Meet 10 greater Minnesota football recruits on the rise

Greater Minnesota is peaking when it comes to producing Division I football talent. Championed by the towns of Hills (population of about 700) and Beaver Creek (population of about 300), whose southwest Minnesota-based co-op is fresh off the 2025 Nine-Player state championship, greater Minnesota is pumping out size, versatility and talent far above its weight class.

With the chaos of summer prospect camps roaring into the front view, here are some recruits on the rise, listed in alphabetical order.

Isaiah Asuma, Cherry

Class of 2027 | athlete | 5-11, 185 pounds

One of the more familiar last names in Minnesota high school basketball over the past half-decade, the youngest Asuma generated some big news as a football prospect this spring. The junior, most known up to this point for his efforts on the court as Cherry’s point guard, burst onto the football recruiting scene with an offer from 2025 FCS champion Montana State in mid-April after a visit to Bozeman. An electric playmaker on the gridiron, Asuma may be more interested in playing football at the next level than we thought.

Cannon Craigmile, Marshall

Class of 2027 | linebacker | 6-3, 220 pounds

You can’t have a greater Minnesota football list without a prospect from Marshall. The southwest Minnesota powerhouse has some tremendous up-and-comers right now, led by Craigmile. Standing at a reported 6-3 and 220 pounds, he didn’t camp anywhere last summer, but he had a great junior season with the Tigers, flashing natural playmaking ability on both sides of the ball, which led to just about every NSIC program reaching out with an offer this spring. Craigmile could rise into the D-I recruiting sphere with some strong in-person showings in June.

Lucas Fuhr, Redwood Valley

Class of 2027 | defensive back | 6-0, 180 pounds

Another under-the-radar recruit on the rise, Fuhr is one of the fastest football players in the state. The Class 2A product has already clocked multiple 100-meter sprints in the 10.9s this outdoor track and field season, and his top-end speed, not to mention ball skills, burst and versatility on the gridiron, should make him a popular name on the summer camp circuit over the next two months.

Coby Hammell, Caledonia

2027 | linebacker | 6-3, 210 pounds

Never lacking in football talent, greater Minnesota mainstay Caledonia has prospects to keep an eye on in its 2027, 2028 and 2029 graduating classes. Representing the rising seniors, Hammell is emerging on the recruiting trail thanks to some tremendous track and field times this spring. Verified at over 200 pounds, Hammell is nearing a sub-11-second 100-meter, clocking an 11.04 personal record at the Three Rivers Conference track meet on May 9. Already holding D-I offers from South Dakota and North Dakota, as well as a handful of NSIC schools, Hammell could see that list grow next month with some good showings on the camp trail.

Brodie Metzger, Hills-Beaver Creek

Class of 2028 | athlete | 6-4, 200 pounds

Minnesota’s biggest winner of the 2026 offseason, the Beaver Creek native looks like the jewel in the proverbial crown of greater Minnesota’s football recruits. Following in the footsteps of a couple of South Dakota State signees from Hills-Beaver Creek’s 2024 state runner-up finish and 2025 state championship campaign, Metzger, a projected linebacker at the next level, has outgrown the recruiting cleats of his forebears and solidified himself as a potential blue-chipper in the nation’s 2028 linebacker class.

Since mid-April, he has earned offers from South Dakota State, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Illinois, platforming what could be a lengthy recruitment for the young sophomore. As with many greater Minnesota standouts, Metzger is a tremendous multisport talent. He earned all-tournament honors on the hardcourt during Hills-Beaver Creek’s Class 1A state basketball championship this winter, and he’s posted encouraging track times, including an 11.46-second 100-meter, 23.84-second 200-meter, 6-foot high jump and nearly 20-foot long jump, with verified size backing him as well. Metzger is easily the No. 1 prospect in Minnesota’s 2028 class right now.

Sam Plahn, Watertown-Mayer

Class of 2028 | tight end | 6-4, 215 pounds

More known for its wrestling prowess as of late, Watertown-Mayer has an intriguing football prospect in Plahn, who is one of a handful of rising junior tight ends who project well to the Division I level in a couple of years. With impressive elusiveness after the catch, Plahn has verified size and athletic measurables backing strong film from his sophomore season. With greater Minnesota’s tradition of tight end prospects, I’d keep an eye on this soon-to-be junior going into the summer.

Cooper Schnichels, Willmar

Class of 2028 | tight end | 6-7, 220 pounds

One of the most athletic football prospects that greater Minnesota has to offer in the coming recruiting cycles, Schnichels is a walking mismatch out on the perimeter for the Class 4A Cardinals. At a reported 6-7 and 220 pounds and growing, Schnichels has a dynamic skill set as a pass catcher and is a hulking presence on the gridiron, which college programs have already taken notice of. Schnichels has visited Iowa State and Minnesota this spring, and schools are itching to get a live look at him in a competitive setting this summer.

Charles Steer, Hawley

Class of 2027 | safety | 6-2, 180 pounds

One of the best-kept secrets in greater Minnesota’s 2027 class, Steer’s recruiting profile is going to blow up this summer. A ballhawk from the Nuggets defensive secondary, as well as a dynamic utility weapon on offense, Steer has verified athletic times backing his 6-2, 180-pound frame, a ton of production at the high school level and some great showings last summer on the camp trail. Colleges haven’t caught on quite yet, but Steer is on the rise, whether they are ready or not.

Tanner Thomson, Edgerton

Class of 2028 | defensive end | 6-5, 235 pounds

Another representative of greater Minnesota’s Nine-Player competitors, Thomson displays some noticeable juice in his sophomore highlights. Great size, length, body control, and overall mobility led to 10 sacks last season, as well as some serious hits laid as an offensive lineman. His utility from the small-school ranks should serve Thomson well in a camp setting. Minnesota’s Nine-Player class is thriving.

Owen Wall, Pierz

Class of 2027 | defensive end | 6-4, 220 pounds

Class 3A Pierz has been one of the most consistent greater Minnesota football programs of the 2000s, and the Pioneers have a stud pass-rusher on the rise in their 2027 class. Wall already holds offers from Southwest Minnesota State and Bemidji State, and I’d expect that offer sheet to grow this summer on the camp trail. Wall flashes some exciting tools on tape, including speed, bend and instincts, and with the high-quality coaching at Pierz, things could all come together in a camp setting in June.