Athletes to Know Outside of the Top 100

24 athletes have already committed to a D1 program, either FCS or FBS here in WI. That is only one point to illustrate how talented and deep this Class is. Today I want to try and look at it a different way. We are going to go outside of the current Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and look into the tape of several athletes and illustrate how talented they are. This is also a great way to shine line on these hidden gems. Let's get it started!    Nathan has put together a great offseason and he has seen it result it several college offers. Offers that include Winona State, Southwest Minnesota State, and Mankato. Nathan locked down the center position for Kimberly last fall and put out film that is grabbing him plenty of attention. The big man has strong reactive athleticism to mirror DL movements with foot agility and easy movement skills. He consistently establishes body position battle and has the power to be able to gain positive yards when engaged with a DT. The '25 OC also shows great timing in his punches and has the strength to latch onto his man and drive them off the line.     Gabriel is another OL that has been hot on the recruiting trail this offseason. He holds offers from Valpo and Drake and I have a feeling we could see several D2 programs join the race if he makes it to the season and starts churning out new, impressive tape. Watching the junior tape, it jumps off the tape how strong Gabriel's hands are. So many highlights show a big punch that put a lot of defenders on their backs. Miller plays with excellent toughness, going out and attacking defenders every snap and looks to finish every block with violence. The '25 IOL also shows that he has the range to play at the next level. We see him effectively pull and lead out in space. He has enough foot quickness and takes good angles. Plus he is very explosive upon contact. This kid is a physical tone setter. Don't be surprised to see him push himself inside that Top 100.     Bennett has been on a tear this offseason. He has been putting in the work, showcasing a 520 lbs squat. The offers have been coming in from Bemidji State, Concordia- St. Paul, and UW- Oshkosh. The 6'4" 230 lbs '25 has definitely built a frame that can handle the wear and tear of the next level. In 2023 Bennett was utilized a ton as a blocker in the run game. That allowed him to prove that he can handle that responsibility. Bennett is explosive on contact, has the agility to sustain his blocks as he drives them off the line, and will finish a block to the ground every chance he gets. That blocking impact has helped his receiving game too. We see him use a delayed release that allowed him to get wide open for a score on tape.     A well rounded TE that is going to have a great chance to climb into the Top 100 is [player_tooltip player_id='685850' first='John' last='Schloss']. John brings a well balanced game to the TE position and college programs have liked what they see. John has offers from Wayne State, Winona State, River Falls, Southwest Minnesota State, Oshkosh, and Eau Claire. In the run game, John is a mauler. He creates instant push upon contact and has the foot quickness to stay on his man as he drives them 5+ yards off the line or away from the gap. John has experience in the slot and inline as both a blocker and receiver. He does seem to have soft hands, and is an overall smooth athlete while route running and does a great job finding the soft spots in the defense.     Zeke has seen his stock take off over the past couple months. The WR/TE has earned a slew of offers from Winona State, Duluth, Mankato, Sioux Falls, Augusta, MNSU- Moorhead, and a PWO from the Wisconsin Badgers. The '25 has become a talented receiving threat over this past year. Zeke has that long striding, deceptive speed. He is able to get on CBs quickly and can stack them and pull away on deep passes. He tracks the ball in the air with ease, adjusting to passes outside his frame or off target. Zeke has strong hands that catch the away from his frame. Strand also is a physical runner after the catch, punishing DBs as they try to corral him.     One of the top LB steals in this Class is Sun Prairie East's Gavin Reece. He has an excellent athletic profile for the position while carrying over 200 lbs on his frame. At the WFCA Combine Gavin put up a 4.75 40, 4.38 5-10-5, and jumped out of the gym with a 9'11" broad and 39.7" vertical. The highlights show that that speed carries to the field. Gavin flies around the field. He can burst downhill or get out to either sideline in pursuit and make tackles near the line of scrimmage. The athletic LB is also stout against the run. We see him stack linemen at the point of attack with a strong punch at the line. Then he disengages and makes the tackle. Gavin also does a good job of moving through the front seven while staying clean. He has the agility and foot speed to get to spots before linemen can cut him off.

24 athletes have already committed to a D1 program, either FCS or FBS here in WI. That is only one point to illustrate how talented and deep this Class is. Today I want to try and look at it a different way. We are going to go outside of the current Top 100 for the Class of 2025 and look into the tape of several athletes and illustrate how talented they are. This is also a great way to shine line on these hidden gems. Let's get it started!