2029 Rankings Debut: Top 10 Deep Dive

The Class of 2029 rankings are live for the very first time! The Class debuts with 99 ranked athletes and has dozens more on the Watch List that we can't wait to see film from. This is a unique debut. The Top 10 is littered with skill position players instead of the usual OL/DL monsters. Those kids are sure to make their presence known over the years, but the early standouts of the Class come to us from the skill positions like WR, DB, QB, and TE. We start our coverage of the Class of 2029 with a deep dive into each of our Top 10 athletes. Coaches, these are the athletes you will want to have on your radars today. These are high ceiling, talented athletes who have legitimate potential talent arcs that land them at the D1 level in the future. So let's talk about that future top tier talent.    Leading off the Class we have an outstanding athlete at WR. Racine Case's Nicholas Payne has the potential to put himself into the conversation for the best WR to come out of the state. At least in recent history. Nicholas is 5'11" and I won't be surprised to see him continue to grow to match his extremely long arms. The freshman uses that reach to his advantage, giving his QB a huge target area. The '29 WR is so athletically gifted. He can win with speed, has elite quick twitch agility to rip open separation from DBs, and his ability to go and attack the ball at the highest possible point make him nightmare fuel to cover out wide.   The freshman isn't afraid of the work to be great either. He is extremely dedicated in the offseason to improving and is very accomplished on the track too. Nicholas can be as good as he wants to be in the end. He has earned his spot at the top.     I've been very excited to see the film from freshman TE [player_tooltip player_id='2086595' first='Hank' last='Doyle'] since last summer when his put him on my radar. You don't see many kids Hank's age with his 6'6" 200 frame, and even less who can play on the field as smoothly as he can. The '29 can stretch the field with his natural speed and reels in the ball effortlessly. We also see him utilized underneath a lot where he can use that size to protect the ball at the catch and then get up field. You have to love the way Hank attacks in the run game too. He is so quick to his man and turns that burst into power to drive his man away from the gap. The well rounded freshman has a very high ceiling. I hope to see him on Friday nights this season.     Evan is one of the most fun athletes to watch in this Class. I believe he is in line to win QB1 for Madison West, but even if he doesn't we are sure to see his special athleticism shining on Friday nights in a different position. Evan has speed to burn and he uses it to erase angles, get the edge on the defense and beat closing gaps for massive chunks of yards. The freshman is already so instinctive running with the football, finding blocks or making a defender miss 1 on 1. This is a playmaker wherever you put him on the field. I'm very excited to watch him continue to establish himself as one of the state's top playmakers.     Henry is a man amongst boys at the JV level. His big frame is already loaded up with power to help him in breaking tackles after the catch. You see it on display over and over as single defenders can't bring him down in the open field. His lower body is so strong, giving him a powerful center of gravity that couldn't be knocked off balance. Despite the size and power, Henry did well to get open in the short passing game. He can get across the middle quickly and open up space. It is easy for him plucking the ball out of the air with his strong hands. The power also shines in his run blocking. The tools are there for Henry to work himself into a top TE and/or OLB. Don't miss out on this kid.     Hawkin worked his way into the QB1 spot for Wauwatosa West's varsity and didn't look back. The tape he put out from there has locked him into our QB1 spot in this debut. There is so much to like about where Hawkin is at in his development. The most notable is the natural arm talent. Hawkin isn't the biggest athlete, yet. However, the ball absolute jumps out of his hand. Especially when he goes deep or realizes he needs to hit a tight window. His natural ability to create velocity with his full body mechanics is special. Those mechanics are so smooth too. His feet are quick, eyes are connected to his feet, and his throwing motion is quick. I'm going to be locked onto Hawkin watching his development. His gifts give him a high ceiling.     Another dominant freshman playmaker out wide is [player_tooltip player_id='2124829' first='Luke' last='Janke']. The freshman was a two way player for the B-W varsity and finished the year with a great stat line. 52 carries, 511 yards, 7 rushing TDs, 22 receptions, 252 yards, 2 TDs, 36 tackles, 2 INTs, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a TD. He also averaged just under 20 yards/ punt return. Get the ball in this kid's hands and watch the fireworks. Luke has game breaking speed that allows him to win vertically or win on jet sweeps. He is able to beat angles and also has great vision to read the field and flow of defenders, finding the best path to attack. Luke is a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands. Do not sleep on this kid. Big things are ahead for him and Baldwin-Woodville.     This Class is loaded up with impressive and quickly improving TEs. Next up among that group is [player_tooltip player_id='2124830' first='Owen' last='Schmitt']. The freshman has the size for the TE position and separates himself with the athleticism he plays with at that size. On tape you see Owen beating defenders on their angles. He also has some very effective quick twitch lateral agility that shows up when he plays DE. You see the first step burst and lateral movement quickly get him around OTs as well as his utilization of his length. Owen can play all three phases effectively. TE, DE and K.     We saw Arquon contributing for Case's secondary in 2025, but this year we will see Moss suiting up for Racine Park. Our DB1 earned his spot with a display of range and force. The freshman safety is a very solid last line of defense. He is fearless attacking downhill on the ball and is reliable in his open field tackling. Arquon doesn't hesitate to close quickly against the run or short passing game. The '29 also played in the slot often and showed that he can run with quick WRs and be in position to make plays on the football. Big things ahead for Moss as he continues to grow and pile up the varsity experience.     Ethan is another QB that quickly worked his way into the varsity QB1 role. The freshman had nearly 800 passing yards and 6 TDs on varsity. The freshman QB looks the part from his 6'2" 170 frame to his quick footwork, ability to stand tall in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield, and his arm that can not only push the ball all around the field but also do a great job with ball location. This past year was invaluable experience for the QB and should have him ready for a full year as QB1 this fall. I'm anticipating a breakout year for the 2029. He returns his entire backfield and 4 of his top 6 receiving threats. Things are coming together for that potential breakout.     Max stands out on tape with his 6'3" 205 lbs frame coming off the line. He has plenty of room to add muscle onto that frame, but already was able to throw around lineman at the JV/C team levels. You also see the quick processing, getting his hands up to knock down the ball in the quick passing game. That length and power will only improve, so look for the DE to start to make a varsity impact as early as this fall.

The Class of 2029 rankings are live for the very first time! The Class debuts with 99 ranked athletes and has dozens more on the Watch List that we can't wait to see film from. This is a unique debut. The Top 10 is littered with skill position players instead of the usual OL/DL monsters. Those kids are sure to make their presence known over the years, but the early standouts of the Class come to us from the skill positions like WR, DB, QB, and TE. We start our coverage of the Class of 2029 with a deep dive into each of our Top 10 athletes. Coaches, these are the athletes you will want to have on your radars today. These are high ceiling, talented athletes who have legitimate potential talent arcs that land them at the D1 level in the future. So let's talk about that future top tier talent.