Stat Line: 4 sacks, 9 tackles (6 for a loss)

I always enjoy my phone calls with Deuel assistant coach and Prep Redzone Dakotas scout Jake Evans after games on Friday nights, as the Cardinals got plenty of defensive production from defensive linemen Robert Begalka Robert Begalka 6'0" | 235 lbs | OL Deuel | 2024 State SD vs. Sisseton last Friday. The most intriguing skillset that Robert has grown over the summer is the aggression of his hands and the fluid shedding ability he showed off to get into the backfield consistently on a four-sack night last Friday. Robert also showed off solid vision closing in with his footwork against the ball carrier as this kid has grown in that skillset as well since I last saw him at camps over the summer. This kid is a workhorse, that certainly has found his spot at defensive end and somehow still doesn’t have his first offer yet which surprises the heck out of me. Twitter

Stat Line: 10 total tackles (4 solo, 6 assisted, 2 were tackles for a loss) from the defensive tackle position, one QB hurry, and four pancakes on the offense line.

Eval: What did Robert show off in Week 1? We’ve gotten to see this young man a couple times at camps this summer, and you could tell in Week 1 he certainly has used the skillsets he’s learned throughout the summer and put them into play early against Clark-Willow Lake. He showed off swift shedding ability to barrel into the backfield and create some physical hitting chaos in the backfield. I also love watching a defensive tackle like Robert, get outside the inside box and extend his range to make a tackle along the outside of the field. Around the 49-second mark, you start to see the pancaking success Robert had, as he used a quick first step and landed a strong punch to get to his man to the turf early in the play with his superb leverage he’s gained. The growth in Robert’s physicality has grown a ton since last summer, and I cannot wait to see this Deuel Cardinals prospect keep putting that to work week after week on both sides of the trenches.