Wichita-Area 2025's - Best of the Best

After focusing on the younger classes and in most instances the players flying under the radar, I wanted to take a quick step back and remind football fans who the best of the best are in the Wichita area.   In this report, we will take a look at the top-ranked players in the Wichita-Area, including a quick snapshot of junior-season accomplishments and get caught up on what has happened over the summer. And it has been a busy summer. Teams like Oregon and Nebraska among countless others have come calling and have seemingly struck gold.   Speaking of gold, Eisenhower has two of the six players below. Treasure chest indeed!   And, interestingly, as critical as defense is, all of the top players in this report ended up being offensive-focused athletes, and more specifically, quarterbacks and wide receivers. Granted, they are all good enough to excel both ways and star on special teams, and maybe even play defense at the next level.   Nonetheless, the rankings were more predicated on their offensive play. Elite offensive weapons are in big demand.   So, without further adieu, I bring you, the "Sizzling Six" - the Wichita-Area Guys at the top of the PRZ Rankings:   [player_tooltip player_id='570288' first='DaSaahn' last='Brame'], 6'6, 230, TE/WR, Derby, is ranked #1. What more can we say about this guy? He is the top-ranked player in the state and as one of the most highly-recruited players in the nation, he went through an extended decision-making process before recently deciding on Oregon. He is coming off a standout junior year where he gave fans an idea what a unique talent he is, catching 46 passes for 942 yards and a blistering 20.5 yards per reception and 13 touchdowns. Physically, he is a specimen who checks all the boxes. He is long and strong with great reach, an outstanding catch radius and has breakaway speed for a big man. He is very fluid and athletic and creates mismatches all over the field as a wideout, in the slot or in tight. He makes a difficult position look easy, catching tough passes in traffic, fearlessly going over the middle and getting to the apex point of the ball when it is in the air. He runs good routes for someone who could probably get away not doing so and seamlessly creates separation along the way. Get out and see what next-level elite performance looks like this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='442624' first='Bryson' last='Hayes'], 6'0, 185, WR, Maize, is ranked #5. Another highly-recruited athlete with exceptional speed and quickness who recently signed with Nebraska. He has been hitting it hard in the off-season perfecting his top-end skill sets and is poised on the brink of greatness this fall. He is coming off an outstanding junior season when he caught 60 passes for 962 yards and a 16.0 yard average per catch. As a wide receiver, he is a versatile playmaker who is moved all over the formation but works primarily out of the slot or split wide. He is a dangerous threat in the Maize scheme where he is fed a steady stream of bubble screens and jet sweeps to get him the ball almost as an extension of the running game. He runs precise routes and works the middle and sidelines creating separation or exposing soft spots in the zone effectively. Where he really excels, however, is taking the top off the opposition's secondary on the long sideline and seam routes. He has excellent vertical speed and acceleration and is an effective runner after making the catch. Get out and see one of the best wideouts in the state this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='442660' first='Carter' last='Pabst'], 6'1, 185, WR, Eisenhower, is ranked #15. Close behind in the rankings and already off and running making himself known as an elite burner of a receiver, he is coming off one of the best junior seasons around as he hauled in 51 passes for just under 900 yards, and averaged over 17 yards a catch. He also scored an incredible 19 touchdowns to really set himself apart. A gifted receiver with good length and athleticism, he weighed a number of offers before recently committing to North Dakota. Possessing sub-4.4 speed he uses his burst and elite separation working out of the slot where he runs short possession and mid range routes to perfection. He is also routinely split wide to create mismatches and burn the opposing defense on the deep ball and vertical sideline passes. He smoothly works the seams and soft spots in zone coverage and tracks the ball exceptionally well. He is fearless running routes over the middle and in heavy traffic and will make the contested catch even when he knows he is going to get hammered. He is also an excellent runner after the catch, even hurdling defenders as needed. Get out and see a stud receiver getting ready to make some noise.   [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'], 6'1, 190, QB, Maize South, is ranked #24. He is the highest ranked quarterback in this report and is still keeping his options open concerning where to play in college. He has had a truckload of interest and offers and is going to make a team celebrate once he signs. He is coming off a mind-bending junior season when he completed 202 out of 321 passes for 2,876 yards, for a 63% completion percentage, and 31 passing touchdowns for a passing rating of 122 (anything over 105 is elite). He is also a dangerous dual-threat QB, adding 450 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns on the ground to give him a dazzling 45 total TD's for the year. He has well-schooled feet and pocket presence and uses his eyes very effectively. He stands in the pocket strong, with a disciplined, polished shoulder rotation and quick release. He has a powerful arm and is capable of making all the throws, from short-to-medium surgical strikes, to the velocity throws on deep crossing routes and outs. On the deep ball he has good touch and routinely hits the receiver in full stride. He is athletic out of the pocket and throws off-platform and from difficult launch angles with ease. Get out and see the real deal this fall, he won't disappoint.   [player_tooltip player_id='442661' first='Jace' last='Adler'], 6'3, 185, DB/WR, Andover Central, is ranked #26. He has been ranked as high as #10 and is getting recognized as one of the most talented two-way, multi-positional stars in the state. He is generating a lot of attention from schools and scouts but is still keeping his options open while working through the decision-making process. He is coming off an incredible junior year when he was all state on offense, defense and as a return man; and caught 61 passes for 837 yards and 12 touchdowns. On offense he is an athletic playmaker who can catch, run, throw, block, whatever you need, he can do it. A long receiver with an outstanding catch radius, he has soft hands and goes up to the apex-point for the ball. He was also a highlight reel every time he touched the ball on special teams, using his speed, acceleration and elusiveness to pile up big yardage. On defense he is a prototype defensive back who is athletic enough to play as a lockdown corner, but thrives as a ballhawk safety floating in zone, reading the QB and flying to the ball with top-end closing speed. Last year he picked off nine passes and is looking to get that number in double-digits this fall. Get your popcorn out for this kid.    [player_tooltip player_id='676467' first='Derek' last='Morgan'], 6'2, 190, QB, Eisenhower, is ranked #28. Another highly-ranked dual-threat quarterback who recently committed to Lehigh in Bethlehem, PA, after entertaining a number of offers. He is coming off a brilliant junior season when he threw for just under 2,000 yards and ran for another 300+ yards. He also completed over 60 percent of his passes and threw 30 touchdown passes with only five interceptions for the year. All numbers that contributed to a lofty quarterback rating of 122. An excellent all-around athlete and dual-threat QB, he runs well on called running plays, rollouts, bootlegs and when extending plays. He is comfortable throwing on the run, and making things happen when the play breaks down. He has excellent pocket presence, staying focused downfield while he seamlessly shuffles within the pocket. He has polished mechanics, with a consistently quick shoulder rotation and with the flick of a wrist rifles bullets at all levels. He throws a very accurate deep ball down the seams and sidelines and can make the velocity throws on deep comebacks and post routes. He has a rare maturity to his game and is getting ready to go off in 2024.   In conclusion, get these guys on your watchlist. They are getting ready to make some serious noise this fall. And, as always, if anyone knows of players flying under the radar feel free to reach out to CoolDaddyO via DM on X.

After focusing on the younger classes and in most instances the players flying under the radar, I wanted to take a quick step back and remind football fans who the best of the best are in the Wichita area.