2025 Film Study Standouts

As we go through the 2025 players to update the rankings, I am identifying between five and seven athletes daily who catch my attention during the weekend of film study. This serves a twofold purpose, it indelibly etches these players in my gray matter for when the rankings get updated, and it offers sports fans like yourselves the opportunity to get more standout high school football players in your line of sight for the 2024 season.   Below are the watchlist players from today's film study. Five players from all over the state who impressed me on tape.   Today's Five are:   [player_tooltip player_id='284961' first='Petren' last='Bartolome'], 6'0, 290, Junction City, is ranked #30. He is coming off an excellent junior season that gave us a glimpse of things to come. A wrecking machine of a nose guard, he can play anywhere along the interior line on both sides of the ball. On offense he is a bulldozer of a run blocker and excels pulling out and hammering multiple defenders on the same play. He has a powerful base, quick feet, moves well in space and strikes a blow on contact. On defense he really shines as an active, gap-destroying nose that frustrates centers and gets in the backfield in a hurry. He has a great initial burst and a combination of size and speed that enables him to control the game between the tackles. He has very strong hands with a low center of gravity and moves athletically making it difficult to get a direct block on him before he already has leverage. He is going to be a handful this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1115039' first='Trevor' last='Garlington'], 6'2, 175, WR, Blue Valley NW, is ranked #55. A smooth operator of a wideout who is coming off a great springboard junior season with 58 receptions, 680 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a versatile, athletic playmaker who can split out wide, play in the slot and is a dangerous return man. He is very effective running bubble screens, quick slants and crossing routes to get him the ball, but where he really excels is flanking out wide and burning up the seams in the vertical pass game. He has excellent hands with good hand-eye coordination and instinctively tracks the football well. He is a long, rangy receiver with a good catch radius, who is fearless going over the middle and not afraid to make the contested catch. As a punt and kick return man he is slippery in the open field, with great lateral movement and top-end acceleration. This kid is going to be fun to watch in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='866507' first='Joshua' last='Mackiewicz'], 6'2, 205, Shawnee Mission NW, is ranked #21. He is the highest ranked player in this review and a consensus all-state defensive back who is coming off a junior campaign when he racked up 106 tackles and blocked two kicks. He can play any of the defensive back positions as well as drop down and play linebacker or come off the edge as needed. Where he really stands out is as a headhunting free safety with great football instincts, who reads the play quickly and flies to the football. He understands how to float in zone or clamp down in man and has a nose for the ball. He has good safety size and length and is an athletic difference maker in all phases of the defensive game. He is also a multi-position player on offense lining up as a running back or a hard-hitting fullback who catches the ball well out of the backfield and is a strong runner after the catch. Already one of the best, he will be playing for elite-level safety status this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='866494' first='Christian' last='McDonald'], 5'10, 170, DB, Maize South, is ranked #135. He is coming off an excellent junior season as an All-Conference defensive back and return man. He is one of those fluid, athletic stars in the making who can play shutdown cornerback, centerfield free safety or even drop down in the box as a strong safety to stop the run as needed. He has quick feet, instant change of direction, flips his hips effortlessly and can play a smothering game of bump and run on the other team's top receiver. As a free safety he hovers over the top with great field vision, route recognition and fine-tuned instincts and then either collapses on the run or ambushes pass routes in the area. He can match speed and quickness to counter offensive aerial attacks, but he also plays an aggressive, physical game from the secondary and goes in hard and fast on open-field tackles. As a return man, he is a game-wrecker waiting to happen with every kick who is very elusive, has excellent lateral quickness and quick-burst acceleration. Get your popcorn out for this kid.   [player_tooltip player_id='1213981' first='Jon' last='Gould'], 6'5, 260, OL, Maize is currently unranked. He is another one flying under the radar that I was particularly impressed with upon further review. He is coming off a solid junior season when he was All-Conference on the 5-6 Eagles. He has a good tackle frame but can play anywhere along the line of scrimmage. He really excels in pass pro, with his head on a swivel, great feet and agility and boxing out in space. He has a strong foundation and gets good leverage by using his hands to get under the defenders pads and either redirect or piledrive them into the turf. Usually lining up as the backside offensive tackle, he consistently sealed off the edge well and provided a wall of security for the quarterback. He is starting to peak at the right time, get him on your watch list.   In conclusion, these five are getting ready to light things up in the very near future. And, as usual, if you have questions, comments or want to share any players who are flying under the radar feel free to DM me on X.

As we go through the 2025 players to update the rankings, I am identifying between five and seven athletes daily who catch my attention during the weekend of film study. This serves a twofold purpose, it indelibly etches these players in my gray matter for when the rankings get updated, and it offers sports fans like yourselves the opportunity to get more standout high school football players in your line of sight for the 2024 season.