We knew that Union standout Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK was an outstanding athlete but his emergence as one of the top wide receiver prospects during the 2022 season was something we didn’t see coming. After starting for Union at quarterback, Tempest moved over to wide receiver as a senior and became their top receiver in the first half of the season. He was also a major threat in the return game on special teams. Tempest simply ran away from opponents, showcasing speed that many teams just couldn’t compete with. Tempest’s emergence as a playmaker on offense would eventually spark his recruitment and he would be offered by and would sign with the hometown Golden Hurricanes.

Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK came up with a ton of big plays and was a key factor in them being in this game. He was lethal both running the ball and receiving.  He came up with a 12 yard reception along the sideline, a tough catch that was for two yards, a great catch along the sidelines (which was wiped away due to a penalty), and some other nice catches. His best catch accounted for 25 yards. On the ground, he had a good run for eight yards (which was just shy of the first down), a three yard carry, and several other carries for positive gains. His best play of the night was actually him completing a pass to the quarterback for a receiving touchdown on a trick play. He was a swiss army knife for them, showing he can be utilized in a multitude of ways.

The second Union prospect on this breakdown is senior standout Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK . At this time last season, Tempest was dealing with a season-ending injury after starting for the Redhawks at quarterback. Fast forward to now, and Tempest is Union’s leading wide receiver and a dynamic kick returner. Tempest moved to wide receiver this offseason and has been the go-to target for sophomore quarterback Shaker Reisig Shaker Reisig 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Union | 2025 State OK . And he also has gotten into the game as a quarterback this season when Reisig got some rest. Tempest has opened the eyes of several college coaches when it comes to being an overall athlete and specifically as a wide receiver.

Union senior wide receiver Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK came into Thursday’s game as Union’s leading wide receiver and he finished the game in that same spot with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. And once again, he showed that he’s one of the fastest players in the state as he ran a simple crossing route and went 67 yards for Union’s first touchdown. Tempest’s stock as a WR is going up. And after talking with a few coaches before the game, it sounds like Tempest’s recruitment is starting to blow up in a great way. He recently was offered by New Mexico State. And it sounds like Kansas State has shown some serious interest in bringing Tempest in as a wide receiver. We’ve seen a few players similar to Tempest end up at the Power Five level and Tempest could be the next one up.

It’s the game of the week this week on Thursday night as #1 Union hits the road to face off with #3 Mustang. The district championship will more than likely be on the line and we’re looking forward to seeing these two state title contenders square off. One of the big storylines to come out of week six was Union senior Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK starting for the Redhawks at quarterback as sophomore Shaker Reisig Shaker Reisig 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Union | 2025 State OK sat out. Following the game, it sounds like Reisig could have played but Union wanted to give him a week of rest. It should be expected to see him back in the lineup on Thursday night. But either way, Tempest is a player to watch. Whether he starts again at quarterback or lines up at wide receiver, where he’s become Union’s top receiving target, Tempest is going to have a big role in Thursday night’s game. Both teams have excellent offenses and we could end up seeing a bit of a shootout.

Union’s top wide receiver so far this season has been their old quarterback in senior Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK . After starting last season, Tempest has moved to wide receiver to make room for Reisig at QB1 and those two have developed outstanding chemistry early on this season. Tempest and Reisig connected plenty of times throughout the game on Friday night as Tempest finished with six catches for over 130 yards and a 78-yard touchdown strike from Reisig. Union also has an X-factor in Tempest that has to keep defenses honest. They ran a reverse to Tempest that turned into a touchdown pass to Jino Boyd Jino Boyd 6'0" | WR Union | 2024 State OK . At any moment, the Redhawk offense can hit a defense with something like that and create a big play and plenty of momentum.

Union senior Grayson Tempest Grayson Tempest 5'11" | WR Union | 2023 State OK has made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver look very easy so far after a couple weeks of games. In their first game against Westmoore, Tempest made quite the statement when he returned a Westmoore kick for a touchdown. He’s also made plays from the wide receiver position. You have to tip your cap to a player like Tempest who is doing whatever he can to help his team win games. In the age of quarterbacks transferring and moving if they aren’t the starter, Tempest has stuck it out with his squad and has proven he can still be valuable within this Redhawk offense. Whether it’s as a wide receiver or in the return game, don’t be surprised if the senior ends up making a big play on Friday as the Union offense looks to keep momentum going.