Top 5 ATHs of Southern WI & Other ATHs to Know

The competition for the Top 5 in the southern region of WI has been elite from position to position, but the ATH group may have been the hardest to decide. Not only is the senior group deep, but so is the junior, and sophomore groups. That led to all three classes being represented in the Top 5 by athletes who I expect to be D1 players when they make their college decisions. Until that moment, we get to enjoy some special athletes on the high school fields across Wisconsin! Let’s check these dudes out! <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="104565" first="Nate" last="White"], ’23- Rufus King</strong> This is cheating a little bit, and he will be switched to RB during our rankings update, but Nate spent 2021 at QB. He also has the elite athleticism, agility, and change of direction that had me thinking he could play RB or DB at the next level. Because of that I kept him at ATH during our previous update. There isn’t much more we need to say here because the #1 player in the Class of 2023 is committed to the home state Wisconsin Badgers to play RB. I cant’ wait to watch how he fits into the outstandingly talented WI RB room. It is going to be fun watching him on Saturdays. Until then, we get to watch him on HS fields for one more season. <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="268943" first="Matthew" last="Stenbroten"], ’24- Lake Mills</strong> This kid is a monster! Checking in at 6’4" 210 lbs, Matthew is another prospect who definitely will have a position during our next update. He finished 2021 as a First Team All Conference WR and Second Team LB. Don’t let that fool you. He is an elite LB prospect who is so talented , in part, because of his WR level athleticism. The body control that the long, strong LB is at a rare level already. Matthew has 4.5 40 speed and the strength to set the edge against the run. The Class of 2024 has eye popping talent at LB, and you can expect to see Matthew pushing for a spot at the top. The 2024 has had an amazing camp season. He started off winning LB MVP at the Prep Redzone WI Prospect Tour showcase and he just earned his first D1 offer from Illinois State after winning Defensive MVP for their camp. <strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id="268947" first="Colton" last="Brunell"], ’24- Columbus</strong> I can easily see Colton plying either side of the ball at he next level. He has generated elite numbers on both sides of the ball. That will most likely keep him in the ATH category during our next update, but it is worth noting that he has been camping as an RB. He started the summer with an MVP RB performance at the Prep Redzone WI Prospect Tour showcase, and has since gone on to perform well at many FBS camps. The 6’ 210 lbs athlete is the reigning Conference Player of the Year, and Honorable Mention All State as an RB. I’m excited for his junior campaign because he has the size, power/strength, range/play speed to continue to shine on both sides of the ball. He doesn’t hold an offer, yet, however within the year he is going to be a prospect with a lot of interest and attention. <strong>4. [player_tooltip player_id="304380" first="Jayden" last="Culbertson"], ’23- Platteville</strong> This is one of the premier hidden gems in the Class of 2023. Jayden has a special, next level athletic profile. He is 6’1" 215 lbs, runs a 4.68 40, jumps 40" in the vertical, and has a 3.34 GPA on top of it all. Despite those impressive numbers, Jayden doesn’t have any reported offers. This past fall, Jayden had his impact felt at the RB and LB positions. I’m expecting him to have a breakout senior campaign that finally earns him the offers he deserves. In my eyes, Jayden is minimum a D2 level player. He stands ou tofrm the crow on Friday nights. <strong>5. [player_tooltip player_id="262061" first="Carson" last="Fletcher"], ’25- Racine Horlick</strong> Carson is next up for underclassmen ATHs in WI. His freshman campaign was a special one. His older brother saw his season end due to an injury. Carson was able to step right in at LB and QB and lead Horlick to a playoff berth. The 5’11" 200 lbs athlete is a sideline to sideline LB with impressively quick processing skills for his age. He is also stout when paying between the tackles. Carson also demonstrated the power, pull away speed, and vision to be a force as an RB, which is what he mainly was while playing QB. I’m excited to see how he tops his first high school season. He has definitely been putting in the work in the weight room this offseason. Big year in the making for him ,and Racine Horlick as a team. Keep an eye on this kid over the next few years. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Honorable Mention:</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104988" first="Chase" last="Matthias"], ’24- Two Rivers:</strong><em> 5’11" 200 lbs, RB/LB,  2,040 rushing yards, 23 TDs, 116 Tackles, 23 TFLs, 3 Sacks, 4 FF</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104374" first="Avery" last="Kurth"], ’23- Slinger: </strong><em>6’ 200 lbs, RB/S, 1,235 rushing yards, 14 TDs, 41 Tackles, 3 INTs</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104504" first="Jax" last="Hertel"], ’23- Big Foot: </strong><em>6’1" 210 lbs, RB/LB, 2X 1st Team All Conference RB, 2X 2nd Team All Conference LB, Offers from Sioux Falls, Northern Michigan, Duluth</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="304387" first="Dadon" last="Gillen"], ’23- McFarland: </strong><em>6’2" 190 lbs, WR/S, 4.75 40 Time, 36" Vertical, 1st Team All Conference Safety, 2nd Team All Conference WR</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300481" first="Levi" last="Huempfner"], ’23- St. Mary’s Springs: </strong><em>6’ 195 lbs, LB/RB, 3 Sport Athlete, 100+ Tackles, 1,200+ rushing yards</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31417" first="CJ" last="Johnson"], ’23- Waukesha South:</strong><em> 6’1" 233 lbs, LB/RB/DL, 2021 Team Defensive MVP, Offer from Concordia- St. Paul</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300277" first="Gus" last="Wenning"], ’23- Middleton: </strong><em>DL/FB/LB, 6’1" 225 lbs, 1st Team All Conference, All Region Conference DL of Of the Year, Offers from McKendree, and Upper Iowa</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="268985" first="Carson" last="Bilitz"], ’24- Waterford: </strong><em>RB/LB, 500+ rushing yards, 6 TDs, 100+ Tackles</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="262072" first="Tyler" last="Van Sluys"], ’25- Grafton:</strong><em> RB/LB, 3 Sport Athlete (Football, Baseball, Wrestling)</em>