27s Who Made a Name for Themselves With Breakout Seasons

Junior year is when we look for athletes to establish themselves and separate themselves from the crowd or lock themselves into the talent tier they belong in. There were so many breakout junior seasons to choose from, but after showering rankings, Watch List, and my personal list of new additions I have compiled a list of athletes who made the leap on tape and in the production they provided to their team. It is a well represented group too with OLs, QBs, two- way ATHs, and more. Let's roll the tape and look into the numbers.    The Class of 2027 OL position is elite. We are talking about one of the deepest position groups at the top that we have seen. That is saying a lot for a state known for producing at the position. Evan is working himself into joining that top end of the group. He was a force on the varsity OL at RT. He has the elite frame you look for with length and room to continue to add another 30+ lbs over the years. The big man has built an athletic lower body. You see that he can reach guys and run laterally while engaged. The junior OT also shows off an impressively powerful upper body strength as he tosses DL around the trenches. Make sure this kid is on your long list of 2027 OL to know.     Max has bided his time as an underclassman, and now in his first year as an upperclassman has broken out. He led the team with 41 receptions, and 7 TDs, and was second with 437 yards. There are a lot of raw tools to fall in love with when it comes to Max. A larger frame for the position while playing with elite speed. The highlights show a kid that can win vertically or stretch the field laterally then vertically. He does it in the toughest conference in WI too. The vertical threat also flashes some very effective route running. There is some savviness to it with head fakes and Max does really well off double moves. The 2027 WR has been a playmaker I have anxiously waited to see on tape and we finally got to see it. Take a look for yourselves.     Austyn was one of the biggest breakouts in the state. He is also going to be one of the biggest risers during our upcoming rankings update. Last year Austyn barely cracked 500 yards as the backup RB. This season he went off for 1,800+ and 31 TDs on the ground. The massive leap in production pales in comparison to the dominant traits he possesses. Austyn is a powerful RB. I was able to see him live and watch how great his contact balance was, how decisive of a runner he was, and how he has a 2nd gear in the open field. Austyn is a playmaker and going to find himself way up the rankings. Big things ahead for the potential D1 RB.     As a sophomore Devon was sparingly used on his way to 134 total rushing yards. After some graduation and school transfers Devon found himself as RB1 and never looked back. In his first year as RB1 Williams piled up over 1200 all purpose yards and 15 TDs. You don't have to watch long to see how dynamic, explosive, and elusive Devon is. As soon as he gets in the open field he is a nightmare to contain between his agility to make you miss and also his contact balance to break tackles in those 1 on 1 scenarios. The elite speed is there too as the junior easily got the edge throughout his highlights. The Class of 2027 RB position has taken a massive leap in talent and depth thanks to the breakouts of the position.     What a jump in production for QB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1620343' first='Zeke' last='Zuberbuhler']. A leap that led to great team success and an eventual undefeated State Championship. Zeke went from 1500 total yards to 2,600+ total yards and 40 TDs. Zeke is a game breaking dual threat athlete. He runs the ball with all the top tier traits of an RB and then can drop back and be a 73% completion percentage passer. He is a QB that forces a defense to guard the entire field. A difficult task for the small school levels. And then on defense the junior will be all over the field with that same physicality and high football IQ. I can't wait to see what he is recruited as over this next year.     What a difference a year makes! Quintin was the starter for varsity as a sophomore. He posted 1,582 yards with 10 TDs and 10 INTs. As a junior Quintin was one of the leading passers in the state with 3,223 yards and 33 TDs to 10 INTs. He also raised his completion percentage by 13%. Arizola has fully grasped the offense and his arm talent allows him to execute every throw necessary. He makes great decisions and understands where he needs to put the ball for his receiver. The 2027 QB has D-D rolling and poised for a huge 2026 season. This is a QB to know in this Class.     A year ago Darian was RB3 for PdC. Fast forward to today and the junior has wrapped up his first RB1 season and ready for another as a senior. The 5'10" 205 lbs athlete runs the ball hard. Downhill, behind his pads, never lets his legs stop and bounces off contact consistently. Darian was able to finish the year averaging 5.2 yards/carry, again highlighting his ability to wear down the defense with his touches between the tackles. I can see Darian being highly sought after by the schools across WI because of his talents and playing style.     Ben was serviceable as a sophomore. As a junior he was simply unstoppable. Ben went from 3/287/3 in 2024 to 41/876/12 as a junior. Both years he led the team, but it is clear in 2025 he was a focal point of the offense. I was lucky enough to watch him live this season. There is one thing his game revolves around. Speed. Ben is a dominant deep threat who ripped the top off the defense on a week to week basis. DBs can't seem to run with him and his natural ball skills make him a great threat at WR. His 21.4 yds/rec. are just a hit towards the mismatch he provides out wide. I can't wait to see some combine numbers from the 2027.     Trent spent his sophomore season as QB2 for SPASH. The second he got the chance he took QB1 and hasn't looked back. Trent proved to be a dangerous dual threat QB, finishing 2025 with 1,786 passing yards, 854 rushing yards, and 34 total TDs. Trent carries the ball like an elusive RB, cutting and juking through traffic and showing off next level vision through that traffic. The open field speed is there too for the playmaker. The dual threat has a big arm too. The ball will jump out of his hand when he needs to hit a window or push it deep downfield. Trent has made the SPASH offense very explosive and it will be interesting to see how he performs this offseason leading into his final HS season.     Carter definitely made a name for himself in 2025. He led Bonduel in every rushing category, receiving category, and was 4th in tackles. The junior proved he was a true, do-it-all athlete for the dominant small school. Carter jumps off the tape with his athleticism and power that he has packed into that prototypical frame. He can pull away in the open field or he can run you over. On defense he seems to be everywhere because of that athleticism and absolutely lights ball carriers up with his physical tackles. Carter is a need to know athlete in this Class that will debut high in the Class of 2027 rankings.

Junior year is when we look for athletes to establish themselves and separate themselves from the crowd or lock themselves into the talent tier they belong in. There were so many breakout junior seasons to choose from, but after showering rankings, Watch List, and my personal list of new additions I have compiled a list of athletes who made the leap on tape and in the production they provided to their team. It is a well represented group too with OLs, QBs, two- way ATHs, and more. Let's roll the tape and look into the numbers.