Sleepers from the Class of ‘24

With the ’21 season now just days away; we’re looking at prospects in the Class of ’24. They’ve benefited from a full offseason with their teammates this year and have had the opportunity to attend different combines and camps to further their development. Look for these five sophomores to step up this year. <strong>Titan Osburn</strong> – Washburn Rural, 6’1”, 160, WR The future for the Blues is looking bright with a talented junior and sophomore class on the rise. Osburn is another solid prospect that was a part of a talented freshmen team from last season. During his freshmen year he showed he could make big plays down the field and in the return game as well. He has a lengthy frame and could possibly be an option at the varsity level for the Blues this season. <strong>Jayce Quirin</strong> – Parsons, 5’11”, 165, K Just like Sam Parks of Maize South, Quirin is another talented kicker in this class. The Parsons product played well during his first varsity season, connecting on 20 out of 22 extra points and booting two touchbacks on kickoff. His skills earned him a few invitations during this summer. He received invites from <em>Arkansas</em>, <em>Grand View University</em>, and the <em>Chris Sailer Kicking Underclassmen Invitational</em>. He should be a candidate for an All-League selection this year. <strong>Callen Barta</strong> – Seaman, 6’1”, 165, WR/DB Most Viking fans are familiar with the versatile [player_tooltip player_id="89256" first="Camden" last="Barta"], but they’ll get to know his younger brother, Callen over the next couple of years. He’s a rangy prospect that can play both wide out and in the secondary. The younger Barta has shown promise after posting solid combine numbers during the offseason. He’s been clocked at 4.77 in the 40, 4.39 in the 3-Cone, and he hit a 33-inch vertical. Callen could see time on both sides of the ball during his sophomore campaign. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="146115" first="Cencere" last="Thompson"]</strong> – Wichita Northwest, 5’9”, 190, RB While [player_tooltip player_id="166973" first="LJ" last="Phillips"] projects to be the lead back in the Grizzlies’ potent offense; Thompson looks to be a reliable backup. Thompson has an identical frame to Phillips and possesses clean footwork. He may not have seen any varsity action last season, but the ’21 season looks to be a different story. Cencere has been sharpening his skillset and is ready to make an impact this year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="146118" first="John" last="Gadwood"]</strong> – Derby, 6’1”, 210, LB Everyone in the state knows the powerhouse program Derby has been for years now, and it’s because of their ability to consistently develop players. Gadwood is an example of this. He is a rising defensive prospect on their roaster that should contribute as a sophomore. The young backer has elevated his game during this summer. The highlight of his offseason was his performance at a camp hosted by <em>SMU </em>where he displayed physicality and exceptional agility. He should see plenty of snaps on varsity as a sophomore.