Page 14 Fall Football Preview • Friday, August 29, 2025 sunthisweek. com
Wildcats’ goal for 2025: Keep moving upward
by Mike Shaughnessy SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Eagan football has come a long way in the last five years, and there’ s still a lot of road to travel before the Wildcats get where they want to be. But in one important respect, they’ re already arrived.
This will be Eagan’ s third season in the Metro South sub-district. That means the Wildcats will face some opponents they know well. It also means the committee that makes district assignments believes Eagan can compete with Class 6A’ s toughest customers.
And it means one more thing: Eagan might be looking at the toughest schedule it has had since Nick Johnson became head coach in 2019. The Wildcats are well aware of that. One morning during the first week of fall practice, Johnson ran through the regular-season opponents, in order, without having to consult his cellphone or any other printed material.
“ Shakopee is one of the toughest Week 1 opponents you could have,” Johnson said.“ Then we’ re at Prior Lake, a really strong program. Eastview is an improving program. We have the Lakevilles( North and South), back to back, both on the road. Farmington will be tough to prepare for because they’ re changing their offense from the spread to more of a running attack. Rosemount had really talented ninth- and 10th-grade classes last
Lineup will have a lot of new starters, but Eagan players optimistic
year. And the last game’ s at Rogers, which has been one of the better teams in 5A.
“ They didn’ t give us any breathers.”
No, they didn’ t. Ready or not, Eagan is in the big time of Minnesota high school football. The Wildcats believe they’ re ready.
Eagan graduated a number of starters from a 2024 team that was 6-4 and reached the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. But the Wildcats have some returnees Johnson thinks can be cornerstones, one of which is senior defensive back Grady Recer. A University of Minnesota Duluth commit, Recer’ s role could expand to include playing some running back and even returning kicks.
“ My brother played for Eagan when they didn’ t win a game, I don’ t think,” Recer said.“ He was saying the skill just wasn’ t there. I think it’ s there now. It started with guys like Keenan Wilson( now a defensive lineman for defending NCAA FCS champion North Dakota State). It was maybe one guy uplifting the others around him, then there were more guys, and it kept building.
“ Now we have the talent, and it’ s a matter of effort and being the toughest team on the field. If we do that, it won’ t matter how much talent the other team has. We can thrive and be successful.”
Recer is an integral part of a defense that will feature some new starters.
Eagan
Photo by Mike Shaughnessy
Eagan football players sharpen their game during the first week of fall practice. The Wildcats will have some new starters after graduating a large number of seniors from last year’ s team that went 6-4.
Schedule
( All games 7 p. m Friday unless noted) Aug. 28( Thursday): Shakopee Sept. 5: at Prior Lake Sept. 12: Eastview Sept. 19: at Lakeville North Sept. 26: at Lakeville South Oct. 3: Farmington Oct. 10: Rosemount Oct. 15( Wednesday): at Rogers( 6 p. m.)
Both of last year’ s starting safeties graduated, as did most of the linebacker group. Senior Harrison Brandt is a returnee on the defensive line.
“ We’ ll have some new kids playing, but our defensive staff is phenomenal, extremely knowledgeable,” Johnson said.“ We know there will be mistakes because the guys are new, but our coaches will have them ready to play.”
The offense will replace some of its skillposition players but will benefit from some veteran linemen. Seniors Peyton Grandbois and Marshall Bierly are returnees on the line. They’ re also captains, as Recer.
Grandbois, the center, is hoping for a healthy season after an ankle injury kept him off the field at times in 2024.
“ When we went to our team camp at( Minnesota Duluth) this summer, we did well in the individual stuff,” Grandbois said.“ When it came to team stuff we weren’ t always on the same page, but that’ s See Eagan, 15
Photo by Mike Shaughnessy
George Anderson, a 2023 Eagan High School graduate, has returned to the Wildcats’ program as a running backs coach.