2025 Ranking Standouts

With the 2024 football season still five months away, you would think this time frame in the off-season would be fairly quiet, but it is anything but. With schools actively signing seniors to get their programs stocked for the foreseeable future, off-season sports transitioning to spring activities, camps, 7-on-7's, and getting the 2025 rankings dialed in to reflect the most accurate information and appropriate rank, are all competing for time and attention.   The final item in particular is one that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle with all of the other usual priorities and the endless distractions that eat up a player's available time. But, it is one that is critical, as it is one of the first things scouts, coaches and recruiters look at when they start determining who to pursue.   The rankings give them an idea of how you have performed to date, height and weight are variables that are always tracked and the school you play for gives an indication of coaching, winning/losing programs, etc. All precursors that may seem more obligatory than anything, but it is information being used to form initial impressions.   And, as we all know, initial impressions are important. It may help get you prioritized and help reinforce desire to do a deep dive on what you are capable of. Any advantage you can incorporate the better in this uber-competitive sports environment.   My three-day weekend of doing a deep dive into the 2025 ranking updates is already underway. We will be looking at between 300-500 players to make sure we get the numbers as close to reality as possible.   As I plow through all the tape, social media, coach and colleague input, I made note of five stellar performers early on who standout on tape and word has it they are taking their off-season prep to a new level.   The 2025 Five in this report are listed below:   [player_tooltip player_id='873161' first='Caden' last='Huffman'], 5'11, 180, WR/ATH, Blue Valley SW, is ranked #109. He is coming off a solid junior season when he caught passes and rushed for just under a thousand yards and scored four touchdowns. A smooth, fluid athlete, he lines up primarily as a slot, but will also split wide, run the ball out of the backfield and on jet sweeps and is also a dangerous return man. He runs precise routes, seamlessly coming off the line and driving separation early. He has good speed and lateral movement and his change of direction and elusive running after the catch is impressive . He has good body control, excellent hand-eye coordination and tracks the ball well in flight. He is peaking at the right time, get out and see him this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='873154' first='Gabe' last='Spiess'], 6'2, 195, DB, St. Thomas Aquinas, is ranked #194. He is coming off a standout junior season as one of the top defenders on a state championship team. He is a multi-talented defender who can play any of the defensive back positions, from shutdown cornerback to either safety, but is particularly effective as a centerfielder free safety using his outstanding read and react skills to fly to the ball. He sees the field well, reading the quarterback and the play with an instinctive eye. He is not blazing fast, but flips his hips well reacting to misdirection and closes exceptionally fast. He has a nose for the football and is an excellent open-field tackler. Look for him to climb the rankings in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='571097' first='Dawson' last='Rodd'], 6'4, 300, OL/DL, Andover Central, is ranked #65. He is an athletic big man who anchors the offensive line for the high-powered Andover Central offense and helps their many skill position players look good. He is a large and in charge presence as either a guard or moving to either offensive tackle. He is very active as a standout pulling guard, chipping off to take out linebackers or hustling downfield. His feet and agility for his size are very good and his body control enable him to block well in space. He is a bulldozer of a blocker, collapsing down blocks from a powerful base and checking defenders with rock-solid hands. He has good instincts and mechanics in pass pro, and walls off the pocket. He is going to be a force this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='716730' first='Austin' last='Howard'], 6'1, 200, LB, Kapaun, is ranked #75. An aggressive inside linebacker, coming hard off the edge or even as a modified strong safety, he is a versatile ballhawk who plays all over the field. As an inside linebacker he is a gap destroyer and knifes through double teams to stack up plays at the line of scrimmage. Off the edge he is a torpedo getting into the backfield and a strong run stopper on the perimeter. In coverage he can effectively smother tight ends and backs out of the backfield but also has good instincts in zone with a feel for the receivers in the area. Pre-snap he has good knee bend, body lean, eyes burning through to the quarterback, which enables him to diagnose the play and eliminate any false steps. Getting ready to shine in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='1115496' first='Andrew' last='Stotler'], 5'10, 190, LB, Maize, is ranked #26. He is the highest-ranked player in this report and is coming off a junior season in which he made a name for himself as a hard-hitting, playmaker of a linebacker or a box strong safety. Although he can play any of the linebacker positions, he is really good inside, blowing up gaps in between the tackles and wrecking the opposing team's run game. He is an undersized linebacker who plays much bigger than he is. He uses a combination of old-school linebacker instincts, cat-quick reflexes and LB athleticism to shoot gaps and cause disruption. He is also a heat-seeking missile on special teams kickoff and punt coverage. Get out and see this kid in action this fall.   In conclusion, if you know of other players who are flying under the radar, the information loaded on you is outdated, or you have questions, comments or anything else to add please feel free to DM me on X.

With the 2024 football season still five months away, you would think this time frame in the off-season would be fairly quiet, but it is anything but. With schools actively signing seniors to get their programs stocked for the foreseeable future, off-season sports transitioning to spring activities, camps, 7-on-7's, and getting the 2025 rankings dialed in to reflect the most accurate information and appropriate rank, are all competing for time and attention.