Midwest Spotlight: Prospects take center stage as high school season begins
There are certain times of the year when the recruiting spotlight shines brightly, and the start of the season is one of those times. Let’s take a look at which prospects will be in the spotlight, starting this series with five prospects from the Midwest.
There aren’t many prospects in the 2025 recruiting class who are bigger than Brooks. The linesman is 6-foot-8, 285 pounds, and on the move. Brooks told opponents he would transfer to Grayson High School in Georgia for his senior year.
He’s already thrust into the spotlight as one of the top offensive linemen in the Midwest. Now he’s heading south, and few shows have attracted as many eyeballs as Grayson. The team produces multiple Final Four picks every year, and Brooks will be next.
Now the question is: Will moving to Georgia give him a chance to coach in Athens? Kirby Smart?
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Kuhl has been outspoken in saying he should be considered one of the nation’s elite offensive players this offseason. While he hasn’t competed in any national soccer events, it’s easy to see his athletic ability in track and field and how that translates to the football field. He’s still growing as a rookie, but if Kuhl reaches his potential, he has the potential to be a complete package at tight end.
Kuhl will not be outdone and will put on a great show this season. The hard thing is judging his performance against the level of competition he faced in Goodland, Kansas.
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There may not be a 2027 quarterback who has had a better offseason than the Illinois native. Taylor had a monster training camp season after pitching in front of coaches and fielding offers from across the country.
Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Michigan are just a few of the programs that have received early offers.
Now, as the focus turns to Friday night’s game, Taylor will have a huge target on his back. The expectation is that he can go out and perform at the level of other nationally ranked quarterback prospects. He may well be ready for the challenge, but it will be a huge test. He has yet to become a full-time starter for the school, but there is a huge opportunity ahead.
Will he declare himself one of the top players in the country early?
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The Odd (Missouri) Ray Peck four-star running back has kept a low profile during his recruitment. Even though he was rated as the best running back in the Midwest and one of the best players in the country.
As a sophomore, he didn’t really fill up the stat sheet and was inconsistent on the track. People started questioning whether he was ranked too high, but then I saw him in a 7-on-7 game at Kansas State. His skills are ahead of any other running back in his class. He has good size, good straight-line speed and his ability to catch the ball blew me away. Walker will likely put up some big numbers early to show everyone why opposing team staffs are so high on him.
