Madison-Area 2026 Steals and Names to Watch

The Class of 2026 is an overall deep class, and it is a class that is well distributed throughout the state. Every region of the state has a top player and also has plenty of depth within it. We have focused a lot on the top talent since the rankings updates over the past few weeks. Now it is time to dive deeper into each region and find the steals within each region. The kids that could breakout during summer camps or during their senior seasons. They are kids that college coaches and recruiters will definitely want to keep their eyes on over the next 9 months. Let's dive into it!    One of the best RBs in the Class of 2026 resides in the Madison area. Sun Prairie East starting RB [player_tooltip player_id='1220716' first='Brady' last='Kaufman'] needs to be on radars for the next level. The 170 lbs RB might not have the size of an RB1 at the next level, but a big workload is no issue at the HS level for the playmaker. In 2024 Brady touched the ball over 220 times on his way to 1,700+ AP Yards along with 24 total TDs. Brady brings an excellent base of instincts and vision to pair with his game breaking acceleration and long speed. Traits that do a great job of getting him into the open field and then creating big plays when he gets into that green grass. Kaufman further solidifies his change of pace abilities and third down usage by proving he is a reliable receiver out of the backfield as well. No doubt about it, Brady is one of the top weapons in the Madison area.      Jack was one of our biggest stock risers during the 2026 update following his first season as a varsity starter where he put up 27/363/4. A great base of numbers to build on this fall. Jack has the tools to build on and develop this offseason to continue to climbs recruiting boards. He has a strong 6'3" 185 lbs frame that eats up yards with long strides when he attacks vertically. Jack also does so well using his size to win the battle for the ball. He can go up and over DBs to high point or use his body positioning to box out, and he always catches the ball with strong hands away from his body. On top of winning with his physical tools, Jack's concentration to reel in the catches through traffic also shines on tape. The '26 WR is turning himself into a legitimate outside weapon.      Gatlin is an intriguing prospect that is on the rise. The 6'1" 225 lbs off-ball LB has no shortage of physicality. He is a stout tackler that ends all forward progression on contact. The strength is there to take on blocks and shed them without losing ground or getting driven out of a gap. Empey is also very assignment sound, always filling his gap against the run. Gatlin also flashed the range to be able to get out into the flats to cover short routes and could open up that range even more if we see him continue to make improvements athletically. If being a downhill, physical LB wasn't enough, Gatlin also took snaps at RB where he dared defenders to meet him 1 on 1 in the hole and bring him down. The physicality definitely carries over to the offensive side of the ball. Keep an eye on this kid.      Tyler is one of the athletes in this Class that is newest to the game of football. He only has a few years under his belt and is coming off his first year as a legitimate starter for Middleton. The rising LB turned that role into a team leading 89 tackles in 10 games. You have to love the tenacity that this kid plays with. It doesn't matter if he is pursuing to the opposite sideline or fighting through the trenches to pressure the QB or make a TFL, Tyler is going 100 mph and playing with physicality. Vogt is very quick to read and trigger on plays as well. His mental processing is well ahead of his experience level, suggesting very strong instincts for the position. Get eyes on his tape, and get this kid on campus for camps. He is an athlete that is going to be on the rise.      Verona has no shortage of talented LBs on their roster returning in 2025. One of the first to know among the group is edge rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1363713' first='Boden' last='Brotzman']. The 6'2" 225 lbs junior dominated off the edge in 2024, finishing with 20 TFLs and 7 sacks on top of his 59 tackles. Boden has a bright future and nowhere near fully tapped into his potential. As a pass rusher you see him use his length to get his hands inside and pairs that with leverage to drive OTs into the lap of QBs. His strength is unfair when Boden gets a TE on him, quickly shedding the block and making the tackle. There is no shortage of strength for the '26 OLB. He also has an explosive first step when rushing from a 2 or 3 point stance. What is really great to see is that a lot of his highlights are from the biggest games his team had this past season. Brotzman is a prime time performer who steps up in the biggest moments. The arrow is pointing up for this kid. Big things ahead for him.      Another Madison-area RB to keep an eye on this summer is Middleton's [player_tooltip player_id='402810' first='Elijah' last='Jackson']. In his junior season the 6'2" 195 lbs RB displayed a very well rounded game. He saw his carries push closer towards 100 total touches, and more impressive than that is we saw his receptions go from 2 up to 36. A kid with his size being a threat to run it just as much as he is to catch it puts a lot of stress on the defense. On the ground, Elijah brings versatility too. When he gets to the edge you see him really open up his long strides to cover ground quickly. Yet between the tackles Jackson shows that he has the quick feet to be able to juke or jump cut to make defenders miss. Elijah is steadily improving and seeing his workload go up. I'm excited to see what we see in his final season on what should be an explosive offense for Middleton.      I can't wait to hear about, and watch Harrison at camps this spring/summer. He is going to be a nightmare matchup in 1 on 1 battles because of the tools he brings to the field. Tools that helped him make 100+ tackles, 18 sacks, and 19 TFLs in his junior season. You will be hard pressed to find a more productive and disruptive defender in the Madison- area. Harrison has done a great job of learning how to combo his quickness, hand use, and strength into success despite being pretty vastly undersized compared to the OTs he goes against. Those physical tools paired with his high motor and relentless effort allow him to win an elite amount of battles, though. I can't wait to see the stat line this season as teams try to find a way to slow him down.      [player_tooltip player_id='1570919' first='Kyle' last='Kurt'] is an interesting prospect. He is coming off a productive year at both TE and edge defender. Kyle led the team in all receiving categories while also leading the team in TFLs and sacks. Plus he was 3rd overall in tackles on the team. At 6'2" 210 lbs Kyle is closer to a WR frame, but his physicality and power allow him to get into the trenches and do the dirty work with success. Whether that is blocking or getting clean releases through the trenches. Downfield Kyle does well finding the soft spots in coverage, and he naturally plucks the ball out of the air. On the defensive side of the ball you will find Kyle all over. Off the edge in a 2/3 point stance or at ILB. Either way the junior does really well finding the ball and figuring out ways to get to the ball. He can win with agility through traffic, or get hands on and shed blocks with strong hands then make the tackle. Kyle is an athlete that I could see on either side of the ball at the next level.      [player_tooltip player_id='1220749' first='McCoy' last='Smith'] is putting together an outstanding varsity career in Waunakee. Through his sophomore and junior seasons the highly productive defender has 131 tackles, 44 TFLs, and 16 sacks. Find the ball over the past two years of Waunakee defensive film and you will find McCoy. The 5'10" 220 lbs athlete plays with his hand in the dirt for Waunakee, but will most likely play from a two point stance at the next level. The athletic traits should carry over very well, though. He quickness downhill or out of his stance is excellent plus it quickly turns into closing speed once he gets into the backfield. His range to pursue the ball outside the pocket is another massive strength, as is his high motor to fight through the trenches and chase down plays from behind. The 5'10" 220 lbs athlete has no reservations about playing physical football either. The kid is a problem in the trenches and more than deserves a chance at the next level.      In his first year as the varsity starter for Middleton, Joey passed his way into PRZ WI Player of the Year consideration with his nearly 2,500 yards and 32 TDs in just 11 games. All while completing 60% of his passes and averaging 7.2 yds/att. It is that accuracy and touch that brought Joey so much success as a junior. It didn't matter what level of the field or if it was from the pocket or while buying time. Joey demonstrated the ability to get the ball out with sound mechanics that allowed him to control where he placed the ball. The pocket passer was a quick decision maker in 2024 showing he could go from receiver to receiver and look off safeties. The '26 QB wasn't afraid to uncork it downfield either, showing an arm that opens up the deep third of the field. As his arm strength improves the junior QB is only going to climb the recruiting boards around the state and midwest. Keep a close eye on this kid because he is putting in the off-season work.

The Class of 2026 is an overall deep class, and it is a class that is well distributed throughout the state. Every region of the state has a top player and also has plenty of depth within it. We have focused a lot on the top talent since the rankings updates over the past few weeks. Now it is time to dive deeper into each region and find the steals within each region. The kids that could breakout during summer camps or during their senior seasons. They are kids that college coaches and recruiters will definitely want to keep their eyes on over the next 9 months. Let's dive into it!