9 Most Dangerous Return-Men Back for the 2024 Season

The offseason is fully underway and plenty of Arizona high school football players are getting the recognition that they well deserve. With that being said, a lot of the focus through this time tends to be on the skill positions dominating in one-on-ones/seven-on-sevens. It's important not to lose sight of the special teams aces that can completely change a game every time they touch the ball. Let's take a closer look at the most productive returners who'll be on the field again for the 2024 season!    [player_tooltip player_id='1208998' first='Crew' last='Leavitt'] is an electrifying returner coming out of Queen Creek. Once he's able to find an opening, it's not likely that anyone on the field is going to be fast enough to run him down from behind with the burst that he has. Leavitt's vision is a great compliment to his bursting speed too. He'll patiently wait to find the right opening, and then switch into another gear before attacking said opening without any worry about the hits that he could potentially take. While not the shiftiest of players, Leavitt has enough wiggle to make players miss and is not at all afraid to lower his shoulder if he needs to. If Leavitt is the one back there returning kicks for Queen Creek this coming season, opposing coaches have their work cut out for them to make sure he doesn't break a game open before the first snap.      [player_tooltip player_id='283581' first='Noah' last='Chanez'] runs the ball hard any time he gets the ball in his hands. When he catches the kickoff he runs the ball like a running back; very deliberate with his cuts and not afraid to take a big hit. He's the same on his punt returns and does a great job of setting up the defense, using the open field to his advantage. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game is how slippery of a player he is. Even when it looks like defenders have him pinned down, Chanez somehow splits the seam as defenders' arms slip off of him. Going into his junior season, Chanez will make a real impact for Tucson Magnet this year.      Hunter Hancock has some incredible burst as the return man for Yuma Catholic. With really long strides, he just seems to glide past the opposing team coming full speed at him. Even when they are able to get their hands on him, getting Hancock to the ground is a completely different story. A perfect example is in the 4A state championship game, with all the eyes on him, he was returning a kick and got wrapped up at the 20. Backpedaling out of the would-be tacklers, Hancock bounced it to the outside and was able to pick up another 15 yards before anyone was able to catch up with him. That type of playmaking ability is what helped Yuma Catholic earn its appearance in the state championship, and has a real chance to make another run at it this season.     After a recent transfer to the open division runner-up in Centennial, [player_tooltip player_id='704778' first='Nikko' last='Boncore'] has been getting some well-earned attention. Coming off a year with over 1,900 all-purpose yards, he truly made an impact on all three phases of the game for Cactus last season. Although 1,214 of those yards came from receptions, 599 came from returning kicks and punts too. Boncore is such a shifty player who can truly stop at the drop of a dime and defenders have no chance. No ankles are safe when he catches a kick, and even if someone does manage to get their hands on him, Boncore has some surprising strength in his 6'1" 175lb frame. Not just good at catching spirals, his soft yet secure hands show up on the special teams unit too; he may be the most secure-handed return-man in the state. Boncore is a master in the open field and the first defender to reach him without help usually doesn't stand much of a chance. On a bigger stage now with Centennial, Boncore is a player whose recruiting is likely to skyrocket through his senior season.      [player_tooltip player_id='1145527' first='Dion' last='Rogers'] has some serious speed when he gets the ball in his hands. With exceptional acceleration, it takes him no time to get up to speed and go straight for the first open lane he sees. Rogers usually finds himself picking the right lane and while he's not the twitchiest player to make players miss, he does a good job of strategically weaving his way through the oncoming traffic. Once he breaks through the last line of defense, there's rarely a defender on the field that's able to catch him with his top-end speed. Returning kicks for Williams Field this season, I have no doubt that Rogers can eclipse last year's mark of 591 return yards.      With long strides and really impressive strength, Joseph Guerrero is a dangerous player to kick the ball to. He does a nice job of attacking the middle of the field at first, only to quickly break it to whichever side is being blocked the best. Guerrero possesses an impressive mix of quick twitch and brute strength that gives him multiple ways to make defenders miss. While he's able to make a swift move to get around someone, he's just as capable of breaking through their tackle attempt or stiff-arming them on his way by. Though he can be a tad careless with how he holds the ball at times, defenders aren't usually able to get close enough to do anything about it. I have a feeling Winslow's opponents may be a bit more likely to punt away from the returner after Gurerro had 433 punt return yards on the year last season.      [player_tooltip player_id='1190644' first='Dontay' last='Tyson'] Jr. is an explosive athlete back there returning kicks for Peoria. With some impressive top-end speed, he's a player who needs the smallest of seams to completely turn the momentum of a game. Once he gets the ball in his hands, it's all defenders can handle just to get their hands on him. Tyson is incredibly shifty and does a great job setting up defenders before making his moves, making them that much more effective. Particularly when he decides to switch fields, he makes sure to get deep enough into the teeth of the coverage team that when he switches direction, no one's able to keep up with him. He had success returning both kicks (332 yards) and punts (245 yards) this past season as just a freshman. With a full year of experience under his belt, Tyson could see both of those numbers take a big jump in 2024.      Keaton Potter is a really shifty return-man with really electric feet. Always a threat for a big play when he touches the ball, Potter's quickness is so effective in the return game. As he weaves in and out of traffic, having the ability to get up to speed before defenders can reach him is one of the main reasons he finished with 575 kick return yards on the year last season. His footwork when he finds himself engulfed in the thick of it certainly stands out. He's incredibly graceful while still managing to move at full speed. Potter has a real chance to set 3A on fire returning kicks for Payson in his senior season.      [player_tooltip player_id='1277445' first='Aliaz' last='Dyson'] absolutely refuses to go down without a fight once he gets the ball in his hands. His determination to not only stay upright but keep his legs moving reminds me of a running back. Only he has much more speed and elusiveness than your average running back does. Dyson does a great job tracking kicks and is rarely ever caught out of position or late to the spot when back there to return a punt. In fact, he's often early enough to the spot to take a quick glimpse of the rush and start planning his return. That pre-meditated attack certainly shows too; Dyson is strategic in the way he attacks the coverage team and does a great job of setting up his blockers to help clear the way. Playing on a very talented Buena roster, Dyson is a nice burst of electricity on their special teams unit.

The offseason is fully underway and plenty of Arizona high school football players are getting the recognition that they well deserve. With that being said, a lot of the focus through this time tends to be on the skill positions dominating in one-on-ones/seven-on-sevens. It's important not to lose sight of the special teams aces that can completely change a game every time they touch the ball. Let's take a closer look at the most productive returners who'll be on the field again for the 2024 season!