Best of the West - Additional Western Kansas 2026 Elite Prospects

As of late I have been showcasing a fair amount of Western Kansas bigger school prospects and I'll be providing five more names to know for this coming fall. Most of these prospects have been coming from the Western Athletic Conference, the Great West Activities Conference and the Central Kansas League and this update will be no different.   There are many deserving kids coming from the western half of the state that get overlooked and I hope by sharing these kids with the coaches and the public in general will give these kids more opportunities they deserve.   In this report we will take a closer look at five ballers that may be going under the radar - A quarterback from a State Runner-up program, two athletes coming from the GWAC, a TE/DE from the WAC and lastly CKL lineman looking to make name for himself.   Once again profiles for each of these athletes have been created on Prep Redzone and can be claimed by using the following link.   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospects-index/#claim-profile-anchor">https://prepredzone.com/prospects-index/#claim-profile-anchor</a>    Physical athlete that is primarily a blocking tight end on offense but will be looked upon to produce at the defensive end position this coming fall. His best days of football are ahead of him but if you are looking for an athlete that has the size, frame, strength and athletic ability, look no further.    The 6-foot-2, 235-pound two-way prospect from Dodge City makes for a dynamic duo at tight end and defensive end with fellow 2026 prospect in [player_tooltip player_id='1622492' first='Easten' last='Smith']. Much like Smith, Kisner brings a dependable blocker from his tight end position but also a capable receiver when called upon. The expectations are for him to play defensive end this coming fall as well. Even though he will be newer to the position, he should be able to make an impact due to his size, strength and athletic ability. He has been clocked at a 4.8 forty.   This past year he had 20 pancake blocks and seven catches for 103 yards from his offensive end position. He also takes care of business in the classroom, where he has a 3.6 GPA.   The off-season will be crucial for Kisner to showcase himself before this next season. Be on the look-out for him at different college camps.      Big time athlete that has been very productive stat wise this past season as a junior. Workhorse in the backfield but a top notch receiver as well. Also has put up some huge numbers from his linebacker spot. One of the overall best prospects in all of Western Kansas and should get plenty of college looks when all is said and done.    If you are looking for a prospects that has shown not only great leadership for his ball club but has the production to back it up, look no further than Johnson. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound athlete plays both running back and linebacker for the Longhorns.   Didn't matter the side of ball Johnson was on, he put up big time numbers. On the offensive side of the ball he had 1,172 yards rushing on 181 carries and 14 scores but was just as equal of a weapon out of the backfield as a receiver. He had 400+ yards on 27 receptions. Also a threat on special teams, he had just under 1,700 total yards and 15 touchdowns overall. From his linebacker position he had just under 100 tackles on the season (98) but also had nine tackles for loss, a sack and two interceptions.   Was a First Team All-Great West Activities Conference performer at both running back and linebacker this past fall but was also honored as First Team All-State 3A as the Flex. Johnson should have a fair amount of college programs after him this off-season.    Dual threat quarterback that is coming off injury that ended his season prematurely. Possess the size, frame, length, arm and athletic ability that colleges are looking for. He shows the capability to throw a very nice deep ball. Due to his duel threat nature, he's able to move in the pocket cleanly while always keeping his eyes down the field. Very solid in the short to intermediate pass game.    This past fall Viegra and his teammates saw himself and his Hays teammates reach the 5A state title game but unfortunately he was not able to participate due to injury. Before injury he participated in four varsity games at quarterback and two games at wide receiver but also was the starting junior varsity quarterback.   Offensively his junior varsity numbers were 30 for 58 passing for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns. Also contributed 488 yards rushing on 58 carries and a additional 11 touchdowns.   The 6-foot-3, 190-pound signal caller shows all of the intangibles one looks for with the prototype height, size, length, arm and athletic ability. If Hays were to return to the state title game this coming fall, he will be a big reason.   Hays loves to run the football with workhorse [player_tooltip player_id='1590226' first='Holden' last='Lind'] in the backfield but Viegra gives the Indians a legit passer to open up their offense after the graduation of Carter Graham. This off-season he participates on the Sharp 7v7 squad and also working with Coach Cagle and MPA.    Big powerful lineman that should achor the Cardinals offensive line this coming fall. Three sport athlete that excels in not only football but also track and field and wrestling. Mauler in the run game but shows good and ever developing feet as a pass blocker.    Hoisington has had a lot of success the last handful of seasons and a big part of that is the big and dominating lines they have possessed. Before this past fall, the Cardinals were looking for a leader to step up along the offensive line with the graduation of Caiden Hoffman (now red-shirting at Fort Hays State). Luckily for Coach Baird and his staff, they had to look no further than Caiden's younger brother Layton.   The 6-foot-2, 290-pound offensive guard is a mauler in their flexbone attack but also shows quality feet for a player of his stature. He showed good quickless and lateral movement in the pass game. Much of that is due to his wrestling and track background. Two sports he is also very highly successful in. He throws the discus just under 150-feet and the shot-put just under 49-feet.   On the football field he was honored as First Team All-Central Kansas League offensive line. Hoffman is definitely a lineman prospect to keep an eye on for this coming season.    He is an all-around athlete who can play multiple positions on offense and defense. On offense he generally lines up in the backfield but also splits out as a H-Back or tight end. His main focus this past fall was on the defensive side of the ball. With blinding speed and quickness, he is looking to be a much bigger part of the offense this coming season.    Colby graduates some big time talent in [player_tooltip player_id='1115462' first='Guy' last='Tubbs'] (Fort Hays State track and field), [player_tooltip player_id='1228459' first='Casen' last='Carroll'] (Garden City CC for football) and [player_tooltip player_id='1228445' first='Kasey' last='Giesenhagen'] (Garden City CC for football) but look for them to lean very heavily upon Wright this coming season. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is a stand-out on the defensive side of the ball but will be looked upon to carry a much bigger load offensively going forth.   He possess great lateral quickness, a head hunters mentality and closing speed that really catches college coaches attention. Has been clocked as fast a 4.49 in the forty and a 34 inch vertical. These attributes makes him a terror from his linebacker position or even off the edge on occasions.   This past season he had 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, a sack and scored a pair of touchdowns. Even though defense is his calling card, he had six carries for 50 yards and one touchdown at running back but also had 13 receptions for 111 additional yards. He averaged 8.3 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per catch.   Participates in basketball and track for the Eagles but also is a member of the Sharp 7v7 team during the off-season. Takes care of business in the classroom where he has a 3.77 GPA. Also an Honorable Mention All-Great West Activities Conference performer at linebacker.   Much of these kids I just showcased may have flown under the radar this past season, had the wait their turn or just need the proper attention. If you feel like you're a prospect from Western Kansas or a 8-Man kid throughout this great state that needs more attention, just message me on X at @Coach_Mitchum.

As of late I have been showcasing a fair amount of Western Kansas bigger school prospects and I'll be providing five more names to know for this coming fall. Most of these prospects have been coming from the Western Athletic Conference, the Great West Activities Conference and the Central Kansas League and this update will be no different.