2027 Ballers Ready For the Spotlight This Fall

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With most of my attention lately on the seniors to be this fall, it has not left as much time for some of the other classes as I would like. Consequently, I decided to start amping up my 2027 reports to stay on top of the standouts being produced in the high school pipeline.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anytime a freshman gets playing time it makes people stand up and notice. If they excel as freshman, they really command the attention. In this report, I wanted to highlight a couple of future stars who are already making their mark and then highlight a few kids flying under the radar who are getting ready to make some noise this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, without further adieu, I bring you the <em>"Weekend 2027 Five"</em> who are getting ready to dominate this fall:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='557340' first='Warrick' last='VanBlaricon']</strong>, 6'5, 295, OL, <strong>Salina Central</strong> is ranked <strong>#2</strong>. As the highest ranked player in this report, he is coming off an excellent start to his high school career, establishing himself as a rare freshman starter. This past off season he has been recovering from a baseball injury which kept him off the camp-clinic circuit, but intends to go to the OU camp in July. A versatile lineman in the trenches, he can play anywhere along the offensive front but is particularly effective at tackle. He has prototype size and length, quick feet and heavy hands that he uses effectively to stop defenders in their tracks. Squatting over 500 pounds, he has a powerful base and is a devastating run blocker. He has good agility for his size and uses his reach well in pass pro. Get out and see a rising star in the making this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='944914' first='Malakai' last='Jones']</strong>, 6'0 200, DE/LB, <strong>Wichita East</strong>, is ranked <strong>#43</strong>. He is coming off a solid start to high school football last year and has been hard at it in the off season getting ready to take his game to the next level this fall. He is a versatile, athletic, multi-positional player who can play on both sides of the ball. On defense he can play outside linebacker if needed but has proven to be very good as a defensive end, crashing the gates on the perimeter and making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. He has a rugged, powerful base and weaponized hands that he uses to fight off lead blockers to get to the football. He is also a headhunter on special teams, flying down the field to make impact tackles in the open field. Get out and see a kid getting ready to make a name for himself this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1247087' first='Victor' last='Mutisya']</strong>, 5'10, 185, RB/LB, <strong>Olathe South</strong>, is currently <em>unranked.</em> A year ago he got his high school football career off to an excellent start, running for just under 200 yards and three touchdowns. He is a multi-positional player who can star on both sides of the ball, but got things off and running with the ball in his hands. He lines up as the lone setback in the Olathe South offensive scheme, and once he touches the ball makes decisive cuts, hitting daylight in a hurry where he shows off great burst and acceleration running for paydirt. He has a low center of gravity and is a scrappy, tough runner who is difficult to bring down in the open field or when going for the first down. Get out and see a stud in the making this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1161942' first='Keon' last='King']</strong>, 6'0, 165, WR/DB, <strong>Blue Valley NW</strong>, is currently <em>unranked.</em> He is off and running on a solid start as an athletic, versatile player who can excel on both sides of the ball and on special teams. On offense he can play any of the receiver positions, but where he has really shown promise is as a suffocating defensive back or as a hybrid linebacker. With standout football instincts and excellent read and react skills he flies to the football once it is in the air. He can float in zone and with good closing speed break up the pass or collapse down and blow up the run game at the line of scrimmage. He is an aggressive special teams player who finds the ball in a hurry and is a punishing tackler in the open field. Get out and see a kid ready to take his game to the next level this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1341050' first='Jacob' last='Lockett']</strong>, 6'0 165, WR/DB, <strong>Blue Valley HS</strong> is currently <em>unranked</em>. And last, but certainly not least, we have a kid who was somehow overlooked in the rankings but is off and running on a superb start to his high school career. In eight games last year, he caught 34 passes for 720 yards for a blistering 21+ yards per catch and also had a dozen tackles on defense and added an interception for good measure. He is a smooth, athletic wide receiver who can split wide or play in the slot. He is particularly effective split out to take advantage of his standout acceleration to burn teams deep. He runs good routes and excels as a possession receiver making the difficult, fearless catch over the middle or going up to the apex point for the contested pass. Get your popcorn out this fall, this kid is the real deal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In conclusion, get out and see these guys take their game to the next level this fall. And, as always, if you know of anyone flying under the radar feel free to reach out to me via DM on X.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->