Breakout Season Ready

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are a few players to watch for who look ready to have breakout seasons and elevate their profiles with their upcoming seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='284042' first='Jordan' last='Taylor'] RB SLUH 2026<br>(5'9" 185")<br>- Jordan is already a bit of a known name after having an outstanding freshman season that saw him lad a few D1 offers following his performance. However, he missed last season due to injury and hasn't participated in offseason camps, combines or 7v7 to make sure he is 100% ready for the upcoming season. He not only looks the part after working hard in the spring and summer, but has the proper mindset in place to remind those that may have forgotten about his talents that earned him early attention from colleges. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1118501' first='Kai' last='Reid'] TE/LB Lee's Summit North 2025<br>(6'2" 245) <br>- A talented three-sport athlete who has also excelled in basketball and who started his high school career in Kansas. Reid had a great offseason and camp season, specifically at the Lindenwood Mega camp in May showcasing his speed, power and agility in testing and drills. Kai earned his first D1 offer from North Dakota shortly afterwards. A real worker in the weight room who has showcased his strength, Reid is poised to play a big role in the Broncos success this season with his play on both sides on the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='691332' first='Christian' last='Funches'] WR/S Chaminade 2026<br>(6'2" 185)<br>- Another talented athlete coming back after an injury shutdown his sophomore season last year following a terrific freshman year that saw him be amongst the top freshman prospects I had seen that year. Tall and rangy with good speed, Christian has outstanding playmaking ability with his quickness, ball skills and football IQ. He has good hands and can play receiver well, but he really excelled at safety with being able to cover a lot of ground and physical play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1400010' first='Leyton' last='Usry'] WR/CB Parkway West 2026<br>(6'0" 175)<br>- One of the more interesting stories is the offseason performance and rise of the junior-to-be Usry on the football field. Leyton, who has been a talented hockey and lacrosse play is new to football, but has already displayed some really good potential with his play as a receiver and defensive back. He is a really good athlete who showed impressive speed at the Lindenwood Mega camp finishing among the top 9 fastest in his class overall in the laser forty, top 3 overall in the shuttle, and top 20 overall in the broad jump. He has continued his play during the summer with his team at camps. A definite player to watch what happens with in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1400008' first='LJ' last='Triplett'] ATH MICDS 2026<br>(6'0" 165)<br>- Also a talented baseball player, LJ sat out football last season, but is back and has had a summer to talk about heading into the start of the regular season next weekend. Triplett has been one of the surprises and standouts of preseason camp as cornerback and wide receiver with his speed and overall athleticism standing out along with his hands and ball skills on both sides of the ball. There is even some talk of him seeing some reps at quarterback this season. For now he will start at one corner spot and also play WR and special teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->