A tremendous outdoor track and field season has catapulted Esko’s Derek Nooyen off the state’s Watchlist, well into the rankings, and much deeper into the PRZMN radar than expected at this point in time. Esko has produced borderline-freaky athletes the past few cycles, as well as athletes with game-changing speed, but Nooyen is really etching a name for himself in the spring of 2026. It’s been a steady but impressive climb for Nooyen this spring, starting with an 11.51 on April 14th at the MLWR Invitational, then jumping to a 11.51, 11.35, 11.17, 11.06, and most-recently a 10.93 100M PR at the MSHSL Section 7A Championships.

In his junior season, Nooyen posted 12 receptions for 170 yards and 1 TD, as well as 21 tackles, 2 PBUs defensively, and he followed it up by coming to our PRZMN Winter Showcase in December and posting a 4.8 in the 40. The speedster’s junior tape displays a wideout with smooth, quick, and effective releases at the LOS, as well as a big catch radius that can reel in receptions while fully extended and while high-pointing the rock. Nooyen can also sit down and find pockets in zone coverage well and is an overall good route runner. Defensively, he’s also a willing tackler who is sticky in coverage and able to stay in-phase with WRs working vertically. This kid is poised for a huge Summer Camp SZN, and beyond!