Grant was a cheat code for this article. He is so versatile that we could have slotted him into a few of these categories. However, when watching through his tape the thing that stood out the most from the others is the speed, play recognition, and range that the senior plays with. Over and over you see him go from 12-15 yards deep and making the tackle at the line iff scrimmage or behind it. His acceleration and closing speed give him a huge advantage to be able to get anywhere on the football field before the ball arrives. Plus the way he diagnoses plays gives him another head start on the field. Having our DB roam the field like Dean does is a huge advantage and need.

Stats: 17 Carries, 135 yards, 2 TDs

The top prospect of the night was the Badgers commit from Neenah HS. Grant is back in the Rockets uniform looking bigger, faster, and stronger than he did a year ago when we last watched him live. The 2025 DB/RB has strong instincts and feel for the game when roaming the field at safety or when he is running with the football. He has an athletic profile that allows him to cover a lot of the field at safety and he also used it to beat pursuit angles down the sideline on both of his TD carries. The senior athlete was physical and aggressive with his run support throughout the night as well. It was a strong start for the standout senior.

One of the state’s best two way players is Neenah’s Grant Dean Grant Dean 6'1" | 190 lbs | ATH Neenah | 2025 State WI . The Badgers commit has carved out a great career as a defender and rusher, and the best may still be yet to come. Neenah is a run heavy offense that will surely get Grant his touches and then some this fall. Dean is built to dominate on the ground at the HS level. He has game breaking speed, runs behind his pads and with a low center of gravity to break tackles and create yards after contact. Plus he has the tight quarters elusiveness to turn nothing into something. On top of that, I expect to see Neenah have a great season that includes a deep playoff run that increases Grant’s touches even more. Dean is going to be fun to watch on both sides of the ball this fall.

An eye-catching track time can open up a high school football recruitment better than just about anything, and Neenah’s standout 2025 athlete is a strong testament to that fact. Dean is coming off a strong junior track season – both indoor and outdoor – highlighted by a 7.02 60M, 22.18 200M, 48.85 400M, and of course, his blazing 10.83 100 time, which certainly caught the attention of the instate Wisconsin Badgers, who offered on April 16th and received a commitment from Dean the following day. Army, Wyoming, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State had also offered, and Minnesota, Iowa State, and Michigan State were kicking the tires on the 2025er as well.

A First Team All-Conference pick as a RB and returner and Second Team All-Conference as a safety, Dean rushed for 1,774 yards and 25 TDs on 244 carries, caught 20 passes for 239 yards and a TD, took a kick return to the house for six, and tallied 59 tackles, 36 solo, 2 INTs, and a TFL against D1 Wisconsin Big School competition. A three-phase contributor and multi-sport standout, Dean’s speed shows up on every side of the ball, and he’s a physical and explosive athlete who did great things on the gridiron no matter where he lined up at. The 6’1, 190 lber. is very dynamic, and I especially like watching him in run support. Dean can get downhill quickly and close with pace, runs the alley very well and takes good angles to the football, and is overall rangy in run defense. He’s a strong tackler and effective at tackling in space, and is fast enough to successfully beat blocking attempts off their backside, a very hard move to pull off when pursuing and defending the edge of your defense. Offensively, Dean is a deep threat with contested catch and 50/50 ball ability as a wideout, and as a RB, he shows off smooth and sudden COD ability with the ball in hand, noticeable burst and contact balance, and speed at the top end. You give him space and daylight and he’s gone. Can’t let an instater like this leave your borders. Badgers got a good one!