3 High-Caliber 2-Way 2024 Recruits Still On The Board

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 National Signing Day is quickly approaching and schools are looking to nail down their final offer sheets. Today, we're looking at 3 recruits who are still on the board who could potentially be a big addition on signing day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1114369' first='Brayden' last='Wilkins'] - Triton Central - ATH - 6'3" 185lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a lot to like about Wilkins and what he can offer in all 3 phases of the game. He's wrapping up a solid career, but an incredible senior season. He's always been heavily involved in the plan in some fashion, but the flip switched this year. Getting him involved in the passing game was a main focus, which paid off. Better yet, Wilkins makes it pretty easy. He's got elite speed and he's a burner. With the lengthy frame he has, he flies down the field. He's run the ball, caught the ball, played in both levels of the defense, and returned a kickoff for a TD. In the receiving game this year he put up 1083 yards and 11 TDs. He doesn't have much-wasted movement at the line and gets behind the defense fairly easily. He tracks the ball well, including in traffic. He added 304 yards and 1 TD on the ground. He then had his best year on defense by quite a bit. The range he has is evident down after down. It allows him to get to the ball just about every down. He's also strong enough to fend off blocks and create pressure in the backfield. His senior year saw him put up 104 tackles, 14 TFLs, and 4 sacks. As good of an athlete and as instinctive as he is, along with showing he can produce at a high level, all should help Wilkins find a home between now and signing day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@BWilkins02</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='956089' first='Kyler' last='Kropp'] - New Palestine - ATH - 6'1" 200lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swiss Army knife for the Dragons is no doubt going to be missed moving forward. Over the past 3 years, Kropp has been 1 of the centerpieces in the running and receiving game. He's then been their kick-returner for the past 3 years. The idea was to get the ball in Kropp's hands and let him go to work. It's always been fairly productive, and New Palestine is the 1 school that I'm guaranteed to see play once every year. If we went back a decade, I might be able to throw a rock into Dragon Stadium from my in-law's house, because that's how close my fiance's family lives to the school, which is why it's a guarantee I see New Pal play. However, I love it because not only are they one of the best programs, but I've been able to see guys like Kropp grow and develop. I've seen his usage go from screens and gadget plays to developing his downfield game, seeing him be used in the running game because he provides a spark, and seen him return a kickoff for a TD. Throughout his career, he put up 1182 rushing yards and 20 TDs. He then added 1370 yards and 15 TDs through the air. He improved every single year. In the statsheet, and on tape, his development has been fun to see. He bought into the Dragon Way and it paid off. He's well built leaving high school and Kropp will make a football program better on Saturdays starting next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@KylerKropp2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1144228' first='Aidan' last='Monds'] - Leo - ATH - 5'9" 185lbs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On a team with some bigger names in the recruiting world, it's easy to see why guys can get lost behind all the shuffle. The last time I checked, it takes 11 for a single play to be successful, let alone win 11 games. Yes, the top-heavy talent Leo can go a long way, but you still need a team of players who know how to play football. It's guys like Monds who come in and run the rock, make the unsexy tackles, and also show up down after down. This season alone, Monds put up 375 yards and 7 TDs on just 43 attempts. He then had a breakout year defensively. He's a good athlete who is successful just about everywhere on the field because of his ability to run and flip his hips while staying loose. He's worked on a backpedal and doesn't take many false steps. He tries to be disciplined and stick to his assignment wherever he is on the field. While he did tend to play closer to the line because of his ability to create pressure, I'm not sure if that's how he'll be used on Saturdays. If he is, he's fairly compact for his size and has a good center of gravity so he should hold up. His 84 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 2 sacks were a career-best and put Monds in the best place possible to close out his High school career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Twitter: <strong>@MondsAidan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->