5 2026 Recruits Beginning To Burst Onto The Scene

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've got 5 talented, yet still a bit raw recruits from the 2026 class who began to make an impact for their Varsity squads last season. These guys are exciting and if they keep trending the way they are, could be fantastic players for the right team on Saturdays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1175629' first='Kaiden' last='Bower'] - Carmel - DL - 6'3" 235lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The upcoming lineman from Carmel was developing on the field last year and showing some promise. Bower's size and length are impressive. He's got great reach and is off the ball fast. He's agile enough to bend around a tackle when on the outside. He doesn't have much experience playing the run, but he's proven to make tackles in the open field. He can run down guys and is much quicker than you'd think. For his age, his body is developing nicely and you can see the offseason work starting to pay off. To come in as a Sophomore and be a valuable rotational piece on the defensive line and have the impact Bower did can only lead to good things moving forward. 19 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 2 recovered fumbles rounded out his first year on Varsity. It wasn't the biggest season, but he was on the field making plays, showing his athletic ability, and developing under fire. Bower is raw, but exciting and could be a name that rises over the next few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@Kaiden_Bower</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='783713' first='Jaden' last='Peak'] - Jasper - ATH - 6'0" 155lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peak was a guy we hit heading into last season as a potential breakout because of his raw athletic ability. Well, not only did he get on the field this past season, but he was a rotational piece on both sides of the ball, made plays, and held his own every time he stepped on the field. He's versatile and having him be able to run the rock as well as be split out wide was fantastic to see. He's got soft hands and can guide the ball in through contact. He's able to get open against some zone coverages and has the speed to win in man. He's got decent vision carrying the ball and very rarely goes down to the first defender. Then on defense, that same athletic ability shows up all over his tape. He's often the first guy to the ball and can come downhill to play the run. His first season of Varsity action saw him put up 317 rushing yards and 4 TDs, 176 receiving yards and 1 TD, and then 25 tackles, 7 PBUs, 2 TFLs, and 1 forced fumble on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, it was a stellar year for Peak and hopefully, this is just the beginning for him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@JadenPeak5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1175631' first='Shaun' last='Cooper'] - Bloomington North - ATH - 5'10" 190lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cooper is a fantastic raw athlete who is developing on the field wherever they ask him to be. This past season, he got a decent amount of work on the defensive side and looked good. Playing varsity, making plays, and being one of the better athletes on the field only usually mean the best is yet to come. Cooper has great range and can cover a ton of ground in a hurry. When he's in at outside backer, while he could be a bit more aggressive, I do appreciate the conscience effort by Cooper to not make the MA. You can see he's trying to do the right thing and make the play. The more he gets a feel for the game, the more his athletic ability can begin to take over. If he also develops some in the weight room, if he stays on LB, it'll only make him a harder hitter and able to shed more blocks. His sophomore season saw him put up 21 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, and a forced fumble. Cooper is certainly trending in the right direction and could be a LB to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@Iamshauncooper</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1175630' first='Zach' last='Dozier'] - Roncalli - RB - 5'10" 175lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season may not have gone according to plan for Roncalli, but it certainly wasn't a bad year for the young RB to get his feet wet and showcase what he can do. With Roncalli having a massive opening in the running game, Dozier is primed to take over. With what he showcased last year, they have to be excited. He's a tough back, well built, harder to bring down than defenses anticipate, yet can break a long run because he's got more short area agility than they expect so he can make them miss as well. He runs with a good pad level and stays behind his pads when initiating contact. He's a fantastic short area and red zone back as well. He can bulldoze his way through piles. While he is a strong back, I'd love to see him develop some in the weight room and get a stronger base. Last season he put up just under 400 rushing yards on 4.1 YPC and 6 TDs. A lot of promise and potential in Dozier's game and the weapon he can become for Roncalli.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@ZachDozier5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='491415' first='Psymon' last='Marshall'] - Portage - DB - 6'0" 150lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A nicely developing player for Portage, Marshall is getting better and better. This past season he broke into the Varsity action on the defensive side of the ball and held his own. He can play either Safety spot and has come to the line and play Corner when needed. He's able to keep his WR in phase and break on the ball with good timing. He's not too handsy and plays with some contact, but enough to keep it legal. He's begun to develop some in the weight room and being able to be physical with WRs was huge for him. Playing Corner, he doesn't get much action or the ball thrown his way very often. Nonetheless, he put up 11 tackles and 4 passes deflected, and more importantly, 100s of quality reps guarding a receiver. Being on the field and surviving the live bullets is always good to see for a young DB, and that's right where Marshall is in his development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@BlezzedP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->