Way Up North Gems of the Class of 2026

We continue our coverage of the different regions of Wisconsin with another wave of way up north standouts from the Class of 2026. Our focus will continue to be schools north of Hwy 8, our imaginary line for this exercise. We have another strong group of seven athletes to talk about. A group that are mostly brand new to our radar and popped up during this regional deep dive. So let's get acquainted with this group of talent!    Grant is one of the few athletes who hit our radar before this deep dive into the region in today's article. He actually hit our radar during the State Championship when he had to step in and take over at QB mid-game when the starter went out injured. He held his own, making smart reads and decisions running the triple option. All while also still playing LB for Rice Lake. Inside linebacker is where Grant called home most of the season and he is built for that spot. He has the size and power to be a force in the run game. Grant delivers strong tackles to quickly put down RBs. The '26 also has the athleticism to be able to drop into zone coverage and the awareness is there to be able to identify athletes entering his zone. I'm excited to see the production he puts up this fall. Grant is a name to know in northern WI.      Aaron is a very productive OLB/DB recruit who also spent some time taking carries at RB throughout the season. Hoffman finished 2024 with 56 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 3 FFs, and 1 pick six. In 2024 Aaron was utilized pretty much every way that an OLB/DB can be used. He would fly in off the edge to blitz the QB or play against the outside run game. In those physical scenarios the 5'11" 160 lbs athlete played without hesitation. Even at that size there are clips of him playing with his hand in the dirt and still making plays. The kid clearly has the right mentality for defense. Keep an eye on him.      An intriguing northern WI recruit is the 6'4" 205 lbs WR/S from Superior. Jacob finished second on the team in receptions, yards and TDs with 14/218/2. The junior also added 23 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles on defense too. The big draw has to be his potential at WR. His huge frame and wingspan and his soft hands give him and his QB a huge catch radius to play with. Jacob does well using his strength and size to create separation. The '26 has a lot of clips of him making impressive adjustments to the ball to be able to get hands on it and make the catch at awkward angles or with the ball way outside his frame. This kid is definitely a steal from the region.      The 6'4" 220 lbs junior out of Superior was all over the field for them in 2026. Beckett finished with 14 carries, with 132 yards and a TD on the ground, 8 receptions, 113 yards through the air, and on defense made 28 tackles, 3 TFLs, and half a sack. He did all that while also missing the final two weeks with an injury. The TE/DE will be back and ready to make an impact in 2025, and there should be plenty of eyes on the big and talented recruit. Beckett is a long striding athlete, yet still maintains so much power through his movements that allows him to break tackles and move the pile. The strong, physical target also possesses trustworthy hands for his QB to target. At DE Beckett is a bit more raw, but you still see the power off the line, range to chase down plays, and the length to be able to keep himself clean. The versatile athlete needs to be invited out to campus this summer for some camps to show where he is at in his development.      Another two way standout playmaker from northern WI is Evan Zoch of Lakeland Union. Evan led the team in every receiving category by a wide margin, going for 32/740/8 while also being second on the team in rushing with 46/234/3. If that wasn't enough the junior also plays DB where he made 23 tackles, grabbed 1 INT, and made 4 PBUs. Flipping back to offense, Evan is a very talented WR. He creates space before the catch with excellent balance, body control, and route running. At the catch he shows off concentration to make the catch in traffic or while taking a hit. Plus he excels at tracking the ball deep downfield. The junior WR/DB is a playmaker with the physical tools to be a college recruit. I think he could have a big senior season.      Junior RB Cyrus Leisure split time in the backfield for Rhineland in 2024, a great thing for the 5'10" 160 lbs change of pace type of back. With his 53 carries the junior produced almost 500 rushing yards while averaging just shy of 9 yds/att. Cyrus is a shifty, agile runner that thrives on misdirection plays. His vision helps him to quickly follow blocks and pick through traffic until he can find the seam and then show off his acceleration to top speed. The '26 RB also plays with the contact balance of a back that you would expect to be much bigger than 160 lbs. Cyrus runs hard and isn't afraid to earn the tough yards. Check out his highlight reel.      Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1804564' first='Caden' last='Sieker'] is an OL & DL out of Rhinelander. While his 6'2" 220 lbs frame may be a bit undersized for the OL it does fair well on the DL. In 2024 Caden gathered 27 tackles, 9 TFLs, 3 sacks, and a forced and recovered fumble. At the snap Caden plays with an explosive first step that is able to generate power on contact that drives his man off the line. Even in the run game you see Caden win the battle and push the line of scrimmage in his favor. Caden's 220 lbs frame is loaded up with strength. No doubt about it, the junior is one of the most disruptive northern WI DL.

We continue our coverage of the different regions of Wisconsin with another wave of way up north standouts from the Class of 2026. Our focus will continue to be schools north of Hwy 8, our imaginary line for this exercise. We have another strong group of seven athletes to talk about. A group that are mostly brand new to our radar and popped up during this regional deep dive. So let's get acquainted with this group of talent!