This fall, PrepRedzone has covered Midwest P5 and D1 senior stock risers, 2024s gaining national attention, 2026s set for stardom, notable P5 PWO opportunities, and a ton of outstanding individual performances from America’s Heartland. Now, it’s the sophomore 2025s turn,…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inThis fall, PrepRedzone has covered Midwest P5 and D1 senior stock risers, 2024s gaining national attention, 2026s set for stardom, notable P5 PWO opportunities, and a ton of outstanding individual performances from America’s Heartland. Now, it’s the sophomore 2025s turn, and after hours of research and film scouring PRZ has identified 14 stud sophomores who are earning P5 offers and/or serious attention during this fall. It should go without saying that you need to be a bona fide talent to earn any kind of attention from the highest level of college football, much less an offer, as programs take each and offer scholarship offer seriously and are not in the business of guessing when it comes to their evaluations. This becomes exponentially more true when the recruit earns an offer as an underclassman, as a lot more maturation and growing is still in front of the young man. What I’m getting at is sophomores who earn a P5 offer have NFL potential in their future, not just college football promise, and getting in on a kid’s recruitment early can sometimes pay dividends when it’s time for their eventual commitment. If you’re a college football recruiting fanatic like me, the earlier you get a prospect on your radar the better, and luckily PrepRedzone is here to give you the early scoop on some of these already-certified superstars. From Nebraska over to Ohio, up to Wisconsin, and everywhere in between, get to know 15 2025s Earning P5 Offers & Attention this Fall.
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The 6’7, 260 lb. DT has hit the state of Kansas’ recruiting scene full throttle after earning his first offer from Big12 Kansas on October 8th. Previously, he had visited Lawrence last March, and the Jayhawks must have been keeping a close eye on his film and development and loved what they saw. Also a standout power forward for St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, Marks only has two games of tape available on his Hudl but in them you see a long, lean, massive defensive tackle with a good first step and the strength to hold his gap through double teams if necessary. He also uses his giant wingspan to get into passing lanes, and I also like his closing speed for a big guy as well. I’ll be keeping a close eye on his updated tape as it comes.
A 6’5, 265 lbs. Michigan offensive lineman enjoying a wild fall, Avery Gach came into the season without an offer but quickly changed that after game day visits to Notre Dame and Ohio State. The offers came pouring in after that, with Toledo, Central Michigan, Ohio State, Boston College, and Michigan all entering the fray since October. There’s a lot of recruitment still left to be had, so don’t be surprised when that list grows bigger, and make sure you stay posted with PrepRedzoneMI for more updates on the mauler. On tape, Gach is a lean and strong 6’5 RT who looks bendy and is one of the more aggressive finishers I’ve seen for a while, especially for a sophomore. With excellent and consistent hand placement, Gach’s understanding of leverage, leg drive, and overall motor pops off the film like a firework. It’s overwhelming and dominant, like that big block from the movie The Blind Side but every rep. Definitely worth a watch.
The 6’6, 280 lb. sophomore Chicagoland product
Jaylen Williams
Jaylen
Williams
6’3″ | ATH
Northrop | 2023
State
IN
was a summer camp circuit star who earned offers from Mizzou, Kent State, Western Michigan, Minnesota, and Central Michigan and snuck in a visit to Minneapolis late in July. Since the season kicked off in Illinois, Williams visited the Illini in September and earned his second B1G offer from Iowa on October 2nd. He also visited Notre Dame on an unofficial visit last weekend. His 2022 game film shows off a giant 5T with a great get-off, noticeable body control and athleticism, and the ability to physically dominate opponents, especially in 1-on-1 situations. At 280 lbs., he’s fast enough to contribute on kickoff, can shuck aside blockers like they’re rag dolls, and is explosive at the point of contact. Williams is a physical freak and a future blue-chipper out of the talent-rich Land of Lincoln.
The Elder High School sophomore is yet another impressive Ohio linebacker prospect who cemented himself on the 2025 recruiting scene with a Big10 offer from Purdue on September 3rd. PrepRedzoneOH lead scout Jared Luginbill has been all over this kid since before the recent rankings update, and for good reason, as the 6’2, 205 lber. has a great frame with more room to grow and plays with balance, solid speed, and a lot of strength at the point of contact. Arnold does a good job of breaking down and squaring up ball carries and uses good pursuit angles and overall comfortability in space to prevent RBs and WRs from gaining extra yardage once he gets ahold of them. I also like how he slips by blocking attempts. He’s posted 35 tackles, 8 TFLs, and half a sack through the midseason point of 2022, and Ohio State is starting to get involved, inviting him to the Horseshoe on October 1st. Miami of Ohio has contacted him as well.
The 6′, 190 lb. Millard North athlete out of Omaha was already in the Cornhuskers’ eye last year as a freshman and visited Lincoln in the fall of 2021 for a game day visit. The PrepRedzoneNE Showcase veteran also visited the Huskers last April for their spring game and camped with them this summer, and this familiarity, and mutual interest, not to mention VerMaas‘ talent all combined to pay off October 3rd when the historic Huskers offered a Big10 scholarship. His first but no doubt far from last offer, South Dakota State and Iowa State have also been in contact, and the two-sport standout is also putting up some good things on tape as a sophomore in 2022. At the midseason point of this fall, VerMaas has posted 42 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and only one reception allowed on 10 direct targets. Offensively, he’s rushed 25 times for 370 yards and 2 TDs, and has caught a TD and passed for a touchdown halfway through his sophomore season. This dude is fast, fast, fast, and he has an unreal second play of his tape where he hawks down a loose ball carrier like a heat-seeking missile and strips the ball for a massive momentum shift of a turnover. He can also pop off big offensive plays without being touched, and possesses elite burst as well top-end speed. I loved his tape and can’t wait for more.
A product of Shawnee, Mill Valley High School 6’3, 220 pounder Jayden Woods Jayden Woods 6’2″ | OL Newton | 2023 State KS has erupted onto the 2025 scene when in-state Kansas University made another great evaluation from their home territory and made for the first scholarship offer for the sophomore. Iowa State, Kansas State, and Baylor have all offered since Kansas reached out on September 24th. Also a standout wrestler, Woods plays as a standup OLB/DE with a lethal combination of speed and strength off the edge. His get-off gives blockers absolute fits to try and handle, and his hand usage and ability to easily shed blocks is great as well. Easily a P5 talent out of the state of Kansas.
Powerhouse New Palestine in Indiana has themselves another heavyweight recruit in 6’2, 260 lb. defensive lineman Michael Thacker Michael Thacker 6’0″ | DL New Palestine | 2025 State IN . After earning an offer from Ball State on June 24th during camp season, the sophomore was well into his second year of high school football when SEC big boy Tennessee offered a P5 scholarship late in August on the 30th. Notre Dame then got involved, sending a game day invite which he attended on the 17th of September. Capable of playing multiple spots along the DL, Thacker shows great body control and overall mobility for his size and age and can break down and change directions like a DB. He’s got the speed to run down ball carriers from the backside, uses good technique and strength to freeze and then shed blocks, and has a good first step as well. He’s also explosive at the point of contact and has laid some big hits so far this season. New Pal, as always, is a must-stop for college coaches and recruiters.
A massive Chicagoland linebacker standing at 6’3, 225, Hulak received an outstanding first offer from home state Illinois and HC Bret Bielema on October 8th after a visit to Champaign. A great believer and evaluator of Land of Lincoln talent, Bielema and staff found themselves a doozy as Hulak looks all of his reported size on film and is dynamic enough to contribute on both sides of the ball. He can also operate productively around the LOs and in the box, or out in space while helping in coverage or coming up and making a tackle. He’s also a strong and technically sound blocker, can easily work through weaker blocks, and quickly identifies run and three-step passes. Hulak looks like another awesome Big10 LB you can only find in the Midwest.
Another Hoosier State talent, wide receiver Hilton Jr. comes out of big school Zionsville and entered the P5 and Big10 recruiting sphere when the Purdue Boilermakers offered up on October 15th after he visited West Lafayette. A 5’1, 160 lb. playmaker, Hilton Jr. has excellent speed and body control and is capable of snagging beautiful back-shoulder balls as well as torching 10+ yard cushions from opposing CBs. That body control also helps him break tackle attempts and helps him turn WR screens behind the LOS into big gains. Hilton Jr. also can line up at multiple wide receiver spots and is overall a notable athlete and talent who plays more like an upperclassman than a sophomore. Great call by Purdue on the offer.
Lee’s Summit is no stranger to high-profile football recruits and North High School has a baller in their 2025 class in 6’1, 210 lb. LB
Chase Pearsall
Chase
Pearsall
6’1″ | LB
Lee’s Summit North | 2025
State
MO
. A busy spring of ’22 that involved unofficials to Nebraska and Kansas, Pearsall earned P5 offers from the Cornhuskers and SEC Mizzou in the summer and added a Big12 offer from the Kansas Jayhawks on October 8th for good measure. Sadly, he doesn’t have any updated Hudl film besides from basketball, so coaches and college programs must really love that in-person eye test, high school coaches input, and any other personal evals they’ve done on the recruiting trail. PrepRedzone loves Missouri prospects!
Another potential Ohio blue-chipper, 6’4, 250 lb. DE Brandon Caesar Brandon Caesar 6’4″ | DL Cleveland Heights | 2025 State OH out of Cleveland Heights has burst onto the recruiting scene like the Kool-Aid Man through a plaster wall when Michigan State became his first offer (and first reported recruiting attention of any kind) on October 18th. The young buck, who also carries a 3.8 GPA, doesn’t even have any updated sophomore tape, so I can’t give you a proper evaluation, but make sure to stay tuned with PrepRedzoneOH once his film comes out. More recruiting love is on the way as well. Keep it up, Brandon!
There have been a ton of stock risers from Wisconsin during the 2022 prep football season and Germantown sophomore linebacker is one of them. The 6’2, 205 pounder was highly regarded by lead PRzWI scout Mark Johnson last spring/summer and was justified in his eval. a few months later when B1G Illinois offered a scholarship on July 30th. Unsurprisingly, Wisconsin started to get involved and he visited Mad Town on September 3rd as well as Champaign on October 15th. His sophomore game tape shows off a well-built LB and RB with loose hips and smooth drops in coverage, great speed in pursuit, and lateral agility when flowing to the ball. I also like his overall physicality when playing either offense or defense and goes full-throttle into contact. Catalano is a smooth and fluid linebacker and athlete with his best football left in front of them.
It was only a matter of a time for a Michigan wide receiver with 10.6 speed in the 100M to blow up on the recruiting trail and the fall of 2022 was
Kamren Flowers
Kamren
Flowers
6’0″ | WR
Ann Arbor Huron | 2025
MI
‘. The track & field All-American earned D1 offer #1 late in September when Eastern Kentucky reached out, but things stepped up a notch on October 15th when B1G Michigan State offered up in East Lansing. Sadly, Flowers doesn’t have any updated film from freshman or sophomore year at Huron High, so make sure you stay posted with PrepRedzoneMI for further updates on the young buck.
We’ve been on Slinger 2025 offensive lineman
Charlie Hoitink
Charlie
Hoitink
6’4″ | OL
Slinger | 2025
State
WI
longer than anyone at PrepRedzoneWI, largely due to his older brother Ben, who is now an Ivy League lineman at UPenn. Speaking of the Quakers, UPenn wasted no time in offering the Slinger product as they reached out with a roster spot in November of 2021 after Charlie visited big bro in Philly. The 6’4, 305 lb. weight room monster has had a busy fall on the recruiting trail and has earned game day visits to Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Illinois in September or October. In two years of varsity action so far, Hoitink has played center, RG, and RT, and his 10th grade film displays a light-footed puller who is dominant at the point of attack. He’s got solid leg drive and hand placement, some decent pass-pro tape as a tackle, and a good motor. If he can keep adding strength and play a little lower he’s going to have that first scholarship offer in no time. You got big fans at PRzWI, Charlie!
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