Gross is an excellent between-the-tackles inside linebacker. His low center of gravity makes him tough to block and almost automatically makes him a good form tackler. When Gross gets going downhill, ball carriers will know they have been hit. Between the tackles is not the only place where he excels. He has solid footwork and the quickness to get from sideline to sideline. That athletic ability and good instincts make him solid in pass coverage. Offensively, he is a short-yardage Wildcat quarterback, but he shows out most on that side of the ball as a lead blocker and a tight end or wing who can set the edge.

My choice for the current titleholder of “Minnesota’s Hardest Hitter” goes to Brainerd’s 6’2, 220 lber. Dylan Gross. Coincidentally, he’s also one of the strongest prospects in Minnesota, posting a 390 lb. bench and 355 lb. power clean earlier this month and a 500 x2 squat set back in November. He also has a video of him dunking a basketball one-handed off three steps, so it’s safe to say that Gross is athletic and physically developed, and that advanced power and explosiveness help him greatly when he lays the wood. He decks opponents, and makes it look easy, especially when he’s got a full head of steam. With a ton of git-up out of his stance, Gross bounces players off him like they’re a stalled car on the railroad tracks, and does a great job of dropping his shoulders at the perfect time right before contact. I also like how he seeks out contact in blocking scenarios, and he’ll go find more work after sending his first assignment into the turf. He also excels in 1-on-1 tackling situations in the hole with RBs, preventing them from gaining any extra yardage once first contact is made. Gross is a noticeably powerful player, and also moonlights as a run-first QB out of the backfield, showing off solid speed and vision with those strong legs. With Missouri Valley junior day visits already on his belt and a University of Minnesota junior day on the calendar, things are still at the beginning of his recruitment and I’m excited to see who is going to pull the trigger first.

Dylan Gross Junior Highlights

Old school, neck roll wearing, seek and destroy kind of player who lives up to the legacy that is the neck roll; Dylan is a player who makes his presence known in the middle of the field. The Warriors have a middle linebacker in Dylan, who plays the game with an immensely high level of football IQ and is fully capable of dropping back to disrupt passing plays. However, Dylans appears to be the kind of player who is critically feared in the middle of the field when he is coming downhill towards the offense line. Dylan’s outstanding vision, along with his high football IQ, causes him to be seen in the mix of most plays and frequently hit-sticking the ball carrier into the turf. Dylan exemplifies the kind of controlled aggressiveness most coaches hope to see in their linebackers. Dylan’s control sees him breaking down plays tremendously well and breaking on the ball to make the defensive play. This rising junior has a wonderful base of skills that I expect to grow into something special as he progresses on to play at the next level. Brainerd is in good hands over the next two years with Dylan anchoring the defense.