Lakeville South’s Griffen Dean Griffen Dean 5'11" | 195 lbs | ATH Lakeville South | 2027 State MN has made a case for himself as the most underrated 2027 prospect in Minnesota. A nightmare for 6A coaches to deal with, a fact that they will tell you themselves, Dean was urgently needing some verified measureables and a real, in-person evaluation to move the needle. Although his film and production are very impressive, college programs seem to be having trouble pulling the trigger, something I remember happening to Carson Hansen back in the 2023 cycle, despite the desperate pleas of PRZMN to the coaching ranks of CFB. Well, Dean showed up and then some, turning the heads of the big boys in attendance during the testing portion of PJ Fleck’s RTB Prospect Camp. Explosive acceleration and 0-60 get-up, jittery, sudden footwork, and a front-of-the-line competitor. St. Thomas offered a roster spot after camp, and it’s safe to say that someone’s stock is soaring this morning.

In a recent PrepRedzone x StribVarsity collaboration, I named “10 Minnesota high school football recruits poised to rock recruiting camps.” Sadly, not everyone can make a list like that, but I still believe it’s worth mentioning that Lakeville South’s Griffen Dean Griffen Dean 5'11" | 195 lbs | ATH Lakeville South | 2027 State MN came in at #11 for this published feature, and we think he’s heavily under-recruited at this current point in time. An undoubted burner on tape, Dean manufactured some much-needed, quite-impressive, verified athletic measurements this spring, and he sure needed them, as colleges seemed to have been having a hard time contextualizing the speed Dean displayed in his junior tape. The Lakeville product has PRed with blazing times such as a 11.13 100M and 23.41 200M, very much solidifying and validating his impressive 6A production, which included 196 rushes for 1,621 yards (8.3 YPC) and 16 TDs while helping the Cougars to a 9-3 record in 2026, losing to Moorhead in the Class 6A state semifinals.

Here’s what PRZMN had to say about Dean in our lengthy evaluation of the Lakeville South junior tailback a couple of months ago:

“Dean’s long speed to so easily burn 6A DB’s pursuit angles – and good ones at that – should not go unappreciated in his junior tape and production. Dean owns good vision, and he’s patient when allowing the hole to develop and space to reveal itself and takes what the defense offers. It’s impressive how smoothly and effectively he cuts at top speed, and he glides, shifts, and surfs through traffic like it’s a walk in the park for you or me. His tape is filled with fluid COD ability, but boy does he have the contact balance to slip, step, and power through weaker tackle attempts as well. He threw out a mean truck stick on a couple 6A DBs to emphasis the power in his game, and has the skillset and consistent choice to either run around or run over any and every defender he meets across Minnesota Big School competition. To add to his dynamic ability, Dean also burned and stacked a Farmington CB before making a beautiful back-shoulder play and catch on the ball.” Dynamic, productive, and a verified speedster! That’s the combination for some scholarship money this summer.

The third installment of the athletic, dynamic, and explosive Dean line of brothers at Lakeville South, I think 2027 RB/ATH Griffen Dean Griffen Dean 5'11" | 195 lbs | ATH Lakeville South | 2027 State MN may be the best in terms of college projection. Lakeville South‘s line of RBs speaks for itself, and Dean is fitting in quite comfortably to the scholarship and even P4 cleats Cougars RBs have worn most recently before him, popping off as South’s leading rusher in 2025 to the tune of 196 rushes for 1,621 yards (8.3 YPC) and 16 TDs. A 5’11, near-200-pound ball of dynamite who I am hearing is running 4.5 hand-timed 40s behind the scenes, Dean visited SDSU’s Junior Day 1/18/26 and invited to SDSU’s Spring Game as well, and the Jackrabbits, and soon to be others, have to appreciate that he’s absolutely deadly in South’s potent rushing attack and Power-T system, although he’s far from systematically-specialized or specific by any means.

Dean’s long speed to so easily burn 6A DB’s pursuit angles – and good ones at that – should not go unappreciated in his junior tape and production. Dean owns good vision, and he’s patient when allowing the hole to develop and space to reveal itself and takes what the defense offers. It’s impressive how smoothly and effectively he cuts at top speed, and he glides, shifts, and surfs through traffic like it’s a walk in the park for you or me. His tape is filled with fluid COD ability, but boy does he have the contact balance to slip, step, and power through weaker tackle attempts as well. He threw out a mean truck stick on a couple 6A DBs to emphasis the power in his game, and has the skillset and consistent choice to either run around or run over any and every defender he meets across Minnesota Big School competition. To add to his dynamic ability, Dean also burned and stacked a Farmington CB before making a beautiful back-shoulder play and catch on the ball.

With a game and at a position this predicated on speed, he’s going to have to make his $ on the scales, in the 40, and in 1v1s this summer on the camp circuit, so stay tuned and keep this one on the back-burner while the youngest Dean grinds away in weight rooms in Lakeville.