2028s That Could Earn an Offer in 2025

It is not very common that we see athletes earn their first offer in their sophomore year here in Wisconsin. That honor is reserved for a select few of the best of the best. In general, 7-10 athletes will have an FBS/FCS offer by the end of their sophomore season. We saw it happen for the loaded Class of 2027s and I want to try and get ahead of the curve and predict who could earn one of those elusive early FBS/FCS offers over this next year. The Class of 2028 definitely has talent at the top to get it done. So let's talk about it!    My first choice is a strong one in Wisconsin Dells DL [player_tooltip player_id='1284777' first='Hendrix' last='Dawson']. Hendrix is a perfect combination of what you look for in a future game changer on the DL. Size, filled out with muscle, and length. That elite size needs to be able to move too. Hendrix can fly off the line, bend around the edge, and has that high motor and overall speed to make the chase down tackle. And of course the up and coming DL needs to be able to control the line of scrimmage, stand up an OT or pulling guard right at the point of contact and collapse the pocket. Hendrix demonstrated he was developing all those traits as a freshman. With an offseason under his belt and a lot of high end camp experiences with college coaches, we could see that leap in development to where we could very easily expect to see an offer or several begin to roll in.     Flipping to the offensive side of the ball, my top choice on the OL is [player_tooltip player_id='1627975' first='Roman' last='Holtz']. Roman plays on the interior, and that could delay the offers as teams go after the prototypical OTs. But it is hard to ignore what Roman has to offer and the potential for what he could show this season after having an offseason to grow, get stronger, and develop his game. Holtz already has varsity experience, proved he could anchor an OL and provide his QB with a secure pocket to step up into and also move the big IDL in the run game. We could very well be on the verge of Roman breaking onto the recruiting scene, and I'm grabbing a front row seat for it as Week 1 nears.     Wisconsin is home to building and developing elite OL/DL. However, right along with those positions in recent years has been the development of elite TE prospects. That next wave of rare prospects is led by Arrowhead TE [player_tooltip player_id='1288210' first='Tre' last='Oiler']. Tre is coming back to the field after a great offseason of growth physically. That added size is going to serve him well as he works to become a traditional, three-down TE. One who can provide a mismatch receiving and blocking. The receiving side of things won't be difficult as Tre plays like a massive WR. He is an efficient route runner for his size, can cover ground with a long strides and plenty of long speed. The '28 is a natural at attacking the ball and using that frame to shield the catch from defenders. I'm excited to see if we see his role at Arrowhead include him blocking in the run game more often. Tre definitely brings the tools and traits that could lead to him being one of those early offer kids.     I have said it over and over in this article. A lot of the early offers go out to the kids with the elite, rare traits that are paired with rare size. Gavin might not check the elite size box, but the skillset he brought to the field has me excited for what he could show in an expanded role. As a freshman, Gavin was already ripping the top off of defenses, tracking the ball over his shoulder, and making the catches in stride or in traffic look easy. If he can continue to be that big play threat while also showing off more of his route tree through the season he could turn heads. It won't be easy for Gavin to be one of those early offer kids, but neither is trying to cover him so we will see what happens. You can bet I'll be tuning in for the weekly highlights!     Deandre quickly became one of my favorites almost a year ago when the initial rankings came out. He earned a top spot in the rankings and this article because he is one of those rare prospects. A massive 6'1" 290 lbs frame that can control the line of scrimmage and eat up blocks without losing ground, or he can be asked to dominate a single gap and wreck havoc in the backfield. Deandre has a low center of gravity and a powerful base that allows him to hold his ground, and that power can also be released in the form of an explosive first step. Ehlen's heavy hands match the rest of his play too. The tools are there, and I can't wait to see the offseason growth this fall.     I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a massive year for [player_tooltip player_id='1709709' first='Christian' last='Zywicki']. He is sitting just outside out Top 10, but his elite size and power have him right on the verge of cracking it. The length and overall size are going to get him the attention he needs to become one of those early offer athletes. What he needs to show this fall is development from his freshman season. Show that his flexibility, balance, and short area agility and quickness are steadily improving. If he can prove that he is developing and getting noticeably better year to year, then that will give next level coaches the confidence to start pulling the trigger on him for offers by next spring. I'm pumped to see this West Bend West OL this year, and especially Christian out at LT.     Afanyu is an athlete that I am confident coaches will be able to fall in love with very easily. He brings a long frame that is already starting to fill out and look like that of a D1 edge rusher. He uses his hands well and won a lot of his reps as a freshman with pure athleticism and power. There wasn't a lot of refinement to his hand fighting technique, leaving the door open to massive improvements in his ability to create space and beat blocks around the edge. Any coach will be confident they can help him continue to develop that part of his game. Afanyu is another kid that is right there on the verge of a breakout, and I am betting we see it happen this fall.     This season could be a launching pad for Jacob's recruitment. Since he entered high school he has had an elite, rare frame that will instantly grab anybody's attention. However, as with most freshman, he hadn't quite grown into that massive frame so his play wasn't quite as efficient and effective in Year One. However, he has been putting in the work this offseason when it comes to his training. So I had to put him on this list because if we see a jump in his balance, flexibility, and mobility compared to last year then he is going to rocket up our rankings and recruiting boards around the Midwest and beyond.

It is not very common that we see athletes earn their first offer in their sophomore year here in Wisconsin. That honor is reserved for a select few of the best of the best. In general, 7-10 athletes will have an FBS/FCS offer by the end of their sophomore season. We saw it happen for the loaded Class of 2027s and I want to try and get ahead of the curve and predict who could earn one of those elusive early FBS/FCS offers over this next year. The Class of 2028 definitely has talent at the top to get it done. So let's talk about it!