Top 10 Freshmen in the Sunflower State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After several hours of evaluation the past few months, the preseason player ranking frenzy has come to a close. The finale concluded with the youngest group of prospects in the state, as our first Class of ‘29 rankings went live yesterday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This update comes just in time before the 2025 season kicks off. Folks can now check out the Top 50 freshmen in the state heading into this fall. To celebrate the first update for the Class of ‘29, we'll be taking a look at the <em>Top 10 </em>prospects in the class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick reminder as well, these spots are by no means set in stone, as these players are just beginning their high school careers. Much will change in future updates and more players will be added. Our staff looks forward to seeing the progress this class will make throughout the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1643493' first='James' last='Klanderman'] - Manhattan, 6'2”, 170, QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At No. 1 overall is a young gunslinger our staff is eager to see hit the field. Klanderman of Manhattan impressed us with his middle school film, and he is sure to turn heads now at the high school level. He already boasts a strong arm and good size.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1663254' first='Adonis' last='Dunnigan'] - Manhattan, 5'11”, 170, ATH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following behind Klanderman at No. 2 overall is his teammate, and a prospect that has the potential to follow in his older brother's footsteps. Much like his brother JJ, [player_tooltip player_id='1663254' first='Adonis' last='Dunnigan'] also possesses the traits to be a two-way star. Manhattan's success is sure to continue with Klanderman and Adonis being the future faces of their program.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1707575' first='Evan' last='Valencia'] - Holcomb, 5'10”, 170, RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Holcomb Longhorns have yet another exciting young prospect on their hands. Debuting at No. 3 overall is Valencia who has the potential of being Holcomb's future lead back. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound RB possesses break away speed and is a home run threat with the ball in his hands.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1738191' first='Kellen' last='Weisguth'] - Blue Valley West, 6'0”, 175, QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second ranked quarterback in the class checked in at No. 4 overall. Much like Klanderman, Weisguth is a young signal caller already ahead of the curve in terms of size and talent. He has what it takes to be a solid starter in a few years.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1582714' first='Blake' last='Thomas'] - Blue Valley SW, 5'10”, 180, RB/DB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the south side of Blue Valley is another promising skill position player. Thomas has had a long awaited debut as our staff has featured the Blue Valley Southwest prospect multiple times this summer. The dynamic playmaker entered the rankings at No. 5 overall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1649519' first='Mason' last='Arndt'] - St. Thomas Aquinas, 5'10”, 180, DB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half of the <em>Top 10 </em>begins with Arndt of St. Thomas Aquinas. He's one of the more explosive prospects in this class already, as he's recorded a 35-inch vertical. The No. 6 overall prospect has the potential to play beyond the freshman level this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1545283' first='Dominic' last='Santiago'] - Blue Valley West, 5'11”, 230, OL</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I mentioned above, more players will be added in future updates. But for now, our staff has Santiago of Blue Valley West ranked as the top offensive lineman in the class. Santiago is a stout lineman that has shown promise on both sides of the ball. He debuted at No. 7 overall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1488238' first='Hudson' last='Hawkins'] - Halstead, 5'9”, 150, ATH/RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Halstead has received some praise recently from our staff. Another prospect on their roster folks will want to keep an eye on is [player_tooltip player_id='1488238' first='Hudson' last='Hawkins']. He's an impressive runner that displays a quick burst in the open field. Hawkins checked in as the 2nd ranked athlete in the class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1656264' first='Kaleb' last='Hutton'] - Wichita NW, 6'2”, 180, WR/TE</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given Wichita Northwest's track record of developing talent, the No. 9 ranked prospect has the potential of quickly climbing the rankings. Hutton has an ideal frame for the collegiate level and he's only a freshman. He's a player that could make some noise out of the WIchita area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1488557' first='Cael' last='Claibourn'] - Emporia, 6'1”, 185, QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Claibourn of Emporia caps off this first <em>Top 10 </em>for the Class of ‘29 rankings. He's the 3rd ranked player at his position. Between Claibourn, Klanderman, and Weisguth, the quarterbacks are looking like the strongest position group in the class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->