Minnesota Unsigned Senior Prospect Series: Defensive Line (2021)
We’re going to keep chugging along with our featured series highlighting unsigned and available 2021s throughout the state of Minnesota, and having already covered uncommitted quarterbacks, tight ends, and specialists, we’ll be moving onto the always important defensive line position…
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Continue ReadingWe’re going to keep chugging along with our featured series highlighting unsigned and available 2021s throughout the state of Minnesota, and having already covered uncommitted quarterbacks, tight ends, and specialists, we’ll be moving onto the always important defensive line position group. Below I’ve gathered as many names of still available DL as I could find throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes, broke down their film, and consolidated any information I could find regarding their recruiting, accomplishments in other sports, and anything else available. I still can’t shake the feeling that a lot of people, coaches, and recruiters have already moved on from the class of 2021, and with so much available talent, I hope this article can help generate some interest and exposure to the below-listed preps. Thanks for reading!
Defensive Line
Alex Lundebrek Alex Lundebrek DL Rogers | 2021 State MN (Rogers) DE/TE. 6’4, 235 lbs. @ALundebrek
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Senior film shows a well-filled-out defensive with a good get-off and a heavy hitter who made a ton of QBs feel his wrath in 2020. He showed off a lot of versatility and lined up inside and outside of the tackle and played with his hand in the dirt or as a standup DE. I also like how he keeps his feet moving when tracking ball carriers, and he has a high motor when he plays as well. Rogers has a good history of sending standouts into the MIAC, so if I was a betting man I would guess he’d end up somewhere there if he’s wanting to play football in college. We will see, though!
Andy Pahkala (Spring Lake Park) DE. 6’3, 210 lbs. All-District, DL of the Year. @andypahkala
Holds an offer from Mayville State. Received junior day invites from Montana Tech, Minot State, Dakota Wesleyan, UW-River Falls, Concordia-Moorhead, Concordia-St. Paul. On film, I was really impressed with how Pahkala attacks blockers and how strong his initial pop is after a few steps. For a somewhat undersized DL, he played all over the LOS, showed some ability to execute stunts, and pursues with good angles, and plays with good body control when a QB is scrambling. I really love the speed he brings to the position, and he’s got a good senior tape that was fun to watch. He’d bring a lot of talent to a college DL room.
Peter Lynch (Rochester Century) DE. 6’3, 230 lbs. @peter_lynch19
Visited Sioux Falls. Offered by Hamline University, UW-River Falls. Senior tape shows a D-lineman with a good arm over and long arm who primarily played at the 3T position but has some good skills as a pass-rusher. He’s strong enough to move OL backward and does a good job of tracking and locating the QB inside the pocket. He keeps his hands active and doesn’t play out of control as well, and with his awesome size I think he brings a lot to the table as a college DL prospect.
Kyle Pehlke-Hanson (Anoka) DL. 6’3, 240 lbs. @kylehanson02
Was receiving heavy interest from the University of Jamestown Jimmies, and got some mail from Augsburg as well. Unfortunately does not have senior film that I could find.
Eric Sherer (Andover) 6’2, 275 lbs. @ericsherer12
Holds offers from Bemidji State, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout. Played both ways in 2020, as an OG and NT, and defensively I liked the strength he brings to the position, as he’s heavy-handed and can drive OL backward, and is really strong at the point of contact when tackling. If you’re a smaller OL he will toss you out of his way with ease, and for a man of his size, I like his first step. He threw a lot of opposing blockers onto their backs last season.
Noah Richards (Edina) DE. 6’2, 220 lbs. @N_Richards6
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Senior highlight tape displays a DE with a good get-off who laid a massive hit on the second play of his Hudl that sent the Maple Grove ball-carriers helmet flying. He’s aggressive and stays active when trying to get through a block or multiple blockers, and showed a great motor and some decent bend, and he’s a good tackler who also blocked a PAT last season, which I’m a big fan of.
Maison Olson (Litchfield) DE. 6’1, 180 lbs. @maison_olson
Offered by Concordia-Moorhead and has received some handwritten mail from the Cobbers as well. Also attended Dordt’s virtual junior day. Only has a game of film against New London-Spicer from last season and in it Olson snagged an interception off a tipped pass.
Andrew Thielke Andrew Thielke DL Brainrd | 2021 State MN (Brainerd) DE. 6’3, 215 lbs.
Posted 92 tackles, 6 sacks, and 3 TFLs in his junior campaign, and in his three games of senior tape you see a patient DE who is physical and efficient in using his hands to disengage from blocks. He worked through a fair amount of double teams in 2020 and can tackle in space. I saw more than a few plays where he threw an OT off of him and followed it up by running through the RB or a second OL and planting the kid on his butt. He’s a strong player who will be able to add a lot more weight in college.
Ethan Wollin (Farmington) 6’1, 220 lbs. GPA 3.85 – @Wollin_
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Senior highlights display a laterally quick DL prospect with a good get-off who flies around and is fun to watch at the DE position. He had a great rep a few plays into his tape where he got a little too far upfield on a screen but recognized it at the last second and retraced to make a nice play on the WR who caught the pass. He also does a good job of making sure ball carriers feel him when he tackles them, as I saw him slam a few kids into the ground hard to finish the play. He also made some nice plays on special teams, and I just love how hard he plays and how much effort he brings every rep.
Nathan Aleligne (Henry Sibley) DE. 6’3, 240 lbs. @nate_a03
Was invited to Bemidji State’s and UW-Eau Claire’s junior day. Senior tape displays a great-sized DE who laid some big sacks last season and is a handful for blockers as he brings a good combination of strength and quickness to the table. I also saw him make some high football IQ plays, such as a FF against STA that saw him rip the ball out, and a forced INT where he recognized a three-step drop and got his hands up quick, tipping the ball into a teammate’s arms. He also wrecked some QBs, and was disruptive and impactful in the run and pass game. I hope someone is hitting him up!
Trey Williams Trey Williams DL Osseo | 2021 State MN (Osseo) DT. 6’2, 270 lbs. @Trey_williams66
Holds an offer from Ellsworth Community College. Senior highlights show off an impressive first step and some slick lateral quickness and laid some big hits in his final prep season. He’s stout and well-built, making him tough for blockers to move, and that helps him hold a gap really well and makes him hard to wash down or out of the play.
Austin Patterson (Farmington) 6’4, 215 lbs. GPA 3.6 @AJ_Patterson_
Offered by St. Olaf College, Hamline University, Concordia-Moorhead. Possesses great length and overall size, proving himself to be a handful for opposing blockers, and he does a good job of staying active with his hands to get off blocks and plays through the whistle with good effort. I also like how executes stunts and keeps his feet moving in space.
Caleb Warren (St. Michael-Albertville) DL. 6’2, 250 lbs. All-District @thecalebwarren
Holds an offer from St. John’s. Coming from an excellent program in STMA, Warren brings great size and experience to the table as a prospect and is a good athlete at the position. He lays big hits, blocks kicks and gives great effort when getting down the LOS in pursuit of ball carriers. He does a good job of identifying where the ball is as well and envelops ball carriers when he gets ahold of them.
Cody Gartner (JWP) DE. 6’2, 215 lbs. @gartner_cody
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. In 2020 he recorded 50 total tackles and 5.5 sacks, and on film you see a tough, strong, two-way lineman who was extra disruptive as a DL and forced safeties, TFLs, and sacks in 2020. He gets himself a little out of control sometimes when pursuing the ball, but does a good job of not letting go when he gets ahold of ball carriers. I also love his hustle and how physical he is when getting opponents into the ground.
Bemnet Abebayehu Bemnet Abebayehu 6'0" | DL Concordia Academy | 2021 State MN (Concordia Academy) 6’, 255 lbs. @BemnetAbebayehu GPA 4.04
Received recruiting interest from Carleton College. Unfortunately does not have updated senior highlights.
Ramzi Ali (Roseville) DE. 6’2, 210 lbs. @theRamziAli
Received recruiting interest from Concordia-St. Paul, Mayville State, Bemidji State. Midseason senior highlights display a DE who is patient enough to read and react to read options, and does an awesome job of eating up space between him and the ball-carrier who is fast and powers through contact at the tackle. He has some great burst for the position as well and is instinctive enough to put his hands up when he won’t get to the QB and strong enough to put weaker blockers on their butts. There’s a lot to like on film.
Tony Wallace (Roseville) DE/WR. 6’4, 200 lbs. @TonyWallace2021
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Brings good length, a quick first step, and good physicality to the position. Showed good versatility playing DE and WR as well.
Jahrese Brandon (St. Paul Como Park) DE @getpaidjay
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Had a great senior season that saw him compete near the top of the leaderboards in sacks while also handling kicking duties for his team. Brandon is a really hard hitter who is really lethal off the edge and has a good get-off, the lateral quickness to beat blockers inside or around their outside hip, and as I mentioned, lays the wood when he gets to ball carriers. His junior film is also impressive, and I think he’s a great athlete at the position capable of moving in space and would be a force in college as DL.
Colten Landwer (Mankato West) DE. 6’3, 220 @colten21174456
Charlie Hansen (Champlin Park) DE. 6’1, 215 lbs. GPA 3.22 @CharlieHansen99
Offered by Dakota State, UW-Stout, Augsburg. In 7 games in 2020 recorded 37 total tackles, 4 TFLs, 3.5 sacks 1 FF, 1 PBU. Coming from another great program in the Champlin Park Rebels, Hansen brings a good skill-set as a DE and does a good job of reacting and countering to what OL do to him and brings a spin-move, and a rip to the table and has good hustle and effort when trying to disengage from larger OTs.
Emery Jones (Rogers) 6′, 210 lbs. @_jonesy20
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Battled through injuries in 2020 but still put some good reps on film that shows he brings some good speed to the position and is lethal and effective at hand-fighting and beating blockers with his hands. Despite being a little undersized, he is a really quick defensive lineman who does not shy away from battling with larger OL and is a willing and physical tackler.
Ty Miller (Park Center) DE/FB/RB. 6’2, 245 lbs. GPA 2.0 @TyshiftyM
Hasn’t reported any interest or offers. Unfortunately doesn’t have any updated senior film, but I like his junior film and he played some RB and FB at the larger than usual size he is. Definitely a good athlete as well.
Corey Malone (Park Center) DT. 5’10, 255 lbs. @CoreyMa47678805
Has a prep school offer. Senior tape shows a DL who is light on his feet and nimble enough to slip by blockers and is effective in the use of his hands as well. I like his quickness for his size as well.