Deklan McKinney – Lakeside
Deklan McKinney turned the 2025 season into a blueprint for how a linebacker can change a team’s ceiling. As a senior outside linebacker for the Lakeside Rams, he became the emotional and statistical anchor of a defense that helped push Lakeside to a 10-4 record and a trip to the Class 5A state championship game. In a year defined by big stages and pressure moments, he was the constant that coaches and teammates counted on.
The numbers alone explain why he wore the “Difference Maker” label. McKinney finished the season with 113 total tackles, averaging 8.1 stops per game and ranking among the top 10 tacklers in Arkansas’ 5A classification. He did far more than wrap up ball carriers; his stat line also included two interceptions, five passes defensed, and a fumble recovery, showing his ability to impact the game in coverage and in traffic. Head coach Garren Rockwell described him as the engine of the Rams’ defense, praising his elite production, high-energy style, and the way he showed up in the biggest games of the year.
That reputation was cemented during Lakeside’s historic postseason run. In the state semifinal upset of three-time defending champion Parkview, McKinney earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 10 tackles and a crucial fumble recovery that helped turn the game in Lakeside’s favor. Standing 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, he played with a relentless motor that set the tone for the entire unit. For a Lakeside program chasing championships, Deklan McKinney was exactly what his coach’s words suggested—a true difference maker every time the Rams’ defense took the field.
