Meet Minnesota’s top unsigned high school football recruits, now that the early signing rush is over

Many Minnesota high school seniors signed their paperwork this week to play college football, starting on Wednesday’s opening day of the early signing period that ends Friday. Which talented seniors remain unsigned? Who’s up next in the junior class? Who are the most heavily recruited players in the state right now? This breakdown aims to answer those questions.

Before we get to the players, here’s more information on the timeline of signings: After this signing period ends, seniors can again accept scholarship offers and financial packages starting Feb. 5, which is National Signing Day and the beginning of the regular signing period for those going to Division I and Division II football programs. The final signing date for Division I football is April 1, and for Division II it’s Aug. 1. Juniors and sophomores have a lot more time before their signing days, of course, but they can still make verbal commitments any time in the future.

Now on to the top unsigned Minnesota high school football players (listed alphabetically):

Cameron Begalle, wide receiver, Andover: Decommitted from the Gophers on Nov. 13 and caught 30 passes for 395 yards and five touchdowns as a senior this season.

Randy Kweyete, defensive back, Park Center: The 6-3, 185-pounder recorded 50 tackles in six games after recovering from injury and attracted interest from FCS and FBS power conference programs.

Cooper Mansfield, offensive line, Elk River: Best blocker on the Class 5A champion, the massive 6-10, 300-pounder had one FBS offer from Ohio and interest from others.

Caisen Thome, safety, Kasson-Mantorville: Arguably the top safety prospect in the senior class has Army and Navy offers and received power conference interest.

Ajibola Afuye, defensive line, Stillwater: The 6-5 edge rusher — who received interest from six power conference teams, including the Gophers and Wisconsin — finished with 60 tackles, including six tackles for loss and four sacks.

Ethan Beckman, offensive line, Prior Lake: The state’s No. 2 offensive lineman in the 2026 class stands 6-5, weighs 330 and committed to Iowa State in early November.

Dalton DeBoer, offensive line, Holy Angels: The 6-7, 320-pounder is one of the best run and pass blockers in the state and was invited for unofficial visits to a few Big Ten schools, including Indiana recently.

Howie Johnson, defensive end, Forest Lake: Top defensive lineman in the state’s 2026 class committed to the Gophers and finished season with 87 tackles, including 32 tackles for loss.

Nick Kinsey, quarterback, Stillwater: A three-star prospect and the most highly recruited quarterback in the state, the 6-2, 205-pounder has six FBS offers, including from the SEC and ACC.

Owen Linder, offensive line, Chanhassen: Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 teams have offered the 6-5, 250-pounder who is a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals.

Jayden Moore, receiver, Hopkins: A four-star, 5-11 point guard prospect, he blew up on the football scene in his first high school season and landed a Gophers offer. He had 924 yards and 11 TDs receiving.

Hans Pederson, defensive line, Buffalo: The 6-4, 250-pound edge rusher already has FBS offers from Central Michigan and North Dakota State and visited Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan, among others.

Weston Rowe, offensive line, Jackson County Central: Division I college coaches flocked to see teammate Roman Voss with Class 2A champion JCC, but they also came away impressed by the 6-7, 280-pound Rowe.

Ethan Sather, offensive line, Eden Prairie: The 6-4, 270-pounder was invited for unofficial visits and received interest from the Gophers, Iowa State and Kansas State this fall.

Andrew Trout, offensive line, Rocori: Iowa and Wisconsin wanted the 6-6, 300-pound Cold Spring native, but he decided to stay home to play for the Gophers.

Roman Voss, QB/athlete, Jackson County Central: The 6-4 junior quarterback/athlete is the No. 1 recruit in Minnesota in 2026 and has eight D-I offers, including the Gophers among four from the Big Ten.

Gavin Walden, defensive line, Eden Prairie: Wisconsin and Ohio State have shown interest in the 6-3, 250-pounder who had 49 tackles this season, including 14 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Mason West, quarterback, Edina: A 6-6 signal-caller with FBS offers threw for nearly 2,600 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions, but he’s also considering playing hockey in college.

Jett Feeney, quarterback, Moorhead: Might be too early for the offers to come flying in, but Division I coaches have the state’s top passer with 48 touchdowns and 3,221 yards squarely on their radar.

Tristan Kowalkowski, quarterback, Becker: The 6-2, 185-pound Kowalkowski’s stats won’t blow anyone away, but college coaches are aware of the dual-threat standout for the 12-0 Class 4A champion.

Aiden Moriarty, defensive lineman/tight end, Springfield: Ranked as the state’s No. 1 prospect in 2027 by Prep Redzone, he recorded 89 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, and 28 catches for 346 yards and two TDs.

Taye Reich, running back/defensive back, Moorhead: Only player in Minnesota’s 2027 class with a current FBS offer (Kansas State), Reich is an electric runner, but he projects as a lockdown corner at the next level.