Class of ‘28: Small Town Shout-Out

Photo: Prep redzone

Santino Bernal May 20, 2026 @ 08:34 PM

There's one last group of prospects I wanted to highlight before I move on from the recent rankings update for the Class of ‘28. Typically heading into summer quite a few of the big names in the rankings dominate headlines. Well in this report I wanted to make sure the small town recruits got their recognition. This is a shout-out to five small town prospects ranked inside the Top 100.    [player_tooltip player_id='1599225' first='Jason' last='Smith'] - Circle, 6'0”, 185, RB/LB   Smith's play in 2025 should be a sign of encouragement for Circle High. The Thunderbirds had a challenging season last fall, but Smith emerged as their top offensive weapon. As a sophomore he eclipsed 900 yards of total offense and scored eight total touchdowns. Smith played solid on defense as well. At linebacker he recorded 27 total tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. He is currently the 37th ranked prospect overall.     [player_tooltip player_id='1471297' first='Kross' last='Kemmerer'] - Beloit, 6'3”, 270, DL   Up next is the top-ranked defensive lineman in the class. Heading into next season Kemmerer of Beloit will arguably be one of the top returning defensive prospects in all of Class 2A. In 2025 the 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive tackle recorded 52 total tackles despite missing a few games. He received All-State honors, and was named District 7 Defensive Player of the Year. With a full season he's capable of being an absolute nightmare for opposing offensive linemen.      [player_tooltip player_id='2101916' first='Tate' last='Smith'] - Rock Creek, 6'0”, 165, QB   Being a first-year starting QB can be daunting for some sophomores. However, that wasn't the case for Smith of Rock Creek. Smith showed relatively no signs of timidness, as he helped lead the Mustangs to an 11-1 record. He was very efficient as well. The young gunslinger completed 68% of his passes while throwing for nearly 1,900 yards with 25 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. If he can add a bit of size throughout this offseason he may land himself on the recruiting radar.   [player_tooltip player_id='1544687' first='Cole' last='Brawner'] - Haven, 5'9”, 165, RB   There's some talented running backs in this class. It's honestly an underrated position group, and one prospect that hasn't been talked about enough is Brawner of Haven. He didn't hesitate to burst onto the varsity. He earned the trust of Haven's staff quickly as he was fed the ball 239 times and rushed for 1,653 yards and 22 touchdowns. He's another Class 2A prospect poised to put up big numbers in the fall.    [player_tooltip player_id='2101929' first='Bryton' last='Baty'] - Trinity, 6'0”, 160, WR   Much like the running back room, quite a few wideouts in the sophomore class wasted no time to make an impact on the varsity stage. Baty of Trinity Academy was one of them. He didn't necessarily have a lot of catches, but he was one of the most explosive wideouts in Class 3A. During the ‘25 campaign he caught 28 passes for 627 yards and 10 scores. He's Top 10 at his position heading into the summer.

There's one last group of prospects I wanted to highlight before I move on from the recent rankings update for the Class of ‘28. Typically heading into summer quite a few of the big names in the rankings dominate headlines. Well in this report I wanted to make sure the small town recruits got their recognition. This is a shout-out to five small town prospects ranked inside the Top 100.