Big things can come in little packages, and undersized athlete Jonathon Hope Jonathon Hope 5'9" | 145 lbs | DB/WR Bishop Heelan | 2027 State IA has proven to be a dangerous all-purpose factor for the Crusaders. Offensively, he had 19 receptions for 237 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively, he recorded 48 tackles and 3 INTs. He also racked up 622 combined return yards on special teams while scoring 2 kick return TDs. An exciting multi-purpose tool who flashes a combination of speed, agility, and ball-tracking skills, Hope is dangerous in the open-field, and he has a penchant for making big plays in the big games, evident with a crushing kick-return TD in the state semifinal round against Wahlert Catholic. Hope rounds out an impressive secondary unit for the Crusaders while being able to make big contributions at all three phases of the game.

Hope was someone I wasn’t very familiar with heading into the state semifinals at the UNI-Dome, but he announced his presence in the win against defending champion Wahlert Catholic. The junior impacted the game on defense and special teams. Hope contributed 5.0 tackles (3 solo), intercepted a pass and broke up another throw. He made life difficult for a talented group of Golden Eagle receivers for most of the night. Perhaps no play in the game was bigger than his 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter. It put Heelan up by two scores. He also had a 10-yard punt return. Hope is a multi-phase contributor that should be attractive to college programs, especially with reduced roster sizes.