Stock Watch: More 2023 Kickers On the Rise
Just as we previously shed light on last week, there still tends to be plenty of kickers, and specialists all across the state of Georgia, who tend to be either undiscovered, or underrated in a way. Some of these players…
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Continue ReadingJust as we previously shed light on last week, there still tends to be plenty of kickers, and specialists all across the state of Georgia, who tend to be either undiscovered, or underrated in a way. Some of these players have gone undiscovered due to the programs they play for, or because there happens to be other elite talent at the same position statewide. Regardless, we here at PrepRedzone have still taken the time to look deeper into the more underrated, and rising players across the state. Specifically, in the 2023 class, there happens to be plenty of great talent at the kicker position, and a few of them can be found below.
Brady Logan- Bethlehem Christian Academy
When watching Logan’s tape, one of the things that stands out the most is his leg strength. Outside of this, his arch on his kicking, and his consistency also shine on each of his kicks. In a 12 game span, Logan scored 60 points for Bethlehem Christian, including 45 points from extra points alone. This, paired with the 5 field goals that he made, caused Logan to finish the year with an average of 5 points a game, making him one of the more productive kickers in the state for his class. Next season, look for him to continue to remain consistent, whether it is in field goals, or extra points, further proving why he deserves to be seen as a player on the rise.
Drew Duva- Norcross
Not only is Norcross a very notable program that produces great talent each year, but it does not shy away from molding its talent in every position group. Specifically, kickers tend to perform very well, especially when they are able to gain exposure to the playoffs. Last season, Duva not only played in 12 games, but was able to average around 4.8 points a game by the end of the year. This was largely due to the 42 extra points he kicked last year, but this is not to discredit the 5 field goals he made, allowing him to finish the year with a total of 57 points. If this is not impressive in itself, we believe the best is yet to come.
Daniel Belvin- Thomasville
Last year, Belvin had just as many points as Duva, finishing the year with 57 total points- but his season told a bit of a different story than Duva’s did. Not only did Belvin play in 15 great games for his team compared to 12, but he also got a large portion of his points from successful extra point attempts. Specifically, he scored on 54 extra point attempts, leaving room for him to have scored his 3 extra points from a field goal. Next season, even though it was not as necessary last year, we would like to see Belvin step it up with more field goal attempts, and success. In doing so, he will not only take some pressure off of his offense, but he will provide himself more opportunities to receive recognition in the future.
Jimmy Gonzalez- Grayson
Gonzalez’ success was not far off from Belvin’s success last year, except the fact that he scored a large portion of his points from field goals. By the end of the year, Gonzalez had scored a total of 53 points, but saw 35 of them come from extra points, Unlike Belvin, Gonzalez happened to achieve this in a 13 game span, while also having to step up for his team with field goals, causing him to kick 6 successful field goals, for 18 points by the end of the season. Next season, look for him to continue to be a huge factor for his team, especially as the offense is looking to be a bit younger.
Irvin Fuentes- Athens Christian
Within a 12 game span, Fuentes not only scored 52 total points, but he showed flashes of being able to kick with good timing, accuracy, and leg strength. Last season, he averaged around 4.3 points a game, and scored on 46 extra point attempts. With this, he also made 2 field goals, totaling 6 points, but further proving that he can handle more pressured kicking situations to help his offense. As next season is only a few months around the corner, we hope to see become a more well rounded kicker, performing in multiple facets for his team.