The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Minnesota using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Minnesota set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 14#13 (tie). Braden Petzel (OT)
- National rank: #2,411 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #189
- College: Northern Illinois
- Offers: Northern Illinois
- High school: Mankato East (Mankato, MN)
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2 / 14#13 (tie). Mason West (QB)
- National rank: #2,411 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #148
- College: not committed
- Offers: Kent State, Marshall, Miami (OH), South Dakota
- High school: Edina (Edina, MN)
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3 / 14#12. Ethan Beckman (IOL)
- National rank: #2,157 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #180
- College: Iowa State
- Offers: Iowa State, Kansas State
- High school: Prior Lake (Prior Lake, MN)
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4 / 14#11. Brayden Dozier (S)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #167
- College: North Dakota State
- Offers: North Dakota State, Air Force, Army, Buffalo, Colorado State
- High school: Maple Grove (Osseo, MN)
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5 / 14#10. Ajibola Afuye (DL)
- National rank: #1,612 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #171
- College: Iowa State
- Offers: Iowa State, Northern Iowa
- High school: Stillwater Area (Stillwater, MN)
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6 / 14#9. Caleb Francois (RB)
- National rank: #1,447 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #93
- College: Iowa State
- Offers: Iowa State, North Dakota
- High school: Minnetonka (Minnetonka, MN)
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7 / 14#8. Sawyer Jezierski (DL)
- National rank: #1,229 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #135
- College: Iowa
- Offers: Iowa, Army, Boston College, Kansas State, North Dakota State
- High school: Edina (Edina, MN)
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8 / 14#6 (tie). Kade Bush (TE)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #59
- College: West Virginia
- Offers: West Virginia, Arkansas, Kansas State, North Dakota State, Utah State
- High school: Chanhassen (Chanhassen, MN)
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9 / 14#6 (tie). Jayden Moore (WR)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #144
- College: not committed
- Offers: Baylor, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Minnesota
- High school: Hopkins (Hopkins, MN)
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10 / 14David Lee // Shutterstock
11 / 14#4. Andrew Trout (OT)
- National rank: #334 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #33
- College: Minnesota
- Offers: Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Wisconsin
- High school: Rocori (Cold Spring, MN)
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12 / 14#3. Pierce Petersohn (ATH)
- National rank: #283 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: Penn State
- Offers: Penn State, Minnesota, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State
- High school: Triton (Dodge Center, MN)
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13 / 14#2. Howie Johnson (DL)
- National rank: #264 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #36
- College: Minnesota
- Offers: Minnesota
- High school: Forest Lake (Forest Lake, MN)
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14 / 14#1. Roman Voss (ATH)
- National rank: #256 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #15
- College: Minnesota
- Offers: Minnesota, Alabama, Auburn, California, Illinois
- High school: Jackson County Central (Jackson, MN)
