Small School, Big Time Talent

College level talent is scattered all across the great state of Wisconsin. From big cities to small towns, large schools to small schools. You need to turn over every leave to make sure that you're not overlooking anyone. The Class of 2026 has some of its top talent coming from the smallest schools in the state. Wisconsin breaks down its football between 7 divisions with 1 being the largest and 7 being the smallest, besides the 8 man league. In this article we are going to look at the athletes ranked inside the Top 150 of the 2026 Class that come from Division 6 or 7 schools. This group proves that college talent can come from any size school. Let's dive in!    Ryan isn't just the best small school prospect in the state. He is one of the overall best prospects in the state. The top DL/TE is an unfair matchup on Friday nights. Especially with the leap in body control and flexibility that he made between his sophomore and junior seasons. The '24 tape shows a kid with elite size that is now able to dominate with that frame and power, but also further utilize leverage and angles and positioning to make himself even more of a nightmare to cover or slow down. The Bonduel product has the talent to play TE or DE at the next level, and he already holds several FBS and FCS offers. Big things are ahead for this small school stud.      Next up is one of the most electric athletes in the state. When Jensen was done dominating on the football field as a sophomore he spent his spring winning the 100M Dash State Championship for small schools. Then he came back this past fall and blew us away even more. Jensen plays QB for Iola-Scandinavia but don't let that fool you. The 5'10" 170 lbs athlete dominates with his legs. He has the game-breaking speed all day long, but it is so dangerous because of his instincts and vision with the ball. He sets things up, sees the path open up instantly as it does, and has the short area burst and agility to fly through gaps and make defenders miss. That athleticism and reactive quickness also makes him an excellent DB. Jensen has the talent to play anywhere from DB to WR to even change of pace RB if needed. The kid is electric and a dominant small-school product.      Wisconsin's small schools also provide plenty of offensive trench monsters. The top one in the Class of 2026 is Pepin/Alma's [player_tooltip player_id='1220666' first='Breckin' last='Hullopeter']. The 6'3" 300 lbs lineman is a weekly bully on Friday nights. The big man has a ton of raw tools for an OL coach to work with at the next level. Breckin has the range to pull out into space. He has heavy hands that consistently put kids on the ground. His anchor stands up IDL in pass protection. Plus he has that bulldozer power in the run game to reset the line of scrimmage downfield. The small school OL is an exciting talent to have on your boards.     Another need to know OL talent coming out of one of the state's small schools is [player_tooltip player_id='1359903' first='Maxx' last='Wittmer']. Maxx is a quick and violent OL coming out of his stance in the run game. Throughout his highlights you will see him be able to wash the DL down the trenches away from the gap with his power. Maxx's athleticism stands out among other varsity athletes on tape, quickly getting up to level two, running defenders off the line, and always finishing with violence. The tools are coming together very well for the rising OL. Size, power, athleticism, and the nasty mentality to finish blocks are all traits needed for the next level. Keep a close eye on this kid this summer.      The top small school QB prospect in the Class of 2026 is Grantsburg's [player_tooltip player_id='1220684' first='Brock' last='Matheny']. Brock put together a great junior season that ended with a trip to Madison for a shot at a State Championship. While they didn't bring home the win Brock was able to set multiple State Championship Game records. Watching the highlights it is clear that Brock is developing a collegiate arm and all around QB skill set. His arm strength opens up every level of the field. His concise, consistent throwing motion allows him to be pinpoint accurate with his ball placement. Plus his decision making protects the ball and keeps his offense on the field. I'm very excited to see how the 6'3" 195 lbs QB looks this summer with another offseason under his belt. Coaches, you need to be recruiting Grantsburg HS.      Austin provides Regis with another offensive mismatch to utilize. It seems like every year they have at least one and this time it is the 6'3" 180 lbs WR/DB/RB. Austin is at his best when he can use his speed to attack the edge and beat any pursuit angles down the sideline. When a defender does have solid position on him, Austin flashes the tackling breaking power and balance to create those highlight reel runs. At DB Austin brings that same physicality in his run support and tackling. Rideout is a playmaker. A kid that finds a way to make the big play, and has a great chance of creating one on every touch. Don't miss out on this kid.      One thing about small schools is that it is going to give you some versatile athletes that play multiple positions. One such athlete is Boyceville's [player_tooltip player_id='1220660' first='Zach' last='Hellendrung']. The 6'4" 245 lbs junior plays DL, FB, and TE and at this point has an argument for all those positions at the next level. On defense Zach dominates with his powerful burst off the snap, active hand use, and range once he powers into the backfield. Zach uses multiple pass rush moves and also shows the power to hold the line of scrimmage. On offense, Hellendrung dominates as a lead blocker, clearing huge holes for his RB. It is impressive watching him go from that to a smooth athlete out of the backfield as a receiving option. Zach is a very versatile talent that needs more eyes on him going forward.      We head back to Grantsburg for another reason to recruit the small school. Caden is a very intriguing athlete at the TE position. He has an elite frame that provides a unique mismatch at 6'7". As he continues to fill out his 215 lbs frame the potential of his impact and talent will continue to rise. As a junior Caden lined up all over the formation and always found success. He is a very smooth athlete who played more like a massive WR than a TE as he stretched the field with his smooth strides. The big man naturally plucks the ball out of the air and so easily uses his size to his advantage. Caden is a unique mismatch for a team at the next level. I'm excited to see who pursues him over the coming months.      One of my favorite new recruits on my radar is the small school product out of Unity HS. Isaiah spent time at TE and QB during his junior season. The 6'2" 225 lbs athlete quickly found success at both because of the physical tools he is blessed with and developing. At TE, Fugate is smooth with his route running but flips the switch to physicality when making the catch in traffic or having to break tackles after the catch. That impressive physical strength also shines at QB. There are clips where he can't even step into the pass and the ball jumps out of his hands 45+ yards downfield on a dot. Isaiah's combination of finesse and strength shows his high level of body control and awareness and understanding of how to use his strengths in each scenario. Isaiah is an intriguing weapon.

College level talent is scattered all across the great state of Wisconsin. From big cities to small towns, large schools to small schools. You need to turn over every leave to make sure that you're not overlooking anyone. The Class of 2026 has some of its top talent coming from the smallest schools in the state. Wisconsin breaks down its football between 7 divisions with 1 being the largest and 7 being the smallest, besides the 8 man league. In this article we are going to look at the athletes ranked inside the Top 150 of the 2026 Class that come from Division 6 or 7 schools. This group proves that college talent can come from any size school. Let's dive in!