'27/'28 Rising Star Ballers Wrap Up Standout Seasons

With the 2025 season wrapped up it is time to take a step back and revisit the past season, along with taking a closer look at the body of work and the progress being made by some of the top players in the state.   This article will be the first in a month-long series of reports and updates highlighting players I have had had on my watchlist and have been closely following since early in the year.   In this report we will kick things off with some of my fave rising star players from this past year who are coming off strong seasons.   Up first will be few ballers from the class of 2027, followed by the 2028 young guns who stepped up in their second year of varsity play.   So without further adieu, let's check these guys out:     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>2027 PLAYERS</li> </ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='1125648' first='Maddox' last='McGinnis']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/maddox-mcginnis/"></a> , 6'4, 310, OL, Wichita NW, '27, it was a season of highs and lows for the big man, as his team finished 9-2, including an early-season win over state champ Manhattan, but stalled out in the playoffs. It was disappointing, but he did all he could and has solidified himself as one of the top lineman in the state along the way. He can play guard or tackle and with his next-level size and reach, powerful frame and physicality, he is equally adept making crushing drive blocks in the run game, or display his situational awareness, quick feet and balance in pass pro. He can make all the blocks and has the physical tools to deliver against top talent. His travel schedule has been busy this fall, continuing to check out future landing spots, recently hitting Tulsa, UNLV and KU among others. When this guy says - Protect-Punish-Repeat - he means it. Get ready to see him blow it up in 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='1742091' first='Kameron' last='Joel Geathers']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/kameron-joel-geathers/"></a> , 6'2, 305, C/DL, Leavenworth, '27, it was a banner season in Leavenworth and Big Kam was right in the middle of it as a large and in charge center on offense who helped his team to a school record nine wins this year and went deep into the playoffs. He is a dominating force in the middle and is versatile enough to play multiple positions along the front. With his optimum size, strength and football IQ, he steamrolls defenders in the run game and with quick feet and athleticism can effectively wall off defenders in pass pro. His game is starting to get some attention and after the team success, that will continue to grow. Get him on your watchlists as he is baller in the trenches and is a rising star going into the 2026 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='944905' first='Drake' last='Blasi']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/drake-blasi/"></a> , 6'0, 205, LB, Maize, '27, he had already established himself as a standout football and baseball player before this season, but took it to whole different level this fall as one of the defensive leaders on a Maize team that was ranked #1 in the state for most of the season. He is an aggressive predator of a linebacker who piled up 104 tackles, averaging 10 tackles per game, and added eight TFL, a pair of sacks, and two forced fumbles. He has great instincts and anticipates plays pre-snap before showcasing his closing speed and attack angles getting to the ball. He shoots gaps in rapid-fire fashion, takes out backs on the perimeter and makes violent open-field tackles. As good as this guy was this year, he is just getting warmed up...   [player_tooltip player_id='2067404' first='Jaxson' last='Green'], 5'9, 175, RB, Andover Central, '27, this time last year he was a little-known RB behind an all-state baller and looking for a chance to show his stuff. He finally got that chance this past fall and boy did he make up for lost time. He shot out of the blocks and never looked back, picking up 1,639 yards on 205 carries, averaging 8+ per carry and scored 17 touchdowns for the season. He showed his game early with a blow-out performance against Valley Center when he ran for 299 yards and scored three times. With a next-level set of skills that includes great burst and elusiveness in the open field, he is also effective working through traffic, hitting, spinning and ripping through arm tackles. This guy is the real deal and will be ready for an encore senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1987964' first='Grady' last='Myers'], 5'10, 170, RB/DB, Mulvane, '27, he is another rising star running back who started the year in obscurity, but quickly changed all that by rolling up 1,141 yards on 132 carries, averaging nine yards a carry and scored 20 total touchdowns in helping his team win eight straight games and a couple of games in post-season play. Late in the year he put an exclamation point on his season with a 231-yard, three score game in a win over Winfield. He is an athletic, multi-positional player who is electric in the open field on offense, is a dangerous return man with great burst working the entire field and a ball-hawk out of the secondary on defense. I really enjoyed following his all-state brother Manny and it looks like he is cut from the same athletic cloth.   [player_tooltip player_id='403631' first='Cordale' last='Johnson'] , 6'1, 165, DB/WR, Northwest, '27, although the team exited the playoffs sooner than expected and he ended up missing two games on concussion protocol, he still pushed through the challenges and when the dust settled at the end of the season he had piled up 500+ all purpose yards on returns and receiving and scored two touchdowns. He was sizzling hot in the return game, snagging a pick-6 TD against state champ Manhattan and also had a 50-yard punt-return TD. On defense he piled up 31 tackles, a pair of TFL, 18 pass break up's, a forced fumble and intercepted four passes. On defense he is an aggressive, hard-hitting CB who can stuff receivers at the line and give them the glove treatment on the route, but can also play as ball-hawk safety. This guy is going to be en fuego in '26.   [player_tooltip player_id='856864' first='Pearce' last='George'], 6'0, 195, ATH/WR/QB, Maize, '27, he is one I have been following closely the last few years and enjoyed watching the evolution from dual-threat QB to a multi-positional weapon who can dismantle defenses at any of the skill positions. This year he was particulary dangerous as an all-purpose receiver, catching passes as a wideout, in the slot or out of the backfield. He runs great routes, has reliable hands and picks up big yardage after the initial hit. In the open field he is dynamic, cutting on a dime with great lateral acceleration and elusiveness. On the season he picked up 1,008 total yards, which included 46 receptions for 700+ yards, 80+ rushing, 60+ passing and a pick-6 just for good measure, and also accounted for 18 total TD's. Word is getting out that this guy has game. He is going to go scorched earth in '26.     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>2028 PLAYERS</li> </ul>   [player_tooltip player_id='1591888' first='Payton' last='Thoman']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/payton-thoman/"></a> , 5' 9, 150, ATH/DB, Shawnee Mission NW, '28, first up for the sophomores is a guy I have been following since early in the year. He is a two-way baller who can play receiver or RB on offense, but has really developed into a force in the secondary. He can play corner or safety but really excels as a shut-down CB who can blanket wideouts on the route and also collapse down hard and fast to blow up open-field tackles on the perimeter. When he is locked in on the receiver pre-snap, he has that athletic, fast-twitch, elite corner look and when the ball snaps uses his baller instincts to make the play. On the year he had 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles, picked off a pass and only allowed two receptions all year. Get this guy on your watchlist as he is a rising star.   [player_tooltip player_id='1907001' first='Landry' last='Fitzgerald']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/landry-fitzgerald/"></a> , 6'2, 215, LB/ATH, Liberal, '28, he is a sophomore MLB who caught my eye earlier in the year when I was looking at a few of his teammates and his play jumped off the tape. He stepped up early as a freshman and quickly developed into a starter and then this year really took it to the next level as a headhunter middle linebacker. With next-level size, speed and athleticism he can play any of the linebacker positions but is quickly establishing himself as scary-good in the middle. He plays a mature game, using his football instincts, instant read and react skills and closing speed to find the ball and go destroy the play. On the year he had 87 tackles, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. This guy is a beast and is going to have a big 2026 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1083571' first='Braxton' last='Wagner']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/braxton-wagner/"></a> , 6'2, 185, QB, BV North, '28, he got off to a promising start in game one this past fall, going 11 for 17 for 163 yards and fired a TD pass, but early in game two tore his ACL and ended the season. It was unfortunate on many levels, but there were a number of scouts and coaches who have been following his progress closely, anxiously waiting to see if he is going to deliver on his stellar skill sets. He has prototype size, athleticism and can destroy teams with his arm or with his legs. He has a strong arm that can rifle the ball through all three levels of the defense and can make the tight-window and touch throws. He can also run the RPO or extend plays as an elusive runner with excellent burst and quickness. This guy has all the tools to play at the D1 level, fingers are crossed his rehab is a success.   [player_tooltip player_id='1080736' first='Edric' last='Zorn']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/edric-zorn/"></a> , 6'0, 200, RB/LB, Halstead, '28, last but certainly not least, we have a young gun baller who I have been following since he was a freshman and he gets better every year. He is a versatile, multi-positional baller with an excellent speed-to-power ratio who can dominate on both sides of the ball. On offense he does a little bit of everything, running the ball 60 times for 415 yards, averaging seven yards a pop and scoring seven times. He also caught 23 passes for 236 yards and added 242 yards on kickoff returns, including a 94-yard return for a TD. In total he ended up with 900+ total yards and 10 touchdowns. On defense he can play linebacker or in the secondary and had 49 tackles, a pair of TFL and a pick-6. This guy is going to bring the fireworks the next couple of years.     In conclusion, keep an eye on these guys as they come into their own.   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'

With the 2025 season wrapped up it is time to take a step back and revisit the past season, along with taking a closer look at the body of work and the progress being made by some of the top players in the state.