Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase: RB Standouts
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FARGO, ND– We move into the young men that are huge keys to your rushing attacks. Find out which five running backs stood out in my eyes at the first-ever Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Fargo last Sunday. Note: A lot of studs in that Dakotas Class of 2024!
Aiden Barfuss Aiden Barfuss 5'11" | 195 lbs | RB Winner | 2024 State SD | Running Back | Winner (SD) | 2024
There was a lot to like how Aiden Barfuss Aiden Barfuss 5'11" | 195 lbs | RB Winner | 2024 State SD carried the football in group drills last Sunday in Fargo. I have been intrigued by this young man on tape for a while, but it was great to get him for some live reps. Barfuss has an explosiveness in his game that is just fun to watch unfold. His ability to open his hips fluidly is why I think he has so much upside. Plus, he’s well put together at 5’11 200 pounds and ran in the 4.7s consistently across both reps in the 40 yard dash which really put his speed to the test.
Barfuss is a two-way monster on his recent Hudl tape. On defense, he’s a high contact player that made several tackles on film early in the play at the first level or barely into the second level. Barfuss in my eyes, is certainly faster than the film appears. Because he runs in such high traffic areas as a inside runner you see his durability and explosiveness come out even more when running off contact. The biggest speed comes from Aiden when he can blow up to the outside with running back toss allowing him to break loose into the open field. With being a running back that loves contact instead of fearing it, Barfuss has great patience between the tackles and certainly has college football coming his way in the coming years as this young man is a multi sport athlete that just has such a strong IQ.
Luke Fraser Luke Fraser 5'11" | 195 lbs | ATH Hamlin | 2024 State SD | Running Back | Hamlin (SD) | 2024
Although I knew Fraser coming into the Fargo Showcase, I consistently heard from coaches how they could not believe that this young man is just a sophomore based on the skillset he brought with him from Hamlin. Luke was exciting to watch in 1on1s as he made some quite impressive plays and showed terrific hands which I have seen on film all year as Fraser moved into the starting role for the Chargers this season.
I am no stranger to Fraser’s film but there are so many great skillsets he shows off. Luke has fantastic speed off the snap and that giddy-up he shows from the start allows to outrun the secondary from the start numerous times this season. He shows solid variations of ball skills with his pass-catching ability as he made numerous angles look like clockwork in the first part of his tape. Another skillset I love about Fraser is how he can finish his runs. You don’t have to worry about this young man leaving you with a short field after his big runs as on many occasions he shows great stamina to finish with the football in the end zone. Fraser shows the most zest in the Chargers rushing attack when he starts in motion, which gives him tons of momentum to use all that speed to rush by the tackler nearby. I would say the biggest development with Luke Fraser Luke Fraser 5'11" | 195 lbs | ATH Hamlin | 2024 State SD would be to continue to work on his footwork this offseason. There’s so much speed in those legs, why not keep building on that just in case the Hamlin Chargers need some extra flip in his hips with some inside runs in his junior season. I can already say, I know this kid has what it takes to compete at the next level.
Thanks for the invite! Awesome experience! @thebrickwahl87 @PrepRedzoneDAK pic.twitter.com/zcYU0xIzRj
— Luke Fraser ✝️ (@Luke_Fraser7) November 29, 2021
Ethan Hoffman Ethan Hoffman 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Flandreau | 2023 State | Running Back | Flandreau (SD) | 2023
Another young man I have heard my fair share about all year that was Ethan Hoffman Ethan Hoffman 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Flandreau | 2023 State of Flandreau. Hoffman was extremely instinctive on his reps and had clear eyes as to exactly what to do when I watched him in running back drills. Ethan had also really good vision at reading the defender’s footwork to identify where his strengths were against him. Ran one of the fastest 40’s in the RB group at 4.75.
Hoffman is a running back that we watched that has that finishing factor on his runs when we reviewed the film. Ethan also has great hands which pairs nicely with his playmaking ability. His ability to make cuts on a dime is exceptional and that has to be one of biggest strengths of this young man’s game. For his size, I can certainly tell that Hoffman has some great durability. His instinctiveness I mentioned above also shows well on his tape in the Fliers secondary, where you can see him flying (no pun intended) to make a play on the football. Also shows a great vertical on the jump. Hoffman passes my eye test of having a great chance of playing college football in the comings years.
Chase Varilek Chase Varilek 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB Platte Geddes | 2022 State | Running Back | Platte-Geddes (SD) | 2022
Varilek was another running back prospect that topped the leaderboard in the 40 yard dash running also a 4.75 as his top time of the day. Chase showed a great ability on his turns especially in the drill sessions and flashed my eyes in the shuttle as the 2nd fastest shuttle we got from the running back group.
When I watch Chase’s film, I almost would love to see more of his tape playing secondary. He shows some solid reps at running back especially with his route running ability by using his stretch and vision to identify the ball on the route. Defensively, Varilek is a ball hawk and one that gets really good pressure in the first level of the football field. He came up with two HUGE interceptions in the state championship games and on both interceptions used his strong ball instincts to jump the route as well as make a play off the bounce in the air into his hands. I think Varilek could be a great small school defensive back for those programs still looking for a prospect to fill out their secondary this winter.
Hadley Wallace Hadley Wallace 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Hanson | 2023 State | Running Back | Hanson (SD) | 2023
Wallace came out to play in Fargo and not to mention came to play at a high level too after a strong senior season for the Beavers. Wallace showed some solid twitch in his feet when moving side to side. I liked his demeanor in 1on1s as he carried his game with a great edge and really grasped the attention to detail from the coaches.
Now rolling is Hadley Wallace Hadley Wallace 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Hanson | 2023 State ’s junior tape. Wallace is an instigator on the football field. His ability to create plays on the go allow him to turn into a playmaker. I also love the length of the strides Hadley runs with as I noticed his runs had more depth this season than from what I watched last season. Those long strides also have some finishing skills, as Wallace had zero issue close some gaps on those long runs even when the defense was still going full blast. He shows fantastic speed out the gates which allow him to punch a defender right in the mouth as he can run off solid contact. Also a good pass-catcher to go along with it. I certainly see FCS football in Hadley’s future or could be an excellent Division II athlete.