Hannibal Top Opponents Leaving Missouri for Same Out of State College

High school football kicks off this month in Missouri. It’s an exciting time of year, full of hope and dreams for teams eyeing improvement or championships and individual players who are looking to take their skills to the college level.

Soon you will smell the High School Football in the air (if you don't already)

The Hannibal Pirates have a schedule this year that includes games against quality opponents meant to challenge the team to grow toward districts and state playoffs, including Helias, Troy Buchanon, Kirksville and Ft. Zumwalt West.

Porter Stadium will see plenty of action this season

Each year there are standout individuals that the Pirates play against. Student athletes that you should make an effort to see play before they head off to college. Last season Hannibal played against 4 such players who are gearing up for their freshman seasons playing Division 1 college football. That list includes: OL-Will Kemna/Kansas St., OL-Andrew Williams/BYU, LB-Elliot Hummer/Northern Illinois, and TE-Gabe Cunningham/North Dakota St.

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This season Hannibal will face Division 1 signees OL-Bennett Fraser of Kirksville who will play at Kansas St. and Ft. Zumwalt West defensive back Garrick Dixon who will also play next season at Kansas St.

Bill Snyder Family Stadium - Kansas State U.

Which prompted a quick look at Kansas St. recruiting in Missouri. Last year (2025) Kansas St. football landed 4 of the top twenty recruits in the Show-Me state. Meanwhile Mizzou had three of those top twenty.  For the class of 2026 recruits, Kansas St has three of the top 20, while Mizzou has signed just 2. The only connection to Missouri on the Kansas State staff I could find was Assistant O-line coach Drew Liddle, who is from Oak Grove, Mo. Could he be the reason more of the top end football players in the state are landing in Manhattan, Kansas than Columbia, Missouri? You can catch Pirates football all season on 97-9 KICK-FM.