Photo by: Carson Cassel
By Matt Browning
Over the past two seasons, there has not been a more dominant player in the state than Maize South defensive lineman Hunter Higgins.
The KU-commit racked up 62 tackles with 13 sacks in 2024, while also adding 26 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
With his future now set, Higgins can now focus on the games.
“So much goes into offseason that makes the season seem like a really short time of the year and the work that’s required,” Higgins said. “I just can’t wait to be out there playing.”
Higgins suffered a back injury in 2024, which prevented him playing baseball in the spring. That might end up making a huge difference for his 2025 campaign.
“I feel a lot more like myself,” Higgins said. “Working a lot on explosiveness and speed is big for my position.”
From a physical standpoint, Higgins has been overpowering. Now he wants to add a new layer to skillset.
“I want to show a different level of speed this year,” Higgins said. “A lot of that will be fixed by being healthy but also doing a lot of that work myself to show that change.”
With so many players graduated off the Mavericks’ 2024 team, Higgins now views himself as a leader.
“My biggest goal is to be a true captain and have the trust of the team,” Higgins said. “I feel that I will be responsible for a lot of what happens, almost like an assistant coach role. I just want the team to show effort every game. So many times little mistakes can be fixed with that, so I want us to do the little things right.”
