The Watch List Series: Class of ‘24 Part I

The Watch List series is back once again after recently featuring unranked prospects from the Class of '26. But in this edition of the series, we'll be focusing on a different recruiting class. With National Signing Day well in the rear-view, it's time to start looking ahead toward the next senior class in the state of Kansas.   The Class of 2024 Player Rankings were last updated in December, and the time has now come to prepare for the next update. This upcoming senior class is already star-studded, but there's still a surplus of talent throughout the state waiting to be discovered. The Watch List series will help us find the next wave of newcomers to increase the class to over 175 ranked players. We begin this edition for the Class of '24 with a look at four All-League performers from 2022, and one player poised for a breakout season.   [player_tooltip player_id='574882' first='Roman' last='Hauser'] – Norton , 6'4”, 225, ATH   Folks around the state may not be familiar with Norton product, [player_tooltip player_id='574882' first='Roman' last='Hauser']. That's likely to change if he puts together another strong season this fall. For those that don't know, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound prospect was arguably Norton's top two-way player during the '22 campaign. Hauser led the Bluejays in every receiving category with 28 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to his receiving numbers, Hauser was also the team's leader in tackles for loss and sacks, as he recorded 14 TFL's and 13 sacks on the season. His dynamic play earned him 1st Team All-League honors, and a 2A All-State Honorable Mention nod. With Norton graduating key players this spring, expect Hauser to be at the center of the Bluejays' game plan during his senior year.   <a href="https://twitter.com/trebirch91?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Bernard Birch</a> – Wichita NW, 6'2”, 280, DL   Wichita Northwest is one of those programs that rarely has a “down year”. That's a testament to their player development year in and year out. Each season, the Grizzlies seem to always have a player come out of nowhere and shock everyone. <a href="https://twitter.com/trebirch91?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Bernard “Tre” Birch</a> looks to be that player this year. Birch became a starting defensive tackle during his junior year, and quietly had a solid season. The 6-foot-2 , 280-pound junior contributed 25 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles through 10 games. Two impressive components of his game are his quickness and versatility. Birch excels at firing off the ball, and is capable of lining head up on the center, or as a 3/5-Technique. Don't be surprised if he picks up an All-League selection this fall.   <a href="https://twitter.com/_jalenwilson?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Jalen Wilson</a> – Bishop Miege, 6'1”, 240, DL   After a two year hiatus from the state championship game, the Bishop Miege Stags returned in 2022 to claim their first title since 2019. There were a number of players that contributed to this accomplishment, but it could be argued that <a href="https://twitter.com/_jalenwilson?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Jalen Wilson</a> was one of their unsung heroes. Wilson was a part of Miege's stout offensive line, but the defensive side of the ball was where he made a significant impact. The junior made the switch to defensive line in Week 5, which then led to a 2nd Team All-EKL selection and a 4A All-State Honorable Mention nod. Whether he was lined up as a 3-Tech or 5-Tech, Wilson was relentless in his pursuit for the quarterback. If the Stags choose to start Wilson full-time this season, then it could be a long year for opposing offensive linemen.   <a href="https://twitter.com/martinez_zayden?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Zayden Martinez</a> – Liberal, 6'3”, 210, WR   There's no shortage of talent at the receiver position for the Class of '24. The position group consists of players such as [player_tooltip player_id='459984' first='Sammy' last='Dresie'], [player_tooltip player_id='259758' first='Michael' last='Lopez'], [player_tooltip player_id='544697' first='Marcus' last='White'], and many others. In the next update, <a href="https://twitter.com/martinez_zayden?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Zayden Martinez</a> of Liberal, has a strong chance of joining this talented group. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound wideout is a physical deep-threat out on the perimeter. Martinez nearly led Liberal in receiving yards, as he hauled in 28 catches for 611 yards and 10 touchdowns. His explosive season earned him a 1st Team All-WAC selection, as well as a 5A All-State Honorable Mention nod. His ability to stretch the field and rack up yards after the catch makes him a very dangerous player. Martinez is capable of having a monster year; especially with Liberal's starting quarterback returning as well.   <a href="https://twitter.com/rapp__brady?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Brady Rapp</a> – Maize South, 5'11”, 195, LB   Maize South has quietly produced some studs on defense as of late. Emporia State commit, [player_tooltip player_id='87673' first='Conner' last='Neill'], was their most recent top-notch defender, and during the '23 campaign, <a href="https://twitter.com/rapp__brady?s=21&t=3aJTCdjOnmIPT9r6GPByyg">Brady Rapp</a> looks to take over that role. Rapp put together a breakout year at middle linebacker in 2022, as he collected 95 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and forced multiple turnovers. His performance during the '22 campaign earned him an All-AVCTL D-I Honorable Mention selection, and he's also received slight interest from a few D-II programs. What's most impressive about Rapp's film is his lateral quickness and vision. His lateral quickness helps with his angles of pursuit, and his ability to quickly diagnose plays puts him in a great position to make a stop.

The Watch List series is back once again after recently featuring unranked prospects from the Class of '26. But in this edition of the series, we'll be focusing on a different recruiting class. With National Signing Day well in the rear-view, it's time to start looking ahead toward the next senior class in the state of Kansas.