Kansas Rankings Update: Class of 2026 Top Ten

Another week in January means a round of Prep Redzone ranking updates. This week in Kansas it's the Class of 2026. Athletes who just completed their sophomore seasons and who have two years of high school ball left.   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. Stats help, but don't make the rankings, but if I can't find stats on a player that factors into their position as well. Offers from colleges are also taken into consideration. An athlete with multiple Division I offers is going to probably be ranked higher than a player with only NAIA offers or no offers at all. I do watch film and that can help or hurt a player's rankings. Also size and speed matter!   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.   Also please realize that when it comes to sophomore and freshmen athletes it is difficult to project the future, injuries, priority changes for multiple sport athletes, coaching and system changes, transferring to another school district, all of these factors can impact a prep athlete and their recruitment status over the rest of their high school careers.   Here is a look at the Top Ten ranked players in the Kansas Class of 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='585903' first='Aaron' last='Bohannon Jr.'], RB, 5'5”, 160, Wichita East   Skills will pay the bills for this dynamic athlete. Even though running backs aren't recruited as heavily as they used to a back sits at the top of the 2026 rankings. Bohannon had an impressive sophomore season rushing for 1,129 yards in nine games. He scored 12 touchdowns and shared time in the backfield with senior [player_tooltip player_id='146115' first='Cencere' last='Thompson']. The Blue Ace prospect can also be used as a weapon in the pass game as he caught 14 balls for 241 yards and two scores.   [player_tooltip player_id='780142' first='Johnmichael' last='Fountain Jr.'], LB, 6'1”, 205, Wichita Northwest   Fountain finished with 45 total tackles during his sophomore season.  He is a fast and physical linebacker who can shoot the gap on a blitz, or step up and stop the run. Eight of his tackles resulted in lost yardage and he recorded two quarterback sacks. Fountain also has a knack for creating turnovers. In nine games last season, he finished with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He has played varsity since his freshman year and in two seasons has a total of 91 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and two quarterback sacks. The Northwest prospect is ranked No. 2 overall and is the top-ranked linebacker. He has a high ceiling and could play linebacker or safety at the collegiate level.   [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason'], QB, 6'1”, 180, Wichita Northwest   Mason is ranked No. 3 overall and is the top-ranked quarterback. During his sophomore season, he threw for 1,185 yards and 16 touchdowns. Northwest is a run-first offense which makes these numbers even more impressive. He did throw six interceptions during his sophomore campaign and completed 58 percent of his pass attempts. Mason will look to improve on both of those numbers in 2024. If Mason stays healthy he should be the starter at Northwest for three years and have a resume full of experience.   [player_tooltip player_id='611097' first='Kelvin' last='Parker III'], DB, 6'0”, 160, Olathe North   Olathe North's Parker is the top-ranked defensive back in the Class of 2026 and is ranked. No. 4 overall. Parker has a nice combination of size and speed. He also returned kicks for the Eagles in 2023. During his junior season, he recorded 45 total tackles and one interception. Prep Redzone will follow him closely to see how is recruiting process evolves.   [player_tooltip player_id='586964' first='Christopher' last='Wash'], DL, 6'2”, 215, Mill Valley   Christopher “MJ” Wash is a bad dude. He wrestles, plays defensive line, and competes in track and field. His spot was up for grabs after an injury-shortened season, but you cannot deny his size and skill set. He is strong and is a difference-maker in the trenches. He needs a big senior season to increase his recruitment and rankings stock. Wash is ranked No. 5 overall and is currently the top-ranked defensive lineman.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114737' first='Braden' last='Wilmes'], OL, 6'8”, 275, Free State   Debuting in the rankings is Free State's Wilmes. This mountain of a young man enters the rankings at No. 6 overall and has the top-ranked offensive lineman. Watching the tackle's HUDL package one can help but immediately be enamored with his size. At 6-foot-8 and 275 lbs. he creates obvious mismatches at the high school level. One clip features him pulling on a running-play which would make any linebacker or defensive back cringe when seeing Wilmes headed their way. The sophomore has long arms which he uses to create space right off the snap.   [player_tooltip player_id='586976' first='Pharrell' last='Adams'], LB, 5'11”, 200, Wichita East   Adams is an explosive game-changing linebacker for the Aces. In this round of updates he jumped from the No. 15 overall slot to No. 7. He finished with 110 total tackles during his sophomore campaign. He has excellent speed and is the No. 2 ranked linebacker.  He finished with six quarterback sacks and racked up 18 TFLs. He is a confident young man who knows how to sell himself, and I guarantee that he will be motivated to move up into the Top 5 in this class. Plenty of Division I and Division II coaches will be recruiting Adams.   [player_tooltip player_id='283949' first='Jarek' last='Purdy'], ATH, 6'0”, 150, Hays   Purdy moved up to spots in this round of updates from No. 10 to No. 8. The sophomore had a solid season contributing to the Indians' offense.  He is a versatile athlete who can play multiple positions at the college level. During his sophomore campaign, he collected 25 receptions for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns and served as a kick and punt returner. He will be playing 7v7 this season with the Kansas Elite West 18U squad.   [player_tooltip player_id='1083225' first='Trenton' last='Kern'], LB, 6'1”, 210, Great Bend   Kern parlayed an impressive defensive season into a debut appearance in the rankings in the No. 9 slot. He was one of the top tackling linebackers in the sophomore class with 111 total tackles. He can be disruptive in the backfield with five TFLs and one quarterback sack. He also plays offensive tackle but the defensive side of the ball is where I see his future. Kern is a no-nonsense lunch-pail middle linebacker with a bright future.   [player_tooltip player_id='780500' first='Carter' last='Hajek'], ATH, 5'11”, 200, Nemaha Central   Hajek is the highest-ranked small school athlete. No one can ignore his statistical production as a sophomore. During his sophomore season, he rushed 2,431 yards for the Class 2A State Champion Thunder. He scored 43 touchdowns on the ground in 13 games. He threw for 962 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively he finished with 41 total tackles and one quarterback sack. The question with this prospect is where would he play at the college level. Depending on a program's needs he could be a QB, RB, WR, DB, or FS.

Another week in January means a round of Prep Redzone ranking updates. This week in Kansas it's the Class of 2026. Athletes who just completed their sophomore seasons and who have two years of high school ball left.