Big Off-Season For These Defensive Playmakers

It is already May and the off-season is flying along as ballers from across the state make their final preparations for the fall season.   Summer camps are heating up as we speak, with options every weekend for rising stars to showcase their game.   This weekend really kicks things into gear as the KC Varsity camp/combine will host their second event in the last month at Raypec High School on Saturday.   With spring sports wrapping up, this final summer timeframe will be used to ramp things up in order to hit the ground running in August.   And, for the guys below, the season can't get here fast enough. The first three are senior defenders ready to take it to the next level, followed by a couple of juniors to be coming off strong sophomore seasons.   So without further adieu, let's check out what these guys have been doing:   [player_tooltip player_id='1609450' first='Landon' last='Traver'], 5'11, 180, DB/WR, Ottawa, '27, up first for the seniors-to-be is a versatile three-sport, two-way baller who is a standout wide/slot receiver on offense but has really turned heads as an aggressive hybrid outside linebacker/safety who brings the hammer on open-field tackles. With excellent read and react skills and closing speed he plays sideline-to-sideline and last fall piled up 45 tackles, had four forced fumbles, a sack and picked off a pass. This off-season has been busy as when the season was over he went right into hoops and is currently in track throwing the javelin and running sprints/relays. He also has a busy summer ahead with plans to hit the Revive camps as well as KU, North Dakota State, Ft Hays and K-State among others. This guy is ready for a big season this fall   [player_tooltip player_id='2061310' first='Gunnar' last='Greeson'], 5'11, 185, DB, Aquinas, '27, Up next for the approaching seniors is a guy I have had my eye on for a while now and he seems to keep getting better and better. He is coming off an exceptional junior season as a ballhawk safety who had 61 tackles, picked off three passes and blocked a punt. He can play either safety and has next-level instincts flying to the ball, whether it is floating in zone to take out the pass game, or collapsing down hard and fast to blow up the opposition's running attack. This off-season he has been hitting the weight room, doing speedwork and is planning on camp roadtrips to Missouri S&T, Washburn and NW Missouri State. In addition to his stellar defensive game he is also a team leader who can be counted on to help rally the team. This fall he is looking to deliver an all-state-level season.   Braylon Doleman, 6'0, 185, DB, Washburn Rural, '27, and for the final baller in this report getting ready for his senior year is an athletic defensive back who can sink deep and play as a ball-snatching safety but has really been exceptional as a lock-down corner who can pound receivers at the line, shows great feet and fluid hips breaking on the snap and has the speed and acceleration to mirror the route. This spring he has been fine-tuning his secondary skills with Top City and will continue playing 7v7 into the summer months. He is also consistently in the weight room and his efforts are already producing dividends as he has put on 10 pounds since last year, recently reported a 500+ pound deadlift and is faster than he was a year ago. He is looking at several camps this summer, including Washburn and Southern Nazarene. This guy is ready to burn it up this fall.   Jason Roberts, 6'4, 230, DE/TE, Manhattan, '28, up first for the ballers approaching their junior season is a two-way athlete who helped his team to a 6A State Championship last fall and intends to parlay that into a big year this fall. He is a versatile player in all phases of the game, playing as a piledriving blocker of a TE on offense who also has the hands and catch radius to put pressure on the defense. On the other side of the ball he uses his size, reach and burst coming off the edge as a dominating defensive end. On special teams he can also assist the team as needed as a both a punter and kicker. This off-season has been busy working in the Manhattan off-season training program as well as hitting camps at McPherson later this month and then the University of Saint Thomas (MN) in July. This guy is just getting warmed up for a dominating fall.   Malachi Strahm, 5'11, 195, LB, Sabetha, '28, and last but certainly not least, we have an aggressive defender who is coming off a strong sophomore season as a hard-hitting outside linebacker. He really stands out coming off the second level quickly, using his instincts and pre-snap recognition to hammer the run between the tackles or when shutting down the perimeter on his side. With his athleticism and explosiveness he can sink back in coverage to take out the pass game but also use his burst and lateral quickness to make plays at the line of scrimmage. A three-sport athlete, he went right into basketball after the season was over and has been in track this spring. This summer he will be training with Revive Performance and is still deciding which camps/showcases he intends to hit. This guy is starting to get some attention and will be ready to deliver a baller season this fall.     In conclusion, check these guys out - you won't be disappointed! Also, if you know of any players not getting any/enough coverage that they deserve, please feel free to DM me via X so we can take care of that!   And, most importantly...   Keep Grindin'

It is already May and the off-season is flying along as ballers from across the state make their final preparations for the fall season.