Rising Leaders in the 2025 Class

This is a different type of breakdown. Yes, these guys are great athletes who will be ranked very high in the 2025 class. Yet, I see a unique opportunity for growth as leaders in these four athletes. <strong>Belleville QB [player_tooltip player_id="247690" first="Bryce" last="Underwood"]</strong> This is the #1 player in the 2025 class and one of the top prospects in the entire nation. A LOT is going well for Underwood, as he just led the state powerhouse, Belleville, to a state championship victory in his first season, earning himself Maxpreps All-American honors as a freshman. For Underwood, there are too many accolades to list. This puts Underwood in a unique position at just 14 years old as he’s being thrust into the spotlight. Though I think we can all name prospects like Underwood, who have both crumbled in the spotlight, and those who have shined. I’m confident that Underwood will be able to shine, many thanks to his teammates and Head Coach Jermain Crowell, though ultimately, this is his journey. At his ceiling, Underwood is a top-20 prospect in the country and a fantastic leader on and off the field. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Underwood’s future holds. <strong>DeWitt QB [player_tooltip player_id="247646" first="Aspen" last="Keyes"]</strong> With the graduation of QB [player_tooltip player_id="80519" first="Ty" last="Holtz"], Keyes takes the reigns of a powerhouse program. He’s been very impressive during the offseason, and I expect him to be high in the 2025 rankings. With the mentorship from his coaches, Holtz, and other teammates, [player_tooltip player_id="247646" first="Aspen" last="Keyes"] has an immense ceiling on and off the field. With many star talents, the thing that sets them apart is leadership. I don’t know much about his personality, but I know that with every personality type, there is a unique form of leadership that comes with it. <strong>Hartland OL [player_tooltip player_id="247675" first="Cooper" last="Pyle"]</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="247675" first="Cooper" last="Pyle"] played alongside his brother [player_tooltip player_id="30296" first="Payton" last="Pyle"] this past season, and this duo dominated some great teams. This is an excellent on-field prospect, but with his vast experience on the varsity level, I can easily see [player_tooltip player_id="247675" first="Cooper" last="Pyle"] emerging as a leader on the Hartland Program. I’ve often seen it with coach’s sons or players with older brothers on the team. These kids spend a significant amount of time around the team before reaching high school; then once they’re there, they have a unique advantage. From the leadership aspect, these athletes often understand the work ethic needed to be great on the varsity level. <strong>Freeland ATH [player_tooltip player_id="247633" first="Brayden" last="Petre"] </strong> A unique prospect for a lesser-known program, [player_tooltip player_id="247633" first="Brayden" last="Petre"] is in a position to step into a leadership role. Petre is a three-sport athlete who seems to be doing everything right regarding his progression on the field. I hope that he makes the most of his potential by finding a way to be an all-around vocal leader. Like all of these young men, I look forward to seeing how Petre progresses.