HARPER WOODS, Mich. (WXYZ) — On the heels of the NFL Draft, one of the top recruits in the country isn’t waiting for Saturdays; he’s making an impact right now.
Watch Carolyn Clifford's video report:
Dakota Guerrant is a high school football star from Harper Woods High School, making headlines not just for what he does on the field, but for how he’s changing the game off of it.
And now, he’s using his platform to open doors for others.
On Detroit’s east side, more than 250 kids, ages 8 to 14, are showing up, hoping to see what’s possible.
Dakota is a five-star playmaker, ranked among the top players in the country. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, he’s dominant on both sides of the ball— wide receiver, corner, even safety with elite ball skills that have college programs lining up.
"When are you gonna decide where you're going to college?" I asked him.
"I'm gonna decide in July," said Dakota.
And the list is long—from Michigan to Ohio State to Oregon with more than 50 offers on the table.
"It's definitely a blessing," he said. "I have my top 12 right now, so Michigan, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Miami."
Dakota isn’t just choosing schools, he’s helping change the rules.
After seeing athletes in other states profit off their name, image, and likeness, he helped push for change here in Michigan.
"In Ohio, they passed a law there. So my friend Jamir Brown, he happened to get it passed, and with his lawyer, so his parents hired a lawyer and got the ball rolling here," said Guerrant.
"What kind of difference does NIL money make for kids, especially in the city of Detroit, and they're a great athlete like Dakota?" I asked.
"They're able to help their families be able to, just do different things if they need to go to a camp, money is an issue now," said Dakota.
Now — because of that push — high school athletes across Michigan can cash in on NIL deals, opening doors that didn’t exist before.
And for Dakota, that opportunity comes with responsibility.
Now he’s giving back, hosting his first football camp, pouring into kids from the same streets that shaped him.
"That's just where I came from ... everybody doesn't have the best situation, so I just want to be able to help these kids all that I can," he said.
A group of coaches, the same ones who poured into him, is now helping lead the next generation.
His mom says this is about more than football.
"It's about everyday life, how you show up every day," said Shalamar Guerrant.
Dakota says he was fortunate growing up, but not every kid around him was.
He remembers kids showing up in the same clothes day after day, and giving what little they had to someone who had even less.
"She'd ask, ' Where are your clothes?' I gave them to my friends ... so he was good," he said.
And now, fresh off the NFL Draft, I had to ask: "Do you dream of an NFL team?"
"You know, I always would be good in Detroit," he said.
And the Lions would be fortunate to get a young man already proving—his impact goes far beyond Friday nights.
With his college decision just months away, Dakota Guerrant’s future is wide open.
But no matter where he goes next, he’s already making sure the next kid has a shot, too.
