Tale of the Tape - 2026 Style

As the Prep Redzone Kansas Team continues the marathon March Madness 2025 rankings updates, we are always making note of standout players from the other classes to follow up on at a later date. In my most recent film work there were quite a few future stars from the class of 2026 that caught my eye.   In fact, there were five that I was so impressed with I decided to go ahead and put my 2025 rankings homework aside just long enough to share a weekend report on some of the players coming off their sophomore seasons. After significant deliberation, I whittled the list down to the following playmakers.   The Friday Five From the Class of '26 are listed below:   [player_tooltip player_id='586960' first='LJ' last='Bowens'], 5'10, 165, RB/ATH, Blue Valley Northwest. He is coming off a strong sophomore season when he put his talents on full display. As a tailback or running out of a one-back set, he is an explosive runner who hits the hole in a blur and gets downhill fast. A slashing, elusive runner, he has a low center of gravity and is difficult to tackle in the open field. He shreds arms tackles with a quick burst, bounces laterally, shifts gears seamlessly and is off like a rocket. Once he hits the perimeter or breaks to daylight in the secondary his outstanding acceleration and breakaway speed are fully apparent. He is also a versatile back, with soft hands catching out of the backfield, delivering a blow as a lead blocker or as a return man. He will be a key piece in the Blue Valley NW offense this fall. Get your popcorn out, this guy is fun to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114762' first='DJ' last='Ngassa'], 6'0, 245, DL, Wichita East. He is coming off one of the more devastating sophomore seasons in the state last year when he piled up 95 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and 26 quarterback pressures. He is a strong presence along the defensive line where he can play as a dominating defensive tackle or slam the gate shut on the edge. He is a rock-solid defender with a powerful base and weaponized hands who plays in aggressive attack mode on every play dominating between the tackles. He is strong enough to split double teams and uses his quickness and body control to get in the backfield and make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. He has great football instincts, moves laterally through traffic fending off hits as he goes to track down ball carriers and cause disruption in the backfield. This guy is a stud. Get out and see him while you still can.   [player_tooltip player_id='780340' first='Eli' last='Ribaudo'], 6'2, 190, QB, Maize. He is coming off a solid sophomore season when he gave everyone a good idea of the potential he brings to the gridiron. He is an athletic, dual-threat quarterback who has the ideal size and all-around arm that you can build an offense around. He has good mechanics in the pocket, standing tall in the face of pressure and delivering accurate passes. He has an excellent throwing motion, with a compact shoulder rotation and quick, effortless release. He throws well on the move, going either way and can throw off platform or from different launch angles very effectively. He can throw a soft touch pass down the seam or on deep post patterns and hits receivers in stride on quick outs, slants and intermediate crossing routes. He is also an athletic runner who is deceptively agile and able to extend plays with his quick feet. This kid is getting ready to light it up this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1147087' first='Aidan' last='Flanagan'], 5'10, 200, LB, Topeka HS. He is a tough-as-nails linebacker who can blow up run plays between the tackles or play outside and terrorize the perimeter. An instinctive headhunter with quick read and react skills, he shoots the gaps and gets in the backfield lightening quick. His combination of football strength and fast lateral movement makes it tough to get a direct block on him. He flows to the football very fast with excellent closing speed and when he gets there hits like a sledgehammer. He has good body control, pivots quickly on misdirection and is a suffocating tackler in the open field. He may be a slightly undersized linebacker, but he plays one of those old-school games where he demonstrates a nose for the ball and a sixth sense for always being where the action is that easily compensates. Get out and see him dominate between the tackles this fall.   Durr Nolan, 6'3, 215, DE/TE, Cheney. He is coming off one of those dream seasons when he helped Cheney win the state championship in a blizzard and finish 13-0, and was a significant contributor as a sophomore. Along the way he gave fans and opponents alike a glimpse of things to come as he was in on just under 50 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries. A defensive end with ideal size and athleticism, with an excellent wing span, he is active off the edge and in stonewalling the outside running lanes. He is powerful enough to slug it out with offensive tackles and fast enough to chase down running backs on sweeps and reverses. He tackles well in the open field and takes good angles when in pursuit. He can bull-rush the passer or show great lean and body control to out-flank blockers as needed. He has excellent feet, moves well laterally and collapses down hard on inside running plays. The future is bright in Cheney with young stars like this guy. Block off the time to see him this fall.   In conclusion, these guys are off and running on incredible high school football careers. Get ahead of the curve and see them play this fall. It will be time well spent. And, as always, if you have questions, comments, or know of players flying under the radar, feel free to contact me via DM on X.

As the Prep Redzone Kansas Team continues the marathon March Madness 2025 rankings updates, we are always making note of standout players from the other classes to follow up on at a later date. In my most recent film work there were quite a few future stars from the class of 2026 that caught my eye.