Five Minnesota Prospects Boost Recruiting Stock in Playoffs
Several Minnesota high school football players made their mark in section semifinal and Class 6A first-round playoff games.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Football
Five Minnesota high school football prospects raised their recruiting stock during section semifinal and Class 6A first-round playoff games. Rochester Century defeated top-seeded Owatonna in a section semifinal on Saturday.
Why it matters
Strong playoff performances can increase a prospect's visibility to college programs during the recruiting process. The games also showed how postseason results are shaping which teams advance toward state competition.
Arroyo's 41-yard field goal put Rochester Century ahead 25-14 before Owatonna scored with six seconds left and missed the two-point try. Carruthers recorded five tackles and two interceptions in Eagan's 37-16 win, raising his season total to four picks.
The players
Rochester Century
A Rochester public high school football program that defeated top-seeded Owatonna in a section semifinal.
Owatonna
An Owatonna high school football program that was the No. 1 seed in its section and lost to Rochester Century.
Eagan
An Eagan high school football program that defeated Rogers 37-16 in the first round of the Class 6A tournament.
The details
Arroyo has made unofficial football visits to Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wisconsin-River Falls and Winona State this fall. Kasson-Mantorville won 10-7 on a walk-off 18-yard field goal, with Eldred finishing the game with 15 tackles.
Timeline
Friday: Section semifinal and Class 6A first-round playoff games were played.
Saturday: Rochester Century defeated Owatonna in a section semifinal.
Friday: Century visits Northfield for the Class 5A, Section 1 crown.
Friday: Eagan travels to face Forest Lake.
Season Trajectory
Playoff results in Minnesota's high school football tournament determine which teams advance to state competition and which prospects get final looks from college scouts. The postseason stage is where seeding upsets like Rochester Century's win over Owatonna can reshape the bracket.
Eagan's Carruthers, with four interceptions this season, and Century's Arroyo, who is drawing college interest, are both in games this Friday that could affect their visibility. Fantasy and roster watchers should track the Friday results for these programs.
The takeaway
Playoff performances can change how college programs view a prospect, so a single game can carry weight beyond the scoreboard. Readers following Minnesota recruiting should watch the Friday section and tournament results.
What happens next
Rochester Century visits Northfield on Friday for the Class 5A, Section 1 crown, and Eagan travels to face Forest Lake on the same day.
Further reading
For more on the playoff picture, see the latest Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Startribune.
