Under the Radar Skill Position Players Set to Take Off This Fall
As the Kansas high school football world continues to transition into the offseason, and the class of 2022 continues through the recruiting process, the next crop of prospects is gearing up for spring ball, combines and camps. Prep Redzone has…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs the Kansas high school football world continues to transition into the offseason, and the class of 2022 continues through the recruiting process, the next crop of prospects is gearing up for spring ball, combines and camps. Prep Redzone has meticulously ranked 250 of the very best juniors in the state of Kansas, but why stop there? This series will delve into unranked players that might be flying under the radar at present time but are poised to take off this coming season. We will begin the series with the skill positions.
Scotty Brown – Andover High School, 5’9 170 QB
With shorter QBs given more opportunities to showcase their talents at every level football is played, Scotty Brown (pictured below) is a dynamic dual threat has a chance to take the state by storm in the fall. Brown’s height lends to what makes him dangerous as a passer, as thanks to his center of gravity and quick feet, Brown can produce accurate passes without having his base under him. This allows him to reset his launch point in a blink, as well as proficiently throw on the run. On top of being an accurate thrower, Brown shows decisiveness and confidence, rarely releasing the ball late, as well as possessing innate timing and anticipation on this throws. Due to this, he does a great job “throwing to grass” on timing routes, delivering a catchable ball, allowing his receivers to run through the ball and pick up yards after the catch. When in the pocket, Brown has quick and active feet, and shows a very good spatial awareness, making it difficult for pass rushers to get a gauge on his position, while his escapability is at the level you’d expect from a QB with slot receiver foot quickness. When Brown runs, he is nothing short of a nightmare for opposing defenses. He has a compact, choppy running style, similar to Kyler Murray. Brown has devastating lateral quickness that can freeze tacklers or break their ankles. In addition, he has the juice to gain the edge on outside runs, and with a well-developed lower body for a QB, he can pick up some tough yards from time to time. Color me envious of the offensive coordinator that will have the opportunity to draw up plays for Scotty Brown. A play caller with vision and creativity will have a player that can prove all but impossible to defend when put in the right position. He is a true dual threat that will have defenses chasing shadows 60 minutes and should be one of the more exciting players to watch next season.
C.J Leonard – Shawnee Mission East High School, 6’3 170 WR
It is far from uncommon to see receivers blessed with Leonard’s size, lacking the physicality and savvy to truly exploit their size on the football field, but Leonard himself is on the opposite end of that spectrum. The Shawnee Mission East product has excellent length and a long, fluid stride, allowing him to climb up on the toes of defensive backs, and he has an innate ability to put himself between the DB and the ball, at which point, nobody but Leonard is putting hands on that football. Along with that, what makes him almost impossible to guard on digs and in-breaking routes is his ability to disguise the route before he breaks out of his stem, which from a fundamental standpoint is impressive for a kid going into his senior year in high school. He makes this happen with very detailed and patient route running with little to no wasted motion, along with a natural feel for the DBs positioning in man coverage. In addition, Leonard has excellent strength for the position, allowing him to snatch the ball away from his DB, and at times effortlessly brings the ball in while taking a hit. He also has coordinated feet and good balance for a tall receiver, along with some sneaky lateral juice, making him a threat to eat up some extra yards after the catch. From a physical point of view, Leonard has the frame and strength of a kid that lives in the weight room, which should endear him to college coaches very quickly. He is the type of receiver that might not make too many splash plays, but when you look at the sum of the parts that make up what it takes to win a football game, he is worth a few more third down conversions, that turn into a few more minutes of time of possession, that turn into a few more scoring drives, and a few more touchdowns in the redzone. What Leonard brings to the table at the receiver position is simply synonymous with winning offensive football.
Artavistus Ware – Lawrence Free State High School, 5’8 180 RB
There are certain prospects that, 2 or 3 seconds into the first play when flipping the film on, just jump out at you and obliterate the eyeball test. This was the case with Tay Ware, whose lower body would be impressive for a kid that has spent 2-3 years eating college football weights, let alone a junior in high school. When coupled with his naturally low center of gravity, his contact balance looks simply effortless at times. Ware runs with his legs in perpetual motion, allowing him to pinball off defenders and breeze through arm tackles when running between the tackles, and as he runs the football with rage, he routinely churned out bonus yards throughout the season, even when he was playing on a torn meniscus. Being so low to the ground and possessing impressively quick feet, Ware has excellent stop start ability, allowing him to stop on a dime and scoot past defenders into the open field when required to change direction in the backfield. Fortunately for him however, he was playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the state. This allowed him plenty of opportunity to show off his juice, and vision, to see the hole quickly and explode upfield. As fun as it was to watch Ware carry the football, his pass pro highlights were equally impressive. Ware approaches pass pro like a linebacker, fearlessly launching himself into on coming rushers. Low to the ground and explosive, he can get up and under defenders pads and take them off their feet. Now that he is healthy, and still behind one of the best offensive lines in the state , Ware should absolutely blow up this coming fall. His approach to the game, his ability to churn out 10 yard gains that should have been 3 yard gains, and the ferociousness with which he protects his QB will make him a college coach’s dream, and an invaluable offensive piece for the program lucky enough to sign him.
Aiden Behmyer – Blue Valley Northwest, 6’4 210 Jr TE
To the state champs we go to round up the skill position group, with one of the more complete and fascinating prospects in the KC Metro, if not the entire state. Behmyer played 3 positions for the Huskies, but his athleticism, coupled with his blocking ability makes for tremendous potential at tight end. Behmyer has highly impressive flexibility and bend, which is evident in his blocking, as he drops his pads effortlessly, allowing him to play with excellent leverage for a 6’0 kid, let alone a 6’4 prospect. What also jumps out when watching him block is his ability to flip his hips when engaged with a defender, which allows him to seal and take his defender completely out of the play, whether pass or run blocking. With excellent length, he flashes the ability to latch on and steer, and he will only improve on this ability as he gets stronger and grows into his frame. As a pass catcher, Behmyer simply has boat loads of untapped potential. He possesses very good fluidity for his size and a good long stride, allowing him change direction efficiently, allowing for sudden separation, which due to his size and length, should make him very difficult to cover on intermediate routes. He can move very well with the ball in his hands and is a legitimate threat to pop off chunk plays when he gets a head of steam. Evident when watching Behmyer block on pulls and traps are quick and coordinated feet, as well as impressive control and balance. He comes around the line under complete control and breaks down to square up to his target in a blink, without lunging or giving up leverage. These attributes should allow him to expand his route tree if given the opportunity, as well as pose a threat to slip out on tight end screens. If college coaches are paying attention, which they should be to such a prominent program that is a D1 conveyer belt, he should receive plenty of attention (if he has not already) very early in the recruiting process. There are versatile players that excel at one position and are functional at another. There are “jacks of all trade and masters of none”, that can be functional at a variety of positions, and then there are the rare ones, such as Behmyer, who can go as far as he wants at tight end or along the offensive line. He is as natural a football player as they come and will be a huge get for the program that lands him in a year’s time.