SDSU Prospect Camp: Midwest Standouts Part I
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BROOKINGS, SD– With camp season in full force across the country, we at Prep Redzone made our first stop at South Dakota State last Thursday. To say the least, we saw an incredible amount of talent camping with the Jackrabbits, and…
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Continue ReadingBROOKINGS, SD– With camp season in full force across the country, we at Prep Redzone made our first stop at South Dakota State last Thursday. To say the least, we saw an incredible amount of talent camping with the Jackrabbits, and schools from all over the Midwest took in a loaded talent pool that had over 260 prospects in attendance. We enter day one of three with prospect camps in the Dakotas with Part I featuring eight standouts that had their names all over our notepad!
Reed Styer | Quarterback | Menomonie (WI) | 2022
Reed was a prospect that I thought had a solid touch on the football from what I witnessed at SDSU last Thursday. The ball flew out of his hands with solid balance on the run, and his accuracy from my eyes looked right in the heart of the wide receiver on the bulk of his throws.
When I got a glimpse of Reed’s tape, I saw a prospect that showed some natural arm strength and a prospect that can make a variety of throws from the long bombs to the slants over the middle. Styer also has a really good next-level size checking in at 6’3 and just under 200 pounds at SDSU. Reed is a prospect that is one to keep an eye on this summer for sure out of a Wisconsin powerhouse in Menomonie.
Landon Ruesink Landon Ruesink ATH Dell Rapids | 2022 State | Defensive Back | Dell Rapids (SD) | 2022
Landon was one of our Dakotas prospects I was excited to see at SDSU and one that I thought performed at a high level. From the reps I saw in Indy drills, Landon showed excellent flexibility and a calm balance when going up for the football.
Ruesink shows on tape just how quickly he can adjust to where the football is going as he has the burst to switch his hips in the opposite direction and make a sound play on the football. Landon is a prospect that plays both ways for Dell Rapids, but with what I saw last Thursday, I think he will be a reliable defensive back at the college level. He picked up an NAIA offer this June, but I feel his ceiling should be slightly higher as this young man is a really gifted athlete that drew some attention in Brookings.
Tommy Niggeling Tommy Niggeling 5'11" | 190 lbs | LB Lakeville North | 2022 State MN | Linebacker | Lakeville North (MN) | 2022
It did not take long for me to see why the Northern Sun got an early jump on this kid from what I saw in his fluid footwork at SDSU. Tommy showed an incredible burst in testing and showed it off most in his pro agility drill.
Tommy shows on tape excellent ball instincts on where the football is going and is one that can be a crasher into the first level that lays solid contact on every ball carrier he goes up against. You get a lot of versatility with this kid, and he can not only can cover the run, but he can also play the pass on in the second level in pass coverage. Tommy is seen as a combo DB/LB, and I feel he will make a splash this summer when it comes to scholarship level opportunities, especially in the beloved Northern Sun.
David Alpers David Alpers 6'6" | 215 lbs | DL SF O'Gorman | 2022 State | Tight End/Defensive End | Sioux Falls O’Gorman (SD) | 2022
I got the chance to watch David twice on my camp trip in the Dakotas, and I got to watch him go to work at two different positions. I came away impressed with how David ran in the L drill, and he showed an active punch when we got into Indy drills. David was a top 3 performer in the 40-yard dash and pro agility and was one that showed fluidity in his lower body in the broad jump category, where he again was in that top 3 conversation there as well.
The tape will show David as a prospect that would be a solid edge rusher that does a solid job of collapsing on the ball carrier deep in his opponent’s territory. He shows solid hand fighting in the bulk of the film I have watched, especially in his junior season, and an excellent ability to shed off the defender within a quick span of time. If college programs are looking at the numbers from SDSU, David is one to look at as you might need to put some weight on him, but based on the numbers I have, he would have shown the best speed in the 40-yard dash amongst the defensive line group in Brookings and in my eyes would be a solid kid for any college program as he’s a really gifted athlete.
Ty Hansen Ty Hansen 5'10" | 150 lbs | WR Pipestone | 2022 State MN | Wide Receiver | Pipestone (MN) | 2022
In my opinion, probably one of the most off-the-radar prospects on this list is Ty Hanson from Pipestone. He turned the corner from our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase and showed a lot better hands in Brookings from what I grasped in the early afternoon drills. He is not the biggest kid in the world, but he showed loose hips and looked elusive in the box inside some tight windows. He tested in the 40-yard dash at 4.8 and then showed improvement in the second rep at 4.75.
When I got the chance to watch Ty’s tape, I saw a kid with some decent ball skills as a slot receiver. He can definitely develop more explosiveness after the ball gets into his hands to improve his stock. He has a good stretch and could be a viable small school prospect with a solid senior season for the Arrows.
Deven Magli Deven Magli 6'1" | 190 lbs | DB DeForest | 2022 State WI | Defensive Back | DeForest (WI) | 2022
Deven was one of the top-performing defensive backs in the testing session from what I watched at SDSU last Thursday. He ran a 4.13 and 4.00 in the pro agility and did it as one of the biggest defensive backs in the group that camped with the Jackrabbits. Our guys have Deven ranked as the #1 defensive back in the state of Wisconsin, and he sure as heck looked like it from my eyes too.
Deven shows off a strong backpedal and a long reach that is not afraid to go up and get the football even with some contact. He put on display four pick 6s in the 2021 season and double digits (led the state) in interceptions. He shows off a strong stance, and as far as his positioning, he is always in the best spot possible to get his hands on the football. Deven has a herd of D2 and D1 offers on his recruiting trail and is one I would like to see more opportunities, especially at the D1 FCS level, because he would be a standout at that level based on his skillset.
William Paepke | Defensive Line | Rapid City Central (SD) | 2023
William is one I did not have on my radar in the Dakotas that I am now glad I do! I really liked the power in his lower body during testing of the broad jump in which he in the top five for defensive linemen around his size. He has a well-put-together frame at nearly 6’4 250 pounds.
I am excited to see William get some junior film together this fall, as is another prospect on this list I see as a solid small school prospect at this given time and could raise his stock higher with two more years under his belt with the Cobblers. As a unit, Paepke, Trent Farren Trent Farren OL RC Central | 2022 State , and Dawson Miller are all prospects to watch for Rapid City Central this upcoming season.
Hudson Artz Hudson Artz 6'0" | 185 lbs | DB Fairmont | 2022 State MN | Linebacker | Fairmont (MN) | 2022
Hudson tested as one of the better linebackers in the 40-yard dash and is one of the few of the group that brought more speed in the second rep testing better than his first rep at South Dakota State. What I love when most when I watch Hudson at camps is how
“in the zone,” he is when he’s about to start his rep. He shows a great focus and intensity in every rep I have ever seen him take, whether at our Prep Redzone showcases or from what I saw in Brookings last Thursday. Hudson also has a grade A character and will be a huge locker room asset wherever he ends up at the next level.
When I watched some game film on Hudson last year, I saw a young man that plays with a big motor and will do anything for his teammates ahead of the football to pave their way for a handful of more yards. I am not sure I have watched a prospect in my multiple years with Prep Redzone that is as consistent when it comes to his burst of speed, whether he’s playing in the heart of winter or in what can be a dry late August/early September game. He shows a strong balance with his footwork and a strong physicality level with his contact on the ball carrier. He also offers a ton of stamina as Fairmont camped as SDSU as a team, and then Hudson continued his time in Brookings for their prospect camp, and he still brought the same energy as if he had weeks of rest before camp.
After four Division II offers, Hudson finally got a Division I opportunity from NDSU this week! Congratulations Hudson!