Class of 2022 Rankings Update: Newcomers Part II
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We keep it moving with the added Newcomers to our Class of 2022 rankings. We started with the first 10 prospects out the gates that were added to our rankings on Monday, and we crank it up a notch to…
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Continue ReadingWe keep it moving with the added Newcomers to our Class of 2022 rankings. We started with the first 10 prospects out the gates that were added to our rankings on Monday, and we crank it up a notch to 12 prospects on this list. Find out who made it, as we continue Week 1 of content with plenty of prospect evaluations from the list of Newcomers as we close the book on this year’s seniors!
Logan Albers Logan Albers 6'3" | 265 lbs | DL New Underwood | 2022 State | Offensive Line | New Underwood (SD)
Logan is one of a few hidden gems in the trenches the West River has to offer. Albers packs a big-man punch on both sides of the football and his driving force on it just pummels his defenders to the turf. He shows good footwork and can mobilize well around the line to clear a path for his ball carrier. Logan shows a solid get off as far as his speed off the snap and his activity with his hands and drive in his lower body is what causes him to be so lethal beyond the line of scrimmage. He represents the first ever New Underwood Tiger that has made our rankings, checking inside the top 120. This young man would be a great fit for a small school prospect as he has solid measurables (6’3 265) as well as great feel on both lines.
Brysen Cleem Brysen Cleem 6'1" | 185 lbs | ATH Cavalier | 2022 State | Athlete | Cavalier (ND)
Speaking of more first timers, Brysen is the first Cavalier Tornadoes player to crack our prospect rankings after a successful senior season. I got to watch this kid in the 9-man state championship game and although in defeat, I liked the composure he continued to play with regardless of the outcome. He has a good touch when releasing the football and with that added touch, he shows off good precision as well leading his man to success after the catch. He also shows composed mobility to extend the play as he needs to. As a defensive back, I like Brysen’s vision, as he shows instinctive eyes to read where the ball is going, but does not over extend with his assumption on where the ball is going. From my eyes, Brysen grades out as a defensive back at the next level as I feel he just has that instinctive nature to be a solid free safety at the next level along with size. (6’1 185) We go back to back on strong small school prospects at the next level.
Trey Smith Trey Smith ATH Madison | 2022 State | Athlete | Madison (SD)
Trey is the definition of a do-it-all athlete from the Madison Bulldogs. I have yet to see a young man from the Dakotas perfect their skillset on all three levels of the field like Trey does. At running back, Trey shows off great speed and does a solid job of running between the tackles. As a linebacker, he is a defined ball hawk that nabbed many double digit tackle games throughout his career in Madison and in his senior season. And as a kicker, Trey showed not just a strong leg with great hangtime he also can boot the ball a country mile on kickoffs too. Not only does this young man have these terrific skillsets, he is a hell of a team leader and after interviewing him I was blown away with his excellent character and focus on what the Bulldogs went out in 2021 and got, a state championship. Trey is a prospect to me is for sure worth the price of admission at the next level. Seldomly will we rate kids with limited film inside the Top 90, but after what I saw live and listened to the Bulldogs on the radio just how much this young man dominated, I certainly believe he has what it takes to be a great competitor at the the college level.
Aidan Devine Aidan Devine 5'7" | RB Fargo Shanley | 2022 State | Running Back | Fargo Shanley (ND)
Aidan has a strong shake in his lower body as a defined north-south running back. Despite not being the biggest tailback we have ever seen, this young man is tough as nails with some of the hits he can take. It’s something to point out that Aidan was crucial this season for the Deacons getting the hard earned yards and nearly every week was going up against an opponent that had a larger roster size as Shanley is one the smallest schools in 11AA. Aidan has a excellent burst out the backfield and if he can develop more on attacking the outside zone with that speed, I think some college program is going to get a major steal in this kid as he had a blow up of a senior year.
Tape vs. Bismarck
Austin Biwer Austin Biwer DB West Fargo | 2022 State | Defensive Back | West Fargo (ND)
Watching Austin’s senior tape, there is something to be said just how well this young man can unlock his hips. He also has an explosive motor at free safety, as he can climb into the next level of the field very quickly and make a play on the ball carrier. There is no question at all with Austin’s physicality when he makes contact with the ball carrier. He can develop this offseason a slightly better backpedal as that is one of the only small flaws I saw when evaluating his tape. I felt the deeper I got into his film I saw an even stronger bite of speed when coming off the snap, which is great to see even in the slightest bit. Austin also has the mentality of playing until you hear the whistle as he showed great reactive instincts to quite a few plays that you can see him going the extra mile on the play. You can count on Austin being a solid last man to assure that the opposing rushing attack doesn’t escape for a big gainer. Just one Division III offer at the moment, but could be a strong NAIA prospect in my eyes here locally in the Dakotas.
Brady Bauer Brady Bauer 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB Mobridge-Pollock | 2022 State | Defensive Back | Mobridge-Pollock (SD)
I got some of my first few glimpses of Brady when he balled out at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in November. He is a determined young man that has elite ball-tracking skills when evaluating his film. If there is a high traffic area, he finds a way to consistently make a play. Brady also has strong vision on jumping for the ball quickly the second he identifies where it is going and what angle to knock on when making contact with the ball carrier. The thing I love about Brady is his consistent movement with his footwork. He not only has strong turns when going side to side, he never gets lazy with his feet and always hammers full go. I also think a skillset for Brady that flies under the radar is his length, as on multiple occasions he gets his hands on the ball that he really had to show off a great stretch to go and get. This young man had a goal to play Division II football and went out and go after it at our showcase which later led to an offer from Northern State, his dream school. Brady is a great example that a determined work ethic and goal-setting is 100% crucial for a high school athlete of any sport to have. Brady finds himself inside the top 60 in the latest rankings.
Aaron Grubb Aaron Grubb 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Mandan | 2022 State | Defensive Line | Mandan (ND)
Aaron was a diamond in the rough we learned more about in the 2021 season. After not having much film, we circled back and found out why Division II and NAIA programs were flocking to this young man as early as they did. Aside from being well put together as far as his frame, Aaron also shows a big burst out the gates and has a large coverage area that he can step into the for the Braves and use his stamina to continue be effective. When he comes around the edge, he sheds very lightly and can use his elusive footwork to get around the tackles with ease. Have you ever seen a defensive end chase down a ball carrier out of nowhere 20-25 yards up from where the play started? I have probably not ever seen that in my year’s of scouting with PRZ which is something Aaron brings on his film. The biggest development for Aaron for this offseason, is to create or continue working on his swim moves to get out of contact faster with the solid hands he has at 6’3 230 pounds. He can do a lot of damage with such little space between the lines and do not be surprised if you see more attention from this kid when it comes to offers in the next few months as I do not think he’s done.
Chris Jenner Chris Jenner RB Surrey | 2022 State | Running Back | Surrey (ND)
Chris was certainly a tough prospect to evaluate with the lack of film until January, but winning the 9-man player of the year in Fargo in November certainly opened up my eyes to check out his tape. The durability of this kid is outstanding on both sides of the ball. Chris a bull of a running back that just refuses to be taken to the grass as he shows a great stature when running the football too. He is a one-cut back that after hitting his cut, has extremely loose hips that just burst thru high traffic areas. Chris fights for absolutely every yard and plays the game with a ton of grit. He is a natural athlete that can manhandle even an offensive linemen with the utmost aggression in his punch as a defensive end. No, this isn’t a created player in Madden as Chris finished his senior season with 2300 rushing yards and 20 tackles for a loss, which is the definition of a mega athlete for the Surrey Mustangs. Chris projects as a high powered running back at the next level in my eyes. As far as what we can see, the 9-man Player of the Year in North Dakota does not have any offers yet, but I do not have a doubt in my mind someone will pull the trigger quickly on this kid in the coming months as he can hopefully rise his stock outside of North Dakota even with his recruiting and added highlight tape.
More Newcomers to Watch:
Grant Luikens Grant Luikens 6'3" | 160 lbs | QB Potter County | 2022 State | Quarterback | Potter County (SD)
Ben Mansmith Ben Mansmith 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Bismarck Century | 2022 State | Linebacker | Bismarck Century (ND)
Committed to University of Mary.
Cade Martian Cade Martian ATH Harding County-Bison | 2022 State | Athlete | Harding County-Bison (SD)
Tanner Monette Tanner Monette 6'1" | 195 lbs | QB Turtle Mountain | 2022 State | Quarterback | Turtle Mountain (ND)