has moved from LB to DE for the 2024 season and is doing a heckuva good job, posting 35 tackles, 7 sacks (!), 11 TFLs, a PBU, an INT, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery through 7 games, as well as over a dozen pancake blocks as an offensive guard. The midseason tape displays a DE prospect who wins a ton of reps at the first step thanks to his impressive and very noticeable get-off, which thrusts him into the backfield before anyone is ready, where Pruett can make 1v1 tackles behind the LOS and when given the chance to make a play. Besides that great get-off that shoots into the backfield with pace, Pruett bounces off blocking attempts like a bowling ball, attacks them with proper leverage, and occasionally knocks the blocker on their own butt thanks to his strength. He displays some twitch, good speed as a pass rusher that can also go speed to power, and a great rip that helps him force his way into the backfield through contact and with an OL hanging all over him. The speed he brings to the position, as well as the production, has me bullish on the young man’s future, but a lot of how high he projects depends on how big he’ll get, especially at defensive line.