If you don’t already know, Mountain Iron-Buhl, whose success has propelled the Rangers from Class 9Man to Class A, has been pumping out college-ready prospects the past few cycles. With a 9Man state semifinal appearance in 2024, the Rangers are no strangers to scholarship prospects and big-time regional programs coming to check out their guys, but I think 2027 ATH Izaiah Alto Izaiah Alto 6'3" | 205 lbs | LB Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2027 State MN may have the highest ceiling of the recent crop of MIB talent.

Alto posted 77 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7 PBUs, 1 INT, 21 catches for 375 yards and 6 TDs in 2025, highlighting his dynamic ability and production, and he visited NDSU in late January, as well as during the fall, when Winona State got a visit too. Alto put in work from the slot of MIB’s offense, showing impressive YAC ability and in particular, contact balance, and he also flashed highlight-reel-worthy ball skills and 50/50 ability, which is obviously aided by his reported 6’3 frame. Plus, Alto owns impressive burst and is a tough 1v1 tackling assignment for Class A defenders in the open field. Defensively, the game screams scholarship-worthy, as it’s bursting closing speed and aggression, and Alto is an effective 1v1 tackler, especially in space, not to mention a hammer at the contact point in his SS/OLB Rover role. Alto sniffs out and closes on the rock in a blink and is an overall rangy defensive player with instincts and shut down tackling ability. Need to get some verified measurements on the young buck, but hopefully he’s already in the midst of planning his 2026 Summer Camp SZN.