Class of ’24 Position Breakdown: Year of the Leg

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Typically when folks speak about deep position groups, they're usually referring to the quarterbacks, the offensive line, or the defensive line. However, that's not the case in this instance. The Class of '24 has multiple position groups loaded with talent, but one group that really stood out during the evaluation process in this recent update were the kickers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The kickers in this junior class are a very talented bunch with major upside. Putting one over the other was difficult because they all possess a next-level leg. Each of them will have the opportunity to bolster their already impressive resumes over the next two seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='263326' first='Sam' last='Parks'] – Maize South, 5'9”, 150</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/samparks11?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/samparks11?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@SamParks11</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The battle for the top ranked spot at this position is extremely close, but [player_tooltip player_id='263326' first='Sam' last='Parks'] of Maize South continues to hold it down through another update. Parks earned <em>All-State</em> and <em>All-League Honorable Mention</em> nods during his sophomore year, as he'd drill 46 of 49 PAT's and connected on 5 of 9 field goals. His leg appears to have gotten stronger going into his junior year, as he's been consistent from <a href="https://twitter.com/samparks11/status/1531060527719489537?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/samparks11/status/1531060527719489537?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">50 yards</a> throughout this offseason. The Mavericks may choose to test Parks' leg from deep this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='335835' first='Kenten' last='Laughman'] – Mill Valley, 6'3”, 165&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@Kenten_Laughman</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's safe to say that [player_tooltip player_id='335835' first='Kenten' last='Laughman'] will be a busy kicker during the '22 season, as Mill Valley is a program known to light up the scoreboard. Laughman has the lengthiest frame of the group, which gives him a slight advantage from <a href="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1542557327211085825?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1542557327211085825?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">long distance</a>. The 118^th ranked prospect has already drawn some interest before the start of the season. Earlier this summer, Laughman earned a 4-Star rating from <a href="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1526992057860071424?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1526992057860071424?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>KHOL'S</em></a>, and he received a camp invite from the<em> <a href="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1535428315980480513?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/kenten_laughman/status/1535428315980480513?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">University of Alabama at Birmingham</a></em>. Laughman has the potential to have a big year as a junior. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='259849' first='Jayce' last='Quirin'] – Parsons, 5'11”, 165</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@JayceQuirin</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quirin comes from the smallest town out of this group, but the young man has a big-time leg. He's a prospect that will be very eager for the '22 campaign, as he missed his entire sophomore year due to an injury. However, the Parsons product has shown no setbacks from the injury, and has proved it by drilling multiple field goals of 50 yards and <a href="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin/status/1531012111509475332?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin/status/1531012111509475332?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">beyond</a>. Quirin also got to showcase his talent while at the <a href="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin/status/1540546742176911377?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/jaycequirin/status/1540546742176911377?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>University of Kansas</em></a> in June. Look for Quirin to pick up where he left off from his impressive freshman season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='335899' first='Derek' last='Larsen'] – Shawnee Mission NW, 5'9”, 175</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/dlars05?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/dlars05?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@dlars05</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Larsen has been putting in some serious work since making his debut in the rankings this past May. He's hit the road to showcase his abilities throughout this offseason; attending events at the <em>University of Kansas</em>, the<a href="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1549111862498770944?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1549111862498770944?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"> <em>Chris Sailer Invitational</em></a>, and he had the opportunity to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1550599667917869058?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1550599667917869058?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>BYU</em></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1549496212805533696?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/dlars05/status/1549496212805533696?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>Weber State</em></a>. Larsen's not only a talented placekicker, but he is also a promising punter. His ability to handle multiple duties could make him a desired prospect for recruiters. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='404669' first='Jackson' last='McWilliams'] – Tonganoxie, 5'11”, 180</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/jdubmcw?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/jdubmcw?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@JdubMcW</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='404669' first='Jackson' last='McWilliams'] was one of two newcomers that were added during this August update, as he made his debut as the 6^th ranked kicker in the class. The 2022 season will be McWilliams' third as the starting placekicker for the Chieftains. Through his first two seasons starting, he's made 70 of 72 PAT's and he's connected on 7 of 8 field goals, with a 41 yarder being his longest. With two seasons left in his high school career, McWilliams is on pace to finish with some ridiculous numbers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='262728' first='Blaise' last='Hoover'] – McPherson, 5'10”, 160</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoover is a prospect that's improved his game each season. He made his debut on the varsity stage as a freshman in 2020; converting 22 of 25 PAT's and was successful on his lone field goal attempt from 34 yards out. His numbers would increase a bit during his sophomore year, as Hoover connected on 29 of 34 PAT's and nailed 5 of 6 field goals, with a 36 yarder being his longest. Look for Hoover to continue to improve his numbers in year three. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='415316' first='Alex' last='Allemang'] – Emporia, 5'7”, 170</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Twitter: </em><a href="https://twitter.com/alexallemang?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/alexallemang?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA">@AlexAllemang</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='415316' first='Alex' last='Allemang'] rounds off this talented position group as the 8^th ranked kicker in the class and the 144^th ranked prospect overall. Like McWilliams, Allemang also made his debut in this recent update, and he will be a third-year starter as well. He's had a strong summer leading up to the '22 season. Some highlights from his summer include hitting a 55-yard field goal to win the <a href="https://twitter.com/alexallemang/status/1541174758846263296?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/alexallemang/status/1541174758846263296?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>Kicking World Golden Boot</em></a>, and showcasing his leg at the <a href="https://twitter.com/alexallemang/status/1540470992023216133?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/alexallemang/status/1540470992023216133?s=21&amp;t=t0A2ozQl5XzUkn5Hqkl7hA"><em>University of Kansas</em></a> in June. Allemang has the potential to be a stock riser in the next update. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->