Rising Star '26 Athletes Heading into Next Fall

<p>The class of 2026 is on the horizon of their pivotal Sophomore season. Every class's sophomore seasons tend to solidify the top of the class and really show us who the big dogs are. This article will highlight five athletes (ATH) that have already impressed during their freshman season but have a chance to explode for their Sophomore campaigns. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='568140' first='Amir' last='Morelan'] | Port Huron | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18486796/Amir-Morelan/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Last season, Amir burst onto the High School Football scene. This is your prototypical athlete who plays DB, WR, and returns kicks. Amir was impressive in all three phases, especially as a DB. Amir is already considered a division 1 prospect and will very likely continue receiving D1 interest with P5 interest on the horizon. I have no doubt that Amir will continue being a solid athlete, but it's how hard he works and how he leads that will inevitably set him apart from the crowd. For sure a good athlete to keep an eye on, with the potential to get a whole lot better!</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='563430' first='Traverse' last='Moore'] | DeWitt | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14331472/Traverse-Moore/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Traverse is a super interesting player for DeWitt. His biggest strengths are speed and playing through the whistle. He had a few plays drawn up seemingly just for him, which included a ton of reverse and other outside zone plays. Once Traverse hits a hole, he quickly accelerates forward with impressive speed, and he doesn't go down without some resistance. He also has a few DB highlights, and with his speed, it's easy to see the potential there. Now, DeWitt is known for great player development, so I hope Traverse expands his role in the offense and defense while also showing noticeable athletic / strength improvements. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='563429' first='James' last='Rush'] | Saline | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15571143/James-Rush/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>As a freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='563429' first='James' last='Rush'] served as a solid RB and DB for Saline. At RB, James did everything asked of him and performed well. He's a downhill, athletic runner that doesn't take too many risks and doesn't waste time dancing around. Defensively, James has a few good coverage plays with quite a few displays of great run defense/tackling. It's apparent that James doesn't fear contact on the defensive side of the ball. With some added muscle, James can surely turn into a great prospect. He's a candidate to blow up this coming season, and I think he will as long as he has a very productive offseason. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='284008' first='Camari' last='Patterson'] | OLSM | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18052312/Camari-Patterson/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>Camari is a player that showed a lot of flashes last season, and I'm looking forward to seeing him put it all together during his sophomore season. Camari is a great athlete at the JV level and a decent one on Varsity. He's a guy that plays just about every skill position and has good top-end speed with some real hustle. I feel that last season only scratched the surface, and the sky is the limit for Camari. Weight room and consistent conditioning will go a long way!</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='568188' first='Drew' last='Esper'] | Traverse City West | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15154630/Drew-Esper/about">Hudl</a></h2>   <p>At any level, 1100 yards, 20 TDs, 8 INTs, and 92 tackles is really dang impressive. Even better, Drew did this in his freshman season. I honestly don't think his athletic talent is anything to swoon over, but his IQ and overall effort are. Drew had playing time at just about every skill position, and he has a high-IQ and high-effort highlight at each position. As a DB, he makes great breaks on balls to come up with INTs. He's also a great run defender with impressive reaction time and good tackling. Offensively, he has good vision and fights through tackles. Seriously, with a ton of time in the weight room and working on overall speed/athleticism, Drew could become one of the most entertaining watches in Michigan High School Football. </p>

The class of 2026 is on the horizon of their pivotal Sophomore season. Every class's sophomore seasons tend to solidify the top of the class and really show us who the big dogs are. This article will highlight five athletes (ATH) that have already impressed during their freshman season but have a chance to explode for their Sophomore campaigns.