Whether poised to come back or on the cusp, here are five football programs to follow this fall.

Burnsville

A solid nucleus of players can gain momentum against a less-arduous schedule this season. The Blaze, seeking its first winning season in five years, will lead on senior captain Colton Gregersen, a 6-2, 230-pound fullback and linebacker who coach Vince Varpness considers “one of the most physical players in Minnesota.”

Minnetonka

Coach Mark Esch won only two games in his first season, an improvement from the Skippers’ winless 2019 campaign. More is expected from the merger of a proven coach and a program with athletes. Esch, running his spread offense, made nine state tournament appearances and won two Prep Bowl titles (2008, 2014) at Mankato West.

Prior Lake

Senior quarterback Kyle Haas and company must navigate the Lakers’ perennially tough schedule. The past three seasons all ended the same, a .500 record and a second-round playoff exit. Prior Lake will attempt to grab a higher rung, something not seen since a 2017 state tournament appearance.

Cooper

Is this, finally, the year when one of the metro area’s most consistent regular-season programs breaks a 25-year state tournament drought? A tremendous skill position group led by senior quarterback Joseph Russell will be hard to contain. And postseason nemesis Spring Lake Park is no longer in Class 5A, Section 5.

Totino-Grace

Five seasons removed from their last deep playoff run, the Eagles will be tested by a tough regular-season schedule. They won 11 of their 16 games the past two seasons, including three in a row to close the abbreviated 2020 season. Senior running back Hunter Karlson piled up 1,190 yards last fall.