Luca Maciej Luca Maciej 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB/ATH Maple Grove | 2029 State MN , a 2029 running back from Maple Grove, is our lone 6A representative on this star-studded list of sophomores raising their recruiting stock this season. Maciej stepped up and made the most of his opportunity at the Crimson’s RB1 in the middle of the season, and his Week 3-5 highlights from early October vs. Osseo, Edina, and Moorhead saw him tally 58 carries for 396 yards and 2 TDs, displaying a “big-play back with home-run speed against 6A defenders. Maciej uses the width of the field well and knows how to set up defenders, play off blocks, and know when and where to bounce it outside; he’s laterally shifty and bouncy with good vision. The sophomore has an effective stiff-arm and is a weapon on screens, with a strong lower body that can step and work through weaker tackle attempts. He’s shifty, strong, sudden in the open field, and shoots into the second and third level of a defense in what seems like a blink. We have a stud on our hands, ladies and gentlemen!”

He’s added more tape since then, and his Andover highlights display quick feet and a sudden, shifty running style in the open field that makes it tough for tacklers to try to square up and get a clean shot on. His big burst gets him into the second and third level of the field quickly, and he displays good vision, sees the cutback open up, and is tough and has good balance through contact. Overall smooth operator as a ball carrier. Maple Grove has one of the best tailback traditions in the state, and Maciej is an excellent new installment of this trend.

We have a rising star in Maple Grove’s Luca Maciej Luca Maciej 6'0" | 180 lbs | RB/ATH Maple Grove | 2029 State MN ! The sophomore breakout party came in Week 5 against Moorhead, and although the competition was fierce, Maciej tallied 22 carries for 223 yards and 2 TDs in the loss to the Spuds. A fun combination of speed, vision, shiftiness, and playmaking ability against older 6A competition. Maciej’s Week 3-5 highlights vs. Osseo, Edina, and Moorhead, which saw him tally 58 carries for 396 yards and 2 TDs, display a big-play back with home-run speed against 6A defenders. Maciej uses the width of the field well and knows how to set up defenders, play off blocks, and know when and where to bounce it outside; he’s laterally shifty and bouncy with good vision. The sophomore has an effective stiff-arm and is a weapon on screens, with a strong lower body that can step and work through weaker tackle attempts. He’s shifty, strong, sudden in the open field, and shoots into the second and third level of a defense in what seems like a blink. We have a stud on our hands, ladies and gentlemen!

X: @LucaMaciej18