2026 Spring Watchlist Baller Alert

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 a couple of highly ranked players who 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 end-of-the-week stars in the Kansas football scene that caught my eye in the last few days.   The End-of-the-Week Five are listed below:   [player_tooltip player_id='585903' first='Aaron' last='Bohannon Jr.'], 5'7, 175, RB, Wichita East, is ranked #1. As the top ranked player in the 2026 class, he is coming off an outstanding sophomore season when he piled up 1,248 yards rushing on only 111 carries for an eye-popping 11.2 yards per carry and also caught 16 passes for 237 yards and scored 16 total touchdowns. He lines up primarily as the lone setback, but is also split out and moved around in motion to get the ball to him in a variety of ways. He has a low center of gravity and is a strong runner for his size, shredding arm tackles and getting into the secondary in a hurry. He has a great feel for picking his way through traffic, with great spatial awareness and the ability to weave through defenders, shift gears and reverse fields quickly. He has a great burst and acceleration and makes good, decisive cuts before exploding vertically into the open field. Get your popcorn out folks, this young gun is just getting started.   Eshawn Tyler, 5'9, 265, NT, Shawnee Mission Northwest, is currently unranked. He is coming off a solid sophomore season as a brawling nose tackle who is active and aggressive in the trenches. He has a strong base and quick, pad-pounding hands that he uses effectively in helping shut down the opposing team's running attack between the tackles. He has a good first step, moves his feet well and blows through gaps to get to the quarterback in a hurry. He has good read and react skills and moves well laterally and when flowing to the football. He is difficult to dislodge from where he has assumed gap control, but also moves quickly when getting into the backfield and causing disruption. He may be flying under the radar for now, but he is an up-an-coming force in the trenches. Get out and see a baller in the making this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='780090' first='Ryder' last='Campbell'], 6'3, 185, WR, Maize, is ranked #59. He is coming off an excellent sophomore season as a dependable possession receiver who hauled in 26 receptions a year ago and put the league on notice of great things to come. He is a long, athletic wideout with a stellar catch radius that is split out wide on occasion but was used primarily in the slot. He runs good, precise routes and was particularly effective sliding into the soft spots in zone coverage. He is a top-notch receiver for moving the chains, running a variety of hitches, slants, outs and crossing routes in the Maize short-to-intermediate passing game. He is fearless going over the middle and can be counted on to make the difficult, contested catch. He is also dangerous in the endzone as his exceptional length and good hands going up to the apex-point for the ball is difficult to counter. Get out and see a star on the rise this fall.   Manny Meyers, 5'11, 165, QB, Mulvane, is currently unranked. He is coming off a breakout year as a rising star dual-threat QB last season when he completed 120 out of 208 passes for a 58% completion rate, 1,468 yards and 13 touchdowns. He added 578 yards rushing and another four touchdowns on the ground. He was also versatile enough to catch passes and return punts. He is one of the few southpaw quarterbacks around and throws a nice, catchable touch pass. He has a compact throwing motion and release and gets rid of the ball in a hurry. He throws well on the move and can throw off platform or from different launch angles as needed. He is also an outstanding runner, whether running the Mulvane variation of the RPO, quarterback draws or just extending plays with his legs, he is a shifty, elusive runner who is deceptively fast. A multi-sport athlete, this kid is getting ready to make a name for himself. Get out and see him while you still can.   [player_tooltip player_id='586974' first='Rey'Zhian' last='Shears-Montgomery'], 6'0, 205, LB/DB, Wichita East, is ranked #13. He is coming off a standout sophomore season as a headhunter of a linebacker who is getting ready to take the state by storm in 2024. A versatile defender, he can play any of the linebacker positions, defensive back or as a hybrid destroyer who flies to the football. Where he really shines, however, is as a play-making backer who is strong enough to bust blockers in the teeth but fast enough to shut down the perimeter and chase down speedy running backs. He has great football instincts and is like a torpedo shooting gaps and getting to the quarterback. He flows well laterally, with top-end closing speed and is active in pass coverage, whether in man or floating in zone. He is also a swarming open field tackler who will bring the hammer on contact. Get out and watch a baller on the verge of making a statement this fall.     In conclusion, some of these guys may not be getting a ton of attention yet, but that is getting ready to change this fall. Put them on your watchlist and get out and see them while you still can. And, as always, if you have comments, questions or want to pass on information on 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.