How did your junior season go?rnIt went pretty well – coming off a sophomore season where I was battling an injury – I didn’t play much. I needed a good season with some good film to put out there for scouts. It went well for me personally, but we didn’t reach all our team goals. I am excited about the season coming up. We made a lot of changes that we have already been working on.

Talk to me about the injury and what you had to do to get back.rnFreshman year, I started on varsity and got named All-Conference. That is when I realized I could take football more seriously. I am a three-sport athlete, and football was kind of a seasonal thing, but after my freshman season, I started to take things more seriously. In our pre-season scrimmage, I sprained my ankle and was out for seven weeks. I came back in week four, and about eight plays in; I landed weirdly on my kneecap. That put me out for basically the rest of the season. I played the last game of the season, which meant a lot to me because my brother was a senior, and he was hurt my freshman year, so I didn’t get to play with him until that last game. After that, I knew I had to put in work to get my name out there, show that I am not injury prone, and I can get out there and do some damage.

Where do you typically line up?rnOne of the big parts of my game is I can play wherever on the defensive line. This year I think I will be playing mostly a three-tech. We have some packages where I will bump out to end and be more of an up-field athlete. At defensive tackle, I am quick off the line and can get a big push and do some damage.

What do you do best as a defensive lineman?rnI think my motor is very good. I keep driving and keep going. I think I am quick off the ball – it is always about beating the o-linemen, hitting first, and shooting hands first. My quick twitch and my motor are my two best assets. I also play some tight end. I am a tough target to defend and set a nice lead block. I can help the offense out in many ways.

What have you been doing this winter and spring?rnThis season was the first year I didn’t play high school basketball. I played AAU in the summer. I wanted to get my body ready and get bigger and stronger in the weight room – working with a lot of different people at different places. This spring, I played baseball. I play outfield. It is a big mental game, and I think it helps with football. You can have an off day, but you have to move past it. I hit a lot of singles and doubles. I think I was second on the team in stolen bases.

What were you working on in the weight room?rnI was working at a training facility – working on some small stuff – gaining weight, and working on my nutrition. I would work out at school and lead some defensive linemen workouts at the school.

What football skills have you been working on this offseason?rnI have been working on my footwork. For defensive line, footwork goes hand in hand with your hand movements and pass-rush moves. If you have quick feet on the d-line, your hands will also be quick.

How has the recruiting process gone?rnI am never going to complain about the recruiting process. I am blessed to be in the position I am in. With that being said, it is a lot of stress, but I am grateful to be in this position.

Who is most interested in you at this point?rnThe schools that have offered that are higher on my list are Wyoming, Colorado State, and UNLV. Those are the main three right now that have offered me. I have built good relationships with all the coaches. I have been on unofficial visits to Wyoming and Colorado State. I am still trying to set up a visit to UNLV.

Holy smokes was Two Rivers defensive end Max Mogelson Max Mogelson 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Two Rivers | 2024 State MN deadly with his hands and technique at the point of attack on Wednesday at the Minnesota Camp, as his consistency was unmatched on every single rep I watched. In 1v1s, he showed massive bites of  hefty physicality in the trenches that played like a man amongst boys in 1v1s, with just how excellent his drive was with his lower body and showed off just how much strength he has from top to bottom of his frame, which is why he is one of the state’s best defensive ends. The best word I can use to describe Max’s junior tape is vicious as he has to be one of the biggest hit sticks in the state with his 6’3 270 pound frame. Vicious is also the same word I would use to describe his Wednesday night in Dinkytown, as Max had the whole dome rumbling with just how much strength brews with this young man with his very instinctive technique and hand-levels. I would hope to expect a Power Five offer coming very soon for Max after Wednesday’s camp.

At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, Max Mogelson Max Mogelson 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Two Rivers | 2024 State MN looks like he should be playing on Saturday mornings already, but for now, he does just fine under the Friday Night lights. The soon-to-be senior out of Two Rivers is seemingly the best player on the field whenever he’s on it, or at the very least the strongest. He bulls through double teams without an issue, throws around ballcarriers like they are little leaguers, and disrupts every facet of the opposing offense with his sheer size and power. Although he only played seven games in his junior campaign, his performance warranted both an all-district selection and the lineman of the year award for his conference. The three star recruit already has plenty of colleges reaching out to him, and his senior year should only prove to magnify the attention surrounding his excellent play.

6’3, 260 lb. Two Rivers defensive lineman Max Mogelson is one of the most exciting prospects in the state and a must-know name when talking Minnesota Gophers recruiting. A big part of the loaded 2024 defensive line class out of the state of Minnesota, especially at the top end, Mogelson’s combination of size, athleticism, body control, and hair-on-fire playstyle makes the rising senior a cannonball out of a three-point stance that manhandles and envelops opponents when he gets his pads on them. Mogelson’s ferocity in his highlights is palpable, and he brings them boom in a variety of fashions, most notably when he comes through a gap untouched and inhibited, and when the ball is in his hand as a truck stick of a TE. The defensive hits are the biggest, as it looks like he crunches bones with how big he is and how much speed he explodes through the ball. Mogelson drags QBs and RBs down into the turf with force, and you can see them attempt to resist before his quicksand-like suction bounce you off the ground like a basketball. When he stays upright and uses his shoulder he can produce bigger hits than just about anyone in the state. With FBS offers continuing to roll in I guarantee we aren’t the only ones taking notice of his hard-hitting ability and energy. Last on our list, but far from the least.

Junior tape

It was tough sledding to rank the talented crop of 2024 defensive lineman at the top end of the PRzMN 2024 rankings, and although Two Rivers’ Max Mogelson is the only member of the Top-10 to not currently hold a P5 offer, I firmly believe he’s a P5 talent and deserving of his current #8 overall ranking. Mogelson is smaller than some of his DL peers but is far from small at 6’3, 260+, and missed most of his sophomore year with an injury he bounced back from impressively, so I think Mogelson is going to benefit more from the summer camp circuit and will have to grind a little harder than some of his counterparts for that first P5 offer. The big quality that makes me so confident is his outstanding junior film, which is one of my favorite in the entire state, not just the 2024 class. Filled with big hits and high-energy celebrations, Mogelson is a beast on the gridiron and easily defeats both single blocks and double teams with his combination of speed, strength, and hand usage, and is a violent tackler who also brings the pain to the offensive side of the ball with a mean truck stick and a bully mentality as a blocker. He’s also twitchy, has a quick get-off, and uses good angles to run down ball carriers in the backfield. Whether in space or through contact, this dude can plays, and the playstyle and gridiron mentality/energy makes him fun-to-watch and an easy prospect to get excited about. Wherever he ends up he’s going to be a successful college player.