The Midwest Showcase COVERAGE | Standout Performers at DE – We look at some of the defensive end top that stood out for their talents and shined at the Midwest Showcase in St. Joseph and raised their profiles on December 11th.
MIDWEST SHOWCASE COVERAGE
➡️ Results | Photos A | Photos B | KICKOFF23
60 — Chase Campbell
, 6-5, 215, DE, 2025, Olathe West (Kan.)
@campbellchase90
Campbell is a lengthy and impressive looking Olathe West play maker that is a top pure size guy, 6-5, 215 and a guy that really can use that length to be a key pressure player to watch for in the coming years. Campbell is a very quick athlete, one of those guys that is hard to escape from, a very lengthy player that can come up and stop the running game, one of the sophomores out there that can be a major impact maker on the edge.
250 — Caden Cetak
, 6-4, 205, DE, 2024, Lincoln East (Neb.)@CadenCetak
One of the top Nebraska athletes at the 6Star Football Showcase, Cetak continues to raise his stock and increase his exposure as a DE that is a talent to know. Cetak had the third best 40 yard dash time among DEs with a 5.15 and the third best DE mark of 108 in the broad jump. Also shined in the vertical with a jump of 30.4 inches, one of the very few DEs to go over 30 inches. The Spartans really had some talented defensive play makers this season and one of their top returning edge speed play makers in 2023 will be this hot standout and pass rushing star in the making Caden Cetak. A player that capped off a big junior season with 8 sacks and had 45 total tackles as a key run stopper that added 15 tackles for losses, had six pass deflections, 5 QB hurries and caused one fumble. Really looking like a major talent in the junior class, one of those guys that can make some huge plays on defense.
299 — Kason Messenger
, 6-1, 212, DE, 2024, Cheney (Kan.) @kason_messenger
A big year for an impressive looking junior, Messenger had 61 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks, and added 7 QB hurries, 6-1, 210 Messenger is a player that can be a major edge talent and has really shown he is one of the hardest junior DEs in Kansas football to be able to get in front of and get a good block on, Messenger can be rangy and is a stretch the field end that can cover a lot of ground and make tackles from behind or be a hard charger into the action. Also a standout student, Messenger reports a 3.5 GPA.
231 — Coltin Myers
, 6-3, 220, DE, 2023, Atchison County (Kan.) @Colt_m22
A very impressive looking senior standout that raised his profile at the 6Star Football Showcase in St. Joseph was this 6-3 Atchison County senior DE. Myers turned in some numbers to notice with a vertical of 26.8 inches and a 40 yard dash time of 5.20. All State DE that is impressive and an edge guy loaded for talent in the senior class, big frame 6-3, 220 and a player that is very hard to block coming off his outside edge. Was named a 1st Team All League DE and helped Atchison County to back to back undefeated league championships. Had 37 tackles and 13 tackles for losses as a key play making rush end this season. 6-3, 220 and a lengthy and impressive looking pass rusher that has had a very impressive career for Atchison County, Myers has offers from McPherson and Nebraska Wesleyan, one of those players that is one of the better size plus talent DEs in Kansas football and a guy that makes the big talent radar for us.
2 — Johnken Ngwaba
, 6-3, 195, DE, 2023, Maur Hill Mount Academy (Kan.) @NgwabaJohnken
Ngwaba is a senior that looked impressive and was a key senior who raised his profile at the 6Star Football Showcase in St. Joseph with the second best DE mark in the vertical of 32.8 inches. Ngwaba also tied for the fourth best DE mark in the broad jump with a distance of 105 inches. A key pass rusher for Maur Hill Mount Academy that really used his 6-3 inch frame and quickness off the snap to be an edge rusher that would claim the edge with his speed and get past the tackles on the outside to create a lot of havoc on QBs and become of those top sack guys in the state with a very big senior season this year, Ngwaba had eight sacks in seven games this season and made the most of every snap as one of the top tier looking defensive rush ends. Also a standout student, Ngwaba reports a 3.5 GPA.
227 — Noah Pedersen
, 6-0, 230, DE, 2024, Lincoln East (Neb.) @Noahpedersennn
A very impressive power and physical DE prospect that is good on the edge as and overpowering tough man, Pedersen had a big year for the Lincoln East defense and finished with 45 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovered fumble and 9 TFLs for the East defense. A very impressive power edge player that was always around the action and a key run stopping junior prospect to know. A player that raised his profile at the 6Star Football Midwest Showcase and is a leader among the big men at Lincoln East to know for 2023.
309 — Hayden Puryear
, 6-1, 220, DE, 2024, Junction City (Kan.) @_Hayden_Puryear
A very impressive looking edge play maker, this junior from Junction City is a 2x All-League 2nd Team pick and a player that had a big junior season in 2022 with 50 tackles, 19 solo tackles, 10 tackles for losses, six sacks, and two forced fumbles as a tough man in the trenches coming off the edge and a big run stopper. A player that raised his profile at the 6Star Football Midwest Showcase and one of the edge big men to watch for this upcoming season in the 2024 class.
234 — Caeleb Taylor
, 6-4, 200, DE, 2024, Olathe North (Kan.)@caelebtaylor88
One of the juniors that is raising his stock in an impressive fashion is this Olathe North DE and junior to know. Taylor really shined at the 6Star Football Showcase in St. Joseph with the second best DE time in the 40 yard dash of 5.10, and the second best DE broad jump mark at 110 inches. Was fourth in the vertical among all DEs with a leap of 32.6 inches. A taller framed 6-4, 200, this DE will be a senior to watch for next year at Olathe North, a player that has some length to his frame that Olathe North would like to use on the edge and with his length will be am edge player that will be looking to be an impact maker as a pass rusher.
319 — Tucker Thomas
, 6-5, 225, DE, 2023, Mitchell (Neb.) @Tucker_Thomas65
A player that could attract more and more college attention with his frame and size, and a player that has been key run stopper on the edge with size for the Mitchell defensive unit. Good looking player and frame for the college game. 6-5, 225 Thomas is one of the bigger looking lengthy DE prospects in Nebraska football, a player at Mitchell that has had a nice career and has the built to be a college prospect with more offers coming in. had 37 tackles and four tackles for losses as a key rush end for Mitchell. Tucker has colleges offers from Nebraska-Kearney, Hastings, Chadron State, Concordia, Doane, and Graceland and had made visits to several schools such as Missouri Western, Wyoming, Wayne State, and Nebraska Wesleyan. Thomas also plans an upcoming visit to Morningside.
297 — Jayden Woods
, 6-3, 220, DE, 2025, Mill Valley (Kan.)@Atm_Jayden
Woods, who had the third best vertical among DEs at the 6Star Football Showcase in St. Joseph, a mark of 32.7 inches, is an elite D1 prospect that showed why he is a highly sought after power and speed rush end, looked like a clear dominator on the field and was a player that is clearly a major D1 athlete that will be racking up more and more big offers. The top looking player in the sophomore class on our radar, many D1 offers have come for this elite and most tenacious looking pass rusher in the sophomore class, Woods has been a very impressive player whose length at 6-3 has made him a guy that tackles dread having to line up against and try and block, good footwork and power and physical player that is the best combo out there for speed and power coming as a hard charging pass rusher for class 5A Mill Valley. Woods had 51 tackles and 10.5 tackles for losses as a key rush end in his 13 games of action for the 5A powers.
Illinois, Iowa, K-State, Iowa State, Kansas, and Baylor are his current offers on a long and ever growing list of D1 offers. Also a standout student, Woods reports a 3.68 GPA.
217 — Andrew Yarnell
, 6-4, 210, DE, 2024, Olathe North (Kan.) @yarnellandrew11
Hard to find a DE that was more impressive at the 6Star Football Showcase in St. Joseph, Yarnell was a big standout with the top DE 40 time of 5 seconds flat and a top broad jump mark among all DE’s also of 112 inches. Yarnell was also fifth among DE’s with a vertical of 30.7 inches. Yarnell was one of the key big men in the trenches and coming off the edge for Olathe North this season, named an Honorable Mention All-Sunflower League selection, Yarnell is 6-4, 210 and a lengthy and impressive looking edge presence and play maker that was able to get into the backfield and be a tough and physical drag you to the ground and make a big play lineman on the radar to take major notice of. A top edge defender and DE on the radar in the Kansas 2024 class to know. Had 24 tackles, 2 sacks and six tackles for losses for 2022. Also a standout student, Yarnell reports a 4.3 GPA and a 27 ACT.
