Premier Athletes in the Class of 2024

You can never have enough playmakers on the field. With impactful skill position players in such high demand, the state's crop of talent under the 'athlete' designation, needs to be watched closely. As such, we are going to spend time the next few days breaking down some of the best athletes in the Class of 2024 as we enter a huge offseason.   [player_tooltip player_id='189104' first='Jo'Ziah' last='Edmond']. 6'1, 185 pounds, Warren Central   [player_tooltip player_id='189104' first='Jo'Ziah' last='Edmond'] has proven himself to be a dynamic playmaker in his first three seasons at Warren Central. With that being the case, it would be fair to assume that he has a lot left in store for the next season. Edmond can make a difference as a wide receiver and cornerback. At corner, Edmond showcases sublime ball skills. He does an outstanding job of locating the ball and finding a way to make highlight reel interceptions. The show does not stop when he plays on offense, where he finds even more ways to give his squad a spark. Any time he gets the ball in his hands, whether it is after a catch or on a manufactured touch, he is capable of creating something big. Edmond routinely bounces off tackles and fights for additional yardage. Edmond is also capable of serving as a wildcat quarterback, giving coaches another way to get him on the field. A season ago, Edmond ran for 86 yards, accumulated 79 receiving yards and ran for one touchdown. He also tossed a touchdown pass when serving in the wildcat QB role. Defensively, Edmond notched 28 tackles and five interceptions.   [player_tooltip player_id='109610' first='Cannon' last='Brunes'], 5'11, 205 pounds, Western Boone   Western Boone's [player_tooltip player_id='109610' first='Cannon' last='Brunes'] is a physical player on defense, and he has the ability to make an impact in the running-game on offense. Last year, Brunes was always around the ball defensively. He posted 133 total tackles in what was a sensational sophomore season. He came up with 80 solo tackles and 23 tackles-for-loss. Constantly in the backfield, Brunes sacked quarterbacks nine times and had 10 QB hurries. Brunes recovered two fumbles- half of the amount that he forced. He defended against a trio of passes last year.   [player_tooltip player_id='382744' first='Yushawn' last='Hatchett'], 5'10, 205 pounds, Franklin Central   [player_tooltip player_id='382744' first='Yushawn' last='Hatchett'] has emerged as a serious defensive contributor at Franklin Central. Hatchett is coming off a year that saw him post 48 total tackles. 14 of his stops were solo. He has the ability to disrupt plays behind the line-of-scrimmage. Last year, he notched nine tackles-for-loss. Hatchett added one sack to his resume. He swiped one interception and defended against three passes. Another big season could see him catapult up the state rankings and garner serious attention.   [player_tooltip player_id='244413' first='Langdon' last='Holbrook'], 5'8, 180 pounds, Scottsburg   [player_tooltip player_id='244413' first='Langdon' last='Holbrook'] is a contributor in all three phases who gives his team plenty to be excited about. Offensively, Holbrook is a huge asset in the receiving game. Coming off a junior year that saw him accumulate nearly 400 receiving yards, it becomes fair to assume that big things are on his horizon in 2023. He caught 32 passes with four touchdowns. Defensively, he can make plays that provide huge momentum boosts. Last year, Holbrook posted 17 tackles with a pair of interceptions and three passes defensed. He has experience returning kickoffs and punts. In 2022, Holbrook racked up over 200 yards on seven kickoff returns and 20 yards on a trio of punt returns.   [player_tooltip player_id='367702' first='Alvin' last='Contreras'], 5'11, 180 pounds, Ben Davis   [player_tooltip player_id='367702' first='Alvin' last='Contreras'] is a physical defensive back who also deputizes as Ben Davis' punter. Contreras is a great tackler who frequently lines up in the slot corner role. Last year, he recorded a half-century's worth of tackles with 42 being solo stops. Half-a-dozen of his tackles went for loss, proving that he can be aggressive and disrupt the offense. On special teams, Contreras has plenty of experience punting. A year ago, he punted 23 times for a net total of nearly 800 yards. Contreras averaged nearly 40 yards-per-punt. Five of his punts were pinned inside the opposition's 20-yard line.

You can never have enough playmakers on the field. With impactful skill position players in such high demand, the state's crop of talent under the 'athlete' designation, needs to be watched closely. As such, we are going to spend time the next few days breaking down some of the best athletes in the Class of 2024 as we enter a huge offseason.