By the Numbers: Top WR’s From the Class of ‘27

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that pass-catchers from the Class of '26 have had their shine, we'll be pivoting the focus to the underclassmen in the state. Starting the underclassmen coverage off first will of course be the Class of '27.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's pretty interesting to see how much football has advanced just within the last decade. There's more of an emphasis on the passing game now, and young pass-catchers are much more skilled than ever before.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10 years ago it wasn't very common for a sophomore to eclipse 500 yards receiving. Just this season though, there were eight Class of ‘27 prospects that finished above that mark and many others that came close. Here's a look at five of the top receiving leaders from the sophomore class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1529989' first='Ashton' last='Malm'] – McPherson, 5'10”, 150</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Malm of McPherson put together arguably the best season of any pass-catcher from the Class of '27. The sophomore burst onto the scene during the '24 campaign and not only led the Bullpups in receiving, but he also finsihed the season Top 10 in yardage in Class 4A. Malm accumulated 800 yards on 49 catches and scored 10 times. His standout season has earned him multiple postseason awards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1113160' first='Noah' last='Hines'] – Sacred Heart, 6'1”, 160</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hines was one of Sacred Heart's go-to targets as a freshman in 2023, but his production skyrocketed this season. He led the Knights in every receving category, and ended the '24 campaign as the only other sophomore in the state to eclipse 700 yards. His final numbers were 43 receptions for 702 yards and 12 touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578996' first='Jaxson' last='Miller']</strong> – Goodland, 6'2”, 180, Unranked</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With [player_tooltip player_id='733209' first='Linkon' last='Cure'] graduating and heading to<em> Kansas State</em>, the Goodland Cowboys will have a bit of a void on their offense. But, they may have found their next impact player in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578996' first='Jaxson' last='Miller']</strong>. He finished behind Cure as Goodland's second leading receiver, as he ended his sophomore season with 32 catches for 599 yards and found the end zone nine times. Look for the Cowboys to get the ball in his hands more in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1530379' first='Ray' last='Logan'] – Valley Center, 5'9, 155</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Logan finsihed the '24 campaing not far off from Miller's receiving total, as he racked up 570 yards. That total led Valley Center by a significant amount, and was the highest mark by any sophomore in Class 5A. He also recorded 38 receptions with six catches going for scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1530374' first='Jacob' last='Seib'] – TMP-Marian, 6'0”, 155</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fifth highest receiving total from the sophomore class came from Seib of TMP-Marian. Much like his peers in this report, Seib exceeded expectations in his second year of high schoool football. He emerged as TMP's top wideout during the '24 campaign and was one of their best offensive playmakers. Seib had a nice four game stretch to end the '24 campaign and went on to finish his sophomore season with 38 catches for 545 yards and three touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->