2027 Kansas 8-Man Prospect Spotlight

As we head into the Spring, I want to start focusing on 2027 and 2028 prospects. In this write-up I'll be showcasing some very deserving prospects from the 8-Man ranks throughout the State of Kansas. These kids don't normally get the attention their bigger schoolmates normally get but nonetheless they are still just as deserving.   These five prospects will be hailing from respective leagues. The Southern Plains-Iroquois, the Flint Hills, the Mid-Continent, the Northern Plains and the Heart of the Plains.   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>       The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Miller is one of the top quarterbacks in all of 8-Man. He helped Lincoln to an 6-3 record this past fall and the Leopards should be even better this coming season.   Miller is a dual-threat quarterback that brings plenty of experience and production. He is just as capable of beating you with his arm and legs on any given play. This past season he was 94 of 158 for 1,686 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, just six interceptions thrown and had a QB Rate of 119.9. He was just as deadly with his legs, where he produced 1,017 yards rushing on 157 carries and another 16 touchdowns.   He was a Honorable Mention All-State 8-Man I quarterback this past season and looks to push for the top spot during his junior year.       The Timberwolves had a tremendous season this past fall, where they finished up with a 11-1 record and a semi-final exit to eventual state champion Hoxie. Coach Westrup is blessed to return quality players to his roster and Lindsay is one of the main names to keep an eye on.   Standing 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, Lindsay provides on both sides of the ball. He was named Second Team All-Southern Plains-Iroquois League as a running back. A very physical player that is a load to stop when he has the ball in his hands or a fearsome tackler on defense. One would expect Lindsay to be the bell cow for the Timberwolves offensively with the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id='1215327' first='JT' last='Prusa'] and also make for quite the linebacker duo with [player_tooltip player_id='1115507' first='Jack' last='Herd'] on defense.   He had 66 carries for 712 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns on the season. Being a load to bring down, he averaged 10.8 yards per carry from his running back position. On defense he was just as effective, where he had 56 tackles (13 solo and 43 assisted), three tackles for loss, one interception and one force fumble.       Coming off a state championship the year before, Lyndon was looking for new faces to step up with a departure of a very talented 2025 class (with two FBS signees). One of those new faces that showed out with the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Marcotte who took over running back duties from the departed Jalen Massey.   Did he ever produce and went on to become a First Team 8-Man I All-State running back and also taking home the same honors within the Flint Hills League.   Marcotte can get things done not only as a runner but a very dependable weapon out of the backfield as a receiver. This past fall he had 125 carries for 887 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. He averaged a respectable 7.1 yards per carry. As a receiving option, he had 19 receptions for 303 yards and another five touchdowns. He averaged 15.9 yards per reception this past fall. Look for him to push for over 1,000 yards rushing and over 500 yards receiving this coming season.   On the defensive side of the ball he was also quite the weapon. Being able to play sideline to sideline, he had 64 tackles (47 solo and 17 assisted), four tackles for loss and two interceptions. Definitely keep an eye on him this coming fall as Lyndon looks to make another run for the state championship.       The 5-foot-10, 170-pound athlete Schartz is an dynamic playmaker who produced at a very high level on both sides of the ball this past fall. Older brother of 2028 star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1542931' first='Trenton' last='Schartz'], the elder brother has done quite well for himself already in his career. He helped lead Ellis to the playoffs in their first year of 8-Man football, where they ended up the season with a 5-4 record. Look for Ellis to take that next step in year two of their 8-Man program and the Schartz brothers should be a big reason for that improvement.   He was honored as a Honorable Mention 8-Man I All-State linebacker. This past season he had 99 tackles (46 solo and 53 assisted) on defense but also produced at a high level on offense where he had 87 rushes for 559 yards and nine touchdowns. Good enough for a 6.4 yards per carry. He also had 11 receptions for 100 yards and a additional two touchdowns. Averaging a respectable 9.1 yards per reception.       The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Kooiman helped lead the Cougars to the 8-Man II state playoffs before falling to state runner-up Victoria. He will help try to build on their 9-2 record from this past fall. Mostly used as a defender, the tackle machine helped lead the team in tackles this past season.   Defensively he had a whooping 118 tackles (77 solo and 41 assisted) and 10 tackles for a loss. That type of production helped him garner Honorable Mention All-State 8-Man II honors at linebacker.   He is also a excellent golfer. He was a 1A regional champion and also the state runner-up as a freshman, where he posted a two-day score of 4 over par 146 (72-74). It doesn't matter if it is on the football field or out on the links, Kooiman is a great competitor and is only looking to improve as the years go by.   Be on the look-out for more 8-Man content as we go through the off-season. I always take pride in sharing kids from all across the state but it is even more rewarding uncovering the hidden gems from the smallest schools.   I hope by me sharing about these student-athletes, I have helped showcase them to the masses and namely college coaches. I'm always looking for unheralded or overlooked prospects to showcase. If you knows of anyone that fits that bill, reach out to me at @Coach_Mitchum on X.

As we head into the Spring, I want to start focusing on 2027 and 2028 prospects. In this write-up I'll be showcasing some very deserving prospects from the 8-Man ranks throughout the State of Kansas. These kids don't normally get the attention their bigger schoolmates normally get but nonetheless they are still just as deserving.