Breakout Ballers Focused On Big Seasons This Fall

With camp and combine season at full throttle we are seeing a lot of standout athletes taking their off-season training and applying it to see how they stack up to the competition. If you are ready for the challenge it can help be the springboard for on-going improvements as well as leading to a big season this fall. Go in unprepared or not in your best shape and expect a gut punch.   Elite ballers don't mess around...   The drive to be elite is a full-time job and it is more than getting in the best shape of your life. The guys who become elite pay as much attention to the mental and emotional aspects of the game as the physical. If you compete at an elite level you find out real quick that everyone is a baller - everyone is fast, strong and gifted in some way - and the only way to differentiate yourself and your game is by developing the most rock-solid mental and emotional skill sets possible.   It means learning to manage your time so you can hit on all the many factors that contribute to greatness and in making the football intangibles a priority. It means shaping your game from the inside out as ruthlessly as you hit the weights, conduct speedwork, agilities, cross-train and work on positional mechanics.   In this report, we will take look at five guys who are doing just that, burning the candle at both ends getting ready for standout seasons this fall. Two are exciting rising stars getting ready to ignite this fall in the all-important senior season, while the other three are versatile studs from the class of '27 who are getting ready to dominate in the upcoming junior season.   So without further adieu, let's take a closer look at five ballers getting ready to go to war in 2025:   [player_tooltip player_id='595717' first='Ja'Marcus' last='Vornes']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jamarcus-vornes/"></a> , WR/ATH, 6'0”, 175, Manhattan, ‘26. He is coming off a standout season a year ago for Junction City catching 21 passes for 470 yards, and adding 400+ yards on returns and seven TDs. He has since transferred to Manhattan and is going to be a key player in helping them make another title run. As a receiver he creates separation off the line quickly before rolling into precise routes. He has strong, sticky hands and can make the contested catch in traffic or on the sideline. Once he rips up defenders in the short game, he uses his burst and acceleration to turn on the afterburners and torch teams with the long ball. His off-season has been brutal, as a typical day starts with a 5 a.m. workout, followed by speedwork after school from 5-6 p.m., football mechanics and skill set development from 6:30-8 and then finish with recovery/stetch from 9-10 p.m. He is also planning on going to camps at K-State, Missouri, Arkansas, OU, O-State, Tulsa, Iowa St and Nebraska. Get your popcorn handy, he is getting ready to put on a show this fall as one of the top receivers in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='1125656' first='Kobie' last='Henley']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/kobie-henley/"></a> , 6'3”, 185, ATH/DB, Salina South, ‘27. He is coming off a good start as a sophomore last fall as a two-way baller with a high-ceiling game. On offense he can play running back or receiver and accounted for just under 200 yards of total offense getting acclimmated to the varsity game. On defense he really showed his promise as a headhunter of a safety who used his size, speed and athleticism to shut down passing attacks and pile up 50 tackles. He has been hitting it hard in the off-season as a standout basketball player and is working out five times a week with Revive Performance. His cross-training has been impressive, balancing strength and speedwork with two-to-three sessions of football skill work and multiple sessions of basketball skills weekly as well. In the off-season he has gotten an inch taller, put on 10 pounds while getting faster and was recently recognized as one of the Top 75 as a Market Athlete All-American. This guy is going to blow it up this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1475567' first='Kaelin' last='Scarth']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/kaelin-scarth-2/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/kaelin-scarth-2/"></a> , 6'3, 265, OL, Derby, '27. After stepping up to become a sophomore starter for powerful 6A Derby a year ago, he has been hard at it in the off-season. A versatile offensive lineman, he can play either guard or tackle but last year really stood out at right guard. With his prototype size and athleticism, he has the reach and feet to handle any blocking assignment. He comes out of his stance with great pad level and uses a quick initial step to leverage and then dismantle the defender. He is an athletic headbanger who can pull and lead on the perimeter or chip off and pick up linebackers on the move. In pass pro he has great mechanics and strong hands that he uses to wall off the rush. This off-season he is heavy into strength and speed training and recently returned from the You Are Athlete camp in KC. He will also hit the camp circuit shortly, heading to K-State, Kansas, OU, and Missouri camps in June. He has gained 20 pounds this offseason and gotten faster and was recently seen on social media dunking a basketball so he appears ready to go off this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1248293' first='Dahzael' last='Castillo']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/dahzael-castillo/"></a> , 5'10, 230, Edge/OL, Oxford, '27. He is another promising two-way trench warrior who helped his team to a 7-3 record and playoff run a year ago. On offense he can play anywhere along the line of scrimmage and is a versatile, blocker with a strong base and quick feet. He has a powerful, low-center of gravity with heavy hands that he uses effectively to piledrive down blocks or pull and cut off linebackers on the perimeter. On defense he really stands out as a mauling, brawling force off the edge or dropping down and stuffing the run game between the tackles as a three or five technique. This off-season he has been locked in, working hard in the weight room setting PR's and showing his athleticism in track by throwing the shot put and running the 200 meters. He has a busy summer ahead working out with his teammates getting ready for another successful season for the Wildcats. Get this guy in your sights and watch him go to work, he is getting ready for a breakout season this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1693651' first='Nisbyc' last='Johnson'], 5'10, 175, DB/ATH, Manhattan, '26. He is an athletic, versatile defensive back who is flying under the radar so far but is getting ready to change all that this fall. As a defender he can play as a lock-down cornerback who can get in the receiver's facemask and at the snap of the ball flip his hips, mirror the receiver's route and destroy the pass play before it ever gets going. He can also play as a hard nosed nickel/dime, but where he really shines is as a ballhawk safety with great instincts and read and react skills flying to the ball. His play isn't just about smothering coverage, as he brings the hammer as a hitter who comes flying out of the defensive backfield to make jarring tackles at the line of scrimmage or in space. He has been training daily with legendary @Drills_101 on footwork, agilities, mechanics and position drills and continuing to lift hard. He is getting ready to go to camps at Kansas State, KU, Nebraska, and Top Prospect camps in June and then later this summer at the team camp at Washburn. This guy is a sleeper who is going to be a key part of a loaded Manhattan defensive backfield that leads the Indians back to the title game.     In conclusion, get out and see these guys hit it hard this fall – you will not be disappointed. Also, DM me via X if you know of any other players flying under the radar.   And, as usual…   Keep grindin'

With camp and combine season at full throttle we are seeing a lot of standout athletes taking their off-season training and applying it to see how they stack up to the competition. If you are ready for the challenge it can help be the springboard for on-going improvements as well as leading to a big season this fall. Go in unprepared or not in your best shape and expect a gut punch.