October 24, 2025
Versatile Brady Rose shines in many roles as unbeaten, top-ranked Ferris State football team prepares to host rivals GVSU
Brady Rose’s strength is that he’s a football version of a Swiss Army knife: He can effectively do many things on the gridiron for nationally top-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs.
The Muskegon native came to Big Rapids after playing a lot as a quarterback for his high school, Mona Shores. But coaches tapped his talents for other positions, too.
His versatility has been a strength at Ferris State, too, The slot receiver also is a holder for the kickers, a return specialist, and, if needed, can still effectively throw the football on offense as he did as a high schooler.
For Rose, it starts with being a team-first guy for head coach Tony Annese's Bulldogs, the defending NCAA Division II national champion.
"It comes down to doing anything that Coach Annese needs me to do to help the team be successful," Rose said after practicing this week the team prepares for this Saturday's Anchor-Bone Classic against rivals at Grand Valley State University. “When Coach Annese calls my number, I am always going to take that opportunity to help the team in any way that I can."
Rose is accustomed to success. He played for Mona Shores High School’s state championship teams in 2019 and 2020, then the Ferris State NCAA Division II national champion squads in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
For the Sailors, besides playing offense, as a quarterback, and defense, in the secondary, Rose returned punts and kickoffs, and was a holder for kickers. He earned the 2020 MLive Michigan High School Player of the Year Award and was the Associated Press Division 1-2 Player of the Year.
"It was the same thing for me in high school. So, when I came to Ferris State, being asked to contribute to the team in a lot of different ways was nothing new for me," he said.
The team-first mindset, Rose said, runs throughout the team. He points to Carson Gulker. This fall, the former full-time quarterback for the Bulldogs has shifted to an H-back role with the emergence of the redshirt freshman quarterback Wyatt Bower.
"Carson is a great example of the team-first attitude that you see from guys on our team. Carson has taken on the H-back role and done a great job with it," he said.
The Bulldogs are riding a 21-game winning streak after a 38-10 road win over a good Michigan Tech in Houghton and now turn their sights to this week's matchup against GVSU. The game already has garnered national attention.
"There are a lot of West Michigan guys on our team, and I am one of them, so we definitely know about this game," Rose said. "Grand Valley is actually closer to my house than Ferris State. I would say it says a lot about West Michigan to have two strong national programs like this competing every year within an hour and a half of my home."
This season, Rose has been filling up the stat sheets with 14 receptions for 168 yards, 16 rushes for 71 yards and two touchdowns, and he has completed 2-of-4 passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Rose has compiled four receiving, four rushing and four passing touchdowns.
Each week, Rose knows he always has family support, beginning with his parents, Ken and Lisa. Ken Rose played football at Grand Valley State after joining the team as a walk-on and later earned a captain role.
"They're excited for Saturdays just as much as I am," Rose said. "They're making road trips wherever we're playing. If we're playing across the country, I know they're going to be there. Having family be so supportive is really important to me."
Rose has been successful in the classroom as well. The Construction Management major at Ferris State's College of Engineering Technology sees a bright future in the industry.
"I am looking forward to graduating in May, and I already have a couple of job offers, and I actually accepted a job not that long ago," Rose said. "So, I'll be staying in West Michigan and working around the Grand Rapids-Muskegon areas. I'll be ready when that time comes."