Packing Their Bags: Kansas Athletes Heading Out Of State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some high school student-athletes can't get far enough from home as they select their colleges of choice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is another group of ranked players from Kansas who have recently announced their future college football programs. I will have more reports as the week continues and players please tag me in your announcements on X @KSScoutDeck, so I don't miss you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Members of the Class of 2024 who have yet to commit feel free to reach out as there will be plenty of schools still hunting to fill empty slots and we'll have more reports on your class during the spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='405858' first='Trey' last='Thomas'],</strong> DB, 6'1”, 170, Blue Valley Southwest (Harvard)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas is headed to Massachusetts for his college matriculation. He is currently ranked No. 43 by Prep Redzone Kansas. He plays really solid coverage and finishes tackles. Hopefully, he won't forget about his home state scout and ship me some cannolis from Mike's Pastry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='145512' first='Derek' last='Hubbard'],</strong> RB, 5'9”, 170, Derby (St. Thomas)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hubbard is an explosive back with good hands. He is currently ranked No. 52 overall among his Kansas peers. St. Thomas is an FCS program in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Tommies finished second in the Pioneer League behind Drake. If the St. Thomas coaching staff needs Hubbard to add some weight he should get him a couple Juicy Lucy's.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146121' first='Braxton' last='Bigley'],</strong> ATH, 5'11”, 215, Maize South (Morningside)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bigley is yet another Kansas product headed to a state with worse winters than Kansas. The Maize South prospect is headed to Sioux City, Iowa to play for the Morningside Mustangs. Morningside is an NAIA program that plays in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Vasquez runs crisp routes and can block well on the edge. He is currently ranked No. 153 overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='801286' first='Thomas' last='Gorges'],</strong> RB, 5'8”, 160, Bishop Carroll (Ava Maria University)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop Carroll's Gorges is headed to the Sunshine State to play for Ava Maria University. The Gyrenes are an NAIA program that plays in the Sun Conference. Gorges has plus speed and fights for the tough yards. He is currently ranked No. 163 overall in the Kansas Class of 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='364484' first='Jackson' last='Fry'],</strong> WR, 6'1”, 160, Hesston (Concordia)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fry is headed to Seward, Nebraska to play for the Concordia Bulldogs. The Swather pass catcher has nice ups, runs tight routes, and is not afraid to run routes over the middle of the field. He is ranked No. 167 overall among his Kansas peers and is the 18^th-ranked wideout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='335834' first='Manaolealii' last='Faagutu'],</strong> DL, 5'10”, 240, Blue Valley (Missouri S&amp;T)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Faagutu is an impressive run-stopping defensive lineman who uses both his quickness and power to disrupt the opposition's offense. He has committed to play for the Division II program Missouri S&amp;T. He is ranked No. 205 and is the 20th-ranked defensive lineman in Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='145603' first='Ethan' last='Vasquez'],</strong> WR, 6'0”, 180, Blue Valley (Morningside)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joining Bigley at Morningside is Blue Valley prospect Vasquez. Vasquez is sneaky quick and can run routes from the slot or lineup out wide. He is versatile enough that he could also play defensive back. He is currently ranked No. 213 overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1110682' first='Hadley' last='Holmes'],</strong> TE, 6'3”, 225, Blue Valley West (Drake)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holmes and Hubbard could end up squaring off against each other. The big target from Blue Valley West is headed to Des Moines, Iowa to play for the Drake Bulldogs. Holmes is a red zone threat who is also a dangerous run blocker. He is ranked No. 293 by Prep Redzone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three ranked kickers heading out of state are Mill Valley's [player_tooltip player_id='335835' first='Kenten' last='Laughman'] (North Dakota), Parsons' [player_tooltip player_id='259849' first='Jayce' last='Quirin'] (Central Arkansas), and Maize South's [player_tooltip player_id='263326' first='Sam' last='Parks'] has committed to South Dakota.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->