Kentucky Sleepers to Watch for: Class of 2024 Offense
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Recently, I conducted a content series focusing on players from Kentucky who have gotten slept on that varied from each position. However, I am going to change that today and bring in all the positions together and just focus on…
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Continue ReadingRecently, I conducted a content series focusing on players from Kentucky who have gotten slept on that varied from each position. However, I am going to change that today and bring in all the positions together and just focus on the recruiting classes. Since I have covered most of the class of 2023, I will be covering the classes 2024-2026. Today, we will start on the offensive side by looking at players with little to no collegiate offers from the class of 2024.
Charlie Flowers is a solid slot receiver option for the DuPont Manual football team. After finishing his junior season with the Crimsons, Charlie has shown that he is proficient at creating space for himself in 1v1 routes. In many cases, Charlie’s speed and superior lateral footwork enable him to get off a quick move before the DB can react to find an opening to receive the football. Along with that, Charlie is great at making sharp jabs when running the football. Although he can create running lanes for him as a receiver, he shows this when he is receiving punts. Flowers is also a dynamic kick returner that can set your offense up in good field position every kick. I believe there is a lot of room for Charlie to further develop his game for a talented DuPont Manual squad. He currently holds no collegiate offers as of March 2023. Keep a lookout for him during his senior year.
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Ellis is a talented 2-way running back that can beat you off the run and can beat you on a running route for a pass. The junior had a good junior season, recording 101 carries for 784 rushing yards & 11 rushing touchdowns while totaling 154 receiving yards & a receiving touchdown. Huguely is a threat to run for a large gain when he is lined up on the side instead of the traditional tailback slot. Huguely’s acceleration is hard to match as a defender, and he can get to full speed by the time he is already running past opposing defenders past the line of scrimmage. What I mostly like about Ellis is his game IQ on exploiting the defense. Whether he finds easy running gaps to take with his great field vision or uses his blockers to gain leverage when running forward, Ellis runs the ball with a lot of expertise. This trait can take you a long way as a running back, and a necessary one to play ball at the next level. Currently, Ellis holds no reported offers and I believe that could change at the end of the 2023 season.
Victors possess a lot of excellent qualities for his talent as playing offensive lineman. The 5’11, 240lb junior may not always be the biggest lineman on the field, but his pure strength & muscular dominance more than makes up for that. Victor can push back opposing defensive tackles with ease, even when they are 50+ pounds larger than him. Edwards is also outstanding at communicating with his offense and having in-game intellect on where to create running lanes for the ball carriers. If needed, Victor will reposition himself to another spot on the line of scrimmage and leverage his body out toward the defenders to create weak spots. What I like the most about Victor is that he never gives up on the play no matter what. Furthermore, Edwards will follow the play through until the whistle is blown, including following the ball carrier even if they broke out onto the open field. Most linemen do not typically do this and usually stay back but Victor continues to follow the play through by making sure his runner is always protected. Going into his senior season at Bryan Station, Victor is ready to get his name out to recruiters and I believe his senior year performance will help him get noticed.
Bryce is another player who is good at many different aspects of the game of football despite playing a designated position. The junior specializes in his superior blocking ability on the line and can quickly react to finding weak spots in defensive zones to get himself open for a pass. When blocking, Hamon is just as strong as his lineman teammates and has the stamina to hold down his defensive tackle for a longer timeframe. This is mainly due to his lower half strength which he also uses when route-running on passing plays. On the receiving end, Hamon is light on his feet and can make sudden jabs that create space for him to receive the football. Along with that, he has terrific grip strength to catch difficult passes even with lots of physical contact. Bryce is a player you should have on your radar for the tight-end position.
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The generational trend for quarterbacks in Football has been the necessity for dual-threat ability on the field. Not only does Kizer Slone Kizer Slone 6’3″ | 195 lbs | QB Perry County Central | 2024 State KY meet those expectations but performs them exceedingly well. The Perry County junior is excellent at read option plays and escaping the pressure coming out of the pocket to make positive yardage plays. Slone also has a strong arm to be able to sling it 30+ yards out to his receivers with little lower body leverage needed. Slone is also good at fooling the defenders with his pump fake throws and shifty footwork when running with the ball. Although his 2022 season stats were not the greatest compared to other top-ranked quarterbacks in his state 4a division, Kizer has all the talent and athleticism there to become a top-tier quarterback in both his division class and state recruiting class. Kizer currently has camp interest from schools but nothing further than that. During or after his 2023 senior season, I expect offers to begin rolling around for the talented dual-threat QB.