2026 Breakout Candidates in the KLAA

Every season, we see dozens of prospects break out in their Junior or Senior seasons. Prior to each season, I do my best to identify as many players as possible with "breakout potential." Here are five players from the KLAA that I think could take a leap, starting this offseason.    A short highlight tape from James, but not without genuinely bright moments. James' tape kicks off with a touch pass, immediately breaking a tackle before getting near the sideline and earning some yards. Second highlight, James does a great job lead blocking for his teammate. James was a little slow to engage, was still able to eliminate the linebacker from the play. Playing a little bit of WR and a little bit of RB, James showed legit upside at both positions. His burst + top speed look above average, and there's moments of good physicality.      Cody can move. Seriously, throughout Cody's tape, he does an excellent job of pulling, blocking at the second level, and generally finding someone to hit. Cody makes the play at 0:11 work. Quickly pulling and finding the DE, allowing the RB to run right off his hip. At 0:31, Cody does an excellent job pancaking the outside linebacker, again showing excellent agility and physicality.   Man, Cody is an excellent run-blocking guard. Cody is making a name for himself at Livonia Franklin, and I truly hope a college takes a chance on him. Genuinely impressive highlight tape.      Raymon is a two-way home-run hitter. Offensively, there are a few instances where Raymon is able to quickly find a hole and burst through it, usually going for massive yardage. Then, there are instances like 1:13 where Raymon proves he's capable of fighting through contact for tough yards.   Additionally, Raymon has a few bright moments at corner. His best moment being a 60-yard interception return against Livonia Franklin at 0:48. Overall, Raymon is a good high school running back, and shows flashes at corner. I'm hoping Raymon is able to perform well at prospect camps and earn collegiate attention.      Johnny is a prime breakout candidate for 2026. Below, Johnny has several extremely bright moments, alongside a few areas he can still improve.   For one, Johnny is a good 50/50 ball winner. There are several examples on tape where Johnny is able to high-point balls in coverage, sometimes toe-tapping along the sideline. Additionally, Johnny runs good routes to the short-intermediate areas of the field. A handful of good 5-10 yard curls and comebacks on tape, in addition to solid physicality and contact balance. That said, Johnny could still upgrade his explosiveness, strength, and all-around YAC ability. With a sizable jump this offseason, I could easily see Johnny being a high-end D2 prospect by Spring 2027.      Brody is a solid run-first QB with additional upside as a passer. His highlight tape kicks off with a simple counter run going for an 80-yard touchdown. Second, an option read perfectly, leading to another explosive TD run. 0:28 is likely Brody's most impressive run, as he perfectly follows his blocks, then breaks a few tackles before scoring.   Like I said, there are a few promising moments throwing the football. 1:17 is a genuinely good throw across the field to a wide-open receiver. 1:27 is another good off-schedule throw behind the opposing defense. Considering Brody is coming off his sophomore season, there's a good chance he continues to develop this offseason, and takes a big jump as a junior.

Every season, we see dozens of prospects break out in their Junior or Senior seasons. Prior to each season, I do my best to identify as many players as possible with "breakout potential." Here are five players from the KLAA that I think could take a leap, starting this offseason.