How Gustaf Henriks Ras, a three-star Edge rusher being pursued by top college football programs, found his future in football
Gustaf Henriks Ras, now a three-star edge rusher and a division one college football recruit, didn’t even think about playing football until a friend brought him to a practice during Sweden’s COVID-19 lockdown. By the end of that first outing, he knew he’d found the sport he wanted to chase.
Henriks Ras played sports in Sweden throughout his youth, mainly ice hockey and soccer.
After quitting hockey in the eighth grade, he transitioned into playing basketball. During a successful first year on the hardcourt, the COVID-19 virus struck and caused his season to be cut short.
Due to the virus and subsequent lockdowns, most sports in Sweden came to a halt — but one sport in particular continued being played: football.
A friend he made while playing hockey took him to his first football practice. His only exposure to American football prior to this practice was seeing videos of the sport on Instagram. It only took him that one practice to fall in love with the game.
“After the first practice, I was hooked,” Henriks Ras said. “I thought that was the best sport there was.”
As he continued to play and fall further in love with the sport, Henriks Ras thought about where he could potentially take his football career. He enjoyed sports but always aspired to play them professionally. Originally planning to pursue a career in European football, his friends instead encouraged him to connect with Brandon Collier.
Collier, a former defensive tackle at UMass from 2005-2009, founded Premier Prospects International, an organization that identifies football players throughout Europe and assists in giving them exposure to college football programs in the United States. Florida State offensive tackle Lucas Simmons, Texas A&M tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom and Texas defensive lineman Hero Kanu are just a few of the prospects he’s helped find spots on rosters of top college football programs.
About three years ago, Collier was in Sweden and posted on his Instagram story that he was visiting a nearby city. Henriks Ras saw the post, drove there, and worked out in front of him.
At the time, he was playing wide receiver. After the workout, Collier was blunt with Henriks Ras — he didn’t think he’d make it at the next level as a wideout. He did however love his drive, ferocity, heart and aggression.
That’s why, a few years after that workout, when Henriks Ras joked with him about potentially playing on the defensive line, Collier strongly encouraged it.
“Last year, about nine months ago, I just made a joke to Brandon about playing d-end and edge rusher when he was in Sweden,” Henriks Ras said. “At first, he was just laughing a little bit and then he was like, ‘you’ve got to try it. you have the size for it and the frame.’ So then I just tried it and he thought I had way better potential as a d-end and outside linebacker. So then I made the switch. So I’ve only played it for one year.”
Henriks Ras now plays for the AIK American football club in Sweden. It’s a far different league in comparison to high school football in the United States. He faces off against former division one players who can be up to 30 years old.
“The thing with Sweden, it’s not the same as playing in America” he explained. “While the guys in American play high school, I play against former D1 players. I’ve been coached by former D1 and NFL players. I really think the experience part is there.”
He says the skill players in Sweden are slower and just generally not as talented as the skill players you’ll find on good high school football teams in the U.S. However, the players in the trenches separate football in Sweden from high school football in America.
“Most of my games, I played against former D1 [offensive] tackles. They’re like grown men. Some of them are like 25-30 [years old],” Henriks Ras said.
He also got very valuable experience in practices with his own team as he says he faces off against likely the best offensive tackle in Sweden on a daily basis.
That experience proved worthwhile indeed when Collier brought Henriks Ras on his annual summer college camp tour back in 2024, earning offers from Charlotte and Texas A&M as a tight end recruit.
On this year’s summer tour, now as a defensive end recruit, he garnered high interest and offers from some of the best programs in the country.
Boise State was the first college football program that was all-in on Henriks Ras as a defensive lineman. Georgia was the next school to show a lot of interest in him following a camp he did in Athens this summer. He says that gave him a lot of confidence in his potential to play football at the next level. Offers from Ole Miss and South Carolina also came his way after workouts at both programs this past summer.
In early June, Henriks Ras attended a Mega Camp at Kennesaw State. Collier suggested he not work out that day to give his body a rest after a busy stretch of camps.
However, after Collier spoke with two coaches at Florida State attending that camp, linebackers coach John Papuchis and defensive backs assistant Jaleel McCrae, they wanted to evaluate Henriks Ras. So he laced up his cleats and conducted a private workout with the Seminoles.
Just over a month later, head coach Mike Norvell reached out to him, asking some general questions regarding who he was and his recruitment to that point. Days later, defensive line coach Terrance Knighton called him and extended him a scholarship offer.
He had an official visit planned to Boise State next weekend. He was originally set to see FSU the following weekend for an official visit, but the Seminoles decided to move that trip to another date that has yet to be finalized. Kansas State is also in talks with him about scheduling an official visit for later this season.
As he moves towards making his decision on playing at a college in the United States, he is looking for a program where both honesty and toughness are emphasized. Those values are ultimately what’s led Henriks Ras to this point — so he’s hoping to play for a program that highlights those same qualities on and off the field.