Ballers Shifting Gears to the Dreaded Off-Season Grind

During Championship Week, I wanted to kickoff what will be an on-going series of articles in the next few months recognizing players for their performance and potential following the 2025 season.   This series of articles will range from the top players in each class to the unsung heroes and guys flying under the radar to the super-elite D1 guys to the ballers that are just flat-out killin' it getting ready for 2026.   In this report we will take a look at a dozen ballers spread out among all the classes, starting with '29, followed by '27-'28 and then wrap up with the '26 players.   So without further adieu, let's check out what these guys have been up to now that the season has come to a close:   2029 PLAYERS:   [player_tooltip player_id='1881645' first='Riley' last='McEvoy']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/riley-mcevoy/"></a> , 6'3, 190, WR, SHHS, '29, he is a baller I recently reported on after hearing rave reviews about his potential game. With prototype size, speed, length and athleticism already, he is a multi-positional baller who can line up as a wide receiver or move in tight and play as a hybrid tight end. This past season he saw some limited action, with a high point coming in a 49-7 win over Phillipsburg when he caught a pair of passes for 30 yards and scored a receiving touchdown. On the year he caught five passes for 55 yards. This guy is a young stud in the making who is just getting warmed up.   [player_tooltip player_id='1738191' first='Kellen' last='Weisguth'], 6'0, 180, QB, Blue Valley West, '29, he is dual-threat young gun QB who caught my eye over the summer as he worked the grind to get ready for varsity football. Although he saw some limited varsity reps, he backed up a senior QB and spent most of the season fine-tuning his skills on freshman/junior varsity ball where he lit teams up all year. For the season he rifled 136 completions in 233 attempts for 2,171 yards, a 60% completion percentage, 27 TD passes and scored three times on the ground. With excellent size and athleticism, he can make things happen with his legs but his arm is what is elite. Keep an eye on this guy.   Braxton Stroda, 6'0, 190, LB/ATH, Junction City, '29, he got my attention earlier in the season when I was scouting other JC players and his game jumped off the tape - especially as a freshman linebacker starting at a 6A school. He can play any of the LB positions, but really excels as an inside backer who hits like a hammer and essentially shuts the run game down between the tackles when he is in the game. He has the athleticism, next-level instincts, and instant read and react skills that he turned into 28 tackles and a pair of tackles for loss this past year. If you don't have this guy on your watchlists, you are missing out on a defensive playmaker in the making.     2027-2028 PLAYERS:   [player_tooltip player_id='993089' first='Rett' last='Daniels'], 6'1, 205, LB, Blue Valley North, '27,  he is a junior headhunter linebacker who came out of the blocks fast and furious this last fall and delivered his devastating brand of defense. With prototype size and athleticism for a hybrid strong safety/LB, he blew up teams with 110 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries, one returned for a TD, picked off a pass and added a blocked field goal for good measure. This guy plays a violent, aggressive game, shedding blocks with powerful hands and working laterally to deliver a blow. He is just getting warmed up for a big senior year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1593083' first='Gus' last='Ketteler']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/gus-ketteler/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/gus-ketteler/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/gus-ketteler/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/gus-ketteler/"></a> , 6'0, 175, RB/DB, Shawnee Mission East, '27, he is an athletic all-purpose back with track speed who has been fine-tuning his game in the SME backfield the last couple of years. With his quick feet and burst, he blows through holes and is into the secondary before teams know what hit them. This past season he really developed into an all-around back, carrying the ball 60 times for 325 yards, for a 5.5 average, caught a pair of passes and piled up 339 total yards. He has also become a strong lead blocker when not carrying the ball. This guy is getting ready for a breakout year in 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='1672095' first='Joey' last='Dintino']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/joey-dintino/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/joey-dintino/"></a> , 5'10, 170, QB/DB, Plainville, '27, he is a dual-threat gunslinger who started getting some attention this year as a two-way baller who makes things happen. In eight games this year on offense, he fired 54 completions in 105 attempts for 985 yards passing, threw nine TD passes to only six picks. He also rushed for 153 yards on the ground and added two more scores. On the other side of the ball he had 20 tackles, a pair of interceptions and two blocked punts, with one returned for a TD. With his top three receivers returning and a strong season under his belt, look for him to wing it in 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='1612738' first='Max' last='Holman']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/max-holman/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/max-holman/"></a> , 5'10, 165, WR, Liberal, '27, he is a versatile junior wide receiver/defensive back who was one of the key targets in the high-flying Redskin passing attack. This past season he caught 30 passes for 384 yards and four TD's, including a season high six grabs for 123 yards and a score against Topeka Seaman in the playoff opener. On defense he is a hard-hitting d-back coming out of the secondary who had 22 tackles, two TFL and intercepted three passes on the year. He also averaged 25 yard per kick return on special teams. This three-way playmaker is getting ready to go off next fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1275244' first='Kai' last='Lowry'], 6'1, 235, DE/TE, Shawnee Mission NW, '27, he is the first of two promising Cougars who stepped up this past season as undergraduate ballers who came in and delivered when they got their chance. Lowry in particular had a strong junior season as a pile-driving blocker of a tight end on offense and a destroyer of an edge rusher on defense who has good bend and burst getting around the edge blocker or just uses his explosiveness to bull rush right over the top to get into the backfield. For the year he piled up 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one caused fumble in seven games of action. This guy is going to be a beast.   Carter Bukovaz, 6'1, 225, DL, Shawnee Mission NW, '28, he is the other trench warrior who Coach Tabor, SMNW's standout defensive line coach, pointed me in the direction of in a recent conversation. Bukovaz is coming off an excellent sophomore season when he was in on 21 tackles, with his best game coming in a win over SM South when he had six tackles, one sack and a pair of QB hurries. A powerful, athletic defensive lineman, he can play anywhere along the front but is particulary effective as a wrecking ball of a noseguard. With his power and burst, he uses weaponized hands to pound blockers in the chest plate before trampling them on the way to the ball. This guy is the real-deal getting ready to own it in 2026     2026 PLAYERS:   [player_tooltip player_id='1418868' first='King' last='Lawson'] , 6'4, 315, OL/DL, Shawnee Mission West, '26, after transferring his junior year and then playing on a struggling team this past season, this large-and-in-charge baller from SMW has been flying under the radar more than he should. However, the coaches and scouts who do their homework are starting to realize he is a dominator in the trenches on both sides of the ball. On defense he can play as a mauler in the middle at noseguard or move out as a three or five tech. Where he really shines, however, is as a bookend or blindside offensive tackle who can wall off in pass pro or provide thundering pancake blocks in the run game. This guy is ready to dominate at the collegiate level.   [player_tooltip player_id='812781' first='Trent' last='Rymer'], 6'0”, 185, LB/RB, Piper, ‘26, he is one of the top seek-and-destroy linebackers I have followed the last few years and he wrapped it all up with 127 tackles his senior year; including 29 tackles in two playoff games to bring his career total to an eye-popping 333 tackles over the last few seasons. Following a junior season when he had 100+ tackles he picked up where he left off last season using his expert instincts, lateral quickness and raw power to dismantle offensive fronts and cause disruption in the backfield. He plays a high-energy game and is adept at quickly disengaging from blockers before delivering the beat-down. Someone is going to get a steal with this guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='1241209' first='Jackson' last='Reed']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jackson-reed/"></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jackson-reed/"></a> , 6'1, 215, LB, Eisenhower, '26, the season didn't turn out like he and his teammates had hoped but this senior linebacker was a force to be reckoned with, delivering 101 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. Through eight games, he averaged 13 tackles per, including a one-game high of 15. He can play any of the linebacker positions or is a powerful edge rusher shutting down the perimeter on his side, but this season lined up mostly as a ball-busting MLB with a nose for the ball and an attack mentality. He is starting to get some notice from scouts and coaches and will be a standout at the next level in the very near future.     In conclusion, get out and see these ballers while you still can and definitely follow the 2026 players as they transition to the next level.   Note: if your stats referenced above are inaccurate let me know - my stat source is usually MAXPREPS and lately have caught numerous errors in their numbers.   And, most importantly...   Keep Grindin'

During Championship Week, I wanted to kickoff what will be an on-going series of articles in the next few months recognizing players for their performance and potential following the 2025 season.