2029s Ready to Make the Varsity Jump

*Johnson30 saves you 30% on a PRZ subscription! No better time than now with rankings updates underway*   It is rare to find freshmen who can make a consistent varsity impact. The ones that do are usually among the best in the Class. So when that sophomore year hits the expectations begin to rise. We start to expect more and more athletes to earn playing time if not starting roles and start to establish themselves and gather that valuable high level experience. While working through the 2029 Rankings Update that just went live on Monday it was clear that several of these athletes are in line to get that first taste of Friday night action. The athletes in today's article are my personal favorites for finding their way onto the field on Friday nights. Dive in, enjoy, and make sure to keep a close eye out for these kids to start making a name for themselves when the season arrives.    Grafton had a ton of senior leadership and talent on their 2025 roster that led them to a State Championship. Having that type of senior-ladened team allows those younger athletes to sit back and learn. That is what Hank Doyle was about to do, but 2026 looks like it will be his time to get his feet wet and play under those Friday night lights.   Coaches and scouts around the country are going to be waiting for that first tape to drop as the 6'6" 215 lbs 2029 TE is turning into a national level recruit. He crushed the offseason showing off his elite frame and catch radius along with the effortless and smooth athleticism that has helped him to become a matchup nightmare. The 2029 TE holds offers from Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Miami (OH). No question about it, Hank Doyle will be ready for a varsity role when he is called into it.     Owen did get to play in some Friday night, serving as the team's punter. However, that is far from what he could potentially be in store for this fall. Waukesha South has the weapons and the QB to fit their pass heavy offense. Even with all the returning talent, though, I have to think they will find a role for Owen this fall.   The 6'4" 225 lbs 2029 TE was consistently one of the best TEs at every camp I saw him at. Size, effortless mobility and change of direction, the speed to be able to win vertically, and the ability to create separation with either size or athleticism. The kid is going to be one of the toughest matchups in the state, so look for him to find a role on Friday nights. Big things ahead for the 2029 whenever he gets his chances.     This will be an interesting situation to watch. Verona returns several key OL to their 2026 line that also were starters back in 2025. Myles was not one of those five as a freshman, but it will be interesting to see how things are worked out or shuffled around to see if he can earn himself a job on Friday nights.   Individually, Myles has the talent to develop into a dominant OL. Especially when he can start to pile up those live reps vs top tier competition. The big man has a big frame and at camps we saw that he has drastically improved his mobility and reactive athleticism from where he was a year ago. Between his size and mobility I am confident that whenever he does have his time in the trenches we will see a future top tier OL recruit.     We mentioned Grafton's senior-ladened roster from 2025. It was even more so on the defensive side of the ball. Grafton graduated their Top 12 tackles and Top 6 in sacks from 2025. So the door is wide open for a new front seven defender to step up and take an open job. One athlete I expect to be in the running is Edge Khaleb Drake-Gray.   The 2029 is definitely a raw prospect, but it is hard to overlook the long, 6'3" 230 lbs frame. We were lucky enough to have Khaleb at the PRZ WI Spring Showcase and the up and coming 2029 Edge flashed next level potential over and over. From an explosive first step to strong hands on contact, Drake-Gray was tough for the OL to consistently stay in front of. He was able to win with speed and power on different reps. I'm looking forward to seeing his development and what type of role he can earn this fall.     West De Pere has seen a ton of turnover on their offense. From head coach to several of their key players that helped bring home a State Championship. With graduation comes the need to fill holes and an athlete in the running to help plug up the holes in the receiving corps is Trevor Butterfield. The competition will be steep as he has incoming seniors and juniors ahead of him. However, I can easily see him earning reps this fall.   I really enjoy watching his tape from last fall. I would describe him as effortlessly explosive. It looks smooth, but he gets to top speed so quickly and was constantly running away from DBs for easy targets from his QB. When the ball is in the air the 2029 WR shows really good concentration to secure passes through traffic and in tough positions. Definitely keep an eye on the WR out of WDP.     It will be tough for Cameron to win a starting job this fall. Wausau West returns several incoming seniors who were key contributors on Friday nights. However, the door should be there for him to be in a backup role and maybe earn time on special teams. There is also a chance where he beats out some of that older competition.   It won't be easy, but the 6'1" 200 lbs LB has the talent to leapfrog guys if he gets the chance. On tape the 2029 LB will wallop ball carriers. He is violent and physical, but flashes the range and ball skills to also play in coverage over the middle of the field. These flashes of three down ability make him valuable and his ceiling rather high. That range also comes in handy when he is called to blitz. The well rounded LB is going to make plays when his time comes. I will be anxiously waiting for that time.     Eau Claire North had two QBs with significant reps in 2025 and both of them were seniors. So the door is open for someone to come in and grab the starting job. One athlete on the team that I expect to at least be in the running is 2029 QB Brahm Staples.   Brahm already possesses a solid frame for the position at 6'1" 175 lbs. Watching through his freshman highlights it is clear that he will not shy away from attacking the deep third of the field. He has a talent for being able to drop the ball in a bucket to his WR deep downfield. The pocket passer thrives when he can set his feet and get the ball out quickly. It will be very interesting to see if Brahm can win the job this fall.     This is a fun athlete to watch play football. The path won't be easy, but I won't be surprised to see the competitive incoming sophomore earn Friday night reps. In 2025 Ethan lettered in football and wrestling. While the path isn't as open as it is for others, the talent Ethan shows on tape vs peers his age is hard to ignore.   While Ethan is undersized, we don't see it hinder his game. Mosinee used him on a ton of jet sweeps and end arounds where he could show off his speed and vision with the ball in his hands. In the quick passing game Ethan has the acceleration that makes the defense look like they are stuck in mud. There are also plenty of clips of him ripping through arm tackles. I'm very intrigued by the playmaking WR out of Mosinee.     Lincoln is a recent transfer to Racine Park, a school who will be looking for all new QB talent after the graduation of their Class of 2026. With the open enrollment it looks like Lincoln would be able to play right away if he were to win what I expect to be an open competition for the starting job.   The 2029 QB was an undersized athlete a year ago, but he is now up to 5'11" 150 lbs and probably isn't done there. His 7 on 7 highlights from last month show a kid who can get the ball out quick when he sees his man and we are seeing more improved velocity on his passes with that extra size to his frame. Especially on the short to intermediate throws where he can really put the ball on a rope. Look for Lincoln to be in the battle for the starting job this fall.

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