Kansas

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 88, Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish

Published

11 months ago

January 23, 2025

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 88, Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL draft.

Jaire Alexander may or may not be on Green Bay’s roster when the 2025 season kicks off. The former all-pro cornerback may not even be on the roster by the time the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around.

Alexander’s uncertain future in Green Bay paired with Eric Stokes set to be a free agent, it’s a safe bet that Brian Gutekunst will add talent to the cornerback room this offseason.

Gutekunst added three safeties to the roster a year ago during the 2024 NFL Draft. The year before he added three pass catchers on Day Two of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Gutekunst may attack the cornerback room with the same ferocity during the 2025 NFL Draft. A cornerback that the Packers could target during the draft is Jacob Parrish. The Kansas State prospect checks in at No. 88 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A Kansas native, Parrish recorded 44 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and 13 pass deflections during the 2023 campaign.

This past season, Parrish recorded 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and eight pass deflections.

“Parrish was kind of the vision of what Kansas State has been the last few seasons,” Drew Galloway, a Kansas State reporter for On3Sports said. “He was under-recruited and was almost going to be a walk-on before it turned into a scholarship offer. He came in with little to no fanfare and went to work, and never redshirted, and has just continued to rise and get better every season.”

Parrish played three positions at Olathe North High School and set the school record for receiving yards. Along with football, Parrish played basketball and was a standout track and field athlete.

Parrish is sticky in coverage. The Kansas State cornerback is explosive in his click and close. He doesn’t panic when the ball is in the air and as a former high school wide receiver he has plus ball skills. He has the long speed to stay attached vertically.

Parrish logged 202 snaps in the slot during his time at Kansas State. With his fluid athleticism, route recognition, toughness and short-area quickness, Parrish offers outside-inside versatility.

“He has great speed and uses it to his advantage in coverage and always finds himself around the ball,” Galloway said. “He has good ball skills and is fun to watch when the ball is in the air for someone his size.”

Despite not being the biggest cornerback, Parrish is willing to throw his weight around in run support. According to Pro Football Focus, Parrish was tagged with five missed tackles this past season.

In the below video, Parrish is able to wrangle Cam Skattebo, the Arizona State running back, who forced 102 missed tackles this past season.

“He’s good in run support,” Galloway said. “He learned from Julius Brents how to play against the run and is a really good tackler. He’s not afraid to put his face in the fan.”

Fit with the Packers

The Packers are potentially looking at a mini remodel of their cornerback room this offseason. Assuming Alexander is gone, it would leave Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as the two cornerbacks on the roster with meaningful snaps to their names. Throw in Javon Bullard, who figures to be the team’s starting nickel cornerback when the 2025 season opens up next fall.

Having Nixon and Valentine as the two starting cornerbacks won’t necessarily invoke a ton of fear in opposing quarterbacks next season. Gutekunst needs to add more talent to that room.

Parrish offers outside-inside versatility, he’s a tough-as-nails, pesty coverage cornerback.

“I would draft Parrish because his best football is in front of him,” Galloway said. “He’s still super young and he still has a lot of room to grow. He has speed that can’t be taught and will be a good tester at the NFL Combine and will be good in the locker room.”

It would not be shocking to see the Packers add three cornerbacks to the roster during the 2025 NFL Draft. That number could shrink if Gutekunst adds a veteran to the mix via free agency.

Parrish may be a tad undersized (5-10, 183 pounds), but he plays above his weight class. If he’s still on the board when the Packers are on the clock to start Day 3, the Packers could add the former three-sport athlete to the cornerback room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

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Kansas

Kansas City, Kansas, baseball field renamed to honor fallen deputy Elijah Ming

Published

6 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Kansas City, Kansas, baseball field renamed to honor fallen deputy Elijah Ming

KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.

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Elijah Ming’s son is only two — too young to hold many memories of his dad.

Kansas City, Kansas, baseball field renamed to honor fallen deputy Elijah Ming

But he will remember him. Elijah lives on in Deuce — the little one who also carries his father’s name.

KSHB

“He definitely carries a lot of traits that Elijah had,” said Elijah’s wife, Tiara Ming.

One of those traits now stands tall on a KCK baseball field. On Thursday, fallen Wyandotte County Deputy Elijah Ming was honored once again as Heathwood Park was renamed Elijah Ming Memorial Field.

“It’ll be here for generations and decades to come,” said KCK Mayor Tyrone Garner.

“That’s a sign to our young people in this community that these are the folks we should be looking up to,” said Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic.

Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic.png

Family, friends, Wyandotte County deputies, and local officials attended the event.

Ming was shot and killed in July as he responded to help a woman who felt threatened while moving out of a home in Kansas City, Kansas.

“He was the guy,” said America Patton, Elijah’s mentor. “He had the whole package.”

Elijah’s brothers say there’s no better place for the dedication — they have countless memories there.

“To see bro’s name right here… it makes sense,” said Isaiah Ming. “It all started here.”

“That was the best years of my life,” said Herman Ming.

But this year was a hard one.

They lost their mom to cancer and their brother to gun violence just days apart.

Moving on is not easy.

“That’s when my whole life changed,” said Isaiah. “Just trying to learn how to get through these rainy days.”

As they cope, they hold on to the dreams that are now becoming reality — even if not in the way they imagined.

“We really dreamed about us having something named after us. We never thought it’d come to this,” said Herman. “He’s definitely gonna live on.”

They hope Elijah’s memory continues to guide future generations — especially his little man.

“It’s a special moment for him because I don’t think he realizes how much weight his name is going to carry in the community,” Tiara said.

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Kansas

Kansas City Chiefs Announce Jeff Shafer as 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker

Published

18 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Kansas City Chiefs Announce Jeff Shafer as 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Today, the Kansas City Chiefs announced Jeff Shafer as their 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker – an annual recognition celebrating leaders who are driving significant, measurable change in their communities across the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative’s four pillars: education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.

Shafer is the executive director of City Year Kansas City and leads a dedicated team in providing public school students with the academic and social-emotional tools needed to thrive. Beginning in 2010, Shafer began his over-a-decade long work in giving back to local students as an AmeriCorps member in Chicago’s South Side. After five years with AmeriCorps, Shafer transitioned back to Kansas City to assist with the launch of City Year KC. Since 2015, Shafer and City Year KC have remained important pieces in revitalizing the Kansas City Public Schools district, most notably revitalizing accreditation in 2022. The Kansas City native routinely participates in service events throughout the year, including City Year KC’s Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service where he leads volunteers in beautifying public school spaces with murals and messages of hope.

In addition, Shafer has served on the boards of Brothers Liberating Our Communities, which is responsible for recruiting and retaining Black male educators, and Charlotte Street, a nonprofit providing resources to local artists and curators.

Shafer will be recognized at the Chiefs Inspire Change game during their Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers for his exceptional work in pursuit of education. He will also receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation, paid directly to a non-profit organization of his choice.

“We are incredibly proud to honor Jeff Shafer as the recipient of the club’s 2025 Changemaker Award,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “His commitment to providing necessary resources to our local public school system through City Year KC embodies what it means to be a pioneer for educational advancement. The Kansas City Chiefs are grateful for the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, which spotlights important endeavors in our local community, and we are grateful to have Jeff represent the Chiefs this season.”

“The Changemakers selected this year have demonstrated what’s possible when leaders commit to creating real change in their communities,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. “Their work is a powerful example for others and proof that sustained dedication can drive meaningful progress. The NFL family is proud to recognize their impact.” For more information, visit the link here.

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Kansas

New trial set for Kansas man in son’s death

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New trial set for Kansas man in son’s death

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new trial has been scheduled for a Kansas man convicted of killing his infant son.

Kaleb Hogan will be tried again in January on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.

Hogan was found guilty in 2023 of those same charges in the death of 3-month-old Malykai Hogan.

He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years. But he appealed.

Malykai Braxtyn Hogan (Courtesy: Hogan family)

Earlier this year, the Kansas Supreme Court overturned his conviction, saying the trial judge incorrectly admitted evidence of prior acts of alleged abuse.

The court ruled that the evidence did not fall within an exception allowing alleged prior acts to be admitted into evidence because the state couldn’t link the prior abuse to Hogan. In fact, prosecutors admitted during oral arguments at the high court that they did not charge Hogan with other counts of abuse because they couldn’t prove he was responsible for the child’s earlier injuries.

The court ruled that the state couldn’t prove that the error was harmless, so the case was returned to Butler County District Court for a new trial.

Court records show that a jury trial has been scheduled for Hogan on Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.

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