Moving up five spots overall in our 2029 North Dakota rankings is Des Lacs-Burlington’ running back Mason Rist Mason Rist 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB/LB Des Lacs-Burlington | 2029 State ND . From my eyes with Mason, the floodgates are open to play linebacker or running back at the next-level as I feel the skillsets are more balanced than maybe they were from last update. Mason shows that he can get just about sideline to sideline with his effective game-speed amped from a year ago. The live eval I got at the running back spot this since at the Valley City State Prospect Camp showed off as one of the best 2029s in attendance from North Dakota not only off the eye-test, but just from a football IQ perspective, as that still has plenty of room to grow too in my eyes.

We now have had all three Rist brothers in attendance at a Prep Redzone Showcase as Mason not only caught my attention this summer at Valley City State’s prospect camp, but yet again last Sunday at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. Even seeing him over the summer, man has this young man put some time in the weight room as you don’t see too many 5’9 192 pound running backs that are freshman throughout the Dakotas. I got a early sense in the live eval on Sunday of Mason’s durability with the ball in his hands as one that I am sure when the pads are on will be a bellcow for the Lakers rushing attack in the coming years. Another skillset that caught my attention for Mason came as pass-catcher, as I thought he was more polished tracking the ball than the bulk of the 2029 RBs in attendance. Ranked as our RB2 in North Dakota in the 2029 class, you cannot miss on the upside this young man should build in the coming years and with two brothers played at the next-level, the football pedigree is there for the taking for Mason to own over the coming years.

Des Lacs, ND Pop: 178 Burlington, ND Pop: 1334 Total Pop: 1512

The third Rist brother that I have been able to scout in my time with PRZ Dakotas, is also the third running back from that family as Mason Rist Mason Rist 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB/LB Des Lacs-Burlington | 2029 State ND lands on our 2029 rankings at #18 overall and our RB2 in the class. We got to see him this summer at the Valley City State prospect camp, as the live eval showed me there’s a lot of upside to grow but getting that early start at college camps as an incoming freshman, should give him an early jump. He showed off to be one of the more fluid running backs amongs the RB group I saw in Valley City and picked up new concepts quicker than you might expect for a 2029 class but Mason is one that I already like where his football IQ could take him over the coming years. Surely the next RB to watch for the DL-B Lakers.