Ranked Kansas Eight-Man Athletes In Updated Rankings

It is my opinion that athletes in eight-man programs have to work a little extra hard to get noticed and recruited. It is difficult to get scouts to travel to eight-man games, and eight-man programs tend to not use online sources and social media as well as 11-man schools.   I played and coached eight-man football. I also understand that athletes are athletes so when Prep Redzone Kansas was launched in 2020, I decided to feature eight-man players as much as I could.   The second-highest player in the Class of 2024 is Lyndon's [player_tooltip player_id='335818' first='Kaedin' last='Massey'] who just happens to play eight-man football. Three of his teammates and eight other eight-man athletes are now among the top 330 ranked players in Kansas.   Here is a scouting report on talented players looking and hoping for college programs to give them an offer to play collegiately.   [player_tooltip player_id='262764' first='Tanner' last='Heckel'], QB, 5'11”, 165, Lyndon   Heckel had a huge senior season for the state-champion Tigers. He is currently ranked No. 169 and it can be argued that slot is too low for him. He rushed for over 2,000 yards and threw for over 1,000. He spent just one season in Lyndon after moving into the district from Inman. He rushed for 50 touchdowns and threw 19 more in 13 games. He has multiple offers from schools at almost every level of competition, but as of January 2, he has yet to commit.   [player_tooltip player_id='262758' first='Jalen' last='Massey'], RB, 5'9”, 170, Lyndon   [player_tooltip player_id='262758' first='Jalen' last='Massey'] was the top target for Heckel. He is ranked No. 211 among his Class of 2024 peers. I saw Massey work out last spring at the Ottawa Mega Camp but did not see the Tigers play in 2023. He finished with a team-high 30 receptions for 435 yards and eight touchdowns. On the ground, he finished with 1,373 yards in 13 games and found the end zone 19 times. He also completed all 10 pass attempts he made during his senior year. He also led Lyndon and tackles with 100 and could play safety or linebacker. Massey also has multiple offers to play at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1103749' first='Chance' last='Jermark'], LB, 5'8”, 165, St. John's-Tipton   Jermark arguably is one of the better two-way players in Kansas, but his future probably lies on the defensive side of the ball. The St. John's-Tipton senior is ranked No. 217. He finished his senior season with an impressive total of 158 tackles. Twenty-four of those tackles resulted in lost yardage. He can wreak havoc in the backfield as he collected 5.5 quarterback sacks and four quarterback hurries. Jermark rushed for 482 yards and made 32 receptions for 279 yards to contribute to the BluJay offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='146148' first='Seth' last='Schwien'], ATH, 6'2”, 190, Victoria   Victoria's Schwien is ranked No. 218. He is a versatile and physical athlete who is being recruited by NAIA and JUCO programs. He has multiple offers but has yet to commit. He finished his senior season with 852 total yards and 14 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he collected 59 total tackles. He is a playmaker on defense creating two forced fumbles, seven tackles for loss, and five quarterback sacks for the Knights.   [player_tooltip player_id='676210' first='Caden' last='Morgan'], QB, 6'4”, 165, La Crosse   Morgan is a versatile athlete who can play multiple positions. He is ranked No. 186 after a senior season in which he threw 27 touchdown passes. In 10 games, Morgan threw for 1,335 yards and rushed for 694 yards on 132 carries. He scored eight times on the ground for the Leopards. He also finished his senior season with 63 total tackles playing in the defensive backfield. Morgan can also punt. He would be a solid depth addition to any in-state school.   [player_tooltip player_id='676230' first='Casten' last='Wirth'], LB, 6'3”, 185, Lyndon   Wirth finished third on the Tigers' roster in tackles with 98. He is currently ranked No. 232. He has great instincts and can stuff the run and cover receivers. In 13 games the senior linebacker collected three quarterback sacks, nine tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.   [player_tooltip player_id='1103759' first='Brayan' last='Rodriguez'], LB, 5'10”, 160, Rawlins County   The Buffalo linebacker is a tough cookie. He is ranked No. 254 in the Class of 2024. He finished with 146 total tackles in 11 games played. He gets off the ball well and can be disruptive. He recorded 20 tackles for lost yardage. He has a knack for creating turnovers as he finished his high school career with seven fumble recoveries and six interceptions. Rodriquez played tight end for Rawlins County making 39 receptions for 624 yards and nine touchdowns. He can also return kickoffs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1103765' first='Andrew' last='Smith'], ATH, 6'3”, 180, Little River   The Redskin senior is a player who can do it all. He is currently ranked No. 257. He lists himself as a tight end and defensive back on his Hudl profile, but Smith could easily enter and win a run, pass, and catch contest and win. He accounted for 499 yards in the passing game, rushed for 1,927 yards, and caught one pass for 59 yards. This after a junior season in which he had 433 yards receiving and nine touchdown receptions. The Little River start scored 36 touchdowns on the ground in 10 games and threw seven touchdown passes. Smith also finished with 43 total tackles and two interceptions during his senior campaign.   [player_tooltip player_id='259744' first='Aiden' last='Amrein'], QB, 6'2”, 190, Hill City   The Ringneck senior is a physical prospect who also wrestles and enjoys lifting weights. Amrein is ranked No. 262. His stats are incomplete on Max Preps and Hudl, which is part of the reason he slipped in the rankings during this update.   [player_tooltip player_id='1048599' first='Isaiah' last='Jellison'], ATH, 5'10”, 195, South Central   Jellison debuts in the rankings at No. 316. The South Central senior helped lead the Timberwolves to the state championship game. He is an underrecruited athlete who can provide versatility and depth to an NAIA program. Jellison rushed for 814 yards and 16 touchdowns on 97 carries. He also made nine catches for 106 yards and one score. He finished with over 80 total tackles. He is a little undersized, but he can explode off the ball, which resulted in 19 TFLs.     [player_tooltip player_id='1112071' first='Ian' last='Brian'], LB,  5'11”, 210, Cair Paravel   Brian is one of the toughest defensive players in the eight-man ranks. He debuts in the Prep Redzone ranking in the No. 325 slot. The Cair Paravel Latin School senior is a three-sport prospect. He received several post-season accolades and has at least one offer from an instate NAIA program.

It is my opinion that athletes in eight-man programs have to work a little extra hard to get noticed and recruited. It is difficult to get scouts to travel to eight-man games, and eight-man programs tend to not use online sources and social media as well as 11-man schools.