Unranked and Underrated: A Look at Four Upcoming Juniors

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Discovering unranked prospects has been the focus of my previous reports, and it'll continue to be the theme in this one. However, the upcoming senior class won't be the topic of discussion this time. Instead, we'll be taking a look at prospects from the upcoming junior class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a few weeks since the Class of ‘27 has been in the spotlight. The class has been busy putting in work throughout May, and some unranked prospects have been making a case to be added to the rankings. These four have caught my attention recently. Each of these players should be more involved offensively during the ‘25 campaign.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Max Piva</strong> - Mill Valley, 6'0”, 205, RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's no secret Mill Valley had one of the top rushing attacks in the state last season. By now, most folks are familiar with the Jags' starting running back. But they should get to know Piva as well. Piva saw action in Mill Valley's lopsided wins and was extremely effective. In just five appearances, Piva turned 26 carries into 333 yards and four scores. He's a back with good size and possesses the strength to break multiple tackles. Piva and [player_tooltip player_id='1310981' first='Reggie' last='Reece'] have the potential to be one of the top RB tandems in the state this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Yoqub Abdumalikov</strong> - Blue Valley West, 5'9”, 170, RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another unranked back from the Kansas City metro that should see an increased workload is Abdumalikov of Blue Valley West. He didn't appear in many varsity games in 2024 but he was impressive at the junior-varsity level. Abdumalikov was BVW's lead back on JV, and he displayed a good combination of vision and patience which helped him rip off several big runs. In his limited varsity snaps he did manage to rack up 186 yards on 34 carries with one score. He'll have a shot at taking over as the feature back for BVW during his junior year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Demarye Smith</strong> - Maize, 6'0”, 200, RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to Abdumalikov, Smith of Maize High will also likely have the opportunity to earn a starting job this season. His lone appearance on the varsity stage in 2024 was a good audition for the job. During a blowout victory for Maize, Smith toted the rock 10 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. At the JV level he showcased a bruising running style, which led to several yards after contact. If he can improve his speed this offseason then opposing defenses better watch out.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1880064' first='Eamon' last='Gander']</strong> - Blue Valley NW, 6'3”, 215, TE/DE</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final prospect in this report is possibly the most intriguing. Gander of Blue Valley Northwest is a little bit of an unknown, but his strength and 6-foot-3 215-pound frame have some collegiate programs showing slight interest. This month alone he's received camp invites from programs ranging across the <em>NAIA</em> level to the <em>FBS</em> level. Given Northwest's recent track record of developing top-tier talent, there's a good chance that Gander could emerge as a breakout player for them this fall.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->