Fresh off his first offer from the University of South Dakota, there’s no better time to breakdown Stillwater’s Carter Zollar Carter Zollar 6'3" | 205 lbs | WR/TE Stillwater | 2027 State MN than the present! Unfortunately, I don’t think Zollar hooped for the Ponies, who went 13-14 in 2025-26, but he’s still a multi-sport standout who ran with Stillwater/MN Fury and clocks in at #78 in the PrepHoops 2027 Rankings.

No matter what happened with basketball, I think it’s safe to say that football is where Zollar projects best to in college, and in 2025 as a junior, he posted 31 catches for 528 yards and 9 TDs in six games of 6A action. Zollar’s 50/50 ball skills are more than highlight-reel-worthy, as are his hands, and he made a beautiful, eye-popping one-handed snag against Maple Grove back across his body for a top-end display of athleticism and playmaking ability that frankly, not a lot of prospects can pull off. The 6’3 pass-catcher is positionally versatile, a redzone and goal line weapon with great hands, and he beat DBs on a variety of different routes in 2025. Zollar’s ball tracking ability and body control help give him some ridiculously sticky – opens his tape with an impressive play on a slant that he then finished for six to highlight the top-end speed against 6A opponents, and he’s quick at the top of the route, accelerates out of his cuts, and owns loose hips that force defenders to commit and overextended. More offers are coming!

Zollar has now had back-to-back big seasons, and he’s got the recruiting attention to show it. This kid is a legit athlete, with a D1 frame and the redzone stats to match. He’s not just a big body; however, Zollar can move, too. He possesses one of, if not the best, catch radius in the state, complete with the ability to reliably bring in one-handed catches thrown seemingly far out of reach. His goal-line fade catch percentage is wild, and he’s got such a unique combination of size, athleticism, and hand-eye coordination that you rarely see. It isn’t crazy to say he’s an early candidate for 2026 Mr. Minnesota Football. He’s had gameday invites to Minnesota, South Dakota State, and Wisconsin. His recruitment this offseason should be exciting to watch.

Arguably the biggest Breakout Star – especially on the recruiting front – of the first three/four weeks of the 2025 Minnesota prep football regular season, Stillwater’s Carter Zollar Carter Zollar 6'3" | 205 lbs | WR/TE Stillwater | 2027 State MN has a ton of big-time regional D1 programs excited and itching to get a look at the TE/WR hybrid. Unfortunately, Zollar missed the entirety of the 2025 Summer Camp SZN, as well as the PrepRedzoneMN Showcase this past spring, due to a lower body injury, but boy oh boy has he come back better than ever. There were flashes of his outrageous upside last fall as a sophomore, but Zollar’s Week 1 performance against Maple Grove blew the Stillwater product straight into the Division 1 and P4 recruiting sphere with must-watch explosiveness.

Through 4 games, Zollar has posted 19 catches for 324 yards and 8 TDs, a superb scoring rate that is rare to see at the 6A level, and the film displays a prep WR with a massive catch radius due to a combination of his outstanding length, coordination, and ball skills. Zollar is dangerous and effective at the top of the route, accelerates out of his breaks, and is able to create separation against high-quality 6A DBs, plus he’s willing and able to go over the middle to pluck the ball out of the air through traffic and potential upcoming hits. As one would hope with the size, the 2027 Ponies grad can win the 50/50 ball and is a contested catch standout, especially in the red zone, but he also possesses the speed to take the top off the defense and win vertically. It’s a dangerous and rare combination for a young pass-catcher of his size, and I also love to see a big-bodied wideout who is easily able to take slants to the house. Thanks to good throws, Zollar is able to catch in stride, plant upfield, and accelerate past that oncoming safety and through the trailing cornerback. That’s a tough play to make for a reported 6’4, 210 lber., but a lot Zollar’s skillset, highlights, and production speak to his toughness to defend and overall rarity. The Stillwater product has visited Wisconsin in early September, but I see the recruitment bumping up a notch once the midseason film begins to make the rounds. Take a look below!

A big-bodied receiver who could very well land at either WR or TE, Carter Zollar Carter Zollar 6'3" | 205 lbs | WR/TE Stillwater | 2027 State MN is a towering athlete who opposing defense’s are already struggling to contain because of his frame. Last season, Zollar caught 30 passes for 383 yards and 2 touchdowns. Zollar proved to be able to beat the secondary at all three levels, and beyond his physicality and length, Zollar proved to be a solid route-running, utilizing nice cuts and fluid hip movement to break on curls and hitch routes, while also showing to have great hands, catching through tough coverage and reeling in some one-handers as well. Zollar plays like a true receiver, and he’s lined up in multiple roles for Stillwater’s passing game. It will be interesting to see how Zollar’s involvement with the offense will continue going forward.

The 2027 version of Colten Gunderson Colten Gunderson 6'7" | 211 lbs | WR/TE Prior Lake | 2026 State MN , a big-bodied, 6A, mismatch nightmare of a WR possessing equal parts upside and mystery, 6’4, 205 lb. Stillwater sophomore Carter Zollar Carter Zollar 6'3" | 205 lbs | WR/TE Stillwater | 2027 State MN had a breakout year in 2024. Catching passes from FBS offeree Nick Kinsey Nick Kinsey 6'3" | 210 lbs | QB Archbishop Hoban | 2026 State OH , underclassman Zollar quickly developed into the Ponies WR1, leading Stilly in receptions (30) and yards (383) while finishing the year with 2 TDs in 9 starts with the 4-5 Ponies. Since these rankings have gone live, Zollar has received personal camp invites from the Badgers, Gophers, and Northwestern, and with his physical traits, varsity experience, and mismatch potential, don’t be surprised if you see Zollar’s stock continue to climb after his magnificent debut on the PRzMN 2027 Big Board.

Zollar’s huge frame immediately stands out on film. The sophomore 6’4, 205 lber. is big, long, and a can’t-miss presence on the perimeter, physically overwhelming CBs at the LOS, especially when they’re pressing and at the catch point, particularly in the air. He owns a huge catch radius and 50/50 contested catch ability that helped him pull off some thrilling snags right on top of the head’s of helpless DBs in 2024. Zollar can line up at multiple receiver positions and create mismatches out of the slot, will sacrifice his body and lay out to reel in receptions, and is willing to go over the middle and make catches in traffic with the threat of a big hit looming large. Zollar tracks the deep ball well and shows noticeable body control when twisting, turning, and playing the ball in the air and in back-shoulder situations, and he displays a bit of shake at the top of the route and can pull away from DBs when the ball is in the air. His strong hands pluck the ball out of the air fully extended and away from his body and he does a good job of working back to the football on comebacks and other routes around the field and cuts his routes off smoothly for a big guy. Zollar is also an asset in the screen game who has some juice in the open field, making for an all-around promising and exciting TE prospect projecting to the college level. PRzMN would love to see this dude at the Combine Series Showcase in April.