Dominant Two-Way Performers

The Class of 2026 are preparing themselves to lead their teams onto the field this fall. Many of those athletes will be leading the way on offense and defense, pulling double duty to help their team every way that they can. Be able to effectively do that requires a special athlete. One with a high motor and drive, one that is able to learn quickly, and also one that has the power or athleticism necessary to win on both sides of the ball. Those special athletes are the group we focus on today as we dive into the most impressive two-way athletes in the Class of 2026.    The best of the best when it comes to two way athletes in the front seven is [player_tooltip player_id='1220652' first='Ryan' last='Westrich']. The kid has been dominating on the DL for several seasons now, and his play at TE has been steadily improving at a rapid rate too. On defense Ryan is such a mismatch. Whether it is the elite length, or the explosive first step and huge strides, or the power he can create on contact, Ryan is able to win so many ways. Then on offense he towers over defenders and easily keeps them away from the ball with his body at the catch. The junior has become very improved in his route running as well. The FBS level recruit is an impressive talent on both sides of the ball.     The top two way athlete on the perimeter is Prescott's [player_tooltip player_id='1361639' first='Kobe' last='Russell']. The 6'1" 185 lbs athlete put together an outstanding junior season on both sides of the ball. A season that has helped him earn several FCS and FBS offers with more to come. I love watching his CB tape. The '26 has explosive closing speed that helped him make a lot of his biggest plays. That speed and his easy change of direction allowed him to run step for step with receivers all over the field. Kobe is such a natural catching the ball too, plucking it out of the air or adjusting to make the grab on a pass outside his frame or even grabbing one handed INTs. On offense those same dynamic athletic traits translate over. His quickness shines in his releases and route breaks. The speed allowed him to stack the CB and pull away deep downfield. Plus the ball skills allowed him to effortlessly track down the ball in flight. Kobe is a mismatch, a playmaker, and need to know athlete in this Class.     Another special DB/WR recruit is [player_tooltip player_id='1220671' first='Michael' last='Farr']. Michael plays DB so impressively. He has the ability to play corner and safety. The physicality looks like that of an elite safety, flying around the field delivering devastating tackles. Michael has outstanding range to go from 15 yards deep to the line of scrimmage and make a tackle against the run game for no gain. He can also get to the sideline on deep passes in time to make INTs. Farr also brings a very high football IQ to the safety position. Flip to offense and Michael dominates with his far superior athletic abilities. He has a strong burst of acceleration off the line and a second gear to get deep. The way Farr is able to do everything with power is not typical. The kid is a special athlete.     Wisconsin is developing what seems like more and more impressive skill position players. One of those is Bradford's [player_tooltip player_id='402807' first='Brandon' last='Walton']. The junior shines at WR and DB and legitimately could get offers at either position. He has excellent length for the position, yet despite the length Brandon still shows excellent body control, short area, agility and the ability to contort his body in the air to get the ball. On offense he is such a sudden route runner that catches you off guard with how sudden and smooth he can run routes. His leaping ability is a huge bonus too as he is able to go up and take it off the top shelf. Even with all that athletic ability the junior isn't afraid to get down and dirty and make tackles in space out at CB on top of it all. This is another special two way player that people need on their radars.     Maybe the most versatile athlete in this article is [player_tooltip player_id='700015' first='AJ' last='Seymour']. Checking in at 6'4" 210 lbs and with an athletic/physical skill set like he has, you could tell me you were recruiting him as a TE, LB, S, or you just wanted to get in on your roster and would figure it out from there. On offense AJ has done really well on the ground. He runs behind his pads, shows some elusiveness, and has a low center of gravity to gain yards after first contact. AJ is even such a natural athlete that while he probably won't play QB at the next level he has still be able to slice up defenses downfield. On defense the junior shows off a high football IQ. He diagnoses plays quickly and is able to make a big impact with how quickly he can position himself to make a play. Football IQ, size, athleticism, physicality all come together to give AJ and colleges a lot of options in the future.     We jump back to the TE/Edge combo athletes for our next standout two way player. Recruiting is starting to pick up for the impressive 2026, with good reason. On offense you see Ryan get quick releases, show that he can play inline or out wide, and also open up a lot of separation with his smooth and efficient route running. Ryan has a solid base of speed for the position as well, and uses his size to protect the ball while securing the catch. On defense Ryan is just as impressive. Maybe even more. He has a skill set that made him a very tough blocking assignment. A quick first step and a closing burst to win with speed. The junior is also very effective with his hand fighting and pass rush moves including a spin move that flashes early in the tape. The versatility is there with this 2026 TE/DE. Don't overlook this kid.     Something we don't see often are linemen that could legitimately play either side of the trenches. In 2024 Wyatt was one of the state's best pass rushers from the interior. He is quick off the snap, and very powerful on contact to collapse the pocket. Wyatt also does well using his hands to disengage early in the play. Flip to the other side of the ball and you see that same power show up in the run game. A run game that was one of the best in the state.Between his heavy hands, leverage, and constantly moving feet the big man is able to displace even the biggest DL. I highly recommend getting this kid on your radar if he isn't.

The Class of 2026 are preparing themselves to lead their teams onto the field this fall. Many of those athletes will be leading the way on offense and defense, pulling double duty to help their team every way that they can. Be able to effectively do that requires a special athlete. One with a high motor and drive, one that is able to learn quickly, and also one that has the power or athleticism necessary to win on both sides of the ball. Those special athletes are the group we focus on today as we dive into the most impressive two-way athletes in the Class of 2026.