One of the top linebacker recruits in the Midwest, Dreshaun Ross has opted to pursue wrestling, as he chose to commit Oklahoma State earlier this year. However, the future grappler has remained one of the fiercest competitors in the state on the gridiron, too.

After missing his junior season due to injury, Ross has stepped on the field with a chip on his shoulder and a mean streak. With 18 TFLs, Ross is tied for the state lead in the category, adding four sacks to his resume. Ross’s future may entail spending the majority of his time on the mat, but, for now, he remains dominant on the gridiron.

Despite missing his junior season with a shoulder surgery and committing to Oklahoma State as a wrestler, DreShaun Ross DreShaun Ross 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Fort Dodge | 2026 State IA remains the head of a really impressive LB group for Fort Dodge. An imposing defender with a lengthy wingspan and great power driving from the lower body, his film from his sophomore season displayed his textbook tackling form and dangerous shoulder checks, showcasing a gritty playstyle that makes him a feared athlete to go against. Ross shouldn’t have too much issue regaining his form on the gridiron as he returns to the field for his senior year, though if this is the last year that Ross plays football, I hope that he delivers a strong campaign to round out his career playing the sport before he moves to wrestling full-time.

Ross disappointed college football coaches when he committed to Oklahoma State as a wrestler. It does not appear he’ll be trying football at the next level despite some schools pursuing him in both sports. Ross has won three state wrestling titles and has tremendous upside in that endeavor. Him chasing that makes all the sense in the world. That said, it’s unfortunate that we won’t get to see him develop on the gridiron. Ross runs really well, has long arms and a frame that can comfortably add more bulk. His mat training helps him play with balance and leverage, and Ross embraces the game’s physicality.

One of the best wrestlers in the entire nation also happens to be a P4 football recruit, and of course, he hails from the Great State of Iowa. Fort Dodge’s DreShaun Ross is one of the best multi-sporters in the nation, and the rising junior already holds offers from Iowa, Purdue, Iowa State, Minnesota, Mizzou, Nebraska, KState, Kansas, and Wisconsin, and although high-major college wrestling programs can’t offer him until September 1st, he’s already one of the most well-known names in the nation and is poised to be one of its most popular wrestling recruits as well. Ross, who comes from a decorated wrestling family himself, earned a pin to win the 3A, 215 lb. Iowa state finals in 2024, state champ at 3A195 in 2023. he also won the U17 freestyle 92kg bracket to make the U17 World Team and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, and is a 2023 USA Wrestling Triple Crown Winner and 2022 Pan American champion in both freestyle and greco. After winning the state title this spring, Ross was named the Class 3A Dan Gable Mr. Wrestler of the Year in the state of Iowa, and in only two season, he ranks fourth on Fort Dodge’s all-time win percentage list (90-2) with a .928 percentage. The Cadet Greco World Team member is the #4 ranked 215 lber. in the nation according to FloWrestling.

He’s far from a slouch on the gridiron as well, as the wildcat QB, linebacker, and running back is an impressively and noticeably strong kid – which shows up in his North-South ball-carrying run style, how he attacks, defeats, and gets up and under to rip through blocks, and as a tackler, where he can throw out as mean of a double leg as he can on the wrestling mat. Ross is a thunderous and powerful ball carrier who can run through strong and weak tackle attempts alike, thanks to his raw power, contact balance, and effort, and he displays homerun speed and noticeable burst that can shift into that top gear once he sees daylight. I like how Ross can get skinny when shooting gaps and finding seams in an offensive line for TFLs and sacks, can power through dogpiles and rip away from multiple tackle attempts at once, and closes on ball carriers with pace. He’s also instinctive in coverage and does a good job of stepping into passing lanes around the middle of the field. Not sure what sport he’ll play in college, but whoever lands him, and in whatever sport, is going to get one of the best multi-sporters in America.