Gophers scholarship in hand, K-M lineman Tripp more motivated than ever

Aug. 31—(Editor's note: This article is part of the 2022 Pigskin Preview, which will appear in the Saturday, Sept. 3, Post Bulletin print edition. A PDF version of the Pigskin will be available at PostBulletin.com on Thursday, Sept. 1.)

KASSON — Reese Tripp has spent a good chunk of his summer doing yoga, stretching, bending and "opening up his hips."

Sounds like someone hoping to take their ballet moves to the next level.

That's not quite the case with the Kasson-Mantorville senior. No, he is not a ballerina but instead a 6-foot-7, 330-pound people-mover who plays football with an edge and will take his power-packed game to the University of Minnesota a year from now.

But this is true: Tripp definitely is trying to take his game to the next level, and the coveted offensive and defensive lineman — one one of the top five senior recruits in the state — believes he's done that.

A more flexible Reese Tripp is a better Reese Tripp. That was his No. 1 goal this summer — bend better.

"Yoga and bending is not difficult for someone unless they are not flexible," Tripp said. "Those things used to be difficult for me. But they're easy for me now. I've been doing a lot of hip flexibility stuff. Playing offensive line is a bit of a science, and I love that. I'm trying to figure out what is best for me and how to better my game, breaking down every part of it. My favorite part is just seeing what I can get better at. Once I get that down, then I break down something else. The journey is the best part of all of this."

To call the road that Tripp has been on a "journey" would be exactly right. He's dreamed of playing big-time college football since he was in fifth grade, when he was already giving hints that he'd be a big guy.

But as far as him showing signs that he was the next "big thing," that was delayed.

Tripp was a decent player in grade school and through his sophomore year of high school, but never more than that. The one thing holding him back was his size. He had weight issues. In fact, in early summer leading up to his junior season, K-M coach Joel Swanson wasn't even sure he'd be a starter for the KoMets. Tripp was tipping the scale at 380 pounds then. He was big, all right. But big and slow.

"I can't believe where he is at now compared to where he was at then," Swanson said. "I told him last summer that he'd have to lose 40 pounds if he was to be a starter for us."

Tripp went out and lost 45 pounds, then proceeded to have one of the best seasons of any junior lineman in the state, helping the KoMets to the Class AAAA state championship game.

By January, the Gophers coaches had seen enough of this "new" Tripp to be wowed. On Jan. 30, they offered this mountain of a teenager a scholarship.

Dream realized, a giddy Tripp committed to Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck within an hour of the offer as he was concluding his Junior Day visit at Minnesota.

"When I said yes, Fleck jumped out of his chair and said, 'This is insane, this is awesome!'" Tripp said. "Then he asked me if I was sure about it, and I told him it had been my dream since I was a little kid to play at Minnesota, that I was sure."

Tripp has followed that dream-come-true day by committing himself to football more than ever. He says there is a perception out there by some that once a Division I scholarship is landed that the athlete stops working. For him, at least, it has been exactly the opposite.

"There is an assumption that once you've been offered, that you don't have to try anymore," Tripp said. "But this year is even bigger for me than last year. We are coming off losing a state championship game. We have something to prove, that it was not just a fluke that we made it there, but that we had pure talent and teamwork. Plus, I'm going to the Gophers, so I have a lot to prove to people this season. A lot of eyes will be on me, and I like that."

Tripp and his KoMets teammates have their work cut out. They graduated a slew of players from last season, including their star quarterback and running back, a star receiver, three offensive linemen and a bunch of guys on defense.

Still, Tripp likes their chances. He's been working his tail off since last season ended, not just to make himself better, but to come away with a bunch more wins this season.

Winning, Tripp says, is where it's at.

"Wins are awesome; wins are a good high," he said. "You come into the next week feeling great."

Pigskin Preview '22 stories at PostBulletin.com this week:

Monday, August 29

—6 a.m. — Rochester's Noah Borgeson, Caledonia's Brent Robley a dangerous connection at St. Thomas.

—9:30 a.m. — RCTC's Johnathan Douglas, player profile.

—Noon — Southeastern Minnesota's "Dangerous Dozen": 12 high school players to watch this fall

—2:30 p.m. — Mark your calendars: A game to circle on the schedule of every team in southeastern Minnesota.

Tuesday, August 30

—6 a.m. — Section 1 9-Man season preview

—8:30 a.m. — Section 1AAAAA season preview

—10:45 a.m. — Section 1AAA season preview

—12:30 p.m. — Section 1A season preview

—2:45 p.m. — Section 1AAAA season preview

—7 p.m. — Section 1AA/2AA season preview

Wednesday, August 31

—6 a.m. — Player Profile: Fillmore Central running back Bryce Corson

—8:30 a.m. — Player Profile: Rochester Mayo lineman Ethan Kramer

—11 a.m. — Player Profile: Goodhue WR Adam Poncelet

—1 p.m. — Player Profile: Stewartville lineman Peyton Byrne

—3 p.m. — Player Profile: Kasson-Mantorville lineman Reese Tripp

Thursday, September 1

—6 a.m. — Player Profile: Kingsland tight end Mason Kolling

—9 a.m. — Player Profile: Chatfield defensive back Drew Schindler

—Noon — Minnesota Vikings new-look offense hopes to be high-flying

—1:30 p.m. — Minnesota Vikings defense getting a much-needed shakeup