Midwest Summer Camp SZN Early Winners: 2026 Edition

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We're right smack dab in the middle of that final dead period without football, and I can already feel the undertones of excitement primed by team camps, high school vs. high school passing leagues, and summer bonding practices taking precedent over summer prospect camps and college visits. We're almost there, folks. PrepRedzone is continuing on with our four-class coverage of the biggest early winners from June's Summer Camp SZN here in America's Heartland. Nine states, 11 rising juniors, and a boatload of P4 offers, all of whom earned in the truest and most impressive way possible: the in-person evaluation. Get on the bandwagon of these young bucks while there's room.   --    Representing that talented little pocket of Northwest Indiana right near the Illinois border and Chicago, Crown Point High School's 6'3, 230 lb. 2026 LB/TE Trevor Gibbs is having one of the strongest Summer Camp SZN performances of any Midwest 2026er, earning his first P4 offers from Cincinnati and Indiana, back-to-back, in the same weekend at the Bearcats and Hoosiers respective camps. That instate, B1G offer coming out of the home state program before your upperclassman campaign has begun is particularly noteworthy, and off the bat he has the eye-catching size to dominate at the prep level. He's also a multi-sport athlete who plays baseball and carries a 3.5 GPA.   Gibbs came into the summer holding three FBS offers from MAC competitors Ball State, Miami (OH), and Western Michigan, but has now fully asserted himself in the running for one of the top 2026 LBs in America's Heartland. He knows how to use that size to his advantage, proving himself to be one of the hardest hitters in the Midwest on both sides of the ball. A crushing blocker as a HB/TE who is a thumper at the contact point and sent more than his fair share of opponents off their feet and flying onto their butts in 2023, Gibbs also has pass pro experience as a blocker and can lead block, swipe back across the LOS, and contribute in the pass game. He's a fluid, physical ball carrier after the catch with a mean truck stick and strong hands that win contested catches through tight coverage at the catch point. The 230 lber. shoots gaps with pace and is a destructive blitzer, reads, processes, and flows to the ball quickly and smoothly and is able to meet ball carriers behind the LOS consistently in the run game. He shocks and sheds and absorbs blocking attempts around the box well, and plays the game as physically and aggressively as possible and is a force on the gridiron. The on-field dynamic ability, overall fluidity as an athlete, and physicality must have shown up well in a camp setting, and Gibbs has one of the more memorable tapes in the Midwest, especially if you like the physical aspects of the game of football. He's poised for a monster 2024 junior season, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.     Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes homebase of Iowa City, 6'4, 290 lb. projected OL [player_tooltip player_id='1238174' first='Colin' last='Whitters'] came into the summer very much under the radar, having only played DL so far in high school and posting 20 tackles and 4 TFLs as a sophomore defensive lineman for Iowa City High School's varsity team in 2023. The under-the-radar tag didn't last long though, as Whitters hit the home state's P4 prospect camp circuit, working as an offensive lineman and earning the first two offers of his budding recruitment. As it always seems to go with Iowa natives, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes were all over the instate prospect first, as Whitters kicked off his summer with a standout camp performance in Ames, walking away with offer #1 from the Cyclones. he also camped with Iowa, earning an offer later in the month on another visit to the hometown Hawkeyes for their "Hawkeye Tailgater" visit.   The 6'4, 290 lb. three-sport athlete, who excels as a thrower on Iowa City West's track & field team, placed 8th in the Iowa 4A state T&F championships with a 156-01 discus throw and also placed 7th in the shot put with a 51-07.75. He also is a good basketball player who runs with Attack Basketball 16U squad and was primarily a varsity reservarist for the Trojans basketball team this past school year. The lack of OL experience makes Whitters' June had even more impressive, as he's yet to play any varsity OL under Friday Night Lights, but when you look into his background, things start to make sense. In addition to the size and the always-fruitful multi-sport resume, Whitters is an animal in the weight room who can already clean 315 lbs. and squat 525 lbs. The hulking defensive lineman envelops ball carriers as a tackler and displays noticeable and impressive movement skills for a then-sophomore of his size. He demonstrates a good get-off, uses his hands well to shed blocks and can get skinny through the LOS, and is a violent tackler. Whitters can change redirect and change direction while in pursuit in space, closes with pace, and did play some TE in 2023, showing he has some pop at the point of attack. The athleticism, tools, and upside all made him an easy sell during the Summer Camp SZN. Keep an eye on the Hawkeyes here, he's already visited the campus numerous times in his still-early recruitment.     Yet another monstrous underclassman OL prospect out of the Badger State, this one checking in with eye-popping size at a cool 6'7, 275ish pounds. Lake Mills-based Lakeside Lutheran High School OT Jackson Stein exploded onto the recruiting scene in April, verifying his then-6'7, 270 pounds at an offseason combine while going 7'8" in the broad jump. He carried the momentum into June, where the massive OT and basketball center earned his first college offer from Central Michigan after a standout performance at the Wisconsin Badgers prospect camp. After the offer rolled in, Indiana, NDSU, SDSU, North Dakota, Montana, and Iowa State all reached out, and Stein has also camped at NDSU so far this summer.   Not a ton of film publicly available, but in his sophomore tape from 2023, you are immediately drawn to the sheer height/length/lean combination on the left side of the LOS for the Warriors. Stein has some reps showing good initial pop, displays good balance, solid strength, and the ability to work up to the second level. Even his feet and hand size even show up on film. Still very raw, but there's tons of developmental upside and a high ceiling if he can continue to grow into and sharpen his body/skillset. Fun name to watch out of the Upper Midwest and the potential P4 OL race.     The Kansas State Wildcats first prospect camp of the summer was a memorable one, as the Big12 standout competitor, whose staff are some of the best evaluators and developers in the country, and the offers were flying after the night of action in Manhattan. Kirksville High School was one of the big recipients of both the Kansas State Wildcats' offer wave, as well as one of the bigger winners of the early summer camp szn program-wise, and saw their big-time 2026 OL Bennett Fraser walk away as a P4 offeree after his performance in Kansas.   6'5 and 255 pounds, three-sport athlete who competes in basketball and track & field, and a heckuva athlete for his size and age, Fraser's overall mobility and quickness for a kid of his size jump off the tape first and foremost. The RT demonstrates good strength, heavy hands, and experience in pass protection, and he gets up and under opponents chest plates and shows noticeable leg drive after contact. He can really cover some ground and change direction well for a then-sophomore, and I love the pursuit speed, balance, and body control for a young buck of his size. Fraser can execute seal and reach blocks, as well as show off his lateral agility by passing off rushers and adjusting mid-play in pass-pro situations, and is an impressively quick puller who flies out of his stance and can cover ground as a lead blocker. If the athleticism is consistent from film to in-person evaluations, Fraser is going to be a very popular prospect by the time his recruitment finishes up. More offers coming!     Year after year it seems like we're talking about an excellent P4 prospect out of Blue Springs, Missouri. Representing the up-and-coming 2026 class, 6'4, 245 lb. EDGE Ronelle Johnson has had one of the best Early Summer Camp SZN showings of any athlete in the entire Midwest, coming into June with zero offers and currently sitting at four P4 scholarship offers from Big12 and B1G suitors. The Blue Springs High School product Johnson got the party started in Manhattan, Kansas, earning offer #1 from the fantastic Wildcats staff after his showing at their prospect camp. He followed it up the next week with a camp performance in Ames, Iowa that netted him an Iowa State offer, which led to a boatload of P4 recruiting graphics and camp invites. Two weeks later, johnson earned his third P4 offer from the Kansas Jayhawks, after showing up and showing out in Lawrence to go 3 for 3 on camp showings and offers. Purdue called him up at the end of last month to add his first B1G offer to the mix. Not a bad haul if I do say so myself.   Johnson is a strong kid who benches 320 pounds, squats 580 pounds (!), and can hang clean 275, and the strength shows up on tape, as Johnson is a powerful tackler who is hard to corral, handle, and block for offensive tackles and guards in the Show-Me State. A current 3-4 defensive end who puts his hand in the dirt, Johnson displays a good get-off, some twitch, closing speed, and good pursuit speed for his size who can run down ball carriers out to the edge or from the backside of the play. I like how he uses his hands to disengage from blocking attempts and has some pass rush moves in his repertoire, and I was impressed by his ability to tackle and change direction in space, especially for a 6'4, 245 lber. I'm very excited for Johnson's junior tape, I think he's going be quite a popular EDGE prospect this upcoming cycle.     It took nearly half a year for Middletown High School's 6'1, 200 lb. ATH to earn his first seven offers and only a month to nearly add another seven. Only in the summer camp szn! Ohio product Jordan Vann went down to the ATL in June and competed his tail off at the Brian Bohannon camp at Kennesaw State, earning offers from Dartmouth, Liberty, and continued the success on the recruiting trail by earning Akron and Eastern Michigan offers throughout the month.   One of the most dynamic and versatile prospects I've seen from the 2026 class, Vann is a three-phase contributor who opens his tape with an exciting punt return for six, showing off contact balance, suddenness, and a dynamic ability in space. In the opening few minutes of Vann's sophomore tape, I saw him line up at triple-option wing/RB, wildcat, read/option QB, cornerback, and linebacker, and his twitch, start/stop burst, and body control showed up all over the field and in a variety of situations. Vann owns big-play speed and burst and shows the top-end juice to finish long runs against high-quality Ohio competition as a RB, and as a box defender, he was twitchy when avoiding blocks and changing direction while pursuing ball carriers around the LOS and out in space. The 200 lber. puts defenders on skates in the third level of the field, can play 1v1 man-coverage on the perimeter and defend the field vertically thanks to his top-end speed and ball skills, owns a mean stiff arm, and even demonstrated good hands in the passing game. Already a bonafide P4 prospect, I could see Vann's stock continuing to rise as a now-upperclassman in one of the United State's top producers of high school football talent.     The biggest Summer Camp SZN winner out of the 2026 class of America's Heartland, in my humble opinion, goes to Fort Wayne, Indiana product and Northrop High School WR Jerquaden Guilford. Already an established 2026 wideout prior to the whirlwind that is the June summer camp circuit, Guilford came into the summer with Toledo, Miami (FL), Kent State, and Ball State offers, but really stepped it up a notch once June rolled around. At thee Ohio State Buckeyes camp, Guilford was evaluated and offered by arguably the top WR coach in all of the land: Brian Hartline. Doesn't get much better than that. Guilford has also added Pitt, Eastern Michigan, Akron, and Tennessee offers in the following week.   At 6'2 and 180 pounds, Guilford is a nasty route runner with the speed to beat DBs vertically, but the film doesn't quite portray just how athletic he is and how consistently he can create separation. Long and lean, Guilford is a long-strider who glides by defenders after the catch and shows off a big catch radius with strong hands that can reel in receptions away from his body. He's powerful at the top of the route, displays quality ball tracking skills, is willing to go over the middle and catch the ball through traffic and potential big hits, and owns sudden start/stop and cutting ability after the catch. Guilford also excels and contributes as a kick returner. Silky, smooth, controlled, and a polished route runner, it's a safe bet that the Fort Wayne standout 2026 is going to have a monster junior season.     2026 WR Jamari Brown has recently made the move from suburban Chicagoland to the Hoosier State and Fort Wayne's Northrop High School, so ignore the Illinois designation and count this one as another win for Northrop High School and the Land of Lincoln's Eastern neighbor. A 5'11, 175 lber., Brown went down to SEC territory and earned an in-person evaled offer from Ole Miss WR coach George McDonald and the Rebels. This was P4 offer #1, but Brown also came into the summer with offers from Central Michigan and Kent State, and added Eastern Michigan and Ball State offers leading up to his SEC scholarship offer. His most updated film is from his freshman season in the fall of 2022, so not a lot for me to break down for you guys, but it's safe to say this kid is fast, quick, and an effective route runner. Can't wait to get my hands on some updated tape of his ASAP.     People sleep on the Sioux Falls area as a hotbed of recruiting talent, and the region got a big boost in Midwest and national recruiting stock thanks to 2026 WR Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte's top-tier summer camp showing. Our PrepRedzoneDAK Head Scout Nate Wahl has been on the 6'2, 190 lber. longer than anyone, and his 10.90 100M speed, which translated to some 4.5 40s during summer camp szn, surely helped create what was one of the best Summer Camp SZN run of offers we saw out of the entire Midwest. Beginning with a dominant performance at Sioux Falls-based Augustana University - a heavyweight DII program out of the NSIC - Bonwell-Witte went down to Manhattan, Kansas and balled out at the Wildcats prospect camp the first weekend in June, walking away with his first college offer from the Big12 competitor Wildcats. That same weekend, Bonwell-Witte went to Norman, Oklahoma and earned an offer from the now-SEC Sooners, and then went 3/3 over the weekend with a Nebraska Cornhuskers prospect camp performance and ensuing B1G offer. Quite a run of showings there, and Bonwell-Witte then went to Minneapolis on an unofficial and was offered by the Golden Gophers, and then went to Madison, Wisconsin, where he balled out at the Badgers prospect camp and earned another B1G offer. Wisconsin Lead Scout Mark Johnson had a great writeup of the South Dakota natives performance if you check out either our Wisconsin or Dakotas site as well. All in all, it was an unforgettable stretch of camps for the Washington High School product, and a June that would be hard to beat for any high school football player.   Named All-State, All-Metro Conference, and All-ESD Conference after posting 30 receptions for 588 yards and 5 TDs, along with 13 carries for 98 yards and 2 TDs, against South Dakota big school competition. Bonwell-Witte is a big-framed, long, and powerful X receiver who has the speed to win vertically and take the top off the defense every game. He created some big-time explosive plays in 2023 as a sophomore, and big, strong frame helps him work through press-man coverage and contact at the LOS, and his releases are quick and effective, especially when he sees press, which happens more often on the camp circuit than his 2023 film. The 190 lber. owns a powerful lower body can bounce off and work through weaker tackle attempts at his lower body, breaks off his routes well, and is a man coverage beater who can also find pockets and seams in zone coverage. I can't help but get excited thinking about how physical and potentially dominant Bonwell-Witte could be at the next level in a college S&C program. South Dakota once again has a national-level skill player on the P2 radar.     If you've been reading my recent Midwest recruiting-related features for PrepRedzone, you're aware I'm bullish on the state of Kansas' uptick in top-tier P4 talent, and the Sunflower State saw another 2026 hit the P4 ranks in Wichita Northwest's 6'2, 195 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason']. The rising junior came in hot to Ames, Iowa and earned his first college offer from the hosting Iowa State Cyclones on June 1st, and followed it up with a great camp performance in Lawrence to earn another Big12 offer from the instate Jayhawks. Not a bad two weeks from the young man from 316.   A well-known name around Kansas who the instate P4s had been watching for some time, Mason went 7-3 as a starter last fall and threw at a 58% completion percentage on 1,250 yards and 16 TDs. Also threw 7 INTs. Off the bat, I really like the mobility and overall athleticism he brings to the position. Can navigate the pocket, extend plays, and scramble very effectively, and Mason also displays a good arm that can push the ball downfield and attack defenses vertically. The 195 lber. shows notable juice as a ball carrier with impressive burst, quick feet, and elusiveness in the open field. Most importantly, Mason made some accurate throws to the second and third level of the field and shows some notable ball placement when attacking downfield as well. He owns a quick release, good timing, and processes and makes decisions quickly. Real-deal arm talent and athleticism and not even an upperclassman yet? More offers are coming!     I wrote about Voss for a PrepRedzoneMN special naming the Land of 10,000 Lakes biggest winners from camp season, but I have no problem running it back for a Midwest feature, as he no doubt had one of the best Summer Camp SZN performances out of the Midwest this past month. A well-known name out of MN who has been a varsity starter since he was a freshman and follows in the shoes of his older brother, who played QB at South Dakota State, Roman Voss has grown and developed into a well-built, dynamic, and tough 6'4, 215 lber. who colleges are recruiting to play either LB or TE at the next level. Voss had earned P4 offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin prior to the start of the Summer Camp SZN, but had a heckuva weekend the second week in June, going three for three on camp performances and P4 offers, hitting Iowa, Iowa State, and Illinois back-to-back-to-back and earning offers from all three host schools. Voss also had gone down to Manhattan the first weekend in June and earned an offer from the Wildcats as well.   In his summer camp highlights, which his dad did a great job of filming, Voss showed quick, concise, and fluid COD ability during testing portions of his camp stops, as well as long arms and a frame capable of adding significantly more weight at the next level. He displayed physicality in 1v1 pass coverage, the ability to separate at the top of the route as a route runner and some twitch in his releases at the LOS, and contested catch ability and strong hands. It's obvious the athletic numbers, hustle, competitiveness, and a knack for big plays showed up in every camp he hit this past month, and the Jackson County Central small-schooler's dynamic ability at his size is hard to find and lit the Summer Camp SZN's recruiting trail on fire this past month. Big things coming from him this fall.     Representing one of the must-stops of the Land of Lincoln's high school football programs in Nazareth Academy, 6'1, 205 lb. linebacker Lesroy Tittle has recently asserted himself among a decorated line of Roadrunner P4 prospects from the past few years. Tittle saw a late start to his recruitment, earning his first college football offer from Marshall in mid-May, but it was the vaunted Summer Camp SZN that really kicked things into a new gear. An early camp performance in June led to Western Michigan and Toledo offers, cementing himself as an FBS prospect, but it was a trip to Champaign and the state's flagship university that put him on national notice. In front of the Fighting Illini staff, Tittle's excellent camp performance led to a conversation and ensuing B1G offer from Illinois' head coach Bret Bielema. Now a B1G offeree, Tittle made the most of a Summer Camp SZN performance window and absolutely ran with it.   Two-way contributor who showed some juice on both sides of the ball. Posted 70 carries for 450 yards and 9 TDs and added 69 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 1 INT defensively. Tittle is a physical and balanced runner who can beat you with power or speed, and shows off great contact balance and a strong lower body and running style that helps him bounce off weaker tackle attempts. He's dangerous with the ball in-hand and displays good speed, balance, and overall elusiveness that can create missed tackles when he cuts laterally and sticks his cleat in the ground. Defensively, he's instinctive in pass coverage and does a good job of stepping into passing lanes around the MOF and is also able to play man coverage. Tittle can also tackle in space and shows good range in run support. The 2026 Nazareth Academy prospect is simply a good football player; good call by Illinois getting in early.    --

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We're right smack dab in the middle of that final dead period without football, and I can already feel the undertones of excitement primed by team camps, high school vs. high school passing leagues, and summer bonding practices taking precedent over summer prospect camps and college visits. We're almost there, folks. PrepRedzone is continuing on with our four-class coverage of the biggest early winners from June's Summer Camp SZN here in America's Heartland. Nine states, 11 rising juniors, and a boatload of P4 offers, all of whom earned in the truest and most impressive way possible: the in-person evaluation. Get on the bandwagon of these young bucks while there's room.