Cracking the Rankings: Juniors From the Metro Part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're back with more coverage of the latest Class of ‘26 rankings update. By now most of the Prep Redzone Kansas community has seen a few of the juniors from the Kansas City area that cracked the rankings. But there are plenty more for folks to take a look at. This next group features five Class 6A prospects looking to be key contributors during the ‘24 campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Tight End</span></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402683' first='Magnus' last='Larson'] - Olathe Northwest, 6'2”, 195 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading off for this group is [player_tooltip player_id='1402683' first='Magnus' last='Larson'] of Olathe Northwest. Larson is grouped with the tight ends, but he showed a lot of promise at defensive end in 2023. He could be a standout two-way player for the Ravens during his junior year. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect debuted at No. 284 overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402689' first='Cade' last='Zimmerman'] - Olathe West, 6'2”, 215</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This second prospect made a great impression during his sophomore year. [player_tooltip player_id='1402689' first='Cade' last='Zimmerman']'s efforts during the ‘23 campaign earned him an <em>All-League Honorable Mention</em> nod, and this season he could compete for a higher selection. Zimmerman debuted just inside the Top 300 and is the 17th ranked tight end in the class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Wide Receiver</span></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1401801' first='Jaxon' last='Becker'] - Lawrence, 6'0”, 175</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not very often that a sophomore from Class 6A finishes their first varsity season as the second leading receiver for their team. [player_tooltip player_id='1401801' first='Jaxon' last='Becker'] did so in 2023, and is likely to surpass those numbers during his junior year. He's the 25th ranked wideout in the class and the 286th ranked prospect overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402678' first='Sam' last='Simmons'] - Olathe North, 5'8”, 150</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Olathe North Eagles have a knack for developing shifty offensive playmakers. [player_tooltip player_id='1402678' first='Sam' last='Simmons'] is an up and coming prospect on North's roster capable of becoming their next playmaker. Simmons entered in six spots behind Becker at No. 292 and is the 27th ranked receiver in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Defensive Back</span></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402672' first='Benji' last='Burton'] - Olathe East, 6'3”, 185</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402672' first='Benji' last='Burton'] of Olathe East caps off this group of five. Burton was another member of Olathe East's talented secondary from their 2023 squad. He made his debut at No. 290 overall and is the 29th ranked defensive back in the class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->