The rapid rise of new four-star DE Tobi Haastrup

One of the more fascinating stories of the 2025 recruiting cycle has emerged in this first week of September.

The college football and recruiting world is becoming quickly familiar with a prospect by the name of Tobi Haastrup out of Houston (Tex.) Mayde Creek. This time last week, Haastrup, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, had never suited up for a high school varsity football game.

Now, as of Thursday morning, he has 11 division one offers.

There is a remarkable backstory to the newest Texas high school football star.

Haastrup has a international background, growing up in London for nearly the first decade of his life. He would then move to America, first to California, then Texas. Along the way, he focused on his track career, of which he has had success, especially for his size.

At 240 pounds, Haastrup has recorded a 10.7-second 100 meter dash as well as real success in shot put.

Spending his high school career solely as a track and field athlete, Haastrup was convinced this summer by coaches at Mayde Creek to play football. Unsure about his future, he decided to trust the guidance of his coaches, so Haastrup put his mind to it. And his body. He first started to learn the ropes this summer and put on pads for the first time in a competitive setting this fall.

Even he could not have predicted what came next.

Last week, during his first football game at the high school level, the senior exploded for a five sack performance. The following day, he posted the highlights of his performance, which was then followed by a rapid ascent in various scouting and personnel departments across the country.

UTEP and UTSA were the first pair of programs to offer but were quickly joined by Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Texas State, SMU, Virginia, Illinois, Boise State, and LSU, all of which came in over a 24-hour period. Georgia Tech is the latest to extend an offer as Thursday morning, bringing his total to 11 offers.

The now very popular Haastrup spoke with Rivals to detail this dramatic rise that has effectively changed the direction of his life and athletic career.

“It all started when I finally made the tough decision on whether or not I was going to play football this season or not. I wanted to go into my senior year and really focus in on track and I knew that football would be in the way of that. So, it wasn’t until a lot of convincing from Mayde Creek’s former head coach, Coach Jensen, as well as my track coaches, Wilson and Lewis, who got me to play. I came out every morning of camp in the summer even though I had track practice everyday of the summer as well as running for my other team called Track Houston.”

The Mayde Creek staff made it a project this summer to get Haastrup up to speed as quickly as possible.

“Everything was new to me, I was pretty much clueless and the whole summer was really just ‘see ball get ball'”. When school started up and we got in pads I began to pick up on more as my defensive line coach, Coach Wilson, really went the extra mile in working with the basic fundamentals of being an edge rusher and a defensive tackle.”

“Fast forward to my first game and I left everything in God’s control and hands and just played how I was taught. All Glory to God I finished the game with five sacks and i believe seven tackles for loss.”

He now has 11 scholarships available to him with surely plenty more to come. I asked Haastrup if he has been a college football fan or been in tune with the sport in his time in America.

“Not really at all. I don’t think i’ve ever sat to watch a full collegiate football game ever. It’s all so new but I have definitely enjoyed watching collegiate highlights of edge rushers and outside linebackers.”

Haastrup is now building relationships with college coaches across the country, trying to learn as much as he can as quickly as he can. With most classes in the 2025 cycle becoming full and just three months before the early signing period, it will be an abbreviated recruitment. Haastrup says he has some work on his end to learn everything about these colleges he can.

“I have made that as my personal homework to do so.”

Rivals has become the first recruiting network to rank Haastrup, slotting him a four-star prospect and a 5.9 rating. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound speedster will now move to the rest of his debut season with the eyes of every college program in the country keenly watching. With five sacks in his first game, it will be intriguing to see what numbers the new star can rack up.