Minnesota
Top 20 linebackers in Minnesota high school football in 2024
High School on SI rolls on with our coverage of the top players in Minnesota high school football. This week, we look at the top linebackers in the state.
There are many talented athletes who are not listed, and this list is in no particular order.
The following athletes will be included in a poll for you to vote on who you think is the top linebacker in Minnesota high school football in 2024. The poll will be posted on Monday.
Tristan Holbrook, Sr., Belle Plaine
Holbrook has many accolades. He has been a team captain for the past two seasons, and he was first-team all-district in 2023. He had 110 total tackles as well. He is committed to Bemidji State.
“He is the heart and soul of our program, along with being our best player,” head coach Dave Frisell said. “Great student, great character, great player.”
Lavontae Cox, Sr., St. Paul Central
More notable as a running back, Cox is still a top outside linebacker, and he had 75 tackles in 2023. He is a great athlete who impacts both sides of the ball.
Emmanuel Karmo, Sr., Robbinsdale Cooper
A hybrid edge/linebacker, Karmo has fantastic reaction time to disrupt any offense. He’s the kind of rangy linebacker that modern defenses are looking for in college, which is why he has 18 collegiate offers, according to 247sports.com. Karmo is committed to Minnesota.
Damian Devine, Sr., Academy of Holy Angels
Devine is a great all-around athlete, and he also plays quarterback for the Stars. Devine has 20 total tackles and one interception through four games in 2024. As a linebacker, he shows his range in pass coverage where he might also be valuable as a safety at Villanova, where he is committed to playing college football.
Chase Brixius, Sr., Benilde-St. Margaret’s
Brixius has 43 total tackles in 2024 in just five games. He also has five tackles for loss as a middle linebacker. He fills the gap in the defensive line and rarely misses a tackle. He is committed to North Dakota State.
Blake Schiltz, Sr., Pine Island
Schiltz suffered an ACL injury earlier in his career, but he continues to play high level football for Pine Island. As a middle linebacker, Schiltz can stonewall any runner. He is committed to North Dakota State.
Mason Bosel, Sr., Parkers Prairie
Through his four-year career, Bosel has 2027 tackles, 162 solo tackles, seven sacks, 15 tackles for a loss, three fumbles recovered and two forced fumbles.
“Mason Boesl demonstrates what it looks like to be an outstanding student-athlete,” Parkers Prairie head coach Mike Johnson said. “Mason’s calm demeanor and intense competitiveness make him a good player, but his love for the game, his leadership, and his relentless effort at all times make him a great player.”
Jacob Wrbanek, Sr., Maple Grove
Another player committed to North Dakota State, as a preferred walk-on, Wrbanek has 25 solo tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks through the first four weeks of the season.
Kane Thompson, Jr., International Falls
Thompson is a middle linebacker and team captain in 2024. He had 68 solo tackles in 2023 and four fumble recoveries along with one interception and one sack.
“Kane is a “yes sir, thank you” kind of kid,” International Falls head coach Seth Ettestad said. “He likes to be swaggy, but when it comes down to it, he’s kind, patient, and humble. He’s already big bodied and figuring out how to use it. He’s triggering faster and faster at linebacker. He’s in the weight room every day in the offseason. Sometimes twice a day. I can’t wait to see what he does for us over the next two seasons.”
Dylan Hudgens, Sr., Minnetonka
Hudgens is everywhere for a stout Skippers’ defense. He has an impressive 71 total tackles in six games. He leads Minnetonka with 12 tackles for loss, as well. Hudgens is committed to South Dakota.
Kaleb Weikel, Sr., Andover
Through six games, Weikel is the clear playmaker for Andover. He has 65 total tackles, 31 solo, through 6 games as well as nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Carter Carstens, Sr., Chanhassen
Carstens is always around the ball for the Storm defense. He leads the team with 49 total tackles, and he has six total tackles, 0.5 sacks and one forced fumble through six games. He is committed to St. Thomas.
Zach Welch, Sr., Anoka
Welch had a strong 2023 season with 77 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks. Through 2024, he has 21 total tackles and two forced fumbles while also playing running back for Anoka.
Atlee Hershberger, Sr., Fillmore Central
Hershberger had 45 tackles with seven of them for a loss. He was an all-district team member in 2024, and he is a team captain in 2024.
“Atlee has been involved with our program since the 4th grade as a manager. He is a hard working, physical athlete,” Fillmore Central head coach Chris Mensink said. “He is a leader on the offensive line and in the middle of our defense.”
Aidan Boche, Jr., Park
Boche leads Park of Cottage Grove in total tackles in 2024 with 44 through six games. He commands the center of the defense and has great instincts to find the ball.
Calan Pilon, Jr., Robbinsdale Armstrong
Pilon has great speed on the edge to get to the opposing quarterback. He is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss through seven games with six.
John Pietruszewski, Sr., Hill-Murray
Pietruszewski is one of Hill-Murray’s top players on defense.
“John is a very good athlete and one of the toughest football players on the team,” Hill-Murray head coach Robert Reeves said. “He started as a sophomore on varsity. He’s a three-sport athlete — football, basketball, baseball.
Chase Evink, Sr., Hancock
Evenk is a great athlete who stars as a running back as well. He has 29 total tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks through six games. He is committed to North Dakota State.
Frank McAninch, Sr., Mankato West
McAninch had a strong junior season with 50 solo tackles and 21 tackles for loss. In 2024, he has 40 solo tackles and 11 tackles for loss through six games. He is committed to North Dakota.
Eli Klimek, Sr., Nevis
Klimek is a stats machine. He has 69 total tackles, 48 solo, in six games in 2024. In 2023, he had 134 tackles and three sacks for the 9-man Prep Bowl champions.
More Minnesota high school football coverage from High School on SI
Vote: Who is the top defensive lineman in Minnesota high school football in 2024?
Vote: Who is the top offensive lineman in Minnesota high school football in 2024?
Top 20 receivers and tight ends in Minnesota high school football
Top 20 running backs in Minnesota high school football
Top quarterbacks in Minnesota high school football in 2024
MINNESOTA PRESEASON ALL-STATE OFFENSE | DEFENSE
Minnesota high school football: Predicted order of finish for each section in Class 5A
Minnesota high school football: Predicted order of finish for each section in Class 6A
To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
With family by his side, Dennis “Bud” Peterson went to be with the Lord on the morning of June 1, 2026.
He was born at Drake, North Dakota on April 2, 1932 in the home of his parents Nick and Helen Peterson. The family moved to Duluth at the beginning of World War II.
After graduation from Duluth Central High School Bud served in the US Army in Korea during the Korean War, and received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Sergeant. He used his GI Bill benefits to attend UMD receiving an Associate Degree, and also earned his Commercial Instrument Pilot rating.
Bud was a longtime employee of St. Louis County retiring as Supervisor of Roads and Bridges. In retirement he served as Boiler Engineer and a do it all repairman for Duluth Gospel Tabernacle. He generously devoted his time and talents as a consummate do it yourself repairman to all of his family.
Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Nick & Helen Peterson; brother, Robert Peterson; sister, June (Don) Kruger; and infant brother and sister, James and Delores Peterson.
He is survived by his sister, Carol (Eli) Miletich; and numerous nieces and nephews all of whom he loved dearly.
At Bud’s request, his family will be holding a private funeral service. Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home 218-727-3555.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is reexamining over 5,000 Medicaid service providers across the state in an effort to combat fraud.
The federal government said it would pull $2 billion in annual Medicaid funding from Minnesota in January if the state didn’t make changes.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services set out to revalidate thousands of providers in programs deemed high risk for fraud by asking providers to submit verification paperwork and making unannounced site visits. The deadline passed on Sunday.
The latest data, published on May 27, shows 1,009 providers approved, 1,151 disenrolled and over 3,000 providers with pending applications.
Paige Berland and Camille Heyman run Minnesota Behavioral Specialists, providing autism care to children through two locations in the metro area. The women say that after submitting their paperwork, they received letters from DHS with determinations for both locations: the Bloomington center was terminated and the Eagan office was approved.
“It doesn’t make sense, everything is the same minus the location,” Berland said. “So why was one approved and one wasn’t approved?”
The termination letter said the Bloomington center was denied because they failed to disclose a managing employee during a site visit. Berland disputes that and said she already submitted an appeal.
“We were told to keep running, keep continuing as we are while we go through this process,” she said. “It just means that we don’t have the money coming in.”
Josh Berg with Accessible Space says they’re also in limbo. Berg said they offer integrated community supports, which means caretakers provide in-unit assistance for people with spinal cord injuries and disabilities.
“Most of the folks that we support are wheelchair-bound,” Berg said. “Helping with meals, helping with medications, helping them just live their lives.”
Berg said that of the seven locations where people are housed, the Department of Human Services terminated five and approved two. He believes the timeline to conduct this revalidation process was too aggressive. He said Accessible Space has also submitted an appeal.
“We’re not able to bill for services, we’re not able to start new services for anybody or change any of the supports that they receive,” he said.
Both Berg and Berland say they agree fraud needs to be dealt with, but they hope Minnesotans who truly need services aren’t left without the services they need.
“Not just the clients rely on services, but the families do too, so we can’t stop services; that’s not an option on our plate,” Berland said. “We want to continue to provide these services; they are medically necessary.”
The Minnesota Department of Human Services said a disenrollment letter could be sent for a few reasons, including failure to submit revalidation application after two notification attempts, failure to provide all requested documents within the required timeframe and failure to meet the criteria required during an on-site visit.
A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services said it’s currently in the process of compiling data from the thousands of applications, but didn’t say when the department would share those final numbers.
-
Los Angeles, Ca43 minutes agoMan claiming to be armed robs Culver City bank, gets away with $10,000
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoFired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoSan Francisco family devastated as they face nearly 90% rent increase
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoWings’ top pick Azzi Fudd hosts clinic as Cash App donates to Dallas nonprofit
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoPatients left scrambling for care after Miami-Dade woman accused of operating an unlicensed surgery recovery center
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoClover plans to reopen some locations after sudden closure, thanks to an anonymous investor
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoNew report finds Denver metro home buyers and sellers experiencing ‘unattainability fatigue’
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle mayor grilled over public safety, affordability, CCTV
