STL sophomore standouts earn first offers

As the calendar flips from January to February and Signing Day for the Class of 2021 approaches, more and more juniors and sophomores are starting to receive their first scholarship offers from college coaches. That has been the case recently for several St. Louis area sophomore standouts, prospects who will certainly be players to watch in their final two high school seasons. Here’s a quick look at some of the recent offers... <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99471" first="Dakotah" last="Mayo"], WR, 5-10, 160, CBC</strong> Mayo, a wide receiver with explosive speed and quickness, received an offer from the University of Kansas on January 26. A kick returner on the varsity as a freshman, Mayo became a bigger contributor as a sophomore and should have a breakout season in 2021 as a junior after CBC’s high-powered offense graduates three college-bound wide receivers [player_tooltip player_id="37160" first="Chevy" last="Brenson"] (Ball State), [player_tooltip player_id="37216" first="Zach" last="Hahn"] (University of Missouri walk on) and [player_tooltip player_id="37431" first="Kenneth" last="Hamilton"] (Washington University). The Cadets return two of the area’s top 2021 quarterbacks – [player_tooltip player_id="37608" first="Patrick" last="Heitert"] and Ayden Robinson-Wayne – and Mayo and 2023 standout Jeremiah McClellan figure to be difference-makers at wide receiver. Mayo came on late in his sophomore season, including a breakout district playoff game against Marquette where he caught eight passes for 96 yards. For the season, Mayo recorded 16 catches for 179 yards and added a 95-yard touchdown on a kickoff return. Mayo’s 2023 CBC teammate, lineman [player_tooltip player_id="37675" first="Tyler" last="Gant"], is another Division I prospect to keep an eye on. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder, who is also a high academic achiever, received his first offer, from Kansas, on December 11. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13030258/5fa985d638638d0b08f415bb" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101687" first="Jamond" last="Mathis"], DE, 6-4, 225, Duchesne</strong> Mathis had a breakout campaign this fall and received his first scholarship offer from the University of Kentucky on January 26. His combination of size and production should make him an extremely popular prospect in the next few weeks as more schools get a look at him. During his sophomore season, Mathis racked up 48 tackles, 15 sacks and five fumble recoveries in helping Duchesne to a 9-2 record. He also added 585 total yards (445 rushing, 140 receiving) and 11 touchdowns as a running back. Mathis’ 2023 classmate and teammate, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="37712" first="Antwon" last="Hayden"]</strong>, is another standout sophomore to keep on the radar. The 6-3, 215-pound running back racked up 1,007 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 123 carries this fall and added 141 yards on nine receptions. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13136987/5fbaed482aa68e011c5d9b7e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="37662" first="Christian" last="Gray"], CB,  6-1, 175, De Smet</strong> Gray is another in a recent run of Division I prospects for the Spartans and a part of a 2023 class that includes Division I prospects in tight end [player_tooltip player_id="37655" first="Mac" last="Markway"] and athlete [player_tooltip player_id="37659" first="Allen" last="Mitchell"]. Gray, who was credited with just one tackle during De Smet’s shortened 2020 season, received an offer from Kansas State University on January 27. His size and speed at the cornerback position will make him an attractive prospect. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12884691/5dd4a6b20dca9901ec89dc58" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp;