Young Prospects on the Rise: ’25 and ’26

Photo: Prep Redzone

Chris Hunt

November 22, 2022 @ 11:58 PM

The next generation of talent has arrived - and they're making us take notice. Freshmen and Sophomores throughout the state shined on the gridiron in 2022, and in this article, we explore just a handful of them. We begin in the deep east powerhouse town of Carthage with a running back who's already making some waves.   RB [player_tooltip player_id='402686' first='KJ' last='Edwards'] - 5'10" 180 - Carthage HS / @KJEdwards2026 (Class of '26)   Shifty, dynamic soon-to-be sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='402686' first='KJ' last='Edwards'] is a young running back on the rise in deep east Texas. He explodes to the mesh point, displays great footwork in the back, and does an incredible job of making defenders miss at the line of scrimmage. Just a freshman, I can see him drawing comparisons down the road to another Bulldog great, Keaontay Ingram.   Visited Baylor on gameday two weeks ago.   QB [player_tooltip player_id='1117295' first='Presley' last='Harper'] - 5'11" 170 - Pearce HS / @PresleyHarper7 (Class of '25)   Harper throws on the run as well as I've seen from any quarterback in the 2025 class. He's got a rocket arm, is elusive in the pocket when things break down, and most impressively, perfectly times his throws and places the ball where only his receiver can catch it. The footwork is above average, and he really put some mustard on it over the middle. If he can fill out a little bit this summer, look for him to be high on recruiting boards by mid-season 2023.   OT [player_tooltip player_id='285903' first='Dramodd' last='Odoms'] - 6'6" 275 - Houston Lamar HS / @Dramodd1 (Class of '25)   An old coach buddy of mine once told me about evaluating offensive tackles, "When you turn on the tape, look for skinny ankles. That means he's an athlete."   A freakishly athletic left tackle with long arms, Odoms has a chance to become a very special prospect over the next two years. He looks graceful when pulling, gets a nice initial punch, and uses his hands extremely well. I would like to see him develop more tenacity when he fires off at the snap, but that will undoubtedly come. Very intriguing prospect.   Took a gameday visit to Texas in mid-October.   TE Kellen LeCronier - 6'6" 220 - Cinco Ranch HS / @KLeCronier (Class of '25)   Season Stats: 40 receptions, 700 yards, 12 touchdowns   LeCronier played sub-varsity for much of his sophomore season, but is one tight end prospect to keep an eye on as we head into the 2023 season. Performed really well at the Texas A&M camp this past June, and has the frame to add more weight and develop into the type of prospect that can wind up on Division 1 recruiting boards soon. He excels as a pass catcher over the middle, and will be a tough matchup for outside linebackers and strong safeties in 2023 and 2024. Put a circle around this youngster's name. He's going to be a good one.

The next generation of talent has arrived - and they're making us take notice. Freshmen and Sophomores throughout the state shined on the gridiron in 2022, and in this article, we explore just a handful of them. We begin in the deep east powerhouse town of Carthage with a running back who's already making some waves.