Here are 40 of the top Milwaukee-area football players to watch in the 2023 season
The high school football landscape in the Milwaukee area is a hot bed for talent, and that sentiment rings true for the 2023 season.
Three of the area's marquee programs — Catholic Memorial (Division 4), Kettle Moraine (2) and Mukwonago (1) — all made runs to state championship games, with the Lasers winning their first football championship since the 1988 season.
Kettle Moraine and Mukwonago will be in the usual dogfight for Classic 8 Conference supremacy at the top, while the Crusaders look to continue their Parkland Conference dominance and win the program's 10th overall state football title and sixth since becoming an official WIAA member.
All three programs were hit by graduation, but also have some of the area's top prospects featured in this watchlist. Some were featured in the 57 best high school football players in the state for 2023 that was released Tuesday, although we will concentrate on this more localized list.
With that being said, here are 40 of the top players in the Milwaukee area for the 2023 football season:
Quarterbacks
AJ Curtis, sr., Waukesha North
Curtis was named to the all-Classic 8 Conference second team after a junior season when he threw for 1,934 yards and 15 touchdowns. He threw for 491 yards and four scores in a 34-21 victory over Burlington last season.
Owen Dobberstein, jr., Pewaukee
Dobberstein will be a centerpiece for the Pirates over the next couple of seasons. His sophomore campaign saw Pewaukee go 6-1 in Parkland play with the quarterback throwing for 1,048 yards and 17 touchdowns on his way to an all-Parkland Conference first-team selection.
JP Doyle, sr., Badger
The Southern Lakes Conference’s offensive player of the year returns for his senior season after a junior campaign when he ran for 1,147 yards and 17 touchdowns. Doyle also threw for 694 yards and five scores for the defending SLC champions, who could be in line for a repeat conference title with Doyle under center.
Ben Fritsch, sr., Port Washington
Fritsch’s listing here should come with a caveat of sorts for one simple reason: he basically does everything for Port Washington. His WisSports.net profile page has him listed with five different positions. He did throw for 1,061 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior after not starting the year as a quarterback, leading the Pirates to the Level 3 playoffs. He also ran for 1,147 yards and 19 scores on the ground. That’s not even including four touchdowns as a kick and punt returner.
Vance Holtz, jr., Arrowhead
The Division-I recruit returns as one of the top juniors in the Milwaukee area. Holtz was named to the all-Classic 8 Conference second team as a sophomore when he threw for 1,713 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Bradyn Horn, sr., Muskego
Horn was named as an honorable mention selection in the Classic 8 Conference last season as a junior after breaking the single-season passing yards mark at Muskego with 1,287 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eric Kenesie, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph
After setting the Division 4 state boys basketball record with a 51-point performance last winter in an 83-72 victory over No. 1 St. Mary Catholic in the semifinals, Kenesie returns to the gridiron for the Lancers. He threw for 971 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also rushing for 757 yards and nine scores on his way to winning co-Midwest Classic Conference offensive player of the year. Kenesie also added had 28 total tackles, six interceptions and two scores as a defensive back.
Brock Koeppel, sr., Westosha Central
Koeppel is one of three quarterbacks from the Southern Lakes Conference who are featured on this watchlist. The all-SLC second-team signal-caller had a stellar junior season with 2,065 yards and 25 touchdowns in the air, while also rushing for 645 yards and nine scores on the ground.
Ben Ott, sr., Nicolet
Ott may be one of the more unconventional quarterbacks on this list, but he’s one of the most versatile players in the group. He not only wore the No. 36 as a linebacker on Nicolet’s roster, but threw for 1,296 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior. Ott also ran for 719 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to being named to the all-North Shore Conference first team.
Jack Sulik, sr., Burlington
Sulik returns for the Demons after a junior season when he threw for 2,686 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was named to the Southern Lakes Conference’s honorable mention list a year ago.
Running backs and wide receivers
Jayden Gordon, sr., Kenosha St. Joseph
The Lancers possess one of the area’s best backfields with Kenesie and running back Jayden Gordon also returning for a senior season. Gordon went both ways like Kenesie as a linebacker for the Lancers last season and made an impact everywhere. He ran for 1,831 yards and 27 touchdowns offensively, while registering 71 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss defensively. Kenesie and Gordon shared the MCC’s offensive player of the year award.
Aiden Krause, sr., Muskego
Muskego’s leading receiver from last year returns with brother Ashton. Aiden Krause only caught 24 passes a season ago, but averaged 21.4 yards per reception with 514 yards and six touchdowns. He was an all-Classic 8 Conference first-team selection at tight end/H-back.
Ashton Krause, sr., Muskego
Krause missed some time with injury last season, but with Sam Steuber’s departure, he’ll step into a much bigger role as the Warriors’ lead back. He had 503 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior for the co-Classic 8 Conference champions.
Collin Meininger, sr., Westosha Central
Brock Koeppel’s favorite target returns for one more season. Meininger was an all-Southern Lakes Conference first-team selection after a campaign when he caught 69 passes for 1,031 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Josiah Rice, jr., Wisconsin Lutheran
Rice led the Woodland Conference in rushing yards (876) as a sophomore with 13 touchdowns for the Vikings on his way to an all-conference first-team selection. His best performance of the season came in a 45-29 win over Greendale with a 249-yard, four-touchdown outing.
Terrance Shelton, sr., Franklin
The Buffalo commit took on a larger role in his junior season and thrived for the then-defending state champion Sabers. Shelton ran for 1,036 yards and 19 touchdowns on his way to sharing the co-running back of the year award in the Southeast Conference with the departing Justice Lovelace from Kenosha Indian Trail.
Corey Smith, sr., Catholic Memorial
In terms of the most explosive players in the state, Smith just might be at the top of the list. The 2022 all-state second-team selection and Penn State commit returns for a final season for powerhouse Catholic Memorial after back-to-back seasons of 1,100-plus yards and 18-plus touchdowns on the ground. He had 1,304 yards and 26 scores as a junior for the Crusaders.
Tommy Teberg, sr., Burlington
Teburg was the definition of a No. 1 receiver last season as a junior for the Demons. He caught 69 passes for 1,186 yards and 19 touchdowns on his way to an all-Southern Lakes Conference first-team selection and a spot on the all-state honorable mention list.
Jaeden Tiegs, sr., Grafton
Tiegs is the lone returner at wide receiver from the all-Woodland Conference first team last season. As a junior, Tiegs caught 50 balls for 669 yards and four touchdowns, including a nine-catch, 121-yard performance in the Level 2 playoffs last postseason against Port Washington.
Drew Wagner, sr., Kettle Moraine
The Navy commit returns from an awesome junior year that saw him win a Division 2 state title as a receiver for the Lasers and was a catalyst in the boys basketball team reaching the Division 1 state tournament for the first time in program history. Wagner was a first team all-Classic 8 Conference selection after a 53-catch season while registering 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns.
Offensive linemen
Donovan Harbour, sr., Catholic Memorial
The array of offensive linemen in the Milwaukee area is absolutely loaded this season and the Penn State commit is one of the reasons why. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman was a first-team all-state selection, a first-team all-Parkland Conference selection and a finalist for the Journal Sentinel’s offensive player of the year last season.
Charlie Hoitink, jr., Slinger
Hoitink is one of the state’s top juniors and has already committed to Stanford. He’s a massive presence on Slinger’s offensive line at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds. He was named to the all-North Shore Conference first team as an offensive lineman last season.
Brock Hodge, sr., Oak Creek
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Hodge was the Southeast Conference’s offensive lineman of the year as a junior. With Hodge leading the charge up front, the Knights ran for 231 yards a game last season and 30 total touchdowns. He has committed to Northwest Missouri State.
Derek Jensen, sr., Arrowhead
The Warhawks have two of the best and biggest offensive tackles in the state on the same offensive front. Jensen, a Wisconsin commit, was named to the all-Classic 8 Conference first team as a junior.
Alex Rack, sr., Wauwatosa West
The 6-foot-1, 311-pound Rack was one of two players from Wauwatosa West to make the all-Parkland Conference first team last season along with teammate Jaylan Brown. Rack was also named to the conference’s first team as an interior defensive lineman.
Nathan Roy, sr., Mukwonago
A lot of carries for departing all-state running back Wynn Stang last season were right behind this guy. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Roy committed to Minnesota before this season. Not only was Roy an all-state first-team selection and a finalist for the Journal Sentinel’s offensive player of the year as a junior, he helped Mukwonago rush for more than 4,000 yards and 56 total touchdowns on the way to a Division 1 state title game berth.
Grey Rumohr, sr., Kettle Moraine
Just like departing teammate Sam Coufal, Rumohr was named to the all-Classic 8 Conference first team on offense and defense last season. The Northern Illinois commit had 69 total tackles and 16 tackles for a loss defensively, while helping the offense register over 4,300 total yards and 50 total touchdowns as a dominant presence up front.
Garrett Sexton, sr., Arrowhead
It's been a ride for Sexton following his junior season, from the quarterbacks room with the Warhawks, to committing to Penn State as an offensive lineman. The senior was named to the all-Classic 8 Conference honorable mention list last year. Sexton and teammate Derek Jensen will make for one of the biggest and toughest combos on any offensive line in the state.
Owen Strebig, jr., Catholic Memorial
Like coach Bill Young said during a visit to a Catholic Memorial practice, you can’t teach 6-foot-8. At that height and basically 300 pounds on the Crusaders’ offensive front, Strebig and teammate Donovan Harbour will make life extremely difficult for opposing fronts. Strebig was one of three CMH linemen to make the all-Parkland Conference first team last season. He also has many Division-I offers.
Grant Stromberg, sr., Mukwonago
Another area pairing on this list that could dominant in the trenches is Nathan Roy and teammate Grant Stromberg. A state qualifier at 285 pounds last season on the wrestling mats, Stromberg returns after an all-Classic 8 Conference second-team selection and can help solidify one of the area’s best overall units on the football field.
Defense and special teams
Drew Bramm, sr., Oak Creek
You'll be hard-pressed to find a more productive inside linebacker in the state than Bramm. The South Dakota State commit had 133 total tackles, 12 passes defended, eight tackles for loss and six sacks as a junior. He was an all-Southeast Conference first-team selection and will be one of the leaders on the Knights defense again this year.
Cooper Catalano, jr., Germantown
Although listed as a linebacker for the Warhawks, Catalano was named the Greater Metro Conference’s defensive back of the year as a sophomore. The junior is rated as one of the better class of 2025 players in the state, and for good reason. Catalano had 147 total tackles last season, 19 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception returned for a score.
Carson Fletcher, jr., Racine Horlick
Both players that shared the Southeast Conference’s outside linebacker of the year are on this list and here’s the first. Fletcher had 71 total tackles last season, 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and two picks for Racine Horlick. He also ran for 310 yards and four scores offensively as a running back.
Jace Gilbert, sr., Arrowhead
The Iowa State commit not only helped lead the Warhawks to the Division 1 state championship game in boys basketball, he was an all-Classic 8 Conference selection and an all-state selection on the gridiron. Gilbert had 37 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season while facing his fair share of double and triple teams.
Mike King, sr., Racine Case
Along with Carson Fletcher, King shared the outside linebacker of the year award in the Southeast Conference after a season where he registered 85 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble for the Eagles.
Jonathan Ksobeich, sr., Kettle Moraine
A key cog on last year’s state title-winning roster for the Lasers, Ksobeich could play an even bigger role as the defending Division 2 champions search for an answer at quarterback following the departure of Chase Spellman. Ksobeich was the lone junior on the top two all-Classic 8 Conference teams at inside linebacker after a season where he had 97 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception.
Carl Pevey, sr., Catholic Memorial
Pevey is one of the key returners for a program that came within an eyelash of winning their fourth straight state title last season. Along with the graduating Keith Williams off the edge, Pevey caused all kinds of havoc on the CMH defensive line with 92 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a safety. He was an all-Parkland Conference first-team selection.
Jace Miller, sr., Franklin
Miller missed the start of last year recovering from a torn ACL, but the Division-I prospect showed flashes of potential dominance heading into his senior season. He had 22 total tackles last season, five tackles for loss and a sack in limited action.
Erik Schmidt, jr., Marquette
Schmidt isn’t just one of the best kickers in the state. He’s one of the best kickers in the nation. He’s has an offer on the table from Wisconsin with more Division-I offers likely to come his way over the next couple of seasons. He made seven of nine field goal attempts and all 24 extra-point attempts last season with 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard-line.
Ezekiel Smith, sr., Milwaukee Marshall
Last year’s defensive lineman of the year in the Milwaukee City Conference returns for the defending Richardson Division champions, who also defeated Vincent in the MPS Crossover to win the de-facto city title. Marshall has a lot to replace on the skill position depth charts, but having a worker like Smith in the trenches defensively will definitely help.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here are the top 40 Milwaukee-area football players to watch in 2023
