Weekend Warriors: 2025 Rankings Tale of the Tape

The Prep Redzone Kansas Team continued their marathon March Madness film study over the weekend as we methodically work our way through the 400+ candidates for being included or upgraded. The actual updates have been pushed to early April but we are getting close to finalizing the latest projections.   And, in keeping with my process of grinding through as much tape as possible, I ran across some guys who really standout when watching the available film. In many cases the players are already ranked and it just underscores that they are the kind of player we initially thought they would be. On occasion, however, an unranked player pops up that needs to get some exposure.   Over the last few days I have spent probably 14 hours looking at players and performances. From that analysis I selected a handful of guys who really impressed me. The players below are this weekend's standout players.   Without further adieu, these are Weekend Warrior Five:   [player_tooltip player_id='716729' first='Brayden' last='Dibble'], 5'11, 180, RB/DB, Cheney, is ranked #112. He is coming off an excellent junior season when he piled up just under a thousand all-purpose yards and helped Cheney finish 13-0 and win the the coveted state championship. A versatile playmaker, he lines up all over, as a tailback or in a single-back set, split wide or in the slot and even occasionally takes the direct snap. He is a smooth, elusive runner who has soft hands and can make the contested catch in traffic. He has excellent instincts running the ball, hitting the hole fast, spinning, breaking arm tackles and accelerating to daylight. He has fluid hips and can burst laterally and shift gears very effectively. He is a physical runner for his size and rarely gets dragged down by one defender. Get your popcorn out for this guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='198040' first='Will' last='Morgan'], 6'0 250, C/NG, Blue Valley SW, is ranked #124. He is coming off a standout junior campaign when he was an all-state lineman and put other teams on notice for things to come. He is an active, aggressive center who can also play either of the guard positions as well as nose guard on the other side of the ball. Where he really excels, however, is as a dominating center who jacks up nose guards and is quick enough to make life miserable for linebackers. He has great feet and is athletic in space, whether pulling or chipping and getting to the next level. He has excellent mechanics, gets under pads and uses his leverage well. He can make all the blocks, whether making crushing down blocks, trapping or in pass pro. He is the kind of anchor you want on the line. This kid is ready for '24.   [player_tooltip player_id='866492' first='Jakdyn' last='Mossallah'], 5'11, 180, DB, Wichita East, is ranked #128. A versatile defender coming off a solid junior season, he can play strong safety, lockdown corner, drop down and play linebacker or come in hard and fast off the edge. He is a physical, athletic defensive back who has good football instincts, can diagnosis quickly and read and react with blazing speed. He has great hips and lateral movement and responds to misdirection seamlessly. He is a violent open-field tackler, who plays off blockers well and collapses down to drill backs at the line of scrimmage. He is also a standout special teams player and is like a heat-seeking missile flying down the field on punt and kickoffs. He is peaking at the right time, so get out and see him while you still can.   [player_tooltip player_id='570245' first='Mason' last='Teague'], 6'1, 200, K/P/DE, Maize, is ranked #211. He is coming off a superb junior season as a special teams warrior for Maize. He is a versatile performer who handles the kickoff duties, punting, extra points and field goals and also contributes as a defensive end. As one of the top kickers in the state, he drilled 31 out of 32 extra points and also made 9 out of 11 field goals. Three of those field goals were 40+ yards, with two of them from 45 yards out. He was also a standout punter with a 38-yard average, a long of 56 yards and six downed inside the 20-yard line. On kickoffs he regularly drilled them into the end zone and had a kickoff average in the mid-50 yard range. He is definitely one of the more well-rounded special teams players around. Get out and see a guy who is a master at his craft.   Larkin Turner, 6'0, 205, LB, Junction City, is currently unranked. He is coming off a solid junior season but has been flying under the radar somewhat. A physical, active linebacker who can play inside, outside or storm the gates from the edge, he knows how to find the football. He really stands out as an outside linebacker who reads and reacts quickly, moves well laterally and closes exceptionally fast. He works through blockers well and when he gets to the ball carrier hits like a sledgehammer. He is a smothering tackler in space and collapses down fast to shut off gaps between the tackles. He is strong enough to step up and hit lineman in the mouth but can also run down backs and receivers in pass coverage. He won't be out of the limelight long, get out and see this guy make a name for himself this fall.   In conclusion, these guys can flat out ball. Get out and see them play while you still can. And, as always, if you have questions, comments or want to pass on the name of a player flying under the radar, feel free to reach out to me via DM on X.

The Prep Redzone Kansas Team continued their marathon March Madness film study over the weekend as we methodically work our way through the 400+ candidates for being included or upgraded. The actual updates have been pushed to early April but we are getting close to finalizing the latest projections.