Lawrence senior linebacker Josh Galbreath signs his national letter of intent with Kansas at a National Signing Day event at Lawrence High School on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Lawrence.

National Signing Day in Lawrence meant two local athletes signed their letters of intent to join their future Division I football teams, securing their dreams of playing college football.

Free State offensive tackle Braden Wilmes signed his letter of intent to play for Clemson with a crowd of Free State coaches and teammates around his table. At Lawrence, linebacker Josh Galbreath signed with Kansas, becoming the next in a line of Chesty Lions who made the move up to Mount Oread to play for the Jayhawks.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State left tackle Braden Wilmes signs his National Letter of Intent to play for Clemson at a National Signing Day event at Free State on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Lawrence.

Wilmes started for three years on the offensive line and has become part of a long tradition of linemen who have gone on from Free State to play high-level college football. Part of that tradition means leadership, something Free State coach Kevin Stewart has seen from Wilmes.

“He cares about his teammates a lot, he cares about the team and wants to win,” Stewart said. “That’s the best way to become a leader — you have to care about people.

“He would always show up. There would be times he would go to college camps and he would drive all the way back overnight to come to weights in the summer. I’d tell him, ‘Don’t wear yourself out; don’t get injured.’ But he wanted to make it a priority to be with the team.”

“He’s got great balance, good footwork, and when you watch his film, he doesn’t fall down, and that’s a big thing for a guy his size,” Stewart said. “When you have a guy of that size with that coordination and balance, you have potential.”

Stewart said Wilmes has good bend and plays with a good pad level, which helps Wilmes stay in front of pass rushers. Being a multisport athlete (he also played basketball with the Firebirds) helps Wilmes keep his athleticism to bend at 6-foot-8, and he continued to grow in his technique through his Free State career. When you have that combination, good things are bound to happen.

“That’s how you get an offer to Clemson,” Stewart said.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State senior Julius Matthews embraces senior Braden Wilmes after a tackle for loss during the Firebirds’ game against Olathe North on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Free State High School in Lawrence.

At the end of his first year starting, Wilmes started to really put it together and dominate defensive lines. It was at that point, in a game against Olathe North, that Stewart knew that Wilmes was going to go places as a Firebird and beyond.

Wilmes initially committed to Clemson last December and has kept true to his pledge for over a year. Just over 12 months after his commitment, he finally got to put pen to paper and make it all official.

“I’m ready for that new opportunity and that new life,” Wilmes said. “I’m so excited for the friends I’m going to make and the teammates I’ll know forever.”

Wilmes will graduate in December and enroll at Clemson for the spring semester. That will give him some extra time to get acclimated to college and the new team. For new teammates, Wilmes will be rooming with Jackson Reach, a long snapper out of California. It’ll be his first time being away from home and his first time out of Lawrence, but having a new team to grow with should make the process easier.

What Wilmes is most excited about is getting to hit the weight room at Clemson. While he knows he’s big for kids playing high school football in Kansas, he’s going to need to get even bigger to be ready to hit the field at Clemson.

Wilmes’s mom, Kiersten, was a little nervous the first time she saw her son play on varsity his sophomore year, but she saw the potential he had and how much he loved it.

“He went out there and really competed,” she said. “I said, ‘Wow, he can really hold his own. We’ve got something here.’ We’ve always really enjoyed watching him play, and he just loves it.”

“I’m thrilled,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier. He glows when he talks about Clemson and playing football there. And he’s been ready.”

On the other side of town, Lawrence’s Galbreath solidified his commitment in ink to play just a few miles away at Kansas.

When Galbreath committed, one of the things he talked about was continuing the legacy of Lawrence High players like Devin Neal, who prepped at Lawrence before becoming a star at Kansas. Both of his high school head coaches, Clint Bowen and Jason Thoren, did the same thing back in the 1990s. It’s a tradition that matters, and Galbreath is excited to be the next one.

“I’m so excited to continue on the next chapter and continue the legacy,” Galbreath said.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold echoed that same feeling, saying it was important for KU to keep another local Lawrence High graduate in town.

“What a huge upside he has, and athleticism, and everything,” Leipold said. “A guy that we hope can come in here and make contributions for a long time… He plays the game with passion and enthusiasm, and I think Jayhawk fans will be excited about watching him play.”

This recruiting class was big for Kansas in recruiting players from the state. Six of the 17 Kansas signees in this 2026 class are in-state kids. As Galbreath has spoken with his fellow signees throughout the past few months, it’s important for the local kids to build a winner in their home state.

“I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we want to win, and this is the culture we want to build,” Galbreath said.

Lawrence defensive coordinator John Ely has coached Galbreath his entire high school career, and in those four years, Ely has seen Galbreath become as mentally imposing as he is physically imposing.

“What really sets him apart is intellectually how much he can know what’s coming and the ability to communicate that,” Ely said. “He’s a naturally smart kid anyway, and he watches film a lot on his own.”

Countless times over the last few years, Galbreath has been able to see small tendencies from opposing offenses and adjust his teammates to be better set up to defend the play. He might notice a running back being slightly more offset than normal, which indicates to Galbreath that the offense is running a speed option. Galbreath can then adjust the defense to slide over and defend the play better.

Over the last two seasons, Galbreath was a defensive chess piece for Ely and the Lions. He would move between linebacker to edge rusher, and sometimes play a nickel defender role in the slot. His athleticism and instincts allowed him to be anywhere, and those are things that can translate to the next level.

“He’s unselfish,” Ely said. “He was playing a little out of position for us because we needed a guy who could move sideline to sideline. He didn’t question it at all — he stepped in that role and did everything he could to help us succeed.”

Unselfish is one of the more common adjectives used to describe Galbreath, and for his mom, Renita, it’s an important piece of what makes her son the football player he is.

“As a mother, I treasure him being the best he can be and a positive influence in how he interacts with other people,” she said. “Josh is the same wherever you see him. He’s Josh. He’s kind, he’s gentle, he’s caring, and he’s always giving it his all.”

Galbreath is a naturally quiet kid, but growing up with two older siblings brought out a competitive side of him that has helped him become the physical player he is. Renita knew he had that competitive spirit in him, but seeing him on the field his freshman year, the first year he played football, was enlightening.

“I knew something was going to happen,” she said. “He was always the kid that was bigger, even when he was a baby. So it’s been interesting to see how that has unfolded at the high school level.

“We’re excited for Josh to have an opportunity to keep growing, be himself and do what he loves doing. He enjoys himself, and that’s what matters most.”

Galbreath didn’t see it coming either. Having only started playing football as a freshman, he said he never would have guessed that he’d be in the Lawrence gym signing his name. But after the time and work he put into becoming the player he is, it was only a matter of time that he realized his potential.

“I’m just so excited that I could excel in this sport and be here today,” Galbreath said.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence senior wide receiver Josh Galbreath runs with the ball against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Overland Park.