Frontier League Prospects: Tonganoxie Chieftains

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another day, another practice. On day four that Kansas teams could practice, I stopped by Tonganoxie to get a glimpse at a few Chieftain prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tonganoxie squad was not yet in full pads, however with what I did see and with a glimpse at the HUDL highlights there is a formidable group of prospects from this Frontier League squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='544724' first='Colton' last='Brusven']</strong>, RB, 5'10”, 175, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brusven is a team guy and Tonganoxie's most dangerous weapon. He rushed for 600-plus yards as a junior. He does not have an ounce of fat on him and he moves well. He also plays middle linebacker for the Chieftains and you don't see that combination a lot at higher enrollment schools. He is looking for his first college offer. NAIA and JUCO programs should put this guy's name on their “to-call list.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='543068' first='Isaiah' last='Holthaus']</strong>, WR, 6'2”, 190, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holthaus is a big target in the passing game. He can be both a position receiver and break off long receptions. He is difficult for defenders to coral. He could also be a solid prospect in the defensive backfield. I was surprised by his upper body strength and he can create space at the line of scrimmage. Oh, and by the way be on the lookout for a young Holthaus coming up the pipeline.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyler Pankey</strong>, ATH, 6'2”, 190, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pankey is coming back from injury after tearing his ACL in the first game of the 2022 season. He had three touchdowns in the first half of the season opener before going down. He runs solid routes and has good hands. He might not post eye-popping numbers due to the number of offensive options in the Tongie offense. However, he proves he is healthy and he will get noticed and should garner an offer or two.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>T.J. Leeper</strong>, DL/OL, 6'1”, 230, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leeper is plain and simple a physical specimen. He competes in multiple sports including wrestling and track and field as a thrower. He looks like the poster boy for the term “gym rat.” Leeper has quality speed for his size. He also seemed very approachable, coachable, and willing to take advice. He is willing to play at the JUCO level which shows his maturity and understanding of the recruiting process.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228509' first='Zac' last='Fisher']</strong>, OL/DT, 5'10”, 270, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fisher looks like he was born to play guard. He is squatty, strong, and quick. One of his upperclassmen was singing his praises before practice started. Fisher is strong and still really young, so he'll probably only get more ripped with more time in the gym. When coaches start looking for linemen in the class of 2025 this young bowling ball on legs will be one to contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->