Three Upperclassmen to Watch in 2021: Valley Center

Winning in Kansas 5A football is hard, and the Valley Center High School football team managed to do so five times in 2020. Posting a 5-4 overall record on the year, the Hornets finished 4-2 in league play and are looking to build on that momentum as the beginning of the 2021 campaign approaches. Coach Mike Smith's squad lost quite a bit of graduating talent, but it also brings back several key players for this season. Who are some names to keep an eye on? Let's take a look. [player_tooltip player_id="116141" first="Camryn" last="Kaufman"] - 6'3", 190 pounds, ATH (2022) Kaufman is the No. 139 player in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/kansas/rankings/2022-rankings/">2022 class rankings</a>. He's a Swiss Army Knife on the football field, capable of assisting on solid kickoff coverage and also contributing in various roles on both offense and defense. As a hybrid pass-rusher/coverage hybrid on defense, he possesses a good first step and blows up opposing running backs that try to pick him up in pass protection. Kaufman is disciplined in his run fits and displays plus stack-and-shed ability. He also does a solid job of carrying his assignment up the field and playing the ball in man shells. On the other side of the ball, Kaufman can be worked into the scheme in many different ways. His jack-of-all-trades nature makes him a must-watch player for the Hornets this season. [player_tooltip player_id="156965" first="Nolan" last="Bevan"] - 5'6", 155 pounds, RB (2023) Bevan is the No. 152 player in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/kansas/rankings/2023-rankings/">2023 class rankings</a>. He's also a second-team All-League wrestler, showcasing his commitment to multiple sports. Bevan possesses plus acceleration and impressive long speed, further evidenced by his self-reported 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 4.1-second shuttle times. He's difficult to bring down in the open field despite being undersized, as arm tackles don't do much to alter his path and he high-steps when defenders try to tackle him from behind. The next evolutions in Bevan's game will be to improve his vision and also become more of a threat in the passing game. If he can do those things, his junior and senior campaigns will be very impactful for Valley Center's football program. [player_tooltip player_id="113320" first="Kade" last="Wilson"] - 5'10", 160 pounds, DB (2022) Wilson is the No. 74 player in our 2022 rankings, and the fourth defensive back on the list. He's coming off an impressive junior season in which he recorded 20 tackles, 13 passes broken up and four interceptions for the Hornets. What sets Wilson apart and makes him so successful is his innate ability to track the ball extremely well. He combines this with impeccable timing, decent length and plus elevation to consistently make plays downfield. This also suggests that, if necessary, he may be able to try converting to wide receiver down the road. Wilson's click-and-close ability is fluid and he's an aggressive tackler. He also doubles as a lethal return threat. There's a lot to like about him, and a strong senior season could set him up for postsecondary opportunities.