Lucas showed off one of the smoothest punching abilities I got to watch out of the defensive ends at the Minnesota Camp on Wednesday. He also showed off a defensive linemen that had no issue getting downhill leverage and showed off consistent hand positioning from what I got to watch in Indy and 1v1 reps from Wednesday. He also shows off a plethora of instincts with his technique coming thru quickly off his first step to the ball as Lucas did a great job with his vision taking the best pathway into the ball carrier. Smooth seems to be the best word I can use to describe Lucas’s quick shedding ability off blocks too, as his football IQ is stacked for the next-level. I certainly will expect Lucas to continue to get more looks at the FCS level, especially from the Missouri Valley coming soon.

Lucas Caron Lucas Caron 6'6" | 245 lbs | DL Bemidji | 2024 State MN has the build of a tight end and the closing speed of a linebacker. The 6-foot-6, 245 pound athlete out of Bemidji is long, nimble, and versatile. His eight minutes of highlights include punt blocks, sacks, forced fumbles, and plenty of run stopping. He wedges himself into the A-gap with authority, keeping blockers at bay with his long arms until the running back inevitably either runs right into him, or is forced to bounce it outside of the intended hole. Either way, this makes it very hard to pound the rock for opposing offenses, forcing their game to become one dimensional thanks to Caron’s vast skillset. On top of this, he can play downfield when he needs to, utilizing his power to bench press blockers off him and get to the ball. Caron currently holds two division one offers from South Dakota and Illinois State, and I’m certain this list will only grow as teams find out about him.

PRzMN has had Bemidji’s standout 2024 Lucas Caron Lucas Caron 6'6" | 245 lbs | DL Bemidji | 2024 State MN on our radars since he was a freshman, and the 6’6, 245 lber. is finally seeing his hard work and determination pay off on the recruiting trail this spring. By my count, he’s become the first Division 1 Lumberjack recruit in more than a decade after South Dakota offered a FCS scholarship in mid-April, which followed an MSU-Mankato and Bemidji State offer and preceded another MVFC offer from the Illinois State Redbirds. It’s a good start for the long, strong, and playing defensive lineman, who posted six sacks, two punt blocks, and two forced fumbles last fall as a junior. Caron is particularly effective with his hand usage, and has a good chop/rip and push/pull, plus his natural length, that he uses to shed blocks from opposing OGs and OTs with ease. For a bigger guy, the 6’6, 245 lber. does a good job of getting off the ball and can get skinny through a gap, and he’s got the strength to back down, disengage, and shed blocks as well. I also like his closing and pursuit speed, as well as the capability to tackle in 1-on-1 settings in the backfield when given the opportunity. Caron plays with a high energy playstyle that would be fun to man a defense with and is a good athlete at his size who no doubt belongs at the Division 1 level. More offers should be coming!

The massive Bemidji Lumberjack defensive lineman has been on PRzMN’s radar for a while thanks to his eye-catching measurables and flashes of dominance in his game tape. Lucas Caron comes in with top-tier size at 6’6, 245 pounds, and has visited NDSU, Wyoming, and St. Thomas so far this offseason. The Gophers also reached out with a junior day invite, and with the size/film/production combination he brings to the table it’s easy to see why FCS and FBS are taking a hard look at the DE from The First City on the Mississippi. Caron posted over 30 tackles in 2022, along with 6 sacks, 2 blocked punts, and 2 FFs for the Lumberjack defense. On tape, the combination of strength and quickness is hard for opponents to handle at the point of attack and he keeps blockers on their heels and guessing to what he’s going to hit them with, allowing the long 6’6er to run them into the backfield. I also like Caron’s closing speed once he gets off a block, and he also uses his hands well to disengage from defenders and can hold a gap from the interior of the DL or out on the edge as a 5T or wider. Seeing him run down plays when he’s untouched and given space is a good sign as well. Can’t wait to see who offers up first, it should be coming soon.