Jul. 23—GRAND FORKS — Eden Prairie’s Braden Minta is projected as an edge rusher at the college level but there’s no film to base that assessment.
Minta, who’s 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, has played only tight end at Eden Prairie.
It’s a leap of faith for both the UND football program and Minta, who has committed to the Fighting Hawks’ 2026 recruiting class.
Minta was apprehensive about the position change at first.
“To be honest, I was stubborn about it,” Minta said. “I’ve been training ever since I’ve started football at one position. Over time, I realized it’s better for me and a more valued position overall. It’s more fun to be aggressive on the ball, but I still love catching touchdowns.”
Minta played in a rotation at tight end as a sophomore at Eden Prairie, then started there as a junior. He plans to play on both sides of the ball as a senior in 2025.
Minta said he started to hear feedback from college recruiters last year.
“From January all through summer camps, colleges were pushing me heavy to defensive end,” Minta said. “The main thing is physique. I have long arms and strong build. It’s a lot of things you can’t teach. I also have some natural athleticism from playing basketball. I bend well and am strong and mobile. Coaches and pro players come up to me and say I pass the eye test.”
UND’s 2026 recruiting class now has 22 members including five from Minnesota.
Minta is the third edge rusher of the class, joining Brody Woods of Cold Spring, Minn., as well as Blake Buhr of Sheboygan, Wis.
“The best way to put it is felt like I was home already the first time I stepped on campus,” Minta said. “The coaches and players welcomed me and it felt like I was already on the team. I like the school culture. When I was on visits, they presented to me how it would to be a student-athlete there, and I loved the way it was presented to me.”
Eden Prairie finished what Minta calls a subpar season for its standards in 2024, going 5-3 in the regular season and losing in the second round of the postseason.
“We’re looking to bounce back,” he said. “We have high hopes and a really solid team. We have the talent to do it.
“I’m just excited, knowing the opportunity I have after high school football. I’m blessed to be in this position. Right now, though, I’m just focused on the high school season and being ready to produce the best I can for my team.”
UND 2026 prep recruiting class
1. Brooks Hendrickson, Mount Horeb (Wis), QB
2. George Rohl, Ellsworth (Wis), TE
3. Jackson Stein, Lake Mills (Lakeside Lutheran), Wis., OL
4. Brody Woods, Cold Spring, MN, edge
5. Brady Goihl, Melrose Area, MN, OL
6. Aiden Wunderlich, Casselton, N.D., OL
7. Ethan Headings, Iowa City, S
8. Blake Buhr, Sheboygan, WI, edge
9. Nate Appleget, Lincoln, Neb., LB
10. Tyler Zdon, Fox Lake, Ill., RB
11. Marial Deng, Tokio, N.D., WR
12. Tavian White, Waukee, Iowa, DB
13. Delvin Cook Jr., Dallas, WR
14. Sawyer Riffle, Brainerd, K
15. Sam Kline, Clarinda, Iowa, LS
16. Mason Beaver, Kearney, MO, DT
17. Isaac Beaver, Kearney, MO, DT
18. Toris Rudd Jr., Omaha, Neb., DB
19. Jack Vyhnalek, Seward, Neb., LB-TE
20. Carter Harris, Allen, Texas, WR
21. Braden Minta, Eden Prairie, edge
22. Evan Zabel, Alexandria, OL