2027 Rankings Released: Top DB & WR Ranked Among The Top 20

Four up and four down. Today's release of the Kansas Class of 2027 initial rankings wraps up a month of Prep Redzone updates for four Kansas classes of football prospects.   This first round of rankings took players who were on the watch list for the class of 2027 and added more than 25 new athletes. It includes 100 athletes who completed their freshmen seasons which means that there are more than 850 ranked football players at Prep Redzone Kansas.   Athletes, coaches, and parents can click on the “How We Rank” story under the “Rankings” menu to learn more about the process of ranking players.   For me personally, I would like to add that the following factors also determine how I rank players. Game stats played a big role in these rankings, more so than any other class. If an athlete played varsity games as a freshman and posted solid numbers, that tells me they can at least play with and against more experienced athletes. Unlike other class rankings, there are no college offers to take into consideration. Our top player right now may end up at a JUCO program, while No. 100 could end up being a Division I talent. I don't use a crystal ball, playing cards, darts, or a coin to determine spots, but I do utilize Max Preps, Hudl, social media, and listen to recommendations and suggestions from high school coaches.   One key issue I always stress with athletes is the slot you are ranked in is not nearly as important as just making the rankings. Numerous subscribers to Prep Redzone from all over the nation will now be exposed to the athletes in our rankings.   Another key issue is each athlete controls their recruitment process. If a high school coach does not post stats on MaxPreps then it is the responsibility of the athlete to obtain those stats and send them to scouts and college coaches, Student-athletes who already know they want to play college sports need to create Hudl and social media accounts. Athletes are responsible for updating their respective Hudl profiles and the information on them. If I can't find a height and weight for a player I will not include them in the rankings. Also, only the athlete can control what is posted on their social media accounts. What an athlete posts, follows, and how he or she promotes themselves says a lot about the type of person and prospect they are.   While I strive for perfection, I also understand that mistakes and typos happen. If you have questions about the rankings or see a mistake please feel free to DM me on social media @KSScoutDeck or email me at <a href="mailto:deckscoutks@gmail.com">deckscoutks@gmail.com</a>.   Remember you attract more bees with honey than you do vinegar. If you send me a negative or rude email do not expect a reply. Also, keep in mind that there are elements of the technology that I cannot control or change, one example is our options for a player's weight in five lb. intervals. Also, we do not update rankings on a week-to-week basis. Once an athlete is ranked in a spot, they stay there until the next round of rankings. We try to update the rankings three to four times a year.   There will be multiple reports on the new rankings this week, and I sincerely look forward to watching this class of athletes evolve and seeing the rankings list grow with more prospects.   Here is a report on the athletes who are ranked No. 11-20.  An argument for all ten of them can be made for their inclusion in the Top 10. With three years of high school ball left each will have plenty of opportunities to climb the rankings ladder.   [player_tooltip player_id='403631' first='Cordale' last='Johnson'],  DB, 5'11”, 140, Maize   Johnson is ranked No. 11 and is the top-ranked defensive back in the initial rankings. He is a shutdown corner with quick feet and who knows how to finish off tackles.   [player_tooltip player_id='944910' first='Tanner' last='Geist'], DL, 6'1”, 230, Hays   Geist is a defensive lineman who saw significant varsity action during his freshman season. The Hays Indians down lineman is ranked No. 12 overall is the No. 3 ranked defensive lineman. He finished with 54 tackles and 6 tackles of loss for the Indians last season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1044864' first='Cory' last='Kirchner'], WR, 6'3”, 170, Spring Hill   Kirchner is a three-sport prospect who also plays basketball and baseball. He is the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the rankings and ranked No. 13 overall. He caught 16 balls for 228 yards and two touchdowns in varsity games for Spring Hill.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113256' first='Kenvonta' last='Jackson'], LB, 5'8”, 160, Wichita Southeast (Pictured Above)   The Golden Buffaloes' Jackson is ranked No. 14 overall. He racked up 42 total tackles in nine varsity games played. Six of those tackles resulted in lost yardage and he recorded two quarterback sacks. He is a fast-edged rusher who should continue to get bigger and stronger. Jackson is the second-highest linebacker in the first Class of 2027 rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id='944913' first='Trevon' last='Briley'], DL, 6'2”, 205, Junction City   Junction City's Briley debuts ranked No. 15 and is the fourth defensive lineman in the rankings. Briley is a brute and Junction City consistently produces disciplined college-level talent.   [player_tooltip player_id='1125648' first='Maddox' last='McGinnis'], OL, 6'4”, 265,  Wichita Northwest   McGinnis is a nasty offensive lineman who started for the Grizzlies as a freshman. He debuts in the No. 16 slot and is the fourth-ranked offensive lineman among his freshman peers.   [player_tooltip player_id='934065' first='Angelo' last='Engler'], OL, 6'2”, 280, Blue Valley Northwest   Engler is a tough-nosed highly committed offensive lineman. He is ranked No. 17 overall and is the fifth-ranked offensive lineman in the Class of 2027.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113151' first='Jack' last='Lough'], OL, 6'1”, 265, Basehor Linwood   Lough is a physical lineman who will more than likely continue to get stronger. The Bobcats have produced a boatload of college offensive linemen and Lough hopes to join that group. He is ranked No. 18 overall and is the sixth-ranked offensive lineman in the Top 20.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113130' first='J'Vonte' last='White'], QB, 5'11”, 170, Neodesha   White is a versatile athlete who can play quarterback or running back. He rushed for 199 yards and threw for 436 yards in seven games for the Blue Streaks. White scored seven total touchdowns during his freshman season. White is ranked No. 19 overall and is the second-highest-ranked quarterback.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113114' first='Luke' last='Stewart'], QB, 5'7”, 140, Council Grove   Stewart threw for 1,035 yards and touchdowns for the Braves in 10 games played. He rounds out the top 20 ranked players and is the third-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2027.

Four up and four down. Today's release of the Kansas Class of 2027 initial rankings wraps up a month of Prep Redzone updates for four Kansas classes of football prospects.