Rankings Update: Class of 2024 Top Ten Players Are All Committed
In this article:
For the first time since 2020, it is my pleasure to bring you an updated edition of the Kansas Prep Redzone Player Rankings. Our last set of updates came back in August before Santino Bernal moved on with his career…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingFor the first time since 2020, it is my pleasure to bring you an updated edition of the Kansas Prep Redzone Player Rankings.
Our last set of updates came back in August before Santino Bernal moved on with his career path. I trained and mentored Santino so it was a rough time for me and a very busy fall for me.
I was also writing for the Leavenworth Times at the time and therefore Kansas did not have a scout in place to take over the rankings during the season. Also, remember I also scout volleyball in the fall.
We have recently added a new scout in Kansas as Wade Cargile will begin writing for Prep Redzone this week. Now after a month-plus worth of work, it’s time to publish the updated rankings beginning with the Class of 2024. Each week in January we are planning to release updated rankings for the class of 2025-2027.
Wade and I will each write scouting reports featuring players debuting in the rankings and those athletes who moved up the rankings.
Athletes, coaches, and parents can click on the “How We Rank” story under the “Rankings” menu to learn more about the process of ranking players.
For me personally, I would like to add that the following factors also determine how I rank players. Stats help, but don’t make the rankings, but if I can’t find stats on a player that factors into their position as well. Offers from colleges are also taken into consideration. An athlete with multiple Division I offers is going to probably be ranked higher than a player with only NAIA offers or no offers at all. I do watch film and that can help or hurt a player’s rankings. Also size and speed matter!
A couple of key issues I always stress with athletes is the slot you are ranked in is not nearly as important as just making the rankings. It is a real crap shoot after the top 30 players. We all know there are major busts in every sport when it comes to college commitments and professional drafts. Players can be named the Gatorade Player Of The Year in their respective states and never start a college game, and players can be drafted in the first round by the NFL and be out of the league in just a couple of seasons.
Another key issue is each athlete controls their recruitment process. If a high school coach does not post stats on MaxPreps then it is the responsibility of the athlete to obtain those stats and send them to scouts and college coaches. Only you can update your Hudl profiles and the information on them. If I can’t find a height and weight for a player I will not include them in the rankings. Also, only the athlete can control what is posted on their social media accounts. What an athlete posts, follows, and how he or she promotes themselves says a lot about the type of person and prospect they are.
As we release the player rankings one aspect that I am proud of, is we now have 330 athletes in the Class of 2024 ranked in Kansas. That puts Kansas in the Top 10 of all Prep Red Zone sites in the number of athletes ranked. It speaks to the depth of talent that we have in Kansas. Also, I could have added more players, but I had to stop somewhere. For instance an NAIA program sent me its list of early signees which included four athletes from Kansas and none of the four were in our rankings.
Expect this class to have at least one more sizeable update later in the spring after combines, camps, and the spring signing date. While I strive for perfection, I also understand that mistakes and typos happen. If you have questions about the rankings or see a mistake please feel free to DM me on social media @KSScoutDeck or email me at deckscoutks@gmail.com.
Remember you attract more bees with honey than you do vinegar. If you send me a negative or rude email do not expect a reply. Also, keep in mind that there are elements of the technology that I cannot control or change, one example is our options for a player’s weight in five lb. intervals. Also, we do not update rankings on a week-to-week basis. Once an athlete is ranked in a spot, they stay there until the next round of rankings. We try to update the rankings three to four times a year.
So let’s begin by looking at who is among the Top 10 ranked players in the Kansas Class of 2024. All 10 of these players have already committed to Division I college programs and something about each one helps them stand out from the rest of the pack in the Class of 2024.
Michael Boganowski Michael Boganowski 6'2" | 195 lbs | ATH Junction City | 2024 State KS , ATH, 6’2”, 195, Junction City, (Oklahoma)
Junction City’s Boganowski remains the No. 1 ranked player in Kansas in the Class of 2024. I did scout Junction City in person this fall and was impressed by his athleticism. Junction City is a program that produces disciplined players who often go on to great accomplishments. He finished his senior season, with 85 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. The Bluejay senior had a trunk load of offers and chose Oklahoma over the likes of Kansas State, Kansas, and Florida State.
Kaedin Massey Kaedin Massey 6'8" | 280 lbs | OL Lyndon | 2024 State KS , OL, 6’8”, 280, Lyndon, (Kansas State)
Massey was ranked No. 10 heading into this update and he vaulted to the No. 2 spot. He had perhaps the best season of anyone ranked in the Top 10. He is a pancake-blocking machine and helped lead Lyndon to a state championship in eight-man football. His size plays at the next level. There was not much doubt that he was going to head to Manhattan and he signed with KSU during the December early signing period. Some will ask how an eight-man player can be ranked that high, but when you look at his size compared to some of the other top linemen in this class, that is a bigger difference maker in my opinion.
Gus Hawkins Gus Hawkins 6'7" | 255 lbs | OL Mill Valley | 2024 State KS , OL, 6’7”, 255, Mill Valley, (Kansas State)
The No. 3 ranked player in the Class of 2024 is Mill Valley prospect Hawkins. He remained in that spot after the update. Hawkins has received all kinds of accolades after the season, so Prep Redzone is not the only football or media site who feels he has a big future. He verbally committed to Kansas State many moons ago. He was the captain of the state champion Jaguars which says much about what he will bring to Manhattan in terms of leadership and character.
Gavin Hoffman Gavin Hoffman 6'5" | 225 lbs | TE Blue Valley NW | 2024 State KS , TE, 6’5”, 225, Blue Valley Northwest, (Iowa)
Hoffman is the second-highest-ranked player who is heading out of state. Ranked at No. 4. Hoffman has committed to play in the Big 10 for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Blue Valley Northwest improved his stock by 15 slots. Hoffman made 22 receptions during his senior season accounting for 542 yards. He found the end zone six times. He heads to Iowa City, hoping to parlay a college career for the Hawkeyes into a chance at the NFL alongside current Iowa tight end alumni George Kittle, T. J. Hockenson, and Sam LaPorta.
John Price John Price 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Blue Valley | 2024 State KS , RB, 5’11”, 185, Blue Valley, (Kansas State)
Price dropped a couple of slots, but is ranked No. 5 in the state of Kansas. Price underachieved this year when you look at his numbers compared to last season. Price rushed for 975 yards on 205 carries in 11 games played. That is down from 1,004 yards on 142 carries in two fewer games as a junior. Several variables can account for that kind of loss of health, the quality of his blockers, changes in the offensive scheme, and many more. He committed early to Kansas State so the Wildcat staff believed in him. Having at least nine other ball carriers in Class 6A finish with more yards than him did not help his cause either.
Kian Payne Kian Payne 6'4" | 260 lbs | DL St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State KS , DL, 6’4”, 260, St. Thomas Aquinas, (Kansas State)
Payne was born to hit people. This young man is planning on playing Saturdays for the Kansas State Wildcats, and I will be bold and predict he will get to play on Sundays after his college career. Payne finished his senior season with 62 total tackles and is ranked No. 6. He racked up eight tackles for loss and seven quarterback sacks. The Saints product is a difference maker on the defensive line who can play both in the interior line or move outside and rush from the edge.
Holden Bass Holden Bass 6'3" | 275 lbs | DL Nemaha Central | 2024 State KS , DL, 6’3”, 275, Nemaha Central, (Kansas State)
Bass was a stat monster for the Thunderbirds in 2023. The future Kansas State Wildcats is ranked No. 7 among his Class of 2024 peers. Bass is new to the Top 10 after last being ranked No. 39. He finished his senior campaign with 113 total tackles and 42 pancake blocks, those impressive numbers resulted in his big rankings leap. It will be interesting to see which side of the ball the KSU staff has him start on. Bass is strong enough, quick enough, and smart enough to play either side of the ball, so don’t be surprised if he starts on one unit of 11 only to move to the other side at some point in Manhattan.
Hank Purvis Hank Purvis 6'5" | 310 lbs | OL Bishop Carroll | 2024 State KS , OL, 6’5”, 305, Bishop Carroll, (UNLV)
The Bishop Carroll prospect is ranked No. 8 dropping one spot. He verbally committed to UNLV clear back in the summer. He is a strong lineman who has improved his footwork over the years. He pass blocks well but is a difference-maker as a run-blocker.
BJ Canady BJ Canady 6'5" | 250 lbs | DL Topeka | 2024 State KS , DL, 6’5”, 250, Topeka High, (California)
Canady fell five spots in the rankings but remains in the Top 10. The California Bear commit is ranked No. 9. There is no doubt that Canady has the natural skills and frame to succeed at the college level. The question mark for me, after seeing him play twice last season, is can be a difference-maker. His play in the two games I scouted did not live up to expectations. Topeka High was a below-average team this fall, but I would expect a Division I recruit to stand out and he just did not. Thus, the reasoning behind his dip in the rankings.
Omari Elias Omari Elias 5'10" | 200 lbs | RB Kapaun Mt. Carmel | 2024 State KS , RB, 5’10”, 200, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, (Air Force)
Elias is an explosive back who earned a ton of postseason accolades. He was ranked No. 5 coming into this round of updates and is now ranked No. 10. He was an early signee for Air Force. The Falcons are consistently among the top running programs in Division I each year. Elias will fit well into the run-oriented offense at Air Force. Elias was named the Kansas Gatorade Player of The Year on January 3.