Capt. Conan Recognizes Five Kansas Talents

In the immortal words of Scott Hall: “You know who I am, but you don't know why I am here.”   When I became a Prep Network scout in 2020 the main reason was to provide exposure for Kansas Athletes who might have difficulty getting noticed. That is still the goal, but in the current world, of multi-thousand dollar investments in club and travel squads, social media drama, high school politics between administrators, coaches, and parents, plus $3.00-plus gas several variables can sidetrack a scout.   To navigate those roadblocks I have created a new series of a scouting report for all three Prep Network sites I scout for. I have also created a new “alter ego” to crush those roadblocks.   It's human nature to imagine having superpowers. People often think to themselves, “I wish I could sing, dance, look, or write like him or her.” I have often wondered what my in-ring gimmick would be if I were a professional wrestler.   Partially inspired by those past thoughts, anticipated spring movies like If and Planet Of The Apes, and wanting to return to the basic reason I work as a scout, I introduce my alter-ego “Captain Conan.”   He has the enthusiasm of Captain Caveman, the brawn of Conan The Barbarian, the voice of Merle Haggard, the writing skills of Peter Gammons, the soul of B.B. King, the heater of Nolan Ryan, the self-confidence of Reggie Jackson, the mic skills of Dusty Rhodes, the fatherly advice of John Walton, the grit of Josey Wales, the research skills of David McCullough, the intelligence of Ken Burns, the survival skills of Willie Nelson, the charisma of John Madden, the big play skills of John Elway, the lateral moves of Barry Sanders, the tackling ability of Ronnie Lott, the hands of Jerry Rice, the first step of Reggie White, the leadership of Troy Aikman, the arm of Dan Marino, the stoicism of Tom Landy, the mustache of Andy Reid, and the athleticism of Bo Jackson.   This series of reports won't be organized by position, by school size, by 7v7 team, by league, by region, by graduation year, or by any statistical category. I have stated before we have an abundance of data at Prep Network. These reports will include athletes that data suggests need more exposure or athletes I feel need extra exposure.   This series of reports is dedicated to fellow scouts Wade Cargile and Robert Kelly who might be the only two people who will know each person mentioned above without using Google.   Here are five athletes I am happy to welcome to “Capt. Conan's Coverage Club." There won't be any secret passwords, special handshakes, or decoder rings required for inclusion.   [player_tooltip player_id='281972' first='Brandon' last='Schmelzle'], ATH, 6'2”, 190, Axtell, ‘25   Schmelzle is the highest-ranked player in the Prep Redzone Class of 2025 who has not been featured in the past six months. He parlayed a solid soh season into a meteoric rise up the rankings. The rankings before the previous update did not feature many athletes from the eight-man ranks. Schmelzle finished his junior season with 1,571 passing yards, 790 yards rushing, and nine interceptions on defense. He is very versatile and will have multiple schools looking to add them to his roster. He also accounted for 50 total touchdowns for the State Champion Axtell Eagles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1228499' first='Corbin' last='Puga'], OL, 6'3”, 300, Norton, ‘25   Puga can play on either side of the line. He plays center and nose guard for Norton. He is currently ranked No. 333 in the Class of 2025. I hollered out loud when I saw the first play on his HUDL highlights from last season. He pancakes a dude on that play. He has a low center of gravity, has a good first step, and plays with solid pad level. Puga has violent hands and should be getting looks by all JUCO programs in Kansas.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114755' first='Xander' last='Blasing'], LB, 6'1”, 190, Hayden, ‘26   Blasing is an exciting linebacker playing in Topeka. He has the skills to pass rush from the edge or play coverage. He has a solid highlight reel that shows him serving in multiple roles. He has nice hands which accounted for multiple interceptions last season. Blasing also plays tight end for the Hayden Wildcats, but I think his future is on the defensive side of the ball. He is a playmaker and difference-maker as a linebacker or as a safety.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229124' first='Tru' last='Dewey'], LB, 6'0”, 140, Rawlins County, ‘26   Dewey is a tough-nosed linebacker with solid speed. He will be making his debut in the Class of 2026 rankings next week when they are published. Coaches, parents, and athletes check back next week to see which other athletes are added to the rankings and where Dewey is slotted. During his sophomore season, he racked up 62 tackles in seven games. He is a disrupter who finished with five quarterback sacks and 14 tackles for loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113296' first='Daniel' last='Schmidt'], DB, 5'10”, 130, Chaparral, ‘27   The final inaugural member of Capt. Conan's Coverage Club is a defensive back from Chaparral. Schmidt was among the state leaders in tackles as a freshman. In eight games for the Roadrunners, he recorded 42 total tackles and three interceptions. He is currently ranked as the No. 2 defensive back in the Class of 2027 but will have to work hard to hold on to that spot.

In the immortal words of Scott Hall: “You know who I am, but you don't know why I am here.”