Ten of the Most Improved 2023 Players
Ryan Wesley
In this article:
Prep Redzone is all about getting as many high school football players exposure within the world of college recruitment as possible.
For the players who step into the world of prep sports with the goal of reaching the collegiate level, overall development is a must. Each season provides players with the opportunity to put their offseason training to the test and showcase their talents with hopes of the world taking notice.
The ten juniors listed below have worked their way onto the recruiting radar in facet or another. Some have managed to gain more widespread popularity than others, but all have shown great improvement through their high school careers up to this point.
Caden Lettis
Caden
Lettis
6'2" | 175 lbs | WR
Erie | 2023
State
CO
| Erie | 6’2”, 175lbs | WR/CB
Lettis has been rapidly increasing his stock value since his freshman season. He is a hard-working playmaker who has developed into a serious threat in the passing game on both sides of the ball. His size and athleticism have made him a reliable target as a receiver with serious deep threat abilities. Defensively, he has grown into a lockdown corner, especially when in zone coverage.
Heading into week eight, Lettis had racked up 300 receiving yards and six touchdowns from 14 receptions, and 17 total tackles, one sack, one interception, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup on defense. With this being his first year as a varsity starter, Lettis has put on performance after performance that has shown tremendous upside.
Ethan Cook
Ethan
Cook
6'3" | 175 lbs | QB
Arvada West | 2023
State
CO
| Arvada West | 6’3”, 175lbs | QB
Cook is the gunslinger for one of the most improved teams in the state. He is a tall quarterback with quick footwork within the pocket and a very strong arm. He gets in and out of his drops quickly while going through his progressions and hitting his target in stride.
Through the first seven games of the season, Cook has completed 91 of his 158 attempts for 1,483 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions, bringing his quarterback rating to 110.2. He is currently averaging 13 completions and 211.9 passing yards per game, an impressive stat line by any measures. Cook has also used his athleticism in the run game, totaling 171 yards and two touchdowns from 34 carries this season.
Rashad Caldwell
Rashad
Caldwell
6'0" | 180 lbs | WR
Denver South | 2023
State
CO
| Denver South | 6’0”, 180lbs | WR
Caldwell continues to put on impressive performances every season. His skills appear to be sharper each time he steps on the field, making him one of the top wide receiver prospects in the state. He is a physical player with excellent route running abilities, unstoppable high-point catching skills, and strong hands.
It comes as no surprise that Caldwell has established himself as the leading receiver in yards on the state’s leaderboards with a total of 855 receiving yards coming into week eight. In fact, according to MaxPreps, his performances through the first seven games of the season landed him in the 59th spot in receiving yards nationally. Over the course of his career, Caldwell has tallied 80 catches for 1,671 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Brayden Munroe
Brayden
Munroe
6'2" | 175 lbs | WR
Chaparral | 2023
CO
| Chaparral | 6’2”, 190lbs | WR/DB
Munroe is an electrifying athlete with top-notch playmaking abilities on both sides of the ball. When on offense, he uses his speed, athleticism, and well-developed receiver techniques to wreak havoc among the defense’s secondary. As a defensive back, Munroe flies around the field hawking balls and keeping the skies clear.
He has good footwork and great eyes that allow for him to stay over routes while scanning the field and watching the quarterback, which would explain his four interceptions through the first seven weeks. Munroe has turned his junior season into a spotlight-grabbing one, showcasing his elite level of improvement.
Noah Triplett
Noah
Triplett
5'9" | 170 lbs | RB
Dakota Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| Dakota Ridge | 5’8”, 180lbs | RB
Triplett is a tough runner who is extremely difficult to bring down, especially on first contact. His willingness to keep his legs moving along with his elite balance makes him the type of ball carrier that must be tackled by groups. His versatile set of skills has also helped him to be successful in the passing game.
In his second season as a varsity player, Triplett has asserted himself as one of the top scorers in the nation. He came into the eighth week with a state-high of 22 total touchdowns (36th nationally) and 132 total points (47th nationally). Over his career, Triplett has racked up 1,157 yards and 28 touchdowns from 155 carries, as well as 22 receptions for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
Brandon Hills
Brandon
Hills
5'9" | 150 lbs | WR/TE
Vista Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| Vista Ridge | 5’9”, 155lbs | WR
Hills has had elite potential written all over him since the very first moment he stepped on the gridiron. He is a shifty receiver who is almost impossible to cover on any route and extremely difficult to contain as a returner. His acceleration off of the line and his overall speed make him the type of player spectators come to watch.
Through three years of varsity playing time, Hills has racked up a total of 1,529 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns from 84 receptions. As a returner, he has 669 yards and four touchdowns from 26 accumulated attempts, putting his all-purpose yards well over the 2,000 mark.
Isacc Gomez
Isacc
Gomez
WR
Thornton | 2023
State
CO
| Thornton | 6’0”, 155lbs | WR/DB
Gomez is another outstanding player who has found himself among some of the nation’s top athletes. He entered week eight tied for the state’s leader in interceptions with six, making him one of 46 players in the country to do so with only 25 players in the nation to have at least one more.
He is a phenomenal athlete who must be accounted for every time he is on the field because of his playmaking abilities. Up to this point in his high school career, Gomez has tallied 1,145 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 1,798 all-purpose yards, 2 kick return touchdowns, one fumble recovered for a touchdown, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Zach Lewis
Zach
Lewis
6'2" | 220 lbs | LB
Fairview | 2023
State
CO
| Fairview | 6’2”, 210lbs | LB/RB
Lewis is a phenomenal box defender with fantastic ball carrier tracking and tackling abilities. He is a high IQ player with a motor and tenacious mindset to match. His sure tackling skills and ability to fly around the field helps to keep the defense firing on all cylinders. By excelling at closing the distance to the ball carrier and finishing the play, Lewis has managed to rack up 150 total tackles, 109 of which were solo, nine tackles for loss, one sack, three hurries, one interception, and three pass deflections through the course of his career.
Brycen Mhlanga
Brycen
Mhlanga
5'11" | 205 lbs | RB
Littleton | 2023
State
CO
| Littleton | 5’10”, 205lbs | RB/LB
Mhlanga is a tough player with the mentality of a warrior. He shows up to work hard every day and learn as much as he can in order to improve his game. He is an explosive runner with amazing power and shifty jump cuts. As a defender, he is technically proficient in coverage, especially when in man. He does not shy away from contact on offense or defense.
Over the course of his first two seasons, had a total of 23 tackles and 44 yards rushing. As a junior, Mhlanga entered week eight with 33 total tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 645 rushing yards (third-most in 3A), and 6 rushing touchdowns.
Ethan Kunkel
Ethan
Kunkel
5'10" | 175 lbs | DB
Boulder | 2023
State
CO
| Boulder | 5’10”, 175lbs | DB
Kunkel is a high-motor player with a dog mentality that he brings to every single snap. He is extremely competitive and works hard to improve his skills with every rep he takes. Through the first seven weeks of his junior season, he was leading the team in sacks with three and tied for second in total tackles on the team with 40.
He is a corner who took on the role of outside linebacker this season, showing his toughness within the box by making tackles, sacks, and forcing fumbles. With his talents as a corner and his skills as a linebacker, Kunkel has shown that he could also fill the nickel or hybrid safety positions.
Caden
Lettis
6'2" | 175 lbs | WR
Erie | 2023
State
CO
| Erie | 6’2”, 175lbs | WR/CB
Lettis has been rapidly increasing his stock value since his freshman season. He is a hard-working playmaker who has developed into a serious threat in the passing game on both sides of the ball. His size and athleticism have made him a reliable target as a receiver with serious deep threat abilities. Defensively, he has grown into a lockdown corner, especially when in zone coverage.
Heading into week eight, Lettis had racked up 300 receiving yards and six touchdowns from 14 receptions, and 17 total tackles, one sack, one interception, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup on defense. With this being his first year as a varsity starter, Lettis has put on performance after performance that has shown tremendous upside.
Ethan Cook
Ethan
Cook
6'3" | 175 lbs | QB
Arvada West | 2023
State
CO
| Arvada West | 6’3”, 175lbs | QB
Cook is the gunslinger for one of the most improved teams in the state. He is a tall quarterback with quick footwork within the pocket and a very strong arm. He gets in and out of his drops quickly while going through his progressions and hitting his target in stride.
Through the first seven games of the season, Cook has completed 91 of his 158 attempts for 1,483 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions, bringing his quarterback rating to 110.2. He is currently averaging 13 completions and 211.9 passing yards per game, an impressive stat line by any measures. Cook has also used his athleticism in the run game, totaling 171 yards and two touchdowns from 34 carries this season.
Rashad Caldwell
Rashad
Caldwell
6'0" | 180 lbs | WR
Denver South | 2023
State
CO
| Denver South | 6’0”, 180lbs | WR
Caldwell continues to put on impressive performances every season. His skills appear to be sharper each time he steps on the field, making him one of the top wide receiver prospects in the state. He is a physical player with excellent route running abilities, unstoppable high-point catching skills, and strong hands.
It comes as no surprise that Caldwell has established himself as the leading receiver in yards on the state’s leaderboards with a total of 855 receiving yards coming into week eight. In fact, according to MaxPreps, his performances through the first seven games of the season landed him in the 59th spot in receiving yards nationally. Over the course of his career, Caldwell has tallied 80 catches for 1,671 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Brayden Munroe
Brayden
Munroe
6'2" | 175 lbs | WR
Chaparral | 2023
CO
| Chaparral | 6’2”, 190lbs | WR/DB
Munroe is an electrifying athlete with top-notch playmaking abilities on both sides of the ball. When on offense, he uses his speed, athleticism, and well-developed receiver techniques to wreak havoc among the defense’s secondary. As a defensive back, Munroe flies around the field hawking balls and keeping the skies clear.
He has good footwork and great eyes that allow for him to stay over routes while scanning the field and watching the quarterback, which would explain his four interceptions through the first seven weeks. Munroe has turned his junior season into a spotlight-grabbing one, showcasing his elite level of improvement.
Noah Triplett
Noah
Triplett
5'9" | 170 lbs | RB
Dakota Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| Dakota Ridge | 5’8”, 180lbs | RB
Triplett is a tough runner who is extremely difficult to bring down, especially on first contact. His willingness to keep his legs moving along with his elite balance makes him the type of ball carrier that must be tackled by groups. His versatile set of skills has also helped him to be successful in the passing game.
In his second season as a varsity player, Triplett has asserted himself as one of the top scorers in the nation. He came into the eighth week with a state-high of 22 total touchdowns (36th nationally) and 132 total points (47th nationally). Over his career, Triplett has racked up 1,157 yards and 28 touchdowns from 155 carries, as well as 22 receptions for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
Brandon Hills
Brandon
Hills
5'9" | 150 lbs | WR/TE
Vista Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| Vista Ridge | 5’9”, 155lbs | WR
Hills has had elite potential written all over him since the very first moment he stepped on the gridiron. He is a shifty receiver who is almost impossible to cover on any route and extremely difficult to contain as a returner. His acceleration off of the line and his overall speed make him the type of player spectators come to watch.
Through three years of varsity playing time, Hills has racked up a total of 1,529 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns from 84 receptions. As a returner, he has 669 yards and four touchdowns from 26 accumulated attempts, putting his all-purpose yards well over the 2,000 mark.
Isacc Gomez
Isacc
Gomez
WR
Thornton | 2023
State
CO
| Thornton | 6’0”, 155lbs | WR/DB
Gomez is another outstanding player who has found himself among some of the nation’s top athletes. He entered week eight tied for the state’s leader in interceptions with six, making him one of 46 players in the country to do so with only 25 players in the nation to have at least one more.
He is a phenomenal athlete who must be accounted for every time he is on the field because of his playmaking abilities. Up to this point in his high school career, Gomez has tallied 1,145 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 1,798 all-purpose yards, 2 kick return touchdowns, one fumble recovered for a touchdown, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Zach Lewis
Zach
Lewis
6'2" | 220 lbs | LB
Fairview | 2023
State
CO
| Fairview | 6’2”, 210lbs | LB/RB
Lewis is a phenomenal box defender with fantastic ball carrier tracking and tackling abilities. He is a high IQ player with a motor and tenacious mindset to match. His sure tackling skills and ability to fly around the field helps to keep the defense firing on all cylinders. By excelling at closing the distance to the ball carrier and finishing the play, Lewis has managed to rack up 150 total tackles, 109 of which were solo, nine tackles for loss, one sack, three hurries, one interception, and three pass deflections through the course of his career.
Brycen Mhlanga
Brycen
Mhlanga
5'11" | 205 lbs | RB
Littleton | 2023
State
CO
| Littleton | 5’10”, 205lbs | RB/LB
Mhlanga is a tough player with the mentality of a warrior. He shows up to work hard every day and learn as much as he can in order to improve his game. He is an explosive runner with amazing power and shifty jump cuts. As a defender, he is technically proficient in coverage, especially when in man. He does not shy away from contact on offense or defense.
Over the course of his first two seasons, had a total of 23 tackles and 44 yards rushing. As a junior, Mhlanga entered week eight with 33 total tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 645 rushing yards (third-most in 3A), and 6 rushing touchdowns.
Ethan Kunkel
Ethan
Kunkel
5'10" | 175 lbs | DB
Boulder | 2023
State
CO
| Boulder | 5’10”, 175lbs | DB
Kunkel is a high-motor player with a dog mentality that he brings to every single snap. He is extremely competitive and works hard to improve his skills with every rep he takes. Through the first seven weeks of his junior season, he was leading the team in sacks with three and tied for second in total tackles on the team with 40.
He is a corner who took on the role of outside linebacker this season, showing his toughness within the box by making tackles, sacks, and forcing fumbles. With his talents as a corner and his skills as a linebacker, Kunkel has shown that he could also fill the nickel or hybrid safety positions.
