Newcomer Preview: Six Additions to the Class of ‘27

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The dust has settled after some of the best in the state battled it out during Sub-State last night. We now know who will be competing a week from now on Championship Saturday. There are some matchups folks around the state should definitely be eager about.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, there's something else coming up to be excited about in the <em>Sunflower State</em>. The latest Class of ‘27 player rankings will be published next week. I for one am personally excited about this update given the amount of progress the junior class has made this season, and the amount of <em>Division I</em> attention they've been drawing. Not to mention there is some exceptional talent set to join the rankings. Here's a quick preview of six newcomers to look for next week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><em>Offensive Prospects</em></span></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cale Ketter</strong> - Seaman, 6'2”, 175, QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Only a handful of quarterbacks from the junior class separated themselves this season. One of them was Cale Ketter of Seaman High, and his ‘25 campaign hasn't been talked about nearly enough. Ketter stepped in as a first-year starter and threw for over 2,000 yards with 23 touchdown passes. One of his best performances of his junior season came in Week 7 when he threw for 390 yards and five touchdowns against eventual Sub-State champion Basehor-Linwood. He's a prospect that could generate some buzz in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brayden Shin</strong> - Olathe West, 6'3”, 270, OL&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite falling short during Sectionals, the Olathe West Owls went on a remarkable run after finishing 3-6 the year prior. Their offense was much more explosive compared to their 2024 squad. A portion of their offensive success can be attributed to the play of Brayden Shin. The first-year starter held down the blind side of the Owls' offense, and he was a key part to a unit that helped produce over 2,400 yards on the ground. Shin joins what is an already loaded position group, as the offensive line room in our Class of ‘27 rankings features multiple prospects with <em>D-I</em> offers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zy'Dronn Mays</strong> - Atchison, 5'8”, 160, WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atchison quietly produces some very underrated playmakers. Zy'Dronn Mays is the latest one for the Phoenix, and he had himself an impressive season. Mays didn't exactly have a huge role but he was explosive anytime the ball was in his hands. He averaged over 10 yards per carry whenever he received a hand off and he averaged a whopping 32 yards per catch. The junior also found the end zone 10 total times.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stratten Ebers</strong> - Maize South, 6'1”, 180, WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quarterback-wide receiver combination that everyone absolutely needs to remember in 2026 is the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1643737' first='Reign' last='Illian'] and Stratton Ebers. In this report though I'll more so be highlighting Evers. Maize South's offense featured a few seniors at WR, but Evers surprised folks by emerging as the Mavericks' No. 1 wideout. He led the Mavericks in every statistical category for receiving, as he hauled in 75 receptions for 831 yards and 12 scores. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Defensive Prospects</span></em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alex Bart</strong> - Lawrence, 6'5”, 230, DL</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 campaign was unfortunately a season to forget for Lawrence High. Their defense had its share of struggles throughout the season. However, Chesty Lions fans should be optimistic with Alex Bart returning in 2026. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive lineman was a bright spot for Lawrence's defense. Bart was disruptive in the trenches as he went on to rack up 48 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two sacks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marcus Boganowski</strong> - Junction City, 6'1”, 200, LB/ATH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This next newcomer could quickly generate some recruiting buzz much like his older brother did a few years ago. Marcus Boganowski emerged as a key contributor for Junction City's defense this fall. His play was instrumental in the Blue Jays allowing only 15 points per game. Boganowski recorded over 100 total tackles, six pass breakups, and three sacks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->