We have officially released our initial Elite 22 – Class of 2029 rankings featuring the 22 top sophomore prospects in the state. This was a very tough list to make, as the sophomore class is still in an awkward stage where a bunch of players are only playing limited snaps or on their reserve team, while there’s also another group that has become established starters. The key to ranking players at this stage is to focus more on potential and what I’ve seen from them, either in person or on tape, rather than how many varsity reps a player has received.
This list isn’t set in stone and will change several times, likely before the season ends, so there is always room for growth. If you don’t see yourself on our rankings, that doesn’t mean we don’t think you are a good player or will be a good player, but rather that we haven’t seen enough to give you a fair evaluation/ranking that you deserve. Keep posting tape, tag us on your posts, and we will make sure to find you!
To introduce you to our Elite 22, I am starting with evaluations on our newly minted 2029 Top 5:
Akili Heath-Moody, WR – Millard North – 6’1″ 175 lbs – (@AkiliMoody)
Ranked: #1
Millard North’s Akili Heath-Moody checks in as the top prospect in our initial 2029 rankings list. Akili burst onto the scene as a freshman, quickly moved up to varsity, and became an early contributor for the Mustangs. What sets Akili apart is how advanced and polished he is at this stage of his development. He is a very twitchy receiver who runs great routes and can create separation at the top of the route. Heath-Moody flashes excellent hands at the catch point with the tracking ability to snag it at the high point, strength to hold on through contact, and body awareness to adjust to secure the catch. Great speed to stretch defenses vertically and acceleration that can take a short pass to the house. Akili is dealing with an injury that looks like it may take some time to heal this season, so we’ll have to wait a bit to see what year 2 looks like. Miami has already offered the ‘Stangs sophomore.
Sam Beebe, OL/DL – North Bend Central – 6’6″ 250 lbs – (@sam_beebe24)
Ranked: #2
North Bend Central’s Sam Beebe caught my attention right off the bat after a great freshman season for the Tigers. He’s carried that momentum into year 2, which we have already broken down a bit at the start of the season. Sam stands out immediately with a towering 6’6″, 250 pounds, elite length/reach, and great bend at the hip and knees. Sam currently projects best as an offensive lineman, where he holds all the tools to be a bookend tackle at the next level. He is physical at the point of attack with a powerful base to drive defenders off the ball and a finisher’s mentality to take blocks into the dirt. Beebe also impressed with how well he moves for his size, showing he can get out to block in space, pull inside, or keep working into the second level to seal off LBs. Great pop in his hands and smart placement when looking to gain inside leverage over his opponent. Sam is also a standout on defense, where he can clog up interior run lanes and force backs to redirect or face running into a wall. Sam has recently seen increased attention from Power 4 programs, so it shouldn’t be long before some offers start hitting the table!
Keegan McLucas, TE/DL – Omaha North – 6’4″ 225 lbs – (@k_mclucas56)
Ranked: #3
Omaha North’s Keegan McLucas is a player who is hard to assign to one position given his athleticism and versatile skill set. Keegan stands out with great size that projects well to the next level at 6’4″, 225 pounds, while also moving extremely well at this size. I’ve primarily seen Keegan at tight end, where he has put together some great blocking tape, displaying excellent technique and footwork when engaged with defenders. He has heavy hands that can land like bricks when he shoots his jab, and a powerful leg drive that lets him overwhelm his opponent and drive them off the ball. He is also versatile as a blocker, showing he can be an in-line tight end or a FB/H-back type you can line up as your lead blocker. As a pass catcher, Keegan uses those same big mitts to go up and snag the ball as a reliable “hands” receiver. Keegan has a huge catch radius and shows he can make catches well outside his frame or elevate to win 50/50 balls. McLucas also showed a lot of upside on defense, where he played on the defensive line as a freshman and proved to be very disruptive with active hands and a non-stop motor. I could see him as an outside linebacker with the agility and quickness to be a terror off the edge. Coming from a program like Omaha North, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Keegan become a highly touted prospect by his senior year.
Ben Dostal, OL – Creighton Prep – 6’3″ 260 lbs – (@BenDostal4)
Ranked: #4
Creighton Prep’s Ben Dostal is another player who I wasn’t sure what position he would end up at, with experience at OL, DL, and TE. Ultimately, Ben seems to have found his home on the offensive line, where he has looked like the next road grader to come out of the Prep pipeline. Ben brings a mean streak to the field, starting with firing out of his stance and using his swift, strong jab to stun opponents at the point of attack. He shoots his hands with great accuracy and works them inside effectively to gain further leverage. Once Ben has a defender in his grasp, you need to strap in because he has the power in his base to drive you where he chooses and plant you into the dirt. Great footwork and lateral quickness to move and execute all types of blocks. In pass protection, I was impressed with Ben’s ability to anchor down and stonewall defenders at the line of scrimmage. Dostal brings this mauler mentality to the defensive side, shooting out of his stance and instantly working his hands to disengage from blockers. His tireless motor and pursuit of the ball keep him in every play. Creighton Prep is another program that pumps out a ton of talent, especially along the trenches with Ben looking like the next man up!
Justin Werner, TE/LB – Archbishop-Bergan – 6’6″ 200 lbs – (@JustinWer12)
Ranked: #5
The Bergan Knights have been on a tear to start the season with a great core of players, including some budding stars in the 2029 class like Justin Werner. Justin broke onto the scene as a freshman and has continued to flash his massive upside into his sophomore campaign. Just looking at the measurables paints a very promising picture, with Justin having a taller, longer frame at 6’6″ and 200 pounds while also reporting times of a 15.89 100m hurdle and a 41.15 300m hurdle. Offensively, Justin checks out as a tight end with the speed to take the top off the defense and the stronger frame to handle targets over the middle of the field. His massive catch radius gives his QB a big area to work with, and his hops let him get up and high-point the ball. On defense, Justin can be a versatile defender who brings pressure off the edge, defends the run, and drops into coverage. Werner also showed great ball skills (three INTs last season), with strong instincts for reading QBs and jumping routes. Looking forward to seeing more from Justin at the end of the year!
