Meet The 2029 Pre-Season Top 10

With the 2025 Missouri high school football season a week away we take a look at the initial 2029 top ten ranked players, and who you can watch to see if they see the field as freshman.   [player_tooltip player_id='1741240' first='Terrance' last='Jones'], Cardinal Ritter RB - The speedy 5'9" 165 Jones had an impressive summer showcasing his running back skills, along with his advanced athletic ability, at summer camps and scrimmages. Terrance has good vision, feet and quickness with the ability to change direction and hit top speed in a hurry. It looks like he will see the field some as a freshman as part of the Lions rushing rotation.   [player_tooltip player_id='1743298' first='Cash' last='Denney'], Blue Springs South TE/DE The 6'4" 205 Denney is a multisport athlete who has shown amazing athletic ability and potential heading into high school. He is a difficult red zone and short yardage match up with his size, athleticism and hands on offense, and has the tools needed to be an effective edge prospect as he gets more experience and continues to learn. The Jags are loaded at his positions in 2025, so we'll see if he gets any varsity action.   [player_tooltip player_id='1743304' first='Kenzo' last='Hockerson'], Lee's Summit North RB - Another talented running back who looks like he'll see some time on varsity in 2025 is the multi-talented and versatile Hockerson 5'8" 165. He's an instinctive runner, with impressive speed and cutting ability to make defenders miss and accelerate in a hurry. He showed good speed and overall athleticism at Lindenwood Camp, and looked the part when I saw him scrimmage this summer.   [player_tooltip player_id='1674661' first='Braden' last='Biermann'], Parkway West QB - One of the top incoming freshman quarterbacks in the Midwest in 2025. Biermann 5'9" 145 has advanced passing skills and technique. He also has an understanding of the position and ability to make reads you don't see usually in QBs his age. He combines that with impressive speed, power and explosiveness as an athlete, and a quick release and great arm strength and velocity on his throws. He'll play behind a D1 starter, but look for him to get some varsity action to prepare for the future.   [player_tooltip player_id='1741247' first='Tristen' last='Johnson'], SLUH WR/TE - A manchild of a freshman at 6'5" 190, Johnson matches his size with great flexibility, body control and amazing athleticism. He runs routes like a smaller receiver and does a great job getting separation and using his height and size to get positioning and make grabs. Tristen also possesses above average speed and runs well after the catch. The question will be if he continues to grow into a tight end or not. I could see him getting some reps on varsity this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1751565' first='Cameron' last='Johnson'], CBC DL - This 6'0" 230 DT prospect kicked off a great off season this year at the Elite Middle School Combine in St. Louis back in February as the most dominant defensive lineman at the event. He is physically advanced and has great strength, power and explosion on his get off, along with a tremendous motor some impressive technique that most young offensive linemen aren't use to see. He continued to rack up accolades at multiple events he attended. The future is bright for this season and over the next four years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1591199' first='Alex' last='Matney'], Kearney QB/ATH - I had been hearing about the 6'3" 205 Matney and his unique size and athletic ability for a while now. He will be playing and learning from another talented and athletic 6'3" left-handed quarterback at Kearney, so it will be interesting to see how much he learns from him. Blessed with a real cannon for an arm and the ability to launch the ball 65 yards in the air already, he has all the tools you could ask for to be a high level high school quarterback prospect as he develops over these next four years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1741243' first='Gerald' last='Taylor'], St. Mary's WR - A 6'2" 180 receiver prospect who isn't finished growing and could wind up at tight end when all is said and done. Taylor has impressive ball catching and route running skills that I saw during 7v7 this past year. He's a glider who is a big target and comes away with the ball if it's within his reach. He has good speed and can be a problem athletically against defensive backs. He's one of several talented freshman receivers the Dragons have.   [player_tooltip player_id='1741592' first='Terrence' last='Curry Jr.'], Orchard Farm WR/CB - Look for the 6'0" 165 speedy playmaker Curry to see time on varsity and make an impact possibly on offense, defense or special teams. Curry has tremendous ball skills as a receiver or cornerback, and is dangerous with the ball in his hands in space. He does a good job getting open and making himself a target with his route running and speed. He's physical and can be an asset for the Eagles early in his high school career.   [player_tooltip player_id='1587823' first='Elias' last='Taylor'], Rockhurst QB - Another young QB with a bright future, the 6'2" 170 Taylor caught my attention at the KC Varsity combine this past spring with his work ethic and emerging skills he possesses as a signal-caller. Elias has good technique and shows good consistency with it, along with a strong arm and good accuracy and ball placement on his throws. He'll have to wait his turn and continue to learn, but he definitely needs to be mentioned as a player to watch for starting high school this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1674660' first='Dylan' last='Shell'], Cardinal Ritter RB - Definitely deserving of being mentioned with the rest of the top ten is the 5'11" 205 running back Shell. A big, powerful runner with speed who will compliment the smaller more elusive Jones to form one of the most dangerous backfields in the state over the next few years. Dylan is a strong North/South runner between the tackles who you won't bring down with arm tackles. He also has the speed to take it to the house in the open field.

With the 2025 Missouri high school football season a week away we take a look at the initial 2029 top ten ranked players, and who you can watch to see if they see the field as freshman.