The Perfect Finishing Touches to Your 2025 Recruiting Class

National Signing Day is just a few weeks away. I expect to see plenty of commitments coming out between now and then as final decisions are made and recruiting classes are rounded out as coaching staffs turn their attention more and more towards 2026s. However, before we turn our attention to those 2026s we still have a lot of talent in the class of 2025 that would be outstanding final additions to a recruiting class for some lucky programs. Athletes that are playmakers, good students, and also can be relied on to be culture builders. So just who are some of these late steals? Let's talk about it!    Talk about a cherry on top of a recruiting class. What we have here with [player_tooltip player_id='1380111' first='Carter' last='Thompson'] is a WR/TE recruit that is 6'4" 220 lbs, vertical jumps 37" broad jumps 10', posted 500 yards and 6 TDs as a senior, and is still open to recruitment in January of his senior season. Turn on the tape and you see an athlete that provides you that coveted mismatch for your QB to target. Someone that has a huge catch radius and the strength to hold onto it through contact. The big man is also athletic. His long strides eat up yards, making him deceptively fast. He is a weapon that can stretch the field one play then take a bubble screen and pick up the tough yards after the catch on the next play. Check out his tape. The senior is an intriguing piece to add to your 2025 recruiting class.     Will put on a show during his senior season on the Wausau West OL and it has paid off this offseason as the offers have piled up for the senior. It is clear to see what everyone is liking about his game. Will dominates with leverage and power. Every highlight has him underneath his opponent with inside hand placement showing his power and that the low man always wins. In pass protection the IOL sets a strong anchor upon contact. Plus the senior has that nasty finish mentality to his game where he is looking to punish his opponent and get them on the ground. On top of it all the senior also has the conditioning to play DL also. I'm pumped to hear where the Will commits. He is on the rise and his best football is on the way.     One of the best steals in the 2025 Class is [player_tooltip player_id='245986' first='Josiah' last='Johnson']. The #1 RB in the senior Class. Josiah wrapped up his very impressive HS career with his best, most productive season yet. When you scout the senior RB you check off a lot of boxes. A 6' 210 lbs frame that is well filled out with muscle. Muscle that translates to both speed and power plus it gives him explosive agility and acceleration when he carries the ball between the tackles. Josiah also checks the box of being a natural playmaker. His highlight reel is filled with him making the special play look easy. Like beating pursuit down the sideline, breaking tackles and then pulling away in the open field, or making defenders miss in tight quarters and creating yards out of nothing. Josiah is built like a future RB1 for a college roster, produces like it, and plays like it on tape. Very excited to see where the senior eventually commits.     Another athlete who is going to be a game-changing steal in the Class of 2025 is [player_tooltip player_id='383708' first='Miles' last='Dawkins']. Through his years of varsity experience, Miles has developed strong instincts to diagnose plays and know where the ball is going. That allows him to get a head start on attacking the ball. Pair that with his range and you get a safety/nickel that is able to cover ground and make a lot of plays on the ball. Miles has the ball skills to time his hands perfectly and also reel in the pass for INTs. Dawkins doesn't hesitate to do the physical side of the DB position either. He runs through his tackles as he tries to use those hits to get the PBU or at least completely shut down any forward progression. The senior also has quick feet and loose hips to be able to transition and change direction. Not to mention he has been an excellent gunner on the punt team. Get your eyes on this kid.     Braedon stepped into a huge role for Kimberly this season. Not only did he handle his usual LB role on defense, but he also was the team's starting QB. A QB that was going to killing defenses with his legs most of all as well as make timely passes with his arm. However, I do predict he fits best as an LB at the next level and is one of the best at his position who is uncommitted. Braedon has outstanding range for the LB position. He flies around the front seven or runs the loop and then will chase down the QB. The senior is sudden and shifty, allowing him to play through the trenches while avoiding blocks, but also has the hand strength to shed blocks quickly when he does engage with a lineman. Braedon does a good job of setting the edge against the run too. He can take on pulling linemen without giving up ground and will fight through those blocks to still make the tackle on the edge. Don't miss out on this steal.     Kameron is one of the more versatile athletes still uncommitted here in WI. He is explosive, athletic, and physical and it all flashes throughout his tape. Especially with his play at safety. Kameron is able to transition out of his backpedal and get to top speed instantly to close on the ball. He will run through the receiver when he tackles. His football IQ is clearly strong too as he always finds a way to get around the ball and he has the natural playmaking skills to make the highlight reel play at any moment. At receiver you see the ball skills continue to shine along with his mismatch speed that lets him get behind the defense very quickly after the snap. Kameron has been impressing us since his showing at the Badgers camp last summer and he has continued to look better and better through his senior season.     I'm pumped to see where one of the most productive ball hawks in the state over the past few years commits. He is going to be a great cherry on top of a 2025 recruiting class. I project Casey to play safety at the next level. He has the bigger frame at 6'3" 180 lbs so you can trust him to be able to come downhill and make tackles vs the run or short passing game. Where he is really going to deliver returns is with his ball skills and with his instincts. Casey is at his best when he keeps the receivers in front of him and is able to read the QB. Something he would get to do all the time at safety. The senior does a great job of baiting QBs into bad throws and then becoming the receiver where he attacks the ball in the air at the high point. Somebody needs to swoop in and get this playmaker.     The 2025 Prep Redzone WI Player of the Year is one of the top athletes still uncommitted at this point of the recruitin cycle. The senior RB has all the film and production possibly needed to prove he is a college back. You will see him in the backfield taking handoffs or direct snaps. With the ball in his hands he dominates with his patience and vision. He knows where to attack and allows it to develop. Once he sees it open up for him the senior is through the lane instantly. In the open field you will see him repeatedly beat pursuit angles deep downfield on his long TD runs. You will also see that he has the contact balance to easily power right through arm tackle attempts or a swat at his legs. Once the 5'10" 195 lbs RB gets rolling it is tough to slow him down. Come and get this steal for your RB room.      Another senior RB with a lot of talent to steal is [player_tooltip player_id='942613' first='Tommy' last='Lutz'] out of Grafton. Tommy is a big back at 6'2" 210 lbs who puts that size to good use. The kid is a load to bring down, especially when he hits the second level with a head of steam. Despite the long frame, Tommy has a low center of gravity that has helped him be able to break tackles and keep gaining yards without having to slow down or regather himself. Lutz also does a great job reading his blocks and identifying where and when to attack as the blocking develops. The senior also can be utilized as a receiving back, or asked to be a blocker. Tommy is a well rounded athlete with plenty of tape to go through. Check him out.     One of the top steals among the OL in WI is Kimberly's [player_tooltip player_id='1209488' first='Isaac' last='Hipp']. Hipp has an outstanding frame to develop at the next level. At 6'4" 275 lbs the senior has length and strength packed into his frame and it flashes throughout his highlights. In the run game it is impressive watching Isaac explode off the line and attack level 1. He is quick to get his strong hands inside and does a great job of keeping a wide base while running his feet. Isaac also has the nimble feet to be able to come off the level 1 block and get to an LB to secure the hole through level 2. Isaac also has the short area quickness to be able to position himself while engaged with a DL so that his butt is to the hole and the DL can't get around him. Isaac is a big man that is able to create a big surge in the trenches. He has the tools to develop him into a starter at the collegiate level. Get on this kid.

National Signing Day is just a few weeks away. I expect to see plenty of commitments coming out between now and then as final decisions are made and recruiting classes are rounded out as coaching staffs turn their attention more and more towards 2026s. However, before we turn our attention to those 2026s we still have a lot of talent in the class of 2025 that would be outstanding final additions to a recruiting class for some lucky programs. Athletes that are playmakers, good students, and also can be relied on to be culture builders. So just who are some of these late steals? Let's talk about it!