2026 Mid-Week Baller Report

The Prep Redzone Kansas Team continues to burn the midnight oil looking for young talent who needs to be upgraded or added to the rapidly approaching 2026 ranking updates in May.   I will continue my marathon film study through the month, taking a look at as many players as possible in that timeframe. As a part of this approach, I will publish reports three times a week that provide status on the 2026 stars in development, as well as select five to seven players in each report who seriously caught my eye in the daily/weekly review process.   In this report, I will be focusing on players who are ranked fairly high but have surprisingly not received as much coverage as they probably should have. I will also be presenting a couple of up-and-coming unranked players who are getting ready to make some noise this fall.   Listed below are the middle-of-the-week stars in the 2026 Kansas football scene that caught my eye in the last few days.   The Mid-Week Five are listed below:   [player_tooltip player_id='780453' first='Devyn' last='Davis'], 6'0, 260, DL, Bishop Miege, is ranked #16. He is coming off an excellent sophomore season as an aggressive brawler of an interior defensive lineman who is versatile enough to line up as a nose tackle or scheme up and down the line of scrimmage as needed. He has a powerful base and a quick initial step which enables him to shoot gaps quickly and get into the backfield. He moves well laterally, splitting double teams and fighting his way through traffic to get to the ball. He is explosive enough to overwhelm offensive linemen on a bull rush but is also quick enough to disrupt plays off tackle and on the perimeter. He plays an active, physical game and delivers a blow. Get out and see him dominate this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1250046' first='Blaine' last='Harris'], 6'0, 205, LB, Shawnee Mission NW, is currently unranked. He is coming off a solid start to his high school career as a versatile linebacker who has a nose for the football. Although he can play the middle linebacker position and effectively shut down running plays between the tackles, he is more effective as an outside linebacker who comes off the edge hard and fast. Lining up on the outside, he is athletic and fast enough to take away the run-pass option and perimeter run game, but is also strong enough to collapse down and slam the door shut on off-tackle plays. He has great body lean and uses his hands well in hammering edge protectors to get to the quarterback. Get out and see a baller in the making this fall.   Nick Philhour Jr., 6'3, 285, OL, Mill Valley, is ranked #15. He is the highest-ranked player in this report and coming off a standout sophomore campaign as a large-and-in-charge presence on the Mill Valley O-line. He is versatile enough to play either tackle but lined up a lot a year ago as the right tackle. He is an anchor on the corner, caving in defenders on down blocks and walling off in pass pro. He has a good initial step, and strong, heavy hands when striking pads and punishing defenders. He also has quick feet which he uses effectively in getting positioning and for leverage. He is a bulldozer of a drive blocker and is relentless in staying locked on from snap to whistle. Get out and see a standout player coming into his own this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228892' first='Scholar' last='Brown'], 6'0, 180, WR/DB, Junction City, is currently unranked. Although he is not ranked, he caught my eye when I was scouting other players. He is a versatile two-way star-in-the-making who plays defensive back, lining up as a smothering cornerback and also plays receiver on the offensive side of the ball. As a receiver, he excels in all phases of the passing game, both as a possession receiver running precise routes in the short-to-intermediate game, as well as a speedy wideout who can burn up the secondary on deep seam and sideline routes. He has good hands making contested catches and working the sidelines and is tough to bring down after the catch. Get out and see a guy getting ready to shine in 2024   James Dunnigan Jr, 6'3, 190, CB/ATH, Manhattan, is ranked #83. He is a long, prototype cornerback who is coming off a sophomore season when he put the state on notice of things to come. He is athletic and versatile enough to play any of the defensive back positions but he hangs his hat on being a shut down corner who can blanket the opposing team's top wideout. He has the ideal frame and reach and is a ball hawk when the pass is thrown. He can stuff the receiver at the line or seamlessly backpedal, flip his hips in response to misdirection and stay glued to the target. He has excellent football instincts and once he reads and reacts to the play, he flies in with impressive closing speed. Get your popcorn out for this kid, he's the real deal.     In conclusion, another stellar group of 2026 athletes getting ready to take the next step in their high school football journey. If you know of any other 2026 players flying under the radar, feel free to reach out to me via DM on X.

The Prep Redzone Kansas Team continues to burn the midnight oil looking for young talent who needs to be upgraded or added to the rapidly approaching 2026 ranking updates in May.