Becker had a two-way impact for the Saints last night. On defense, he was able to pressure several times off the edge and made a few key TFLs as well as tackles for a minute gain up the middle. However, I was more impressed with his offensive production, which extended far beyond the stat sheet. As a lead blocker, Becker was ferocious. Constantly displacing defenders on kick out blocks, and a few times burying them. He was also an effective option in the pass game; he caught a big pass on a key 3rd down to put the Saints in the red zone, and was open more often than not on his shorter routes. A great Week 1 for the Northern State commit.

A weight room workhorse who recently committed to NSIC member Northern State after some great camp showings, Becker is going to be a two-way starter (TE/DE) for the Saints for the second straight season. He’s got upside as a physical tight end who can lay the wood, but he shines on the defensive side of the ball. Explosive off the line with long arms, Becker can wreak havoc in the backfield with a potent pass rush. He uses his length well by locking out offensive linemen and batting down passes. Becker is going to be a problem for offenses this fall.

A 2026 defensive end that caught my attention on the eye test right away in Brookings, was William Becker William Becker 6'5" | 225 lbs | DL St. Francis | 2026 State MN from St. Francis. He impressed me during agility drills with how smooth he was with his change of direction at that size and finished his reps with well-versed finish. During the later reps at SDSU, he showed off a good burst of power and fluidity when he got off his blocks from a movement perspective. William to me is a 2026 sleeper in this class that ijs starting to get NSIC offers.