After a dismal defeat at Michigan, Northwestern fans can get a pick-me-up from their Class of 2025 that went 5-1 in the playoffs last week.

Tight end Robby Preckel leads the pack with two touchdowns that upset the reigning champs in his division, defensive end Jonah Hayes helped send his team to the semifinals of Ohio's top class, and cornerback Marquet Dorsey is set to play for a state title after his defense allowed just one touchdown in the semis.

Read about all of that and more in this week's recruit roundup.

Wildwood (Mo.) Lafayette won their quarterfinal matchup against two-time reigning champion Cardinal Ritter on the road, 30-18, last week. The Lancers' upset bid was fueled by two touchdowns from their do-it-all tight end Robby Preckel, though both scores came on the ground.

The first was a direct snap from 10 yards out that left two tacklers in the dirt and gave Lafayette its first points. The other was from a yard out for Lafayette's last touchdown to secure a two-score lead and the win.

“We are not done yet,” Preckel told STL Today. “We are coming for that state championship.”

Lafayette (12-1) plays Helias this week for a bid to the MSHSAA Class 5 title game.

Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic and cornerback Marquet Dorsey might share the Spartan mascot with Holy Spirit, but they showed them no mercy in a 41-7 semifinal win.

Dorsey and his Spartans have been on the warpath these playoffs, winning their last two games by a combined score of 96-21.

DePaul (10-1) plays Pope John XXIII for the NJSIAA Non-Public B state title this week. This is a rematch from the regular season opener when DePaul set the tone with a 47-15 win.

Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller defensive end Jonah Hayes racked up five tackles in his team's 28-23 win over rival Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Moeller fell behind 17-14 at halftime but Hayes and the Crusaders never flinched, and earned a return to the OHSAA Division I semifinals.

St. Xavier, the alma mater of Northwestern tight end Marshall Lang, has been one of their toughest historical foes for Moeller, and that proved true again this season, even as Moeller beat them twice. The combined margin of victory in that pair of games was just 13 points in a season when Moeller is winning single games by an average of three touchdowns.

Moeller (13-1) plays Centerville this week.

Kingwood (Tex.) followed up its first-round overtime stunner with a 41-17 second-round statement over Fort Bend Elkins. Offensive tackle Hayden Wright paved the way for running back Marquez Davis to rack up 280 yards and three touchdowns.

This marks just the third time that the Mustangs have made the third round of the playoffs in program history, joining 2017 and 1990, per Chris Walter.

Kingwood (8-4) plays Strake Jesuit, the alma mater of Wildcat Thomas Gordon, in their regional matchup this week.

Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East and defensive end Caden O'Rourke's titanic clash with Loyola Academy last weekend lived up to its monumental billing but ended in a 27-24 defeat, the fourth straight season that the Ramblers have knocked East out of the Illinois Class 8A playoffs.

The stars seemed to have aligned for the Griffins after four-star quarterback Jonas Williams transferred in and Loyola lost two early games, but it was not to be. The Griffins leapt out to an early 13-3 lead with two touchdown drives. The lead was whittled down but they still led 16-13 at the half.

Loyola dominated the the third and most of the four quarters, building a 27-16 lead when Williams orchestrated a swift scoring drive to cut it down to just three points with two minutes left. O'Rourke and the defense forced a fourth-and-3 and 54 seconds left, but Loyola quarterback and Iowa walkon commit Ryan Fitzgerald, the son of a certain former Wildcat head coach, drew them offsides to seal the game and run out the clock.

O'Rourke's senior class has lost just six games over their four-year careers, with four coming from the Ramblers, and the last three in the Class 8A state final or semifinal. The Griffins' average margin of defeat in their four losses to Loyola has been less than a touchdown.

Lincoln-Way East finishes their season at 12-1.

Lake Mary (Fla.) and defensive tackle Tanner Jumpp won their second-round matchup with Spruce Creek, 52-32, last week.

Jumpp and the Eagles have been exceptional down the stretch of this season and have now won eight straight games after a rocky, 2-2 start. All eight wins have been by two or more scores.

Lake Mary (10-2) plays Seminole this week in the FHSAA 7A regional final. The Eagles played Seminole earlier this season and won, 29-14.

Quarterback Johnny O'Brien and Palatine (Ill.) Fremd finished their season at 9-2. O'Brien led the Vikings to their first nine-win season since 2009 and their first playoff victory since 2019, and did after a 3-6 record the year before.

O'Brien broke Fremd's record for passing yards in a game twice, once during the regular season with 395 yards, and again in their second-round playoff loss to Naperville Central with 464 yards.

He threw for 3,442 yards and 39 touchdowns while completing 224 of 318 passes. O'Brien was an honorable mention for the Class 8A all-state team.

MORE ON O'BRIEN: Scouting Report: 2026 QB Johnny O’Brien sets record in playoff loss

Safety Alijah Jones and Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding won their third straight state title this season with a 31-7 win over McDonogh on Nov. 16. Jones and the Cavaliers were on the most fearsome defenses in the nation and held opponents to fewer than three points per game.

Jones was named to the MIAA A All-Conference team.

Spalding finished 12-0 and will ride a 35-game winning streak into next season.

Offensive lineman Trey Boyd helped lead Shakopee (Minn.) to the first state semifinal in the program's history.

Shakopee finished their season 10-2 and their playoff loss, to Maple Grove, would prove to be to the eventual state champion.

Tight end Noah LaPorte was named to the Class 3A All-State team and then the Three Rivers - Mississippi All-Conference team after a stellar season for Princeton (Ill.).

Princeton finished their season at 10-2.

Wide receiver Dube Enongene and Acworth (Ga.) North Paulding finished their season at 6-5.

Quarterback Marcus Romain broke his non-throwing hand on Sept. 20. Romain had hoped to make it back for a second round playoff game but the injury proved to be season-ending after Wheeler lost their playoff opener.

Wheeler finished the season at 2-9, the Wildcats were 1-5 with a forfeit loss due to weather with Romain as starter.

MORE ON ROMAIN: QB commit Marcus Romain hopes to play again this season after breaking hand

2025 WR Braden Blueitt suffered a torn ACL on Sept. 20 per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and did not return this season. His Colleyville (Tex.) Heritage team finished their season 8-3.

Running back Ronny Johnson had a sensational senior season, rushing for 1,587 yards and 26 touchdowns and catching 18 passes for 325 yards and three more scores, according to MLive.com.

He led Dexter (Mich.) to an undefeated regular season before losing to South Lyon 50-49 in the second round of the state playoffs to finish 10-1.

Defensive end Mason Mayne and Lawton (Mich.) finished their season at 8-3.

Linebacker Josh Veldman and New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way West finished their season at 7-4. Veldman was named to the Class 7A all-state team and was part of a senior class that won West's first playoff game since 2018, and led the program to its best record since the same year.

The Warriors were knocked out by No. 4 Batavia, still playing in the Class 7A semifinals this week.

Safety Jonathan Stevens Jr. and Westerville (Ohio) North finished 6-5 this season. Stevens finished with 65 tackles, two interceptions and an 82-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. A two-way player lining up at running back and receiver, he also recorded 1,086 all-purpose yards.

Tight end Tyler Kielmeyer and Westerville (Ohio) South finished 5-6 this season. Kielmeyer seen on the sidelines of Northwestern's game vs. Wisconsin on Oct. 19 with crutches and a knee brace, but returned by the first round of the Wildcats' playoffs.

Offensive tackle Michael O'Connell and Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West finished the season 4-5. The normally powerhouse Hilltoppers finished the season 4-1 in their last five games and narrowly missed on a playoff berth due to one of the toughest strengths of schedule in the state.

Punter Nikola Dugandzic and Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier finished 2-7 this season. Dugandzic punted 42 times for an average of 43.7 yards, with 20 landing inside the 20. His season long was 66 yards.

He also served as New Trier's kicker and was 6-for-9 on field goals with a long of 51. He made all of his extra points.