2022 Minnesota Kicker Rankings: The Top 6

<strong>MINNESOTA-- </strong>We recently launched our 2022 rankings in the last few weeks in Minnesota, where we named the top six kickers in Minnesota. I will dive into the why of each specialist and their rank, where they can improve, and who has the best ability to move up the rankings when our next update comes out in the coming months! <strong>6: [player_tooltip player_id="49889" first="Owen" last="Forsythe"], Shakopee</strong> When you roll back the film on Forsythe’s junior season, you don’t see many kicks on tape besides extra points &amp; one 27 yard field goal. When watching the kicks on tape, I would say about half of his kicks had slightly above average hangtime from my eyes. Forsythe does do a nice job of getting his kicks off quick for the Shakopee Sabers, which is a strength to his game. Based on what I see from other clips, Forsythe has the distance to give you a good kick from 40-50 yards if needed. Made 85% of his extra points as a junior; I see Forsythe as a kicking prospect that could move up at least one spot in the next 2022 rankings. Forsythe currently holds one JUCO offer from the Jacksonville Athletic Academy and has seen a good amount of interest from plenty of Northern Sun programs throughout Minnesota. Check out my #ForTheBrand recruiting report on Forsythe from back in June 2020 below. Forsythe is a 4-star kicker from our friends over at National Kicking Rankings, which puts him at the Division II level for his game as a specialist at the next level. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/06/friday-forthebrand-recruiting-report-owen-forsythe-shakopee-2022/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Ed3VZ">Jr. Tape</a> <strong>5: [player_tooltip player_id="49888" first="Rylen" last="Keoraj"], Elk River</strong> Keoraj got off to a rough start in the first game of the season in the game I watched, missing two extra points for the Elks against arch-rival Rogers, but he bounced back and did not miss an extra point for the rest of the season for Elk River. Keoraj, you might remember as a member of my recent 2020 All-Sherburne County team. Keoraj’s strongest suit is his kickoffs, as he had three touchbacks in the 2020 season, all of which had pretty quality hangtime. He did not get an opportunity to kick a field goal in this shortened season which, in my eyes, stuns his growth a bit on this list for the next rankings update. Keoraj might only stand at 5’9, but he’s not a kicker you will find afraid to make a tackle on kickoffs when the return man comes his way, where he has a decent physical tackle in his arsenal. Keoraj is another 4-star kicker by National Kicking Rankings. Keoraj has seen significant action on his recruiting trail with seven next-level football opportunities, most from the post-grad prep school route and a few JUCO offers from Jacksonville Athletic Academy &amp; RPA College out of Texas. Keoraj also has gotten a good herd of interest from NAIA and Northern Sun programs. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EftA7">Jr. Tape</a> <strong>4: [player_tooltip player_id="18536" first="Jack" last="Kalman"], Orono</strong> Kalman, from my eyes, has the best opportunity to move up a spot on this list. Kalman has quite a solid hangtime on the bulk of his kicks, putting him in the #4 spot from our lastest rankings. Kalman didn’t get many opportunities to get many long kicks in 2020 but was a perfect 4/4 for the Spartans with a long of 34 yards. Where Kalman might show out more at the next level is as a punter, as he averaged just under 40 yards per punt in 2020 with a long of 51 yards. Kalman was an  All-District Special Teams POY out of the West Metro. Kalman is a 4.5-star kicker/punter by National Kicking Rankings putting his leg in the high Division II and Division I FCS range for the next level. Kalman, at the moment, has heard from everywhere from NAIA programs, Division II, and all the way to FCS from an East Coast Ivy League program. Check out my #ForTheBrand Friday piece I did on Kalman a little over a year ago, along with his junior tape. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/02/forthebrand-friday-recruiting-report-jack-kalman-orono-2021-free/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/12405819/5fc7ff4c19afb109f06f5754">Jr. Tape</a> <strong>3: [player_tooltip player_id="18519" first="Sebastian" last="Amorrortu"], Minneapolis North</strong> I first got my eyes on Amorrortu at the Northern Specialists camp in St. Cloud this winter and was really impressed with this young man’s strong lower body. Amorrortu was a perfect 8/8 on field goals at the Northern Specialists Camp. If it wasn’t for a tweak in his kicking leg, he had an opportunity to be in the running for one of the top spots in the competitions that took place later that afternoon at the Huskie Dome. Despite standing 5’8 165, Amorrortu has a heck of a leg and excellent hangtime on his kicks to back it up, especially on kickoffs. 4.5-star kicker by National Kicking Rankings, which puts him at the high D2 &amp; FCS level. Amorrortu has been getting heavy Northern Sun interest along with high-level MIAC interest. In the end, I could certainly see this kid at a high-level Northern Sun program, as there is one that is sticking out on his recruiting trail as of right now. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/02/forthebrand-friday-recruiting-report-sebastian-armorrortu-minnetonka-2022/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EhXz2">Jr. Tape</a> <strong>2: [player_tooltip player_id="18448" first="Carson" last="Cyr"], Anoka</strong> Cyr put together one of the best in-game performances of the four specialists I got my eyes on in 2020-2021. Cyr was the only kicker this season to find himself on one of my "big dogs of the game" when I watched him play against Totino-Grace on Halloween night in Anoka. Cyr has a booming kickoff leg that will produce plenty of touchbacks at the next level. Cyr is for sure the one I want from this list if I need to get the ball back quickly on an onside as the spin and placement he puts on the ball in that asset of his game is second to none. A 5 star Divison I prospect by National Kicking Rankings. Plenty of love is coming from Carson’s way as of right now from high-level Division II programs and plenty of just as talented FBS programs coming his way right now. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2019/12/forthebrand-profile-carson-cyr-anoka-2022/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EXRfw">Jr. Tape</a> <strong>1: [player_tooltip player_id="18554" first="Leyton" last="Simmering"], Rosemount</strong> Simmering checked into the #1 spot in our latest 2022 rankings for kickers. Simmering was extremely impressive at the Northern Exposure camp I attended a couple of months ago in St. Cloud, getting second in the field goal competition against some of the best kickers/punters in the Midwest. Simmering has such a natural ability from long distance (long of 45 in 2020) and has made every kick in his high school career for the Irish over 40 yards (6/6). He’s not as long as Cyr is with his kickoffs but shows great hangtime with the bulk of his kickoffs which landed 41% of his kicks for touchdowns last season. Simmering showed some leg on his punts at the Northern Exposure camp, too, winning the punting completion inside the cooler temperatures inside the Husky Dome. I will not be surprised to see Simmering make a 50-yard kick in his upcoming senior season. I think Simmering and Cyr will have a duel for that #1 spot in our next 2022 rankings, but I think Simmering excels more like a true field goal kicker in my eyes. When it comes to recruiting, Simmering is starting to show the Division I interest from the top-tier of FCS programs along with more top-tier Northern Sun programs pressing for his talents as well. Recruiting-wise, I see Simmering being the first of this bunch to get a Division I offer by next fall. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/04/forthebrand-friday-recruiting-report-leyton-simmering-rosemount-2022-free/">Recruiting Report</a> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/11243518/5fc7e7c19676580858690998">Jr. Tape</a> &nbsp;