Underrated Players Who Could Become Big-Name Recruits

Sometimes softball prospects take time to develop into their full potential on the field. It may take a few years of high school ball and some extra training to become the type of recruit who colleges clamor for.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five underrated players who could soon explode onto the national softball recruiting scene.    Emersyn Haney has all the tools necessary to be a breakout star as soon as next season. She's already worked her way onto a tremendous travel ball team in TN Mojo, and is gearing up for what should be a tremendous high school career ahead. This past year playing up, she batted .403 with 18 RBI, seven doubles and three triples. Emersyn is a plus outfielder who can easily hold down all three positions and has tremendous range. With more time working through the very small holes in her swing, she'll likely be a top player in Alabama soon.     Madynn Dunham is a popular pick to be a breakout star in Nebraska. The young phenom two-way player already dominated her first two seasons with Crete's varsity team, and is already making a huge impact during the fall ball slate. She has just a small way to go in her development before her numbers really start looking gaudy and stand out on a national scale, but that doesn't take away from her minuscule 1.98 ERA, 21-5 record and 17 homers this past spring. Madynn is an incredible high-level talent with the work ethic to position herself for a strong 2026 season ahead.     Ella Tinsman batted .435 with 28 RBI and six home runs, while only striking out seven times last season for Hastings. She also became one of the most reliable relief options for her varsity squad, collecting a 0.68 ERA through 16 appearances, en route to an incredible 14-2 record. She has the athleticism necessary to play anywhere on the field, which she'll use in the coming years to continuously find ways onto the field for her teams. Ella is definitely set up for a breakout campaign in 2026.     [player_tooltip player_id='144869' first='Delanie' last='Cloyd'] has already gotten some traction on the recruiting trail, attending camps at colleges like Utah. But she has the skill set to break out of a crowded California region and place herself into the national recruiting conversation among the rest of the coaches at the Division I level. Delanie finished her first year of varsity softball with one of the best batting averages among freshmen in the state, all while blasting 14 home runs and driving in 48 runs. She's a tireless worker who constantly wants to improve her swing and approach at the plate, which is something that will help her stock continue to soar over the next couple of years.     Navey Lindsay has the type of dedication to softball that every coach looks for when recruiting a player. She's from a small town in Utah and commits the majority of her free time to her high school and club softball teams. Despite playing in a lower division, she continues to impress on a regional scale, putting up tremendous numbers throughout the high school season. Navey has already participated in national invite tournaments, and her focus on being a high-IQ player with strong leadership will help to lay the groundwork for a successful next couple of years.

Sometimes softball prospects take time to develop into their full potential on the field. It may take a few years of high school ball and some extra training to become the type of recruit who colleges clamor for.