2026 Young Guns On The Rise

<p>We're taking a look at a handful of upcoming recruits in the 2026 class, including a future superstar QB that everyone needs to go get familiar with right now.</p>   <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='560083' first='Christian' last='Kramer'] - North Putnam - QB - 6'0" 160lbs</h2>   <p>Kramer is the best Quarterback you haven't heard of until just now. He's only a freshman and I feel like it took too long for me to find him. The untapped raw arm talent is some of the best in the state that I've seen yet. As he grows and gets a better grip on the ball, he's only going to get more lethal. Seemingly with a flick of the wrist, he can rip it on a line in anticipation of where his WR is going to be. My favorite clip of the year was this 18-yard completion where he's rolling to his left and cross-body makes the throw running full speed while being chased, all to hit the WR in the chest. He doesn't need a ton of time or space to get the ball off. While it certainly helps, he's able to get it there just using his arm as he gets hit. His 20 passing TDs this year alone show what he's capable of. As a freshman, to complete over 65% of your throws, go over 2000 passing yards, and hit 20+ TDs you're doing something right. With all of that said, Kramer isn't some pocket passer who can only sit there and deal damage. No, this dude is a nightmare to bring down. He's slippery, able to step up, spin away, do whatever he needs to in order to extend the play. Depending on the D&D, he knows whether or not to take off or keep his eyes downfield. His 5-step drop can be fairly clean and look very mechanically sound. My favorite part is how he comes up firing right as he's supposed to when he hits the drop. With the proper timing and his arm talent, he slings some pretty impressive balls on a rope right into the chest of his target. 1A or a big 6A program in the state, Kramer would be a starting QB, and he's someone who is here to stay.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@C_Kramer18</strong></p>    <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='670469' first='Ja'Ronn' last='Smith'] - Speedway - RB/WR - 5'10" 190lbs</h2>   <p>Smith is a developing back who is creative with the ball in his hands. North, South, East, & West with him. Anything he can do to create positive yardage is what he'll do. He's got a tendency to try bouncing it outside and hesitates at the line, but that's just a young back who needs to trust his feet and what he sees. He's a decent athlete and has a good top-end speed. He's got soft hands and can catch it out of the backfield and be a threat there as well. He's a back who isn't easy to bring down and makes it incredibly tough on defenders. He'll fight tooth and nail for every inch on the field. He does play receiver at times and there are moments where he feels more free out running routes catching balls downfield. I think it's a promising sign for a young man like that to do both and be willing to go back and forth. I like Smith and think he could really develop into a sneaky good recruit down the road.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@JaRonnSmith16</strong></p>    <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='670470' first='Xavier' last='Yates'] - West Noble - ATH </h2>   <p>Yates had a very promising freshman year on the field and flashed in a way that the coaches have to be excited. While I was unable to locate a H/W, he's not a small recruit. If he's not over 6' already, he's close and he's got a nice build. He was able to be a deep threat down the field and take the top off the defense. At the same time, he was returning punts and making an impact on Special Teams. Yates is really good after the catch just picking up yardage and finding lanes. He's a rather good athlete who has the ability to get the corner and go. Yates was in the slot and out wide at X sometimes last year. He had success everywhere he went and you can only anticipate that to continue moving forward.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@X_Yates1</strong></p>    <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='401633' first='Alec' last='Surber'] - Decatur Central - OL/DL - 6'3" 240lbs</h2>   <p>Surber had a really good year all things considered. He started at LT as a true freshman in one of the toughest divisions in the state and looked really good. There's no doubt, he's a bit raw. He's young and currently underweight, but I don't think that stays that way much longer. Surber is someone who can easily blowup physically once he starts dominating the weight room. On the field, he's not bad. He's a good athlete with great balance and a ton of natural raw strength. He's able to win in pass protection 1 on 1 on the left side. He's able to set his feet and win in the running game. He's got a good center of gravity and can win pad level when it matters. While he doesn't have all his games combined on HUDL, most of them are there. However, you can easily go look at any DC recruit and see Surber on the field and get a better idea. The point is, he's someone to keep an eye on over the coming years because he could easily be one of the top OL recruits.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@AlecSurber</strong></p>

We're taking a look at a handful of upcoming recruits in the 2026 class, including a future superstar QB that everyone needs to go get familiar with right now.