The Midwest’s Top-20 Dual-Sporters: Wrestling Edition
In this article:
Growing up in Minnesota, there’s an almost tangible cultural precedent surrounding hockey, and particularly high school hockey. Whether you, or your parents, are into athletics, it’s inevitable that you’ll be asked if you or your kid is planning on playing…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGrowing up in Minnesota, there’s an almost tangible cultural precedent surrounding hockey, and particularly high school hockey. Whether you, or your parents, are into athletics, it’s inevitable that you’ll be asked if you or your kid is planning on playing puck, and there’s naturally going to pressure to play based on how many people you know will be participating in the winter sport. In my case, the time commitment and money didn’t exactly get my parents excited, and fortunately for both me and them, my athletic skillset wasn’t really built for the sport anyway. I was tailored more towards what became my winter sport, which I believes qualifies as the toughest sport out there: amateur wrestling.
There’s nothing quite like it. Between the preparation that goes into the match, not to mention weigh-ins, the 1-on-1 battle that takes place on the mat, the team dynamics in what is mostly an individual sport, and the grueling workload that is required to wrestle at a high level, you can imagine why the great Dan Gable said ” Once you’ve wrestling, everything else in life is easy.” Wrestling also helps produce some fantastic multi-sport athletes, and football/wrestler hybrids make for my favorite type of dual-sporters, as the toughness, technique, and physicality required on the mat pay dividends on the gridiron. My tackling got significantly better after I took up wrestling, and in the highlight tapes I watch of standout football/wrestling prospects you can see a different type of edge, aggression, and grit in athletes with those two sports on their resume. In fact, I enjoy watching high-level dual-sporters so much that I sought out to name the Top-20 wrestler/football combos in the Midwest, where the best of the best of ’em are produced. A variety of different states, graduating classes, positions, weight classes, and skillsets are all represented in this PrepRedzone Midwest special! Enjoy.
—
1) Ben Kueter Ben Kueter 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Iowa City High | 2023 State IA (Iowa City High, IA) C/o 2023. 6’3, 220 lbs. Linebacker. Committed to Iowa (football & wrestling)
Highlights:
- Ranked #2 in Flowrestling’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- U-20 world freestlye champ last summer
- USAToday All-Iowa Male Athlete of the Year for ’21-’22
- #1 ranked 220 lber. in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- Iowa’s 32nd 4x state wrestling champ & 7th Iowa wrestler to finish with perfect four-year record (111-0).
- 4-star LB prospect by 24/7Sports
- Under Armour All-America Game selection
- 2x First Team All-State, Butkus Award finalist
Overview: Elite in two sports, Iowa City High School senior Ben Kueter Ben Kueter 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Iowa City High | 2023 State IA is a throwback type of athlete who will wrestle and play football for the hometown Hawkeyes. Playing two sports at a P5 level is hard to find these days, and finding P5 wrestler/football hybrids are more than a rarity nowadays, so I hope our readers get some sense of how special this young man is. A winner since his days as a youth, Kueter capped his prep wrestling career with three pins and a tech fall in the finals, and finished his career as one of the most dominant wrestlers the state of Iowa has ever seen. 74 of his 111 prep wins came by fall, and 105 of his 111 victories resulted in bonus points, and he carried the success into freestyle, where he won a Junior men’s freestyle title. Kueter also was a popular and decorated football player, and earned offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Mizzou, and Minnesota before shutting things down with the Hawks. College-ready size, hammer at the point of contact who created some massive hits on ball carriers, good pursuit speed in a downhill style of play, and the athleticism to make people miss and create splash plays on offense, he’s an excellent match for Iowa’s LB and wrestling room and I can’t wait to see how the Hawkeye develop him as a college athlete. Easy choice for the #1 football/wrestling hybrid in the Midwest!
—
2) Koy Hopke (Amery High School, WI) C/o 2024. 6’2, 225 lbs. Linebacker/Running back. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #11 overall in FloWrestling’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- #1 ranked heavyweight in America, according to FloWrestling.
- #4 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the class of 2024
- 3x WI state champ, went 53-0 this past season with three straight pins to win the state tournament
- 2022 U17 world champion
- 2023 USA Wrestling folkstyle national champion
- All-Region RB and LB
- Small-School All-State HM linebacker
Overview: According to a recent article by Jon Kozak at FloWrestling, Badger State product Hopke has decided to focus on his wrestling recruitment and will compete on the mat for his future college program. Not a bad call given his wrestling resume, so I’m going to sit back and enjoy his final season of football in the red & white of the Warriors. A powerful, balanced, fun-to-watch triple-option fullback, Hopke can run through tackle attempts like a grown man going against middle schoolers, and has some strong reps of him running through 3-4 defenders and dog piles filled with opponents clinging on for dear life, only for Hopke to break through and into daylight like a bowling ball through Brunswick pins. Also possesses good speed for his size, and can beat blocking attempts with speed or strength. He was a nightmare to gameplan against last fall and is only going to be more dominant as a senior. For now, Hopke will stay busy as he looks to make the U20 World Team in July to represent his country on the wrestling mat.
—
3) Gavin Nelson Gavin Nelson 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Simley | 2023 MN (Simley High, MN) C/o 2023. RB/LB. 6′, 225 lbs. Committed to Minnesota (wrestling)
Highlights:
- #16 overall in FloWrestling’s pound-for-pound rankings.
- #2 ranked 220 lber. in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- 3x MN state champ, 2x World team member, Greco national champ
- Led Simley to a 2022 Class 4A state championship on the gridiron
- Second Team StarTribune All-Metro RB, Second Team SBLive All-State RB
- PRzMN LB of the Year semifinalist
Overview: Nelson comes out of my home state and perennial high school wrestling powerhouse Simley High School, but despite his wrestling resume, the future Golden Gopher tore up the gridiron last fall and put the state on notice to his football talents. A bruising and productive two-way contributor for the Spartans, Nelson paved the way to a 4A state title for the school’s first-ever state football title. It wouldn’t have been possible without the 6′, 225 lber., who will compete in the upper weights for the Gophers wrestling squad, and Nelson immediately went into wrestling mode, where he won another state title individually, where he won A All-Tournament Team accolades, helped Simley to their 16th team title and fifth in a row, and then won his 215 lb. matchup in the Team USA vs. Team PA Pittsburg Wrestling Classic. I can’t wait to see him represent the hometown team in Dinkytown the next 4-5 years. Go Gophers!
—
4) Max McEnelly Max McEnelly 5'10" | 205 lbs | ATH Waconia | 2023 State MN (Waconia High, MN) 2023. RB/LB. 5’10, 205 lbs. Committed to Minnesota (wrestling)
Highlights:
- #18 overall in the FloWrestling pound-for-pound big board.
- #1 ranked 195 lber. in the 2022-23 high school rankings, according to FloWrestling.
- 2023 Mr. MN High School Wrestler award winner
- 31st 4x state Minnesota champ
- Beat the #2 nationally ranked wrestler in the MN 195 lb. state championship match this past March
- 2x Christmas Tournament champ and 1x Outstanding Wrestler
- U17 world championship 3rd place
- 2x Freestyle national champ
- 2022 World Team Member
- MN Vikings All-State Team 2022
- AP All-State 2022 First Team RB
- 2022 MN Mr. Football finalist
- First Team StarTribune and KARE11 All-Metro
- Finished his career with 5,732 rushing yards and 70 TDs + 213 tackles defensively
Overview: Almost as accomplished on the gridiron as he is on the mat, Max McEnelly Max McEnelly 5'10" | 205 lbs | ATH Waconia | 2023 State MN is another Land of 10,000 Lakes product that will stay home and wrestle for the Gophers in college. A 4x state wrestling champ, McEnelly is also a 4-year starter for the Wildcats football team and was extremely productive on both sides of the ball throughout his career. I was very interested to see how his recruitment would evolve as a football player, but never really got the chance to see it happen, as he was pretty much wrestling all the way for the stud, and I was pumped to see him commit to Minnesota in the fall of 2021. He only became more of a beast after that commitment, and showed off instincts and physicality as a LB and speed, shake, and vision as a RB, popping off countless big plays and momentum-swinging reps on either side of the ball. However, he made a good choice in pursuing wrestling at the next level, and him and Gavin Nelson Gavin Nelson 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Simley | 2023 MN are going to be some star-studded wrestling partners in the Gophers room the next 4-5 years. National championships are up next!
—
5) Dillan Johnson Dillan Johnson 6'1" | 280 lbs | DL Joliet Catholic Academy | 2024 State IL (Joliet Catholic, IL) C/o 2024. 6’2, 285 lbs. Defensive Tackle. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #2 ranked heavyweight in the nation, according to Flowrestling.
- #10 ranked wrestler in the 2024 FloWrestling pound-for-pound Big Board.
- 3x Illinois state champ with a 43-0 record as a junior this past season
- Currently holds a 104-0 career high school record
- 2022 Walsh Jesuit Ironman winner
- Set the record for fastest pin in a Class 2A title match
–
Overview: Coming out of Illinois wrestling and football powerhouse Joliet Catholic, who have been one of my favorite teams to watch in the Land of Lincoln since I’ve started scouting professionally for PrepRedzone, Johnson is the most popular two-sport recruit on this star-studded list and has had a busy, non-stop junior year on the recruiting trail of both sports. Since football ended in the fall, Johnson has earned football offers from Mizzou, Iowa State, Miami (OH), Wyoming, Western Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green State, Cincinnati, Old Dominion, Cal-Berkeley, Kent State, Kansas State, Tulane, Washington State, Northwestern, Western Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Additionally, he’s visited Michigan for wrestling & football, has earned wrestling recruiting graphics from Northwestern, Purdue, and North Carolina, and has taken unoffical football visits to the likes of Mizzou, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Iowa State, and Cincinnati. Talk about busy! Johnson is insanely strong for his age and can already squat 700 pounds, bench 425, and deadlift over 600, and to sweeten the pot he holds a 4.81 GPA to really round out his student-athlete resume. I wouldn’t count out the rising senior playing both sports in college, but things to seem to be trending towards football at the next level, so I’ll be eyeing this recruitment closely and would love if he ended up in the B1G in either sport. B1G programs appreciate, honor, and develop football/wrestling standouts like the Illinois native, and Johnson is one of the best to come out of America’s Heartland recently.
—
6) Navarro Schunke Navarro Schunke 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Brandon Valley | 2024 State SD (Brandon High School, SD) C/o 2024. 6’6, 290 lbs. OL & DL. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #4 ranked heavyweight in the nation, according to FloWrestling
- #36 overall ranked wrestling in FloWrestling’s 2024 pound-for-pound Big Board
- 4x South Dakota state champ, including a 220 lb. title as an eighth-grader
- 3x Class A SD team champion
- 2021 Greco & freestyle Fargo national champ
- 2023 USA Wrestling Folkstyle national runner-up (lost to Koy Hopke)
- Older brother Damion wrestles at Arizona State, dad coached at Northern Colorado
- 4star offensive lineman, according to 24/7Sports, #16 iOL in the nation
- All-State as a sophomore
Overview: Another uber-popular two-sport recruit, Schunke unfortunately battled injuries during the 2022 football season, but came back and rehabbed off it in impressive fashion, earning his fourth state wrestling title in undefeated fashion (28-0) and solidifying his stock in both sports. In football, Schunke has been offered by South Dakota State, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Coastal Carolina, Kansas, Arizona State, Illinois, South Florida, and Kansas State, and has taken football visits to KState, KU, and Minnesota. He’s also been sought-after as a heavyweight wrestler, with suitors such Northern Colorado, Arizona State, Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Indiana, Maryland, George Mason, Oregon State, Wisconsin, and North Carolina State to make for a tradition-rich, decorated list of potential future homes. No updated tape, but college football programs are sure to love Schunke’s quick feet, lateral agility, and overall mobility, as well as his hand usage and understanding of leverage that is only strengthened by his wrestling background, as well as his frame and finishing ability. There’s a ton to like in both sports, and the best has yet to come. As far as I know, he’s still considering both sports. South Dakota has produced some fantastic two-sporters who have picked football in the past, but with his brother wrestling at ASU, I think things are up in the air right now and both activities are still on the table. Keep an eye on ASU in particular.
—
7) Max Shulaw Max Shulaw 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Saint Francis Desales | 2024 State OH (St. Francis DeSales, OH) C/o 2024. 6’1, 220 lbs. Linebacker. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #7 ranked 220 lber. in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- #26 overall ranked wrestler in the FloWrestling 2024 pound-for-pound Big Board
- 2023 OHSAA DII 215 lb. state champ with a 51-0 record. 1x OHSAA runner-up, 1x OHSAA 4th place finish
- 2023 OHSAA state team runner-up
- All-Metro, 2x Academic All-Ohio
- 2022 Walsh Jesuit Ironman Champ with two pins, a tech fall, and three major decisions, including one in the championship match
- Brecksville, Mark Zimmer Memorial Classic, Kevin Cleveland tournament winner
- 2X All-CCL and All-Central District First Team LB
- 2x Third Team All-Ohio
- Started four games as a freshman, all 11 as a sophomore, and all 10 as a junior
- Currently sits at 247 tackles, 37.5 TFLs, 3 defensive TDs, 2 blocked kicks, and 2 INTs
Overview: The state of Ohio is one of the best and most fertile recruiting grounds for both football and wrestling, and Columbus’ St. Francis DeSales 2024 linebacker and 215 lb. wrestler Max Shulaw Max Shulaw 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Saint Francis Desales | 2024 State OH is an excellent example of what the state can churn out. With a 4.0 GPA and multiple academic distinctions, Shulaw is a heckuva student-athlete, and the likes of Brown, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio State have made personal, in-home visits on the wrestling recruiting trail, and Miami (OH) is firmly in the mix football-wise and is the only program to get a junior day visit form the rising senior. Coastal Carolina, Western Michigan, Kentucky, and Ohio have all been in consistent contact with the linebacker as well. He’s easily a D1 prospect in both sports, and on the gridiron I like his ability to impact the run, pass, and special teams games, his speed out of his stance and how rapidly he gets downhill and hits open gaps, Shulaw’s capability to quickly work through blocks with strength and/or speed, and how forcefully he tackles. After a recent visit to Virginia and the Cavalier’s wrestling program, I’m going to guess that wrestling may have a slight advantage on the recruiting trail right now. PRzOH is going to be watching this guy closely!
—
8) Dreshaun Ross (Fort Dodge High, IA) C/o 2026. 6’3, 200 lbs. Athlete. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #12 ranked 195 lber. in USA, according to FloWrestling.
- 2023 3A IHSAA 195 lb. state champ with a 44-2 record
- 2023 16U 195 lb. USA Wrestling Folkstyle national champ
- 16U 195 lb. Iowa/USA State Freestyle & Greco champ as an 8th grader
- One of only eight 6x AAU youth champs in Iowa history and a 6x Tulsa National winner
- First 2026 in-state offer of the Hawkeyes (football) and second 2026 offer overall
Overview: A freshman phenom out of one of America’s wrestling blue-blooded states in Iowa, Fort Dodge freshman had an outstanding youth wrestling career and picked up right where he left off in the high school ranks. Dreshaun Ross is a stud in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco, and has already won a countless amount of tournaments since he began wrestling at three years old. Football seems to come to him easily as well, as Ross started at OLB as a freshman for the Dodgers and showed off some big-time coverage skills and a natural ability to defend the edge and play with leverage and good angles. Speed is there as well! To add more excitement to his already burgeoning list of athletic accomplishments, Ross is already a P5 football prospect and was offered by Iowa, Purdue, and Iowa State in late February/early March. Some dudes are just built different!
—
9) Leighton Jones Leighton Jones 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Brownsburg | 2023 State IN (Brownsburg High School, IN) C/o 2023. 6’4, 275 lbs. iOL. Committed to Iowa (football)
Highlights:
- #15 ranked heavyweight in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- 2022-23 Brecksville Invitational 285 lb. runner-up
- 2022-23 Walsh Jesuit Ironman 285 lb. 6th place
- 2x IHSAA 285 lb. 3rd place
- 3x conference, 3x sectional, 3x regional, 3x semi-state, 2x Grappler Gold invite, 2x Carnahan Memorial invitational First Place
- 2019 USAW Greco Cadet All-American
- Four-year starter who played OL and DL
- All-State Top-50
- U.S. Army All-American
- Indiana OL Mr. Football, 2x All-Conference, All-State
Overview: The Brownsburg Bulldogs have put out some hammers in both football and wrestling over the years, and senior Leighton Jones Leighton Jones 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Brownsburg | 2023 State IN is a special one whose commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes football team looks like a match made in heaven. Kirk Ferentz’s staff appreciates and regularly recruit standout wrestlers to Iowa City, and Jones carries a hefty resume from the mat into the Hawkeye’s OL room as a future offensive center. Nationally ranked and an Indiana state heavyweight champ this year, Jones attended one of our PrepRedzone IL/IN Showcases a couple years back and both Jake Lemming and I got to watch the 6’4, 275 lber. (he was a little lighter then) dominate as a defensive lineman against an abundance of D1 OTs and OGs. It was inevitable that his recruiting would blow up, and in January of his junior year Kent State, Illinois State, Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Bowling Green State, Ball State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Iowa, and Purdue offered, but only five days after he earned his offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes he shut things down and committed. With his size, strength, functional movement skills and athleticism, effective hand usage, technique, and toughness at the point of attack, I’m pumped to see him slide inside in college and can’t wait to see how the Hawkeyes develop this kid. OL + wrestling = $
—
10) Tyson Terry Tyson Terry 6'2" | 270 lbs | DL Omaha North | 2025 State NE (Omaha North, NE) C/o 2025. 6’3, 270 lbs. OG/DT. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- 2x Nebraska Class A heavyweight state champ, 2on his ’23 state title in 46 seconds
- #7 ranked overall wrestler in Nebraska for the 2022-23 season, according to MatScouts
- Currently 92-0 in his high school career
- 2x District, Metro champ
- First Nebraska freshman to win heavyweight championship since 1971 & first to do it in Class A
- 2-year starter for football
Overview: A young but already-accomplished sophomore, Terry is the son of a 2x state champ (Ryan Terry, also of Omaha North) and is eating up Nebraska heavyweight competition like a 6-year-old at a birthday party with ice cream cake. He didn’t have to wait long to see his football recruitment take off, as the current #2 rated 2025er in PRzNE’s rankings was insanely popular as a young buck on the recruiting trail and earned offers from Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Iowa, and Colorado, in that order. All of those offers except for Colorado’s came in 2022, so it’s been a steady stream of P5 scholarships for the 6’3, 270 lber., who posted 54 tackles, 11 TFLs, 4 sacks, and a TD from his DL spot last fall. Terry is a bull at the point of attack and regularly sends opponents flying in his sophomore highlights, but he’s also got some twitch and some quick hips that bend well around opponents and help him utilize a clean chop/rip and a variety of other rush moves. Along with his great hands, he can pursues, change direction, and tackle in space, and overall Terry moves likes he’s 50-100 pounds lighter and is a prospect I would not want to run into padded up on the gridiron. That’s a heckuva athletic makeup in the 2025 standout and he has a big fan in yours truly. Also has a 4.3 GPA!
—
11) Tommy Dineen (Benson High School, MN) C/o 2023. 6’1, 210 lbs. RB/LB. Committed to South Dakota State (wrestling)
Highlights:
- #17 ranked 195 lber. in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- Three consecutive Minnesota Class A 195 lb. state championships
- 203-14 career record,135 straight victories to close out his career
- Benson all-time career wins
- #76 overall 2023 wrestler in MatScout’s Big Board
- 3x West Central Tribune All-Area 3x All-District on the gridiron
- Benson Braves career record holder in rushing yards (3,612), touchdowns (41), points (270), sacks (21), and TFLs (30)
Overview: The small school Land of 10,000 Lakes multi-sport standout will follow a long list of talented Minnesotans to wrestle in Brookings but leaves a legacy of broken records and embarrassed opponents in his high school athletic’s wake. Dineen wasn’t active on social media, and didn’t update his Hudl much, but it’s not hard to put together that the RB/LB/DE hybrid was a man amongst boys on the gridirons of West Central MN and lived in the endzones and backfields of opponents all four years of high school. I’m excited to keep track of him with the Jackrabbits.
—
12) Will Clark (Crown Point High School, IN) C/o 2024. Linebacker. 6’4, 225 lbs. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #14 ranked 220 lb. wrestler in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- 2023 IHSAA 220 lb. state champion
- 2022 IHSAA 195 lb. 5th place
- 3x DAC champ
- Back-to-back IHSAA team champions and 2023
- 16U Freestyle Cadet All-American at 195
- Walsh Jesuit Ironman 7th place
- IFCA JR All-State, All-Conference, All-Area linebacker
- ‘Dogs football Team Conference champs in 2022
Overview: Hard work pays off, and Crown Point’s multi-sport standout found himself at the top of the podium this spring as an Indiana 220 lb. state wrestling champion. It was a culmination of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and rising senior linebacker Will Clark has also inflicted his fair share of blood and tears to opponents on the gridiron and wrestling mat alike. Similar to his acumen in both football & wrestling, Clark is popular on the recruiting trail in both sports, and has visited Miami (OH) twice, Ball State, Western Michigan twice, Toledo, and Indiana for football unofficals and/or junior day invites, and has also been contacted by the Purdue Boilermakers wrestling team. Him and his brother, who we will read about later, are a lethal pair of Hoosier State studs, and Will is a beast from his LB position, displaying impressive speed for his size, particularly when closing on the ball. I love how he throws himself 100% into every hit, and boy did he lay some big ones last fall. Clark can also use his quickness to beating blocks, reads his keys and finds the ball well, and can pursue sideline-to-sideline. I’m surprised he doesn’t have an offer yet. He’s a FBS/P5 linebacker everyday of the week.
—
13) Will Sather (Eden Prairie, MN) C/o 2024. 6’1, 270 lbs. iOL/DL. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- 2022 MN 3A heavyweight state champ
- First sophomore to win 3A heavyweight title
- 2023 MN 3A heavyweight state runner-up
- 2021 16U Freestyle 285 lb. 2nd place
- 2023 MWCA All-State Academic Team
- Saw a varsity start as a freshman on the perennial big-school MN program Eden Prairie
- All-District OL in ’22
Overview: My recent pick for the top returning dual-sporter in Minnesota going into the fall, Sather was the first sophomore to win the AAA heavyweight state title but fell in a heartbreaking state final loss this past March as a junior. Luckily, he’s got another year to avenge things, and he’s going to come into his senior year hungry, motivated, and angry, which spells trouble for Twin City Metro opponents on the gridiron and wrestling mat. A two-way lineman who is a classic representation of how wrestling helps OL/DL prospects, Sather plays low and plays low consistently, and is strong at the point of attack, owns a quick first step and get-off, and a knack for getting opponents off-balance and out of position. He’s earned a DII offer from perennial national contender MSU-Mankato, as well as an Ivy League roster spot from Brown, both for football, and has been to Princeton and Harvard for wrestling visits. Look out for the Eden Prairie Eagle this fall!
—
14) Paul Clark (Crown Point High School, IN) C/o 2024. DE. 6’4, 250 lbs. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- #16 ranked heavyweight in the nation, according to Flowrestling.
- 2023 IHSAA heavyweight 3rd place
- 2022 IHSAA 220 lb. 4th place
- 2022 USMC Folkstyle National 285 lb. Champ
- Back-to-back IHSAA team champions
- All-Conference, Second Team All-Area DE
Overview: Visits to Miami (OH), Ball State, Western Michigan x2, Toledo, and Indiana have kept Hoosier State two-sporter Paul Clark busy as a junior, not to mention his wrestling season. One of the two Clark brothers to make the list, the two boys are blessed with great size and enjoy using it against the will of opponents on the gridirons and wrestling mats of NW Indiana. Paul, as a defensive end, is very effective with his hands, and uses arm-overs, bull-rushes, rips, and pulls to beat blocks against iOL and OTs alike. You can even see him use his arms/hands to get into passing lanes to pick off passes, rip out the ball when ball carriers are held up, and even fight off stiff-arms from panicked RBs. Just like on the wrestling mat, Clark can win 1-on-1 battles in a variety of ways, and I guarantee Paul and his brother will be working their butts off this offseason as they work towards that illustrious state wrestling title.
—
15) McCrae Hagarty McCrae Hagarty 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB Waverly-Shell Rock | 2023 IA (Waverly-Shell Rock High School, IA) C/o 2023. 6′, 205 lbs. RB/DE. Committed to Iowa State (wrestling)
Highlights:
- 13th-ranked 195 lber. in the nation, according to FloWrestling.
- #87 overall ranked wrestler by MatScouts 2023 Big Board
- 2x Iowa state champ, unfortunately got hurt in the 2023 tourney
- 2021 16U national All-American in both freestyle and Greco
- 3rd place finish at the Cadet men’s freestyle world team trials
- 4th place finish as a freshman
- 82-1 record as a sophomore and junior
- W-SR won three consecutive Iowa 3A team wrestling titles
- SBLive Iowa Second Team All-State DL. Also rushed for 1,477 yards and 25 TDs as a senior.
- Helped lead the W-SR football team to an 11-1 record in 2022
Overview: Hagarty made for a devastating RB/defensive combination with fellow ’23 grad and future Kansas State Wildcat linebacker Asa Newson, and helped lead the Go-Hawks 2022 squad to an 11-win season, including a playoff W before North Scott took them down in the next round. Unlike his football counterpart Newson, Hagarty won’t play college football, and instead is heading to one of the most tradition-rich college wrestling programs in the Iowa State Cyclones. Sadly, Hagarty was battling a brutal shoulder injury this past season and was forced to medically withdraw from the Iowa state tourney, but I have a feeling that is going to make him even more motivated going into college. He’ll leave behind a productive and decorated prep football career as well, helping W-SR to a 22-3 record while he was an upperclassman and posting nearly 3K rushing yards and 44 TDs as a RB through that time frame as well. Additionally, he added 81.5 tackles and 36 TFLs as junior and senior defensive end and LB, and Hagarty visited the in-state P5s for football unofficals before shutting things down and focusing on his wrestling recruitment. Yet another classic example of a tough, productive, and physical Iowa two-sport product. Go ‘Clones!
—
16) Maddux Borcherding-Johnson (Norwalk High, IA) C/o 2023. 6’3, 270 lbs. DL. Committed to Iowa (football)
Highlights:
- 2023 Iowa 3A 285 lb. State Champion and finished his senior year with a perfect 33-0 record
- 2x Iowa 3A third place, 1x 4th place
- Des Moines Register 2023 All-Iowa wrestling team
- #18 overall ranked wrestler on MatScouts 2023 Big Board
- 2021 16U Freestyle All-American
- SBLive Iowa First Team All-State DL
- Des Moines Register Elite first team All-State
- IPWSA All-State, Class 4A First Team All-State, 2x All-District, and Second Team All-State as a junior
- Team captain, helped reach state playoffs three straight years
Overview: There’s no better way to cap off your wrestling career then with a state championship, and Norwalk’s Maddux Borcherding-Johnson got to walk off into the sunset as the top heavyweight in talent-rich Iowa this past season after his 3-1 state final victory. In what is another football/wrestler match made in heaven, the Iowa native will play for his home state Hawkeyes in college, where he can perfectly utilize his wrestling talents along the DL of the B1G West contender. Both in-state P5 programs were on Borcherding-Johnson early in his then-blooming high school football career, as Iowa State became his first offer in June of 2021 and Iowa following nine days later. Less than a month later he shut things down and committed to the Hawkeyes for their first ’23 commitment. He’s been a steady commit ever since, and continues a long, tradition-rich line of Iowa natives to commit early and entirely to the state’s flagship university, and has a great chance to be yet another in-stater to get developed into an NFL talent. Wrestling and the defensive line go together like penut butter & jelly.
—
17) Brock Arndt Brock Arndt 6'3" | 235 lbs | LB Appleton North | 2024 State WI (Appleton North High School, WI) C/o 2024. 6’3, 235 lbs. LB. Uncommitted
Highlights:
- 2023 Wisconsin D1 220 lb. runner-up with a 33-2 record as a junior
- 2022 Wisconsin D1 195 lb. 3rd place
- Associated Press All-State LB
- WFCA All-State LB
- WFCA All-Region ILB
- First Team FVA All-Conference, FVA Conference co-LB MVP, FVA Conference co-Defensive MVP
Overview: A massive prep linebacker prospect, Arndt had a decorated junior campaign on the gridiron and finished with 111 tackles, 12 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 PBUs, 2 FFs last fall. The combination of size, film, production, and of course, wrestling pedigree, led the Ohio Bobcats to offer his first college football offer back in January, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, UNI, NDSU, and Illinois State all reached with visit opportunities shortly after. Arndt nearly captured that elusive state title this spring, but lost in the finals to a nationally ranked opponent, so we’re not holding that loss against him, and I’m excited to see how he attacks the offseason and works to finally capture that spot on top of the podium as a senior. Appleton North has been putting out some dogs on the gridiron as of late, and Arndt may be the best of the recent bunch, as he is long, attacks blocks with forceful hands and absorbs/dishes out contact well, sifts through traffic well and takes good angles to the football, and shows off solid speed for his size. More football offers are coming for the young man out of the Badger State.
—
18) Caden McDermott Caden McDermott 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Pleasant Valley | 2023 State IA (Pleasant Valley, IA) C/o 2023. RB/CB. 5’9, 190 lbs. Committed to Upper Iowa (football)
Highlights:
- 2023 Iowa Class 3A 170 lb. State Champion
- 2x Iowa state runner-up, 3x District champion
- QCTimes All-Metro wrestling team and QCTimes Metro wrestler of the year
- MAC title, surpassed 100 career wins as a senior, 42-1 record as a senior
- All-State football and baseball
- Baseball team won a state championship
- QCTimes All-Metro football team
- 5A First Team All-State by The PK Podcast
- All-District, District Co-Offensive POY
Overview: Another standout Midwest dual-sporter to end his prep wrestling career on a high note, Pleasant Valley had a loaded wrestling squad this past season and were led by a hammer of a senior in 170 lb. competitor Caden McDermott Caden McDermott 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Pleasant Valley | 2023 State IA . After two runner-up finishes and a freshman season in which he didn’t even qualify for state, McDermott fought, clawed, and battled his way to a state title in one of the Midwest’s top wrestling states. Despite his wrestling success, he’s arguably more accomplished on the gridiron, where he was an electric and dynamic two-way contributor who finished his senior season with 25 total TDs and nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards as a RB, QB, and do-it-all offensive weapon. McDermott will play his college ball at Iowa’s DII program: Upper Iowa. I’m excited to see how the Peacocks use McDermott at the next level, and he’s got a dense and weighty high school athletic resume to bring into the #d2fb ranks. Good things are coming.
—
19) Sean Carroll Sean Carroll 6'0" | 210 lbs | RB St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State KS (St. Thomas Aquinas, KS) C/o 2023. 6′, 220 lbs. RB. Committed to Northern Illinois (wrestling)
Highlights:
- 2023 KSHSAA 5A 190 lb. state champ
- 2022 USAWKS 220 lbs. Cadet Greco 3rd place
- 2022 USAWKS 220 lbs. Cadet Freestyle 1st place
- 2022 USMC Folkstyle National Tournament 4th place
- 2022 KSHSAA 195 lb. runner-up, 2021 KSHSAA 195 lb. 5th place
- 32nd Annual Leavenworth Challenge, Johnson County Class 2021, 37th Derby Panther Invitational, 2022 Bobcat Classic, 2022 USA Wrestling Southern Plans Greco Regional, 2023 Mid-Buchanan Invitational, 2023 Bobcat Classic, 52nd Winnetonka Invitational 1st place
- Top ranked 190 lber. in Kansas, regardless of class
- KFBCA 4A All-State RB
- 2022-23 All-League RB
- Back-to-back seasons over 1,600 rushing yards and over 50 rushing TDs between his junior and senior seasons
- PrepsKC First Team All-Metro RB as a junior
Overview: One of the best athletes in the Sunflower State, senior Sean Carroll Sean Carroll 6'0" | 210 lbs | RB St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State KS had a monster senior season on the gridiron and wrestling mat and received his fair share of recruiting attention in both sports. Ultimately, wrestling won out, and when you look at his resume on the mat it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. This dude was always wrestling, and in addition to his high school folkstyle state title, Carroll has a decorated prep freestyle/Greco career that is sure to help him at the next level with the NIU Huskies. He was also a powerful RB, with contact balance, an effective cutting ability, and vision that gave opposing defenses fits from STA’s triple-option rushing attack. Onto DeKalb, Mr. Carroll!
—
20) Eli Paulson (Anoka High School, MN) C/o 2023. 5’9, 150 lbs. WR. Committed to St. Thomas (football)
Highlights:
- 2023 Minnesota 3A 145 lb. state champ
- 2021 Christmas Tournament 132 lb. 3rd place
- 2021 Junior Greco Nationals All-American
- 2022 MN 132AAA state runner-up
- Son of 3x state champ, NCAA All-American, and Olympic silver medalist Brandon Paulson. Grandson of Minnesota Wrestling HoFer Doug Paulson.
- Kare11 All-Metro WR, StarTribune All-Metro Second Team WR
- PRzMN inaugural Larry Fitzgerald WR of the Year winner
- Set the Minnesota single-season record for receptions with 96
- 2x All-District, ’21 District Special Teams Player of the Year
- Minnesota Vikings All-State Team 2022
- Associated Press First Team All-State WR
Overview: Coming out of my mom’s alma mater Anoka High School, Paulson won a boatload of hardware in 2022-23 while breaking records, snagging catches out of the air, and winning 1-on-1 battles all over the gridiron and wrestling mat. The smallest dual-sport standout on this highly-touted list, Paulson is one of the scrappiest, and had a fantastic senior year on Twin City Metro football fields where he showed off excellent route-running ability, soft hands, and juice after the catch. Tough as nails and an avid Greco Roman competitor, Paulson carried the momentum from his football campaign to the wrestling mats of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Finishing with a 46-2 record, Paulson will leave high school wrestling as a champion, and is taking his talents to nearby St. Paul to play FCS football in the Pioneer League for the University of St. Thomas. The Tommies are long-time believers and positive developers in Minnesota-born athletes, and have taken the Pioneer League and FCS ranks by storm in the two seasons since they’ve bumped up from DIII to D1. They can sure use the talents of Paulson, who has a knack for getting open and keeping his offense humming, and although he’ll be close to home and I can will easily be able to watch him college, I’ll miss his electric wrestling style. However, I’m pumped he ended things on a high note. Paulson has worked his butt off for it.
—
17 Honorable Mentions:
Rusty VanWetzinga (Pleasant Valley, IA) 2023. 6’1, 220 lbs. LB. 2023 Iowa 3A 220 5th place. All-State football. Committed to Iowa (football)
Jack Lesher Jack Lesher 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Marmion Academy | 2024 State IL (Marmion Academy, IL) 2024. 6’3, 210 lbs. LB. 2023 Illinois 3A 182 lb. state champ. Also 5A All-State linebacker.
Luke Zook Luke Zook 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB Yorkville | 2025 State IL (Yorkville, IL) 2025. 6’1, 175 lbs. DB. 2023 Illinois 3A 170 lb. All-State. All-Conference football
Gabe Kaminski Gabe Kaminski 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Nazareth | 2025 State IL (Nazareth Academy, IL) 2025. 6’3, 225 lbs. EDGE. 2x Illinois 1A 220 lb. state runner-up. Football offers from Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, Purdue, Northwestern
Mitchell Thompson Mitchell Thompson 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Kewaunee | 2023 State WI (Kewaunee, WI) 2023. 6’3, 200 lbs. QB. 2023 Wisconsin D3 195 lb. state champ. Committed to MSU-Mankato (football)
David Gauderman David Gauderman 6'2" | 225 lbs | ATH Wittenberg-Birnamwood | 2023 State WI (Wittenberg-Birnamwood) 2023. 6’2, 230 lbs. LB/RB/DE. 2023 Wisconsin D3 285 lb. runner-up with a 51-2 record. Committed to Minnesota-Duluth (football)
Austin Barrett Austin Barrett 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL St. Charles East | 2023 State IL (St. Charles East, IL) 2023. 6’7, 285 lbs. OL. 2023 Illinois 3A 285 lb. 5th place. Committed to Indiana (football)
Jaxson Hildebrand Jaxson Hildebrand 6'0" | 215 lbs | LB Denison-Schleswig | 2023 State IA (Denison-Schleswig, IA) 2023. LB. 2023 Iowa 3A 220 4th place. Committed to Northwestern College (wrestling)
Braylon Kammrad Braylon Kammrad 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Lewis Cenral | 2023 NE (Lewis Central, IA) 2023. 6’1, 190 lbs. ATH. 2023 Iowa 170 lb. runner-up. State champ in football & track. All-State football. Committed to Northern Iowa (football)
Ryan Ahern (Rockford, MI) 2024. LB/RB. 6’1, 210 lbs. Michigan D1 190 lb. runner-up in 2023. All-Conference football
Owen Hawley (Franklin, MI) 2023. OL. 6’6, 270 lbs. 2023 Michigan D1 285 lb. First Place. Uncommitted
Judah Kinne Judah Kinne 6'2" | 240 lbs | DL Lake Orion | 2023 State MI (Lake Orion, MI) 2023. DT. 6’2, 260 lbs. 2023 Michigan D1 285 lb. runner-up. 2x D1 All-State wrestler. Committed to Michigan Tech (football)
Aaron Holstege (Allendale, MI) 2023. 6’2, 230 lbs. OL/DL. 2023 Michigan D2 285 lb. runner-up. Uncommitted
Elizin Rouse (Kingsford, MI) 2024. 6′, 210 lbs. RB/LB. 2023 Michigan D3 First Place
Jestin Bayer Jestin Bayer 5'10" | 195 lbs | LB Howells-Dodge | 2023 State NE (Howells-Dodge, NE) 2023. 5’10, 200 lbs. LB/FB. 2023 Nebraska Class D182 state champ. Also 2x state runner-up. Also a First Team All-District, All-State, All-State Huskerland Prep, All-State Omaha World Herald, and All-State Lincoln Journal State. Team won a state football title in 2021 and state runner-up in 2022. Committed to Dakota Wesleyan for football.
Caeden Olin (Millard South, NE) 2024. 6′, 205 lbs. RB/LB. – 2023 Nebraska Class A195 state champ.
Joey VanWetzinga Joey VanWetzinga 6'2" | 255 lbs | DL Pleasant Valley | 2025 State IA (Pleasant Valley, IA) 2025. 6’2, 255 lbs. DT. – 2023 Iowa 3A heavyweight 7th place. 2x All-State football.
Dylan Carlquist (Fargo Shanley, ND) C/o 2023. 6’1, 260 lbs. DT/OG. – 2023 North Dakota Class A 285 lb. State Champ. Also has placed sixth and 2nd at the ND state tourney. Also a 2x All-State football player. Committed to Concordia College-Moorhead (football)
—