Hidden Gem 2026s From West-Central WI

We are back for some more deep dives into the rosters at schools scattered between Eau Claire and La Crosse, WI. An area of WI that is loaded up with smaller schools, but schools that have not had any issue with pumping out collegiate talent. Our second look through the area brings us a lot of athletes that are new to our radar and we are glad we found them. If they are new to you coaches, make sure you check them out further. Let's get into this second group of talented athletes!    Lincoln is a high motor, relentless ILB out of Fall Creek High School. The 5'10" 215 lbs junior does really well moving through the trenches and shows off an impressive closing burst and short area agility to be able to quickly get to the ball. Burr also does really well of delivering big hits on ball carriers. Over and over you see Lincoln avoid blocks and stay clean while playing among the crowded trenches. Lincoln also takes that tenacious play to offense where he plays OL, but at his size the focus should be around his play at LB.      Braylen is a big play WR coming out of the small school of Fall Creek. He is coming off a season where he only caught 15 passes, but he turned it into 357 yards and 4 TDs. That is nearly 24 yds/rec. Braylen does so well downfield. Whether it be tracking the ball and adjusting to it, high pointing it with strong hands, and he hangs on through contact to secure the catch. The '26 WR has a solid release at the line and has the accerlation to quickly get on top of the DB early in the route. Definitely give the big playmaker a look.      Jack is coming off a huge season for Holmen. The junior RB proved to be a very explosive athlete while piling up 82 carries for 1,018 yards and 10 TDs. That works out to an insane 12.4 yds/att. Jack also led the team with 7 receptions for 350 yards and 5 TDs. The junior knows how to get to the endzone, scoring 15 TDs with less than 100 touches. The film shows a very exciting athlete. He checks so many boxes. Speed to get the edge, elusiveness in tight quarters and downfield, vision and instincts with the ball in his hands, and balance to break tackles out in space. The junior is a game-changing playmaker that needs a lot of attention and recruitment.      One of the wing backs of Holmen's productive rushing attack is AJ Alesch. The 5'8" 160 lbs back went off for 46/318/4 to the tune of 6.9 yds/att. AJ flashes vision and lateral agility allowing him to find and hit holes, even at the last second. AJ's quickness allows him to do damage between the tackles despite being undersized. Plus we he is used to attack the edges he has the speed to get outside of defenders and get up the field. AJ should be in position to continue to add to his workload and impact.      Tye is about as impactful as you will find here in WI. He led the team in punt and kick return TDs, receptions, receiving yards and TDs, and sacks while also being second on the team in TFLs. That is an insane impact, especially for a non-senior. The small school product is so explosive with the ball in his hands. His speed jumps off the tape and is far superior to those around him. Tye puts that speed and body control to work when it comes to his route running that opens up plenty of separation. Tye also has a strong combo of vision and that innate ability to make the rare play look easy. No doubt about it the 5'11" athlete is a game changer and does it in every way. Check him out!      Ethan looks like he is in line for a big jump in production at RB this season after spending 2024 in the RB2 spot. As the backup Ethan still got his production. He put up 83/524/9 in that limited role. Ethan does really well playing through traffic, making defenders miss, finding seams, and then accelerating into open space. While being RB2 Ethan also played OLB for CFC and made a strong impact at just 165 lbs. His athleticism out in space allows him to provide reliable coverage and also make those tough 1 on 1 tackles in space.      We only have a small sample size to watch on [player_tooltip player_id='1827546' first='Logan' last='Engel']. The junior does have a solid frame at 6'2" 190 lbs with the athleticism needed to win consistently on the edge. He is able to drop into coverage and easily change direction and close on the ball. Logan pairs that play in space with some examples of stout play on the edge against the run game. Definitely keep an eye on Logan this season.

We are back for some more deep dives into the rosters at schools scattered between Eau Claire and La Crosse, WI. An area of WI that is loaded up with smaller schools, but schools that have not had any issue with pumping out collegiate talent. Our second look through the area brings us a lot of athletes that are new to our radar and we are glad we found them. If they are new to you coaches, make sure you check them out further. Let's get into this second group of talented athletes!