Off-Season Ballers Burning the Candle At Both Ends

The off-season is flying by and believe it or not August is a scant 12 weeks away. Let that sink in and then think back three months and consider how fast the time went by.   The season will be here in the blink of an eye.   The camp-combine time frame is one of the final stretches of the off-season gauntlet. And, whether you go camping or not, ideally your training is being mapped out so you are peaking at the right time and use it as the launch platform for hitting the ground at full sprint in pre-season football practice...   It is also the appropriate time to put the finishing touches on getting your mind right, tuning out the noise, making good choices and considering the consequences of your actions, as there is too much on the line not to do so.   And, as always, keep in mind staying the coarse is usually about just saying no...   In this report we are taking a quick look at five diamonds in the rough from different classes who have been getting their game together in the off-season and are ready to shine bright this fall.   So, without further adieu, let's see what these guys have to offer:   [player_tooltip player_id='1229113' first='Jackson' last='Anderson']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jackson-anderson-3/"></a> , LB, 5'11”, 175, Hutchinson, ‘26. He is coming off an excellent junior season when he piled up 94 tackles, averaging nine tackles a game and also adding 16 TFL and a pair of fumble recoveries. As an outside linebacker he is a versatile athlete with great instinct and read and react closing speed. He has standout anticipation and timing in penetrating gaps on the blitz or shutting down plays on the perimeter. Once he diagnoses the play he uses his quick feet and lateral movement through traffic to make jarring tackles at the line of scrimmage. He just wrapped up wrestling and is focused on football training for the next few months. His camp and summer training is already mapped out as he plans to attend camps at K-State, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. He also just visited Friends and is considering other visits. This guy is getting ready to blow it up this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1632259' first='Braeden' last='Gordon'], 5'10, 225, OL, Clearwater, '26, he is another baller coming off a good junior season earning all-conference honors in the trenches, and gearing up for a dominating senior season. With his powerful base and low center of gravity he has a quick first step and heavy hands that he uses to leverage and then demolish the defender. A versatile interior lineman, he can play either guard and is skilled in walling off in pass pro or pulling and leading backs on the perimeter. In the run game he is a battering ram of a down blocker who routinely buries the defender in the turf, and last fall dished out 30 pancake blocks. Right now he is busy throwing in track and has set PR's in all the major lifts this spring. He is still in the process of deciding which camps to hit, as well as what school visits he will be taking in the summer months. He may be flying under the radar now but all that is going to change in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1250567' first='Brody' last='Sedlacek']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/brody-sedlacek/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/brody-sedlacek/"></a> , 5'11, 185, LB/RB, Hanover, '27, Following an excellent sophomore season as a ballhawk outside linebacker with great instincts and read and react skills, he didn't waste any time getting into the off-season grind to get better. This spring and summer he will be burning the candle at both ends with a combination of team and personal training as well as hitting a number of camps and getting in some cross-training playing hoops. His mornings get started with 6 a.m. workouts, followed by working on his grandpa's farm. He supplements that with training with Revive Performance, and fits in 7 on 7 and summer league basketball. He is also planning on hitting camps at K-State, KU and Baker this summer. With Hanover's long tradition of winning and accumulating state championships, he and his teammates are locked in on making a title run this year. This guy is going to be a key part in making that happen.   [player_tooltip player_id='1629811' first='Taylen' last='Washington']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/taylen-washington/"></a> , 6'3, 215, OLB/Edge, Derby, '28, he is another standout baller coming up through the Panther program who is getting ready to make some noise this fall. Already possessing prototype size and athleticism, he is a versatile defender who can dominate in the trenches if needed, but is a beast coming off the edge or as headhunter of an outside linebacker. He is also athletic enough to play in the secondary as he did as a hybrid safety in 7v7 with the Wichita Wheat this past spring. He has seen quite a bit of growth this past off-season, hitting the weight training hard and doing his speed/quickness work and has gotten bigger and even more explosive. His camp season is a busy one, as he is planning on going to Washburn and then heading south to Houston, before wrapping up camps at KU and K-State later in June. This guy is a diamond in the rough getting ready to seriously shine this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1327840' first='Cash' last='Widener']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/cash-widener/"></a> , 5'9, 150, WR/ATH, Hesston, '28, he is a high-ceiling baller who is coming off a good start last fall as a playmaker who can step in at quarterback if needed but is starting to shine as a standout receiver. Lining up split wide or in the slot, he runs precise routes, and has the burst and elusiveness to get immediate separation off the line of scrimmage. He also has the speed and acceleration to torch secondaries on the long ball and is adept at picking up significant yards after the catch. He had been hitting his off-season workouts hard until he recently fractured his ankle, which kept him out of track this spring. He gets the boot off in the next week and intends to hit the ground running to make up for lost time. When he isn't working out with legendary Trainer/Coach Rashad Daniels he is getting ready for camps at K-State and Oklahoma State. This guy is getting ready to take it to another level this fall.   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'

The off-season is flying by and believe it or not August is a scant 12 weeks away. Let that sink in and then think back three months and consider how fast the time went by.