Early Signing Day: Deakon Tonielli signs with Michigan football

Prep
• Attended Oswego High School (2023) coached by Brian Cooney
• The Panthers finished 3-6 in his senior season
• Helped Oswego go 6-4 with a playoff appearance his junior year
• During his sophomore year, the Panthers went 5-1 in a COVID-shortened season and won the district title
• Also lettered in basketball and track and field for the Panthers; a full-time varsity player in football and basketball as a sophomore

Key Statistics
• Caught 42 passes for 550 yards with five touchdowns during his senior campaign
• As a junior, caught 32 passes for 385 yards with two touchdowns, accounting for over 38 percent of the team’s receiving yards
• Made 25 catches for a team-high 440 yards and two touchdowns his sophomore year
• Also played defensive end, punted and snapped for Oswego; played safety early in his career and filled in as emergency quarterback during his junior year

Honors and Rankings
• Earned a 247Sports Composite ranking of four stars; the No. 390 overall player nationally, the No. 20 tight end and the No. 6 player in the state of Illinois
• Named a four-star prospect by 247Sports; the No. 19 tight end and the No. 4 player in the state of Illinois
• Rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, the No. 33 player in the region, the No. 13 tight end nationally and the No. 6 player in the state of Illinois
• Rivals.com three-star prospect, the No. 46 tight end in the nation and the No. 10 player in Illinois
• On3.com four-star consensus prospect, the No. 378 player in the country, the No. 22 tight end in the nation and the No. 6 player in Illinois
• On3.com four-star prospect, the No. 17 tight end in the nation and the No. 3 player in Illinois
• Special Mention All-State by the Champaign News-Gazette (2022)
• All-Conference performer (2022)
• Beacon-News/Courier-News All-Area Team (2022)

Personal
• Deakon Tonielli was born Oct. 7, 2004
• Son of Saul Tonielli and Jill Bryska

Tall, longer prospect. Plays as an outside receiver as well as a slot in high school. Uses height, length and leaping ability well and shows a big catch radius. Good athlete with basketball and track and field in his background as well. Appears to have some top end speed, but can still improve burst and suddenness. Tracks the ball in the air well and can put himself in position to make plays on the ball without losing speed or balance. Will grow into a tight end in college but his experience being unattached offers a lot of possibilities. Shows some physicality but would need experience as an on the ball blocker if schools try to do that with him.