Here are 15 football players to watch at Kansas City area high schools this season
High school football season is back in Kansas City, and hundreds of teams from all over Missouri and Kansas are ready to start their hopeful journey to a state championship.
Missouri students kick off the season Friday, Aug. 30, while Kansas begins the following week.
There’s loads of talent scattered throughout Kansas and Missouri, with many players already committed to playing at a college after this season.
Ahead of the season, The Star surveyed the region’s coaches to identify players they have their eyes on. These are some of the names they shared.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Players to watch in Missouri
Drew Collins, Oak Park High School
The senior tight end has already committed to continuing his athletic career at Utah. He’s the 19th best recruit in Missouri, according to national high school player tracker 247Sports.
RJ Collins, Staley High School
A senior cornerback and wide receiver for Staley, Collins received offers from Missouri State University and the University of Delaware before committing to Kansas State. Outside of football, he ran a 21.23 in the 200 meters at the Missouri Class 5 track and field championships, winning a gold medal.
Keiair Lewis, Lee’s Summit High School
The 6-4 defensive tackle is expected to have a great senior season, Lee’s Summit head coach Todd Miller said. He finished the 2023 season with 51 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble. Lewis has received seven offers to play football at the collegiate level, including from Lindenwood University and Northwest Missouri State University.
Ka’Mori Moore, Lee’s Summit North High School
Moore has been committed to the University of Oklahoma since 2023. He was on the same defensive line as Williams Nwaneri, the first No. 1 recruit in the country to come from the Kansas City area. The 6-2 defensive lineman is a three-star recruit, according to ESPN.
Isaiah Mozee, Lee’s Summit North High School
The senior wide receiver is the fourth-ranked recruit in Missouri, according to ESPN’s rankings. He recently flipped his commitment from the University of Oregon to the University of Nebraska. His father and former Lee’s Summit North coach, Jamar Mozee, will be waiting for him, as he’s an assistant coach with the Huskers.
Ryver Peppers, Fort Osage High School
Committed to Iowa State University for 2025, Peppers is a three-star running back on 247Sports. During his junior year, he ran for 1,642 yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging 7.97 yards per carry. He also caught 16 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Noah Spencer, Oak Grove High School
The senior running back from Oak Grove made first-team all-conference and all-state in Class 3 his junior year, rushing for 1,781 yards and 29 touchdowns. He added 363 receiving yards.
Players to watch in Kansas
Max Armstrong, Olathe South High School
The senior plays both running back and linebacker for Olathe South and is hoping to build off an impressive junior year. He had 1,004 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns to go along with 69 tackles.
“I’m excited for one more year with my team, taking a leadership role, and the step in my football journey,” Armstrong said.
Andrew Babaloa, Blue Valley Northwest High School
A five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked high school player in Kansas by 247Sports, the 6-6 offensive lineman from Blue Valley Northwest has yet to commit to a college for 2025. He’s received offers from the University of Oklahoma, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Auburn University and the University of Missouri.
Tevyn Gasaway, Olathe West High School
Playing alongside first-team all-state wide receiver Elijah Hakim, Gasaway is one to watch for 2024, Olathe West head coach Jon Wiemers said. A speedy wide receiver, Gasaway set school records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes his junior year.
“I’m excited for this year’s team and the guys that we have and looking to make a deep playoff run as I play my senior season with my friends,” Gasaway said in a statement.
Tannar McDaniel, Piper High School
New Piper football head coach Cole Orrick was immediately impressed with McDaniel’s high motor and work ethic. The senior linebacker finished with 131 tackles and three interceptions during the 2023 season.
The senior wide receiver and defensive back is currently uncommitted, but he expects to sign with a Power Five school. He didn’t reveal what schools have offered him a spot.
“I am excited to execute with the brand new coaching staff and show off how great we are,” McDaniel said. “Piper is very special this year and we can not wait to show what we have. One last ride and it will be the best.”
Garrett Pierce, Basehor-Linwood High School
Pierce led Basehor-Linwood with 115 tackles last season, with 14.5 of those going for a loss and three interceptions. Coach Rod Stallbaumer said that the linebacker will look to build on top of his junior year.
“Garrett is the heart and soul of our defense, he sets the tone with his physicality and aggressiveness and is a leader on our team,” Stallbaumer said. “We are expecting a great season from Garrett and our defense.”
Marco Rodriguez, Bishop Miege High School
Standing at 6-5, the senior quarterback almost eclipsed 2,000 passing yards his junior season, throwing for 21 touchdowns while leading Bishop Miege’s offense. This season, he’ll look to avenge a 14-7 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in last year’s state tournament .
Jackson Sarver, Olathe North High School
Last season, Sarver passed for 1,687 yards with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 360 yards and two touchdowns. The senior is looking to get Olathe North back to the state championship for the first time since 2019.
“I’m excited to see what this team can do,” Sarver said in an email. “It’s been a long time coming and we are all ready to compete.”
Savion Stone, Washington High School
The junior quarterback and safety from Washington High School is a dual threat, leading his conference in rushing yards with more than 800 during the 2023 season.
He was named to the first-team all-conference team and received an honorable mention for the state team, and Washington coach Camron Smith says he should be one of the top recruits in his class next year.
This story was originally published August 28, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
