Elkhorn South two-way player Jaydon Sutko is back on the field and thriving in 2025 after suffering an internal injury that kept him sidelined for a big chunk of last season.
On Friday, he led the Class A No. 3 Storm to a 24-17 win against the No. 6 Bellevue West Thunderbirds at Elkhorn Stadium. Sutko carried the load, rushing for 304 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries and taking one screen pass for a 38-yard gain. On defense, he recorded six tackles and the game-sealing pass breakup in the end zone on the final play.
The senior running back/linebacker broke school records for most carries and yards in a game and is the leading rusher in Class A through two weeks. He ran the ball 21 times for 207 yards in a 30-7 win against Lincoln East in week one.
“It’s just a feeling like no other,” Sutko told Hurrdat Sports. “That news last year, it was next week, and I was in the hospital bed, and I just started crying. So it’s great to be out here and just working.”
Storm head coach Guy Rosenberg has been with Sutko throughout his high school career and has seen the work he’s put in during recovery process. Now, he’s fully healthy and back on the field.
“I’ve been so impressed,” Rosenburg said. “He’s such a competitor, and I can’t imagine how tough it was for him last year, of being out for that whole middle part of the season. In all honesty, when he was injured last year, I thought he wasn’t going to be able to come back. He came back, played really well at the end of the season in the playoffs, and he’s a guy that deserves all the success that he’s getting. He’s a great teammate, real positive leader, and all that hard work that he put in the offseason and on the track team really showed up tonight.”
Sutko is a multi-sport athlete who also competes on the track and field team at Elkhorn South. Rosenburg said he noticed Sutko’s talent early on.
“My wife is Facebook friends with his mom, and I saw back when he was in junior high, running the hurdles, and she just said, ‘You’ve got to see this kid run the hurdles,’” Rosenburg said. “He was just really aggressive and no fear and really attacked the hurdles, and a great athlete. I just said, ‘Hey, I can tell he’s going to be a great football player,’ and he has been.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound athlete had offers from Northern Illinois, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Air Force and Fresno State, but announced his commitment to the Bulldogs in June. He said he credits the people for helping him make this decision.
“I came down there for an official visit, and I was just with my family and everything,” Sutko said. “(Defensive coordinator Nick) Benedetto, he’s been helping me through the whole process. He’s a faithful guy, I’m a very faithful guy, so going down there, he knew he could trust me in the program, they know I can excel there. My parents also loved it. It’s a beautiful place.”
Sutko said he models his game after a few NFL players.
“I like to think I’m kind of like (Philadelphia Eagles running back) Saquon Barkley or (Washington Commanders wide receiver) Deebo Samuel,” Sutko said. “I can be put in the slot like Saquon, I’m a big dude, I can hit, and I’m fast. So also like Deebo Samuel, I can be put in the slot, play receiver. I can just do whatever the coach needs.”
Sutko had more receiving yards (254) than rushing yards (111) during the six games he played last season as Rosenburg used him as a utility player to complement 1,000-yard rusher Gavin Shanahan in the backfield. With Shanahan off to Wayne State, he’s become the Storm’s workhorse back and has ran for nearly as many yards in two games (511) as he had in his career (569) heading into the season.
Sutko is looking forward to finishing his senior season with the Storm and has big goals for his college career in Fresno.
“Hopefully to make it to the NFL, but hopefully just to have a good experience, build relationships beyond football,” Sutko said.
Up next for the Storm is a trip to Lincoln to take on the North Star Gators at Seacrest Field on Thursday, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT.
