Minnesota Unsigned Senior Prospects Series: TEs & Specialists
Yesterday I introduced a new PrepRedzoneMN featured series focusing on uncommitted 2021s throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes and started things off with the always critical quarterback position. Today, we’ll move things along by highlighting unsigned and available Tight Ends, Kickers, and…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingYesterday I introduced a new PrepRedzoneMN featured series focusing on uncommitted 2021s throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes and started things off with the always critical quarterback position. Today, we’ll move things along by highlighting unsigned and available Tight Ends, Kickers, and Punters throughout the state, and let you guys know where these preps stand in their recruiting, what their senior film looks like, and any other information I can find. Sadly, it seems that the industry has all but completely moved on from the pandemic affected 2021 class, and with scholarship numbers and eligibility rulings crossing unparalleled bridges, there is a larger than usual pool of talent that remains undecided on where to take their talents to at the next level. Luckily, we got you covered, and below I’ve listed and broke down the game of four uncommitted TEs and seven unsigned specialists. Thanks for reading!
Tight Ends
AJ Gratke (Pillager) TE. 6’4, 170 lbs. GPA 3.401 @AjGratke
Has reported an offer from Concordia-Moorhead and visited the Cobbers as well as nearby Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Was just named All-Conference in his senior basketball season. In his four games of highlights on Hudl, Gratke showed that he is a dangerous threat in the passing game who does a good job of getting open and possesses the speed to act as a deep threat at the TE position. He will also go over the middle and/or make tough catches in traffic and is a matchup problem for safeties and LBs in man coverage. He also sports an excellent frame and has a ton of room to grow and add weight.
Joey Simonson (Aitkin) 6’3, 205 lbs. GPA 4.03 @SimonsonJoey
Simonson has great size for a college football prospect and is also a standout baseball team for Aitkin. In his four senior year highlights, you can see that he’s a strong and versatile recruit who was a disruptive force on the DL and impactful catches as a TE. No reported offers or interest, unfortunately.
Caden Nienow Caden Nienow 6'4" | TE East Ridge | 2021 State MN (East Ridge) TE. 6’4, 235 lbs. GPA 4.12 @cadennienow
The most college-ready prospect on this list in terms of size, Nienow also holds the longest offer sheet of the bunch, holding offers from FCS competitors Drake, Valparaiso, and St. Thomas as well DII offers from Southwest Minnesota State, Bemidji State, and UMary. Things have been pretty quiet for Nienow since his senior season wrapped up, so I’m very curious to see where he ends up playing at the next level. His senior film shows a very well-rounded TE prospect who boasts a large catch radius and is an aggressive and willing run blocker. He also lined up as a traditional in-line TE but also split out wide as a WR, where he made some impressive moves after the catch for his size and showed off a good ability to break tackles. He’s got some quick feet and break down his routes well for a big guy, and will make catches over the middle no problem. Playing against some of the top competition the state has to offer, Nienow is a pretty complete TE prospect who is going to make a college program a lot better once he commits. Best of luck with the decision, Caden!
Simon Randorf Simon Randorf 6'4" | TE Duluth East | 2021 State MN (Duluth East) 6’4, 205 lbs. @sojorad13
Holds offers from UW-River Falls, Simpson College, and Culver-Stockton. Senior film displays a long and speedy TE prospect who looks larger than his 205 lbs. would suggest and a playmaker who made some big-time splash plays for his offense last season. Also doubles as a high-motor and disruptive DE on the defensive side of the ballbut definitely shines brightest at his TE spot. I love his length, how much ground he covers when on the move, and his physicality, and although he doesn’t many reps of blocking on his tape, it seems very much in his wheelhouse due to his aggression on the gridiron.
Specialists
Noah Kiani Noah Kiani 5'11" | K Irondale | 2021 State MN (Irondale) K. 5’11, 145 lbs. 3x District Special Teams POTY, 2x All-Metro, 2x All-State. GPA 3.9. ACT 30
One of the most accomplished seniors in the state also happens to be the most distinguished uncommitted prospect, as the Irondale Kicker is a 2x First Team All-Metro selection as well as a 2x All-State pick and his district’s special teams player of the year thrice in his career. He currently holds offers from Division 1 Alcorn State as well as NAIA Sterling College, DIII’s Cornell College, St. Olaf College, Augsburg University, Rose-Hulman, Grinnell College, and Ursinus College. He’s made the fifth most FGs in MN state history, has hit 53 consecutive PATs, and holds school records for most FGs in a game, most FGs in a season, most PATs in a game, most PATs in a season, and most career FGs and PATs. He’s nailed in-game FGs of 44 yards, 43 yards, 41 yards, 41 yards, 37 yards, 35 yards, and 30 yards, as well as a bunch under 30, and hasn’t missed a PAT since 2018. He also has a very strong work ethic and is an accomplished student-athlete with great grades and test scores. He’s a stud at the kicking position and would make a college special teams room better the second he stepped on campus. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where Kiani ends up.
Connor Reynolds Connor Reynolds K Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN (Eden Prairie) K. 6’1, 200 lbs. All-Metro. GPA 3.55 @Con_Reynolds13
Another All-Metro kicker from the 2020 season, Reynolds has a fricken boot and has successfully converted a 47 yard FG in his career. He holds a DII offer from Southwest Minnesota State, but that was last May, and things have been pretty quiet for the EP product on the recruiting trail since then, though he did receive some recruiting graphics from NDSU. The ball just absoluletely booms off his leg, and Reynolds also handles punting duties for the Eagles, showing that he is able to flip the field and help out his defense when needed. He’s calm when facing a rush, and is athletic enough to handle high punts and made a really impressive play against STMA last season that saw him snag a snap that would have gone over his head and confidently step up into the rush and juke out a defender, getting the ball off just in time. He also booted quite a few kickoffs out of the back of the endzone, and not only that he also has a defensive highlight tape that saw him earn meaningful reps as a giant cornerback, picking off passes and laying hard hits in run support. He was a really impressive tackler, and is truly the total package as a college specialist prospect.
Brian Knudslien Brian Knudslien 6'1" | 240 lbs | ATH Blaine | 2021 State MN (Blaine) P. 6’1, 230 lbs. GPA 2.93. ACT 21. @knudslien_brian
Visited the Augsburg Auggies last summer and received a roster spot offer. A hard worker who shows great hangtime on his punts, Knudslien is able to traditionally punt the ball and can pooch punt it while rolling out. He’s also got great size for the position.
Evan Fedoravicius (Spring Lake Park) P. 6’3, 220 lbs. @EPunting
Holds offers from Hamline, Augsburg, and the College of St. Scholastica, and visited the Auggies in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, Fedoravicius was injured before the 2020 season and was forced to miss the entirety of the season, but was able to come in and hit a PAT in the final game of the year.
Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi) S/K/P. Captain. 5’11, 175 lbs. All-District S, District ST POTY. GPA 3.85. ACT 32 @kyleoswald3
Oswald, much like Reynolds of Eden Prairie, is also a standout defensive player who will make an appearance on the list of available DBs coming out soon. An accomplished student-athlete who earned District awards defensively as well as on special teams, Oswald is also a stud hooper for Maht, but unfortunately he does not have a special teams focused highlight tape on his Hudl. You don’t earn your district’s ST player of the year award with some skill though, so it’s a definite possibility that whoever lands Oswald’s talents would be getting a potential two-way prospect. He visited Augsburg University last summer and holds an offer from them as well.
Asa Wold (SMB) K/P. 6’4, 225 lbs. 4.0 GPA @asapwold
No reported offers, but with a massive frame and a strong leg, Wold is a kickoff specialist who can rocket the ball out of the back of the endzone no problem. He also handled PAT duties for SMB, and showed no issue hitting those with some room to spare. One play I did find really impressive from Wold on his senior game highlights was an onside kick against Richfield, where he kicked the ball perfectly upfield 10 yards between two front line blockers and recovered the ball himself, a la Pat McAfee. Although he seems a little raw, the leg strength is obviously there and with his excellent size I think he’s got the makings to be a really productive collegiate kicker.
Saif Allawi (Moorhead) K. @allawi_saif
Also plays soccer and runs track for the Spuds, and holds a football offer from Concordia-Moorhead. He totaled 19 touchbacks in 2020 while performing kickoff duties, was 30/32 on PATs, and averaged 45 yards a punt. He’s got natural leg strength for a smaller kicking prospect and shows good technique and form. He’s an all around talented kicker who should be seeing more college football opportunities at this point in time. Unless he’s planning on playing soccer in college (maybe kicking for the football team too), I think Concordia-Moorhead may retain the talents of yet another Spud. Very much looking forward to the decision!