Sitting in his white Acura, sophomore Cannon Zubeck’s on an unscheduled call. He’s just finished basketball practice, and is talking with a football coach from the University of Tennessee.
In the distance, he sees seniors Max Youngers and Michael English — football teammates — biking toward him. They peer through the windows of Cannon’s car. Bang on the doors.
“Leave me alone real quick,” Cannon says. “Let me finish this.”
The two fall back when they learn who he’s talking to. An offer from Tennessee would amplify Cannon’s prospects and give the 6-foot-7 left tackle a chance to play football in the SEC — the most competitive football conference in the nation.
“Five minutes later, I just hear screaming and honking from Cannon’s car, and I was like, ‘I know what that sound is,’” Michael said. “That’s an offer.”
They all jump in the car to celebrate, blasting “Do What I Want” by Lil Uzi Vert through the speakers. A year ago, Cannon was the new freshman from Colorado. Now, the 16-year-old 255-pound lineman has found both compassion and competition at SM East, fielding Power 4 offers while playing his first Kansas seasons of football, basketball and baseball.
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Back in Aurora, Colorado — before schools like Kansas State University were trying to impress him at Saturday football games down in Manhattan — sports were never about scholarships in the Zubeck family.
His parents, Paul and Lindsay, played basketball at SM East 25 years ago. But not in college. So for Cannon, the endless hours of baseball practice and intense cross-country tournaments were for fun.
Only a few years after Cannon started playing sports at age 5, his mother was diagnosed with ocular melanoma — a tumor of the eye that spread to her other organs. As Cannon traveled across the country for club baseball and basketball, his mother flew across the country in search of treatment.
Lindsay started a blog in 2018. She wrote about two things: battling OM and raising her kids. Though aggressive procedures and endless scans were exhausting, mentally and physically, her words were always brightest when describing how Cannon and his siblings were growing up. Hide-and-seek games were just as important as baseball championships.
As Cannon moved on to Cherokee Trail High School, the whole Zubeck family made it out to all of his games: baseball, basketball and eventually football, where his undefeated eighth grade club football season with his club team remains a personal highlight. During his freshman basketball season, he was interviewed by local stations about his play.
“What inspired me to play basketball was my mom,” Cannon said in an interview with CT-TV last February. “She got me into it, taught me how to play. And [I] kind of just kept playing from there.”
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When senior and offensive guard Mete Ozkan first heard of the “giant transfer” everyone was talking about last spring, he had to meet the guy. At a fire drill, he went outside to shake Cannon’s hand, excited to have a guy with that kind of frame coming to SM East’s football field.
Over the first few weeks of practice last summer, Mete was in awe as the former tight end thrived on the offensive line. Cannon adapted quickly to their shared role, using remarkable speed and coordination to give iron-barred pass protection.
But he was also emphatic and authentic. He’d lay his head on your shoulder.
“It almost seemed like he had already known us for 10 years,” Mete said. “He was immediately hugging everyone and joking around with people.”
But not everyone was instantly convinced. Michael was initially annoyed by Cannon’s booming comments, and felt he was too comfortable for a rookie. He confronted Cannon. Told him to be quiet and stop messing around.
But even Michael changed his mind when, after practice, Cannon went up to apologize.
“This is your last year, and you want to do something special, so I promise you, I will give you everything I can to make that happen,” Cannon said.
It was obvious how much Cannon worked on his game. Teammates noticed the whiteboard in his room with sketched-out schemes — drawn up before the season had started. When the season kicked off, Cannon followed a five-day study regimen leading up to games.
Monday: write the game plan on his whiteboard. Tuesday: watch two hours of film from both teams. Wednesday: quiz himself on plays to sharpen active recall. Thursday: A quick review of his review. All of that, on top of daily after-school practices and meetings.
Head offensive line coach Jamie Fournier’s seen bigger guys. He once coached a kid north of 6-foot-9 and 300 pounds. But that kid didn’t even start. Cannon was an “immediate” impact player, and someone Fournier saw as a natural leader — a kid who had the spirit of the line.
“For many players, they want the glory of touching the ball and scoring touchdowns, things like that, “ Fournier. “And [Cannon] is not about that at all. He just wants to win.”
***
The Zubecks moved back to Kansas City last year to be closer to extended family. On the first night of Friday Night Lights scrimmage, assistant defensive line coach Aaron Geddis edited and posted highlight plays, believing in Cannon’s potential early on.
“Traditionally, you might get guys that are so big they lack the fundamental coordination with their sport," Geddis said. “They might trip over their own feet. With [Cannon], he has so much balance with his size and his ability that there’s no awkwardness whatsoever.”
Lindsay was dealing with immunotherapy, directive treatments and doctors visits in Denver, Colorado and Philadelphia. The family dealt with tough days when she couldn’t get out of bed. But she and Paul made it to every single football game, watching number 76.
Knowing his mom would come down to the field in her wheelchair after the game motivated Cannon on every snap. Playing like any game could be the last his mom sees.
“She came to every single game, no matter the state or condition she was in, and that was one of the most inspiring things ever,” Cannon said.
OM had taken an eye and dragged her down eight years of intense, painful treatment. But it wouldn’t stop her from being there for her son.
“I’m sure there were times that she probably wasn’t feeling the best, or was just struggling, but she was going to be at the events regardless of what’s happening, because that was the most important thing for her,” Paul said.
Head coach Mark Simoneau also saw Cannon’s recruitment potential in just the first few games. The two coaches sent tape to colleges, but schools would also reach out on their own. That kind of size at a young age naturally attracts attention, according to Geddis.
Highlight reels — which often feature Cannon hurling defenders across hash marks and onto their backs — have earned Cannon six offers to play in the Big 10, Big 12 and SEC. But Geddis expects Cannon’s skill and future development will land him more than 40 offers by the time he graduates.
“Once you start watching his varsity football, it speaks for itself,” Geddis said. “You send this to any coach in America, and they’re going to love him.”
***
Recruiting conversations have snowballed since the first Friday Night Lights scrimmage, extending into Cannon’s first basketball season at SM East. Schools contact him over the phone or in-person, and conversations in the margins between school and games net him sudden football offers from schools such as the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University.
Described by teammate and junior Brooks Dillon as a “giant teddy bear,” Cannon remains a dominant force on the court as the season winds down, in charge of more than just rebounds: in the weight room, Cannon picks the music. NBA YoungBoy, Lil Uzi and Drake are staples for lifting sessions.
His SM East teammates — on both the field and the court — describe him as someone who always “has their back.” And they have his, too.
At the State Line Showdown basketball game on Jan. 30, the game’s proceeds went to OM research in honor of Lindsay, who passed away on Dec. 7 after a life of research advocacy and care for her children. In a brutally close game, the Lancers fell to the Rockhurst Hawklets after a fourth quarter three-pointer: 56-51.
Though Cannon hates to lose, he’s learned to be persistent and tough enough to shake off losses. He’s just a sophomore, after all, and Simoneau anticipates his skills and strength will only grow in his second half of high school.
“Can’t stay on the highs for too long, and can’t stay on the lows for too long,” Cannon said. ”Got to keep moving forward.”
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