2026 Future Jayhawk Ballers Cut From A Different Cloth

After working on off-season updates and turning over rocks looking for ballers flying under the radar, I like to take some time every few months to appreciate the upper-echelon, elite playmakers in the state.   More specifically at this juncture, the highly-anticipated class of 2026 players already committed to Kansas University.   It is quite a haul so far, and intriguing to say the least, as six of the top 10 players in the 2026 PRZ rankings are committed to Kansas. As a comparison, in the '25 class the top six players are all headed to different schools.   The '26 class of super-nova athletes heading to Lawrence appear to be a special group who will hopefully help usher in a new program transformation to go with the stadium and facility upgrades.   These guys are reaping the reward of years of relentless hard work to get to this point. At this stage in their development they have optimized the usual building blocks - lifting, running, jumping, testing, etc - to get as big, fast and explosive as possible.   But, the focus shifts somewhat once you have demontrated elite talent. The usual training continues, as it is the foundation, but once determined to be elite, players start spending more time fine-tuning the critical success factors associated with their game. Most programs enable players to do this using different continuous improvement approaches, with many using an off-season SWOT-style analysis to focus changes via identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.   But to be elite, the optimization process has to be more in-depth and go beyond that. The bigger schools use some semblance of what is known as the “aggregation of marginal gains”, which is a concept developed by Dave Brailsford, a British cycling coach, and is also referred to as the "1% Improvement Process". In it he explains how focusing on small, incremental improvements associated with every aspect of your game leads to dramatic overall improvements.   It's essentially taking every movement, every approach to practice and games, dissecting intangibles, how you think, how you train, etc, etc and stratifying each into small, digestible improvements that appear insignificant on their own but in conjunction with many others becomes the super power ballers are looking for.   As competitive as the environment is getting, it is essential to use all available assets, tools and God-given gifts to go above and beyond the norm. This fine-tuning process of touching all the little things that will enable players to elevate their game above the competition when everything else is a wash.   This week I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with these future stars on how their off seasons were going. In this report we will pull back the curtain and take a quick look at some of the best ballers the state has to offer as they fine-tune their game for a big senior season on their way to Jayhawk country.   So, without further adieu, let jump in and see what these guys are doing in the off-season:      [player_tooltip player_id='401683' first='Kaden' last='Snyder']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/kaden-snyder/"></a> , 6'6”, 280, OL, Salina Central, ‘26. He is currently the top-ranked player in the 2026 class and quickly caught the eye of KU coaches as a mauling, dominating force in the trenches. He has prototype size and athleticism and is a skilled three-sport standout in basketball and track as well as football. As a future backside protector for KU QBs at left tackle he has great feet and reach that he uses to throttle edge rushers in pass pro. In the run game he is a piledriving blocker and provides a pancake delivery service for unfortunate targets in the trenches. He is working on all aspects of his game and in particular has become more explosive, bumping all the major lifts significantly. He is choosing to focus his training locally rather than hit any camps this spring and continue to work on all the nuances of elite trench warfare. With his skills and drive to keep taking his game to the next level he is going to bring the sledgehammer this fall.     [player_tooltip player_id='904447' first='James' last='Dunnigan Jr']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/james-dunnigan-jr/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/james-dunnigan-jr/"></a> , 6'3, 195, WR/DB, Manhattan, '26. He is probably one of the most widely-known high school players in Kansas and for good reason, as he is a generational talent who we will one day see play on Sundays. In the meantime he has been fine-tuning a versatile skill set that is rapidly approaching a 5-star status level as one of the best of the best nationwide. He is coming off a sizzling junior year when he helped lead his team to a 12-1 record and scored nine TD's on receptions, returns and interceptions. With his length, burst and pure athleticism, he can play anywhere, as a suffocating shut-down corner, float over the top as a ball-hawk safety or even drop down in the box on occasion as a hybrid LB to hammer plays at the line of scrimmage. His official visit with KU is June 6-8. He and his Manhattan teammates are ready to run it back for another shot at the state title. Get your popcorn ready, this guy is going to put on a show for the ages this fall.     [player_tooltip player_id='585905' first='Hunter' last='Higgins']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/hunter-higgins/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/hunter-higgins/"></a> , 6'5, 255, TE/Edge, Maize South, '26. He is coming off a dominating season as one of the top edge rushers in the state and is returning as the state leader in sacks with 13. Additionally, he piled up 62 tackles, 11 TFL, and 26 hurries in only ten games. As a defensive end he comes off the edge like he was shot out of a cannon and is relentless causing chaos in the backfield. With his powerful frame, weaponized hands and overall physicality he pounds blockers into submission on the perimeter. This is the first spring he has not played baseball and is laser focused on his training, working with Coach Rashad Daniels several times a week. He is healthier than he has been in awhile and is pumped about spending more time this summer with his future Jayhawk coaches. This guy is built for destruction and now that he is healthy he is going to go scorched earth on the opposition this fall.       [player_tooltip player_id='585904' first='Jaylen' last='Mason']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jaylen-mason/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jaylen-mason/"></a> , 6'3, 205, Wichita NW, '26. He is a Wichita-area quarterback who I got to see in action a couple times last year and one I have been impressed with his skill set. He has the rare balanced combination of prototype size, speed and athleticism, as well as extensive starting experience at a large school. With polished, fluid mechanics, he is adept at destroying defenses off the RPO or can sit in the pocket and sling surgical strikes. Last fall he led his team deep into the playoffs and along the way ran and passed for 2,645 total yards and 33 total TDs. His maturity was evident all year as he had an impressive touchdown to interception ratio of 24:3, which drove an elite-level 123.0 passer rating. His training has kept him busy all off-season with the next event coming up being the Elite 11 Regionals in Pennsylvania in May. He is coming off a hand injury that slowed him for a bit but he is healthy now and throwing with his receivers. This guy is going to have a monster year this fall.       [player_tooltip player_id='780113' first='Tyren' last='Parker'], 6'4, 190, WR/DB, Shawnee Heights, '26. He is coming off an en fuego junior year as one of the top two-way playmakers in the state last fall. On offense he roasted secondaries all year, and is the leading returning receiver in the state after catching 50 passes for 946 yards, averaged 19 yards a catch and totaled 12 TD's. He also added 300 yards in return yardage, 48 tackles and a pair of picks on defense. He is a gifted athlete with a high ceiling who can star at the next level on either side of the ball. With his length, catch radius and good burst he can dominate as a wideout, or on defense get helmet to helmet, bust receivers in the mouth, flip hips at the snap and shut down the route as a CB. He has been busy in the off-season playing hoops and also played 7v7 with Building Champions. The Jayhawks cornered the Kansas market on 2026 talent and this guy is going to be front and center bringing the fireworks this fall.    In conclusion, get out and see these guys blow it up this fall on Friday nights before they move on. You will not be disappointed. And, DM me via X if you run across any players flying under the radar.   And, as usual...   Keep grindin'

After working on off-season updates and turning over rocks looking for ballers flying under the radar, I like to take some time every few months to appreciate the upper-echelon, elite playmakers in the state.