D1 Recruiting Report: Tyler Magnuson (Wayzata-2021)
One of the best positional units across all classes of MN prep football in 2019 was the Wayzata Trojan offensive line. Filled with size, strength, and experience, the Trojan O-lineman dominated every game they played in during their undefeated run to the 6A state…
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Continue ReadingOne of the best positional units across all classes of MN prep football in 2019 was the Wayzata Trojan offensive line. Filled with size, strength, and experience, the Trojan O-lineman dominated every game they played in during their undefeated run to the 6A state championship and capped it off by helping Minnesota State-Mankato RB commit Christian Vasser Christian Vasser 6'2" | 215 lbs | RB Wayzata | 2020 State MN rush an absurd 49 times for 285 yards and 5 TDs in the state final against Champlin Park at U.S. Bank Stadium. With senior bulldozers Graham Viggers (6’2, 250), Jonas Waskosky (6’0, 250), Joe Salonek (6’2, 260) & Jac Carver Jac Carver 6'6" | OL Wayzata | 2020 State MN (6’6, 310) all leaving the Trojans trenches, it’s time for current junior Tyler Magnuson Tyler Magnuson OL Wayzata | 2021 State MN to take his turn at dominating Metro defenses. Luckily, the 6’5, 245 lb. OT seems to be the best of them, as his quick feet and mean-streak in finishing blocks recently earned him his first scholarship offer from the Division 1 Illinois State Redbirds. With a lean and athletic frame that allows Magnuson to pull quickly and efficiently and still has a ton of room to grow/put on weight, and a great amount of championship experience in the highest MN classification, the Redbirds made a great decision by getting ahead on #77’s recruitment, and there are sure to be a ton more offers his way by the time his Trojan career wraps up. Along with fellow junior offensive lineman and Illinois State offeree Alec Rasmussen Alec Rasmussen 6'6" | OL Wayzata | 2021 State MN , the Wayzata Trojans boast one of the best OT tandems in the state for 2021, and Northstar Football News was pumped when Magnuson agreed to answer some questions for this exclusive “Recruiting Report” regarding how the Illinois State Redbird offer happened, some of his best plays of the 2019 season, what the Trojans senior class has taught him, and more. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy! Junior Season Highlights
#77NFN: Hello and thank you for your time, Tyler! Please begin by telling us a little bit about yourself, some fun facts, & when you began playing football and what you love about the game!
Magnuson: “I was born in Duluth, Minnesota where my mom raised my twin brother, Steven, and I. Steve plays left guard for Wayzata, playing JV last year. I moved to the cities with my mom and brother when I was four. We moved in with my dad who was finally able to adopt us a few years ago when we were 15. I have lived in Plymouth since I was four years old, and have attended Wayzata Public Schools throughout the whole time of my schooling. I started to play football when I was in third grade. I played flag football for a year since in our district tackle football was not available until fourth grade. I was a “black-stripe” all the way up until the high school level, so I have been playing on the line my whole life. As for some fun facts, like I said I do have a twin brother named Steven. Him and I get along very well, although we are very different. He is big into music production, whereas I am more of the outdoorsy type. When I am not playing football, I love to go outside and explore. Some of my favorite hobbies to do in the outdoors are backpacking and canoeing. What do I like about playing football? I really enjoy the team mentality that is necessary to compete on the field. It makes me feel apart of something. I am one eleventh of the offense, and in order for our offense to work, all eleven need to be giving their all at any given time. I also love to compete and get physical while playing. Outside of football, I am a “gentle giant”, but on the field, I’m able to be the opposite, which is one of the reasons as to why I love playing football.”
NFN: What does it mean for you to be a Trojan, and what has your career at Wayzata been like so far?
Magnuson: “Being a Trojan means a lot of things to me. The most meaningful part of being a Trojan to me is being apart of the 1-0 culture. Being a Trojan, we always going 1-0 in whatever we do. This mentality translates to every aspect of life. Whether it be the fourth quarter of a football game or an essay for English class, the expectation is that as a Trojan, I will complete the task at hand with all my will. I am no longer focused on the final result of my paper, or the final result on the scoreboard. Instead, I am focused on giving it my all in any given moment, and once that is accomplished, the rest will play out. My career here at Wayzata started on a bad note. In one of the first games of my freshman year, I suffered an injury that sat me out for the rest of the year. I missed a whole month of school due to the injury, but with all of the resources that Wayzata provides, I was able to bounce back quickly in both my academics and athletics. I have since made a 100% complete recovery, and the injury does not bother me at all. I had a very fun and enjoyable sophomore football season. However, the most memorable so far has to be my Junior year. I worked with all of the guys in the weight room throughout the whole off-season, and by forming bonds in there and at AM practices, I was apart of a very successful 2019 team. The bonds that I formed with those guys, older and younger, will be the ones that last a lifetime.”
#77NFN: Walk is through some differences in the program from your freshman season to now rising senior year? What difference can you credit with having the biggest impact on the 2019 season?
Magnuson: “There are a few differences in the program since my freshman year with materialistic items, such as equipment, but the biggest shift in the program that I have noticed would be the belief in the culture. This year, at every practice, team meeting, game, and any other football related event, you could feel that the guys around you believed in the Trojan culture, and we believed in each-other and our coaches. This belief and trust made it so that we worked together as one, and not just separate individuals. For example, on the o-line, we considered ourselves as one machine, instead of five, six, or seven down guys.”
NFN: How was your 2018 sophomore season for you as well as Wayzata? What were some big games and low moments, and how did you build off 2018 to succeed in 2019?
Magnuson: “The 2018 season for me was a lot different than my 2019 season. I wasn’t playing at the varsity level, so my games were mid-week. I would suit up on Friday nights with the team, and play JV on Saturday mornings. I remember traveling with the team to play Woodbury during the playoffs. It was a very close game, but our team lost, and it was a very sad feeling seeing all of the seniors cry that their season was done earlier than expected. Although I was not playing, since I was not on Varsity, this moment made me really want to make a deep November run the following year, which would be this past 2019 season.”
NFN: How are the Trojan offseasons and what do you love about the football program itself?
Magnuson: “The offseasons at Wayzata are very tough, both physically and mentally. With that being said, all of my teammates see growth during it. We all care for each-other, and everyone wants everyone to succeed. We push each-other to our limits in the weight room, and challenge each-other to learn on the field. We have an amazing coaching staff here at Wayzata, and I feel blessed to have them. Every single day of the year they are looking for ways to help us, to strengthen our bonds, and to push us in order to make us into the best versions of ourselves possible. I am very grateful to be apart of this program.”
NFN: How was it playing offense with senior Trojan greats Christian Vasser Christian Vasser 6'2" | 215 lbs | RB Wayzata | 2020 State MN , Jake Wildermuth, and Tom Schmidt? And did going against defensive studs like Joe Demro Joe Demro 6'3" | DL Wayzata | 2020 State MN help your game?
Magnuson: “Playing with Christian, Jake, and Tom was an incredible experience. They are my brothers, and it was very fun playing with them. However, it was not just those three that made my experience so enjoyable. Many of the seniors played a big role in helping me become the football player who I am today. Graham and Jac taught me a lot about blocking and how to play aggressive football. Also, on the defensive side of the ball, Joe played a huge part in shaping me into who I am today. Going against Joe during 1v1’s at practice taught me a lot of things. Daily practice with him helped improve my technique and confidence in my blocking. Overall, the seniors have shown me what it’s like to really live in the moment and enjoy it.”
NFN: Now let’s get into the 2019 season indepth. Was there a moment you knew you guys were legit? How was it going undefeated?
Magnuson: “The 2019 season was a long ride that felt way too short. It was an experience that I would not trade for anything else. I learned so much about myself, my teammates, my coaches, and the game. We were undefeated this year, which is a great accomplishment, but I honestly did not think a lot about it during the season. We live by the 1-0 mentality, so I took each game, one at a time. We were a confident football team that took each game one at a time, without taking our foot off of the gas. So, with that being said, there was not a moment where the guys started to say that we were the real deal, which eliminated being overconfident in ourselves. It was such a great experience to be apart of the 2019 Trojans. The best part was being able to spend so much time with the guys. We made a deep run, which granted us more time to be with each other. We had another whole month of seeing each-other for two hours daily.”
NFN: How were playoffs? What were some big plays during those high-intensity games at the end of the season?
Magnuson: “The state playoffs were a great experience. There are many plays that I distinctly remember, but here are the biggest two. The first one was a drive against Lakeville South. They had scored on their first possession, and now it was our offense’s turn to go out. We strung together the drive with what we did best, which was running the ball. I remember after the first play of that drive all of my nerves melted away, and I just focused on the game. Not the crowd, not the stadium, not the scoreboard and the replays, but just the game. The second memory, and the most memorable, would be when Bryce, who had torn his ACL at the beginning of the season, took the knee to end the game. It was an indescribable feeling. I remember as a unit the O-Line did our “survey”, and then the emotions set in. Tears started to rush down my face, and it was a very joyful moment of celebration with my team.”
#77 with the state championship seal block.NFN: Now that you will be a senior, how does it feel to be a leader for the Trojans? How does that affect the 2020 season and your expectations going into it?
Magnuson: “Now that I am going to be a senior, it felt different to be leading the team during the first week in the weight room without the current seniors, but now it feels natural. I have high expectations for myself as an older player on the team. Lots of the younger guys look up to the older guys, so I want to be a good example for them. We went 13-0 last year, and the expectation is to win another state championship this coming season. However, I do not feel any pressure from this. We, as a team, will continue to compete with the 1-0 mindset.”
NFN: Now onto recruiting. What are some teams you’re interested in/in-contact with? Also, give us some details into how the Illinois State offer came to be, how it felt receiving that first scholarship offer, and how it will impact your recruitment going forward!
Magnuson: “Some of the colleges that I am interested in include, but are not in any specific order, Illinois State, Iowa State, Minnesota, UND, NDSU, SDSU, St. Thomas, Missouri Western, and Concordia St Paul to name a few. It was surreal to receive an offer from Illinois State. I like the business program that they have to offer, and their football program is strong. Coach Hendricks had reached out to me to come down for a junior day visit, but due to the corona virus, I could not come down any longer. Coach Hendricks and I had facetimed and been texting back and forth, and one day he told me to give him a call. After a great call, I received my first D1 offer, second football offer, to play at Illinois State. It is a great feeling, but it’s not going to hinder my desire to improve daily. The recruiting process hasn’t changed much, but now I’m going to have to start to form a decision on where I would like to go.”
NFN: Last but not least, what can you bring to a college football team? What are some things you do well as a player?
Magnuson: “I believe that I can add another hard-working, motivated leader to a college locker room who loves to function with others as one, rather than functioning as individuals on the football field. I may be quiet compared to others, but I am a loyal person who loves to form bonds and share a common goal. As a football player, one of my strengths would be my football IQ. I spend a lot of time talking with Coach Peterson and Coach Williams, my offensive line coaches, about not just the “how” but also the “why”. I am a leaner, athletic kid who uses his reach and hips to drive opponents. I can channel my emotions into a sort of football aggression that allows me to play aggressively with a “nasty” edge. Also, as a football player, I really focus on my “footfire”. As a linemen, footwork is very important, but especially feet that can move. I spend a lot of time at practice working on controlling my footfire and using it to my advantage. I want my feet to always be moving like pistons. Going back to the playoffs, I think that was where the best football of my life, so far, was played. I learned a lot from the playoffs this year.”
I really enjoyed talking to Magnuson and learning a little bit more about his football journey, and I came away impressed by the young man from Duluth. This won’t be the last you hear about #77, and stay tuned with Northstar Football News for all future updates on Tyler Magnuson Tyler Magnuson OL Wayzata | 2021 State MN and the Wayzata Trojans!