2023 St. Charles County Players to Watch: Wide Receiver/Tight End
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As we head into the last days of May, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing what lies ahead in the upcoming season. While there is a lot…
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Continue ReadingAs we head into the last days of May, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing what lies ahead in the upcoming season. While there is a lot of talent spread throughout the state of Missouri, an area that I believe gets overlooked at times from a football standpoint is St. Charles County. This area isn’t in the headlines as much as schools in cities like St. Louis or Kansas City but there is still a ton of talent to be seen. With that being said, I have started a “St. Charles County Players to Watch” series. After already covering the quarterbacks and running backs, I will now turn my attention to some intriguing wide receivers and tight ends to watch heading into the 2023 season.
Chase Bensing Chase Bensing 6’3″ | 190 lbs | TE Fort Zumwalt South | 2024 State MO is an incoming senior wide receiver/tight end that is very high on my radar. Bensing is coming off a strong junior year in which he caught 36 passes for 464 yards and four touchdowns. He is a big body receiver that lines up mainly on the outside. Chase is a smooth route runner with the ability to create separation with the breaks in his routes. He also has the speed to pose as a dangerous deep threat and the athleticism to go up and catch passes at their highest point. Chase also has great ability after the catch, using his speed and elusiveness to turn short passes into big gains. Bensing currently holds an offer from Benedictine College and I expect more to come his way as he has received a nice amount of college interest.
Anthony Keller Anthony Keller 6’0″ | 160 lbs | ATH Holt | 2024 MO is another incoming senior that has impressed me. Keller had a solid junior year, finishing second on his team in receiving, catching 13 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. He lines up mainly on the outside and has the speed to blow by opposing defensive backs in the deep passing game. Keller has also shown the ability to adjust to the ball and make tough catches, making several catches by coming back to the ball and diving for them when overthrown. While Anthony doesn’t currently hold any offers, he is definitely a player to keep an eye on during his senior year as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Highlights
Maurice Hamilton Jr
Maurice Hamilton Jr
Maurice Hamilton Jr. is a wide receiver that has jumped onto my radar recently. Hamilton had a strong junior season, catching 22 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns. He lines up on the outside and is a dangerous deep threat. Hamilton is able to use his speed to blow by opposing defensive backs to create separation. He also has the ability to catch passes at their highest point, making him a jump ball threat. Hamilton is also a reliable blocker in the run game, showing the ability to pick up blocks in open space and drive his man out of the picture. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers, Maurice will be a player to keep an eye on as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Kyle Cotton Kyle Cotton 6’2″ | 245 lbs | TE St. Charles West | 2025 State MO is a tight end that caught my attention with a strong sophomore season. He finished this past season with 40 catches for 529 yards and four touchdowns. Kyle has shown the ability to play all over the formation, whether it be as an H -Back off the line of scrimmage, in the slot, or on the outside at receiver. He is a smooth route runner with the ability to create separation easily. Cotton also has the speed to stretch the field as a deep threat. He also has very reliable hands and has shown the ability to turn up the field and pick up yards after the catch. Kyle is also a very reliable blocker, showing the ability to pick up blocks in open space and drive his man down the field. Cotton hasn’t received any offers yet but should be on the radar of college coaches as he has the talent to be a very reliable tight end at the next level.
To wrap up this list, I have Peyton Rasmussen Peyton Rasmussen 6’3″ | 200 lbs | WR Fort Zumwalt West | 2025 State MO from Fort Zumwalt West. Rasmussen had a solid sophomore year, finishing with 12 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown. He is very dangerous with the ball in his hands, showing the speed and elusiveness in the open field to turn short passes and screens into big plays. Rasmussen also has very reliable hands, showing the ability to look the ball in and catch it away from his body. He also has shown great body control when adjusting to the ball in the air and when taking on contact during a catch. Peyton doesn’t currently hold any offers but will be a player to watch as his role in his team’s offense continues to grow over the next two seasons.