Kasson-Mantorville's Tottingham commits to Minnesota State Moorhead

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Aug. 26—KASSON — Camryn Tottingham may have begun sifting through his potential college football choices as a fourth-grader.

It was at that tender age that the Kasson-Mantorville senior became convinced that he'd eventually be a college football player.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back/wide receiver got it right. Last Friday, he verbally committed to Division II school Minnesota State University, Moorhead, a member of the vaunted Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Football has forever come naturally for Tottingham, who last season finished with a whopping eight interceptions for the KoMets, a team that made it all the way to the Class 4A state championship game before falling 21-14 to Orono.

"(As a defensive back) I've got a natural ability to read an offense and then go get the football," Tottingham said. "Since the fourth grade, that's been my best attribute."

MSU, Moorhead will be looking to take full advantage of that. The Dragons' plan is to use him as a strong safety. There, he can ball hawk and also get in close to the line of scrimmage, where he can take advantage of his big body to make tackles.

Tottingham thinks it will be an ideal fit for him. And he thinks MSU, Moorhead is the ideal destination.

He's been eyeing the Dragons for the last two years, intrigued especially after accepting an invitation to attend their Junior Day, a camp for top 11th-grade football prospects.

"Ever since I went to their Junior Day, they have been super interested in me and shown so much love for me," Tottingham said. "I got the chance to see how their team works and how their coaches interact with people.

"I fell in love with it and that love has just grown ever since. They sit down and really get to know you and talk to your family. Everything is straight up with them. They don't try to make themselves sound better than they are."

The Dragons are plenty good. They finished 8-3 last year when they were led by current Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Jack Strand. They went 6-5 in 2024 and 7-4 in '23.

Tottingham will live out a dream that began in early grade school but started to really take shape in high school.

He's been getting regular varsity minutes for K-M since his sophomore year.

"College football has been my end goal since I was young," Tottingham said. "But once I got into high school and started posting film and (college) coaches started reaching out, it was then that I saw it as real. Then it was 'do what you do and do it to the best of your ability.' Just stay good in school and keep working hard. And staying out of trouble is a big one. Being a leader is an all-the-time thing, being in public and representing Kasson-Mantorville."

Tottingham has turned into a one-sport guy. He played football and basketball through the ninth grade, but then determined that basketball was something he wanted to play just recreationally and that he wanted to go full bore into football.

He's done that, continually working out with K-M school trainers Zach Jungels and Andrew Peine. He calls them the best in the business.

"I work out year-round with them," Tottingham said. "When it's not football season, I am with Peine and Jungels. Based on the (weight-lifting) numbers that people are putting up, I think those are the two best trainers in the area."

Kasson-Mantorville coach Joel Swanson is a big believer in Tottingham, who starts for him at free safety, wide receiver and punter.

Tottingham has ideal size and plenty of athleticism to go with it.

"He's 6-3, 200 pounds — he's got that reach — and he can jump," Swanson said. "On defense, he is way back there, reading the quarterback. Then, once the ball is up there, he figures it's his. He's a good athlete and he's got a sports mind. He understands the game and that allows him to anticipate things."

As exciting as the prospect of playing college football is for Tottingham, he is also hotly anticipating this final go-around with Kasson-Mantorville.

The KoMets had a special season a year ago, upsetting Byron in the Section 1-4A championship game, then winning two state tournament games before losing in the Prep Bowl.

Tottingham believes they can repeat that this season and maybe win it all this time.

"I think we can be just as good if not better," he said. "With Byron and Stewartville in our section, it is no cake walk. But we have a lot of returning guys who played both ways last year, and having chemistry and knowing what it takes is big for us."

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