Andover is amid a very impressive 2023 campaign and is right in the thick of things for a 5A state championship run. A lot of the credit has to go to their talent-rich senior class, and one of their main standouts and contributors is 6’4, 205 lb. WR/DB Luke Dehnicke. I saw this dude in person when the Huskies took on Mankato West early in the season, and between the two teams overflowing with scholarship talent, Dehnicke was the most dynamic of the evening as well as Andover’s biggest playmaker. I think he’s one of the more underrated talents in the 2024 class of MN and has one of the highest ceilings in the senior class. He’s got some of the best range in coverage and run support I’ve seen in Minnesota in recent years and possesses highlight-reel ability such as his one-handed INT snag to open his Week 5-8 highlights on Hudl. Dehnicke shows off excellent ball skills and can pluck the ball right out of WR’s hands, he has a ton of vertical ability to high-point the football and win 50/50 balls and contested catches on both offense and defense. As a safety, he’s also an excellent tackler who closes very quickly, uses good pursuit leverage, and takes advantage of his plus-length to defeat and slip by blocks in space. Offensively, he’s a good route runner who displays clean footwork when he breaks off his routes. He finds pockets in zone coverage well naturally and possesses a big catch radius as well. After the catch, his obvious balance and body control helps him slip through tackle attempts, but it also aids him when playing the football in the air, changing direction, and making plays happen all over the field. Dehnicke is a tough kid who rarely takes a play off, and I could fill a lot larger of an evaluation with things I like about his game. As mentioned, I think he’s got one of the highest ceilings in the state for uncommitted prospects and is going to be a baller at the next level. Coming into the season, he held a Sioux Falls offer, but due to his play, he’s added heavyweight offers from FCS St. Thomas and DII powerhouse Colorado School of Mines. One word: baller.

Dehnicke did a little bit of everything for the Huskies. On defense, he made an open-field tackle. Later, he picked off a pass on a deep sideline route. He also used his hands on offense – with a nice catch on the sidelines.

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  • The quick trigger Luke brings from my first look at his tape shows off quick change of direction as an athlete that also brings that knock-back physicality level in his 6’4 195 pound frame, that might I add, looks over towering and bigger on tape that what his measurables show off.
  • I love Luke’s awareness on special teams as well. On the first ST play on tape, he shows off the excellent positioning in front of his ball carrier to set the tone to lock into a prime contact level that the opposing special teams unit is not going to want to face when he squares up.
  • I was anxiously awaiting to see on tape when Luke showed off his vertical, and holy cow can this kid fly high in the air.
  • Because he’s an athlete at the moment, I believe Luke’s next-level position places him as a hybrid WR/TE. We stated that he has the vertical we like, but he also has a wired in long catch radius. He could be an extremely athletic tight end if you add some weight on him (25-30) but if it was me, I would flex him out in either spot. I believe Luke would an excellent FCS fit, who currently has a 4.07 GPA.
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