Wichita/Western KS 2025's Pre-Season Update

The second in a series of "pre-season" updates, this report will cover six players in three positions and provide a snapshot of what they have been doing over the summer to get ready for the 2024 season.   Every player prepares a little differently. Coaches do their best to provide a somewhat standardized off-season program, but how kids supplement and fine-tune their game via combines, clinics, camps, consultants, specialists, nutritionists, etc., etc. to put their own personalized brand on the journey, are all a little different.   Which makes for interesting reading for those with their finger on the pulse of the game. How a player prepares usually goes a long way in determining eventual success. In my latest film review I took a look at offensive linemen, elite defenders and hybrid receivers and selected a couple of 2025 standouts to represent each and check in to see how their pre-season prep has been going.   So, without further adieu, I bring you the "Weekend Six":   Offensive Linemen:   [player_tooltip player_id='716775' first='Drayton' last='Knoll']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/drayton-knoll/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/drayton-knoll/"></a> , 6'5, 305, OL, Holcomb. Slowly but surely the word is trickling out of the western part of the state that that there is big-time player in tiny Holcomb, KS. The town may be small, but he is not. Coming off an excellent junior season, he made first-team all state and saw his name start to get noticed from D1-scouts and recruiters. He recently received an official offer from Utah State and plans a Kansas State visit this fall. He has been lifting hard in the off-season, as evidenced by his recent school record power clean lift of 300 pounds. He has also been doing his speed work with an emphasis on quickness and good feet. He comes highly recommended by legendary Coach James Tabor with @PIAthletes. After seeing the tape I agree, he is getting ready to lower the boom on the competition this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1115446' first='AJ' last='Quick']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/aj-quick/"></a> , 5'11, 240, OL, Cheney. He is coming off a junior season when he helped lead his team to an undefeated record, a state championship and achieved all-state recognition last fall. Since then, the pressure has been on but he has been dedicated in the off-season to working that much harder. As a rock-solid center who pairs expert mechanics with a strong base and quick feet, he has focused his off-season efforts in the team weight training program, with recent PR's in the bench at 350 and pounded out 10 reps at 385 on the squat. In addition to hitting the weights, he put a heavy emphasis on speed training to give him a powerful one-two punch in the trenches. This kid is the real deal, get out and see him this fall. You won't be disappointed.   Elite Defenders:   [player_tooltip player_id='1159647' first='Jaden' last='Cohens']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jaden-cohens/"></a> , 5'10, 175, DB, Goddard. He is coming off a good start to his high school career as a versatile athlete who just keeps getting better and has D1 written all over him. He has been laser-focused on developing his top-end skill sets in the off-season and his hard work is already reaping dividends. He recently clocked a 4.5 40, went 10'7" in the broad jump and leaped right at 41" in the vertical. All numbers that are considered elite territory. He has recently recovered from a torn hamstring but was able to hit the Oklahoma State and K-State camps and since has been heavily recruited by both, as well as Colorado State and numerous smaller schools. Get your popcorn out for this kid, he is getting ready to put on a show this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1115489' first='Dalton' last='Meyers'], 6'2, 195, LB, Hays. A headhunter of a defensive playmaker, he is coming off a season when he was WAC Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a three-time state medalist in track and is one of the best javelin throwers in the state. He has been busy in the off-season, going to camps at Kansas, Nebraska and North Dakota State and receiving quite a few additional invites. He has also been training locally, with emphasis on speed work and putting on additional muscle. He has been fine-tuning his quickness and the burst that enables him to effectively split double teams and shoot gaps. This kid may be flying under the radar somewhat in western Kansas but he is getting ready to put on a show in 2024. Get him on your watchlist and get out and see him play when you can. He is getting ready to blow things up this fall.   Hybrid Receivers:   [player_tooltip player_id='282256' first='Landen' last='Gatto']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/landen-gatto/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/landen-gatto/"></a> , WR, 6'5, 200, Maize South. Coming off a strong junior campaign when he caught 53 passes for 735 yards and 12 TD's, he has been hitting it hard in the off-season. He already has prototype size and reach and has been focused taking his skill sets to the next level. He was busy in the camp/clinic circuit, hitting Lindenwood, Northwest Missouri State and K-State. He is also starting to collect offers and after this coming season I expect he will be flooded with interest. In addition to the camps, he has been working hard with his team locally, working on speed and route running and fine-tuning with all-state QB [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'].  The two have been playing together since elementary school and are getting ready to burn it up this fall. Get out and see a baller in the making.   [player_tooltip player_id='570213' first='Brody' last='Weir']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/brody-weir/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/brody-weir/"></a> , 6'4, 240. TE/DE, Wellington. He is coming off a springboard season a year ago when he reinforced the obvious, he is a versatile, athletic playmaker with prototype size and quickness who is going to play D1 somewhere soon. I recently reported on his play last fall but I wanted to circle back and give an update on his busy off-season. The offers and visits have been numerous. He had visits to UNLV, Nebraska, OSU, Tulsa and South Dakota. He went to camps at TCU, KU, K-State and Pitt State. He has also had a number of D1 offers along the way demonstrating his unique combination of size and speed. Even with all the travel and the big-time interest he has been getting up and working out at 6:00 a.m. all summer and is ready to dominate this fall. Get him on your watch list and go see him play while you still can. This guy is a stud.   In conclusion, get these guys on your watchlist and get out and see them when you can. You will not be disappointed. And, as always, if you run across any players "flying under the radar" feel free to reach out to me via DM on X.

The second in a series of "pre-season" updates, this report will cover six players in three positions and provide a snapshot of what they have been doing over the summer to get ready for the 2024 season.