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As in the case in most years, Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State loaded up with prospects from the Kansas City area. Headlining the list Class 4 Defensive Player of the Year Cody Simoncic Cody Simoncic 6'2" | 200 lbs…
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Continue ReadingAs in the case in most years, Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State loaded up with prospects from the Kansas City area.
Headlining the list Class 4 Defensive Player of the Year
Cody Simoncic
Cody
Simoncic
6'2" | 200 lbs | LB
Smithville | 2022
State
MO
from Smithville, as well as the Suburban Conference Blue Division defensive player of the year. He held offers from about every school in the MIAA.
Of the eight signees from the area, all eight came from different schools. Fort Osage LB
David Jacquez
David
Jacquez
6'0" | 190 lbs | LB
Fort Osage | 2022
State
MO
was the Suburban Conference White Division defensive player of the year.
Also coming from Independence is DB Patrick Martin from Truman, while a fourth defensive player is
Will Bushman
Will
Bushman
5'10" | 175 lbs | DB
Park Hill | 2022
State
MO
, a LB/S from Park Hill who was a Class 6 all-state pick this year.
The Bearcats added three offensive lineman: three-year starters Zach Sherwood (Staley) and
Trevor Taylor
Trevor
Taylor
6'0" | 280 lbs | OL
Lee's Summit North | 2022
MO
(Lee’s Summit North) and two-year starter
Preston Mehl
Preston
Mehl
6'2" | 275 lbs | OL
Blue Springs | 2022
MO
(Blue Springs).
Another addition is WR Jordan Alexander from Richmond, whose brother, Travon, is a wide receiver for the Bearcats.
Alexander and Bushman are both all-state track athletes, while Taylor is a state qualifier in wrestling.
Eagles trio joins S&T
Liberty North reached the Class 6 title game this year and three players on that deep run will play together at Division II Missouri S&T.
Justis Braden
Justis
Braden
6'3" | 225 lbs | TE
Liberty North | 2022
State
MO
was an all-conference, all-district and all-state tight end after hauling in 40 catches for 687 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles after playing both TE/DE in 2020. LS Graham Carter was Liberty North’s special teams player of the year. CB
Matthew Hutson
Matthew
Hutson
6'2" | 175 lbs | DB
Liberty North | 2022
State
MO
had an interception in the state title game against CBC and was a two-time all-state defensive back.
No Coach, No problem
Despite not having a head coach, Central Missouri hauled in 29 total recruits, including 26 high school players on signing day. There was a heavy influence on Kansas City-area players.
The Mules added DB
Jack Ardito
Jack
Ardito
6'2" | 180 lbs | DB
Raymore-Peculiar | 2022
State
MO
, LB
Seontra McIntosh
Seontra
McIntosh
6'0" | 225 lbs | LB
Raymore-Peculiar | 2022
State
MO
, DL
Tyler Shuey
Tyler
Shuey
6'3" | 270 lbs | DL
Raymore-Peculiar | 2022
MO
and DL Robbie Park from Ray-Pec, the 2020 Class 6 champions. Ardito and McIntosh were all-state picks
Central Missouri added Grandview teammates DB Zay’Vion Hughes and LB Phillip Nelson.
Other new Mules are Rockhurst RB
Joe Leggio
Joe
Leggio
6'0" | 230 lbs | RB
Rockhurst | 2022
State
MO
, Warrensburg DB
Luke Othic
Luke
Othic
5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH
Warrensburg | 2022
MO
– 1,000-yard rusher at QB too — and Lincoln College Prep DB D’eaven Roerson.
Transfer time
One of the best players in the state of Missouri last year found a new home at Hutchison (Kansas) Community College. Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan was the No. 8-ranked player in Missouri last year according to ESPN and landed at Arkansas. Now, the former Lincoln College Prep star will go to the JUCO route in hopes of getting back to the D-I level. A linebacker in high school, he picked Arkansas over Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Washington State.
– Former Park Hill South defensive back Dillon Thomas is going from Northern Illinois to Missouri State.
– Joseph Webb is headed to Quincy from Northwest Missouri State. Webb prepped at Park Hill.
– Northwest Missouri State added a pair of local transfers on signing day in WR Dominic Myers and Tate Oglesby. Myers played at Fort Osage – like Jacquez – and is coming from Sierra (Calif.) College. Oglesby was playing basketball at Emporia State before deciding to return to Maryville, where he was the quarterback for the high school team. He was a three-time all-state pick.
– MidAmerica Nazarene landed North Kansas City product Austin Hart, an OL from West Hills College in California.
NOTABLES
– Missouri Southern added William Chrisman QB
Dayne Herl
Dayne
Herl
6'5" | 210 lbs | QB
William Chrisman | 2022
State
MO
, who will join his older brother, Dawson, on the Lions roster.
– Washburn added Summit Christian Academy WR
Lincoln Sprouse
Lincoln
Sprouse
6'3" | 160 lbs | WR
Summit Christian | 2022
MO
, who like Herl, will join his brother, Grayson at the Topeka, Kansas, school.
– William Jewell added WR
Layne Cavanah
Layne
Cavanah
5'8" | 180 lbs | WR
Richmond | 2022
MO
(Richmond), LB
Austin Gard
Austin
Gard
6'1" | 215 lbs | LB
Lafayette Co. Higginsville | 2022
State
MO
(Lafayette County), Kaylin Merriweather (East Atchison) and OL Diego San Nicolas (Harrisonville). Merriweather was a three-time 8-man all-stater, while Gard (twice) and Cavanah (once) were 11-man all-state picks.
– Grain Valley’s
Gage Forkner
Gage
Forkner
5'11" | 185 lbs | LB
Grain Valley | 2022
MO
is headed to Quincy, joining previously known pledges in DB
Ben Eley
Ben
Eley
6'2" | 185 lbs | LB
Lee's Summit West | 2022
MO
(Lee’s Summit West), WR
Donnell Dye
Donnell
Dye
6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH
Lee's Summit North | 2022
State
MO
(Lee’s Summit North), LB
Antonio Jones
Antonio
Jones
6'2" | 250 lbs | DL
Lincoln Prep | 2022
State
MO
(Lincoln College Prep).
– Raytown’s Je’zhon Baker, a DB, picked Benedictine. He was weighing offers from the Ravens and Avila. Benedictine also added DB Peyton Jobe (Pleasant Hill), DE Matt Knehans (Lee’s Summit West) and LB
Carson Miller
Carson
Miller
5'11" | 220 lbs | LB
Harrisonville | 2022
State
MO
(Harrisonville) from the area.
– Lincoln College Prep’s DE/OT Spencer Timmons signed with Missouri Valley, which hasn’t announced its full class yet.
– Staley’s Garrett Warren will head to Iowa to play for Cornell College.
– Belton’s OL Zach Masteller, Truman teammates Zane Anderson (QB) and Noah Whisenhunt (OL),
Ray-Pec’s DB Ja’Quan Willis and Lee’s Summit North WR Nic Gori all inked with MidAmerica Nazarene.
– Missouri Western added a pair of Lee’s Summit players in LB
Chase Hammond
Chase
Hammond
6'0" | 190 lbs | DB
Lee's Summit West | 2022
State
MO
(Lee’s Summit West) and TE
Michael Haggerty
Michael
Haggerty
6'4" | 215 lbs | ATH
St. Michael the Archangel | 2022
State
MO
(St. Michael the Archangel). Haggerty had an offer from FCS school Drake.
– Baker added Grain Valley’s Tristin Pouncil, St. Pius X’s
Shane Dorian
Shane
Dorian
5'11" | 220 lbs | ATH
St. Pius X (KC) | 2022
MO
, Lee’s Summit North’s Seth Simpson and Oak Park’s
Jermaine Harris
Jermaine
Harris
6'3" | 245 lbs | DL
Oak Park | 2022
State
MO
.