Red Zone Royalty, Pt. 1: Arizona’s Top Touchdown Targets

When you get inside the 20, everything changes. The field shrinks, windows tighten, and running lanes disappear, so having guys you can trust to win in the red zone is the difference between kicking three and putting up six. Defenses know what's coming, but the best red-zone targets still find ways to win with body control, strong hands, or simply the knack for getting open when it matters most. These are the players coaches look to when the game is on the line, because you know they'll give you a real shot at finishing drives.   To figure out who those guys are in Arizona, I kept it simple: I looked at yards per touchdown, making sure they had at least seven scores to prove it wasn't just a fluke. That way we're highlighting not just the stat-padders but the players who consistently deliver points without needing a ton of yardage to do it. Here are some of the best red zone weapons to keep an eye on in 2025.    Anaya looks the part of a mismatch weapon, and last year he showed flashes of exactly that. He may not have caught a ton of passes, but an incredible 70% of them went for touchdowns — including six games where every single grab was a score. Opponents knew he was the guy in the red zone, yet still couldn't stop him from going up over defenders and hanging on through contact. He's got strong hands, tracks the ball well, and uses his frame to shield out smaller DBs. That said, he was still more of a rotational piece in 2024 as ALA West Foothills made a 13–1 run. Heading into 2025, after losing some of their skill production, Anaya's role should expand. Expect him to be a guy who can block, leak out on boots and play-action, and continue to be a nightmare in the red zone. He's primed to be one of their breakout difference-makers this fall.     Plott is the kind of big-bodied target that makes life easier for his quarterback. With his long strides and straight-line speed, he can pull away from smaller DBs, and once the ball is in the air, he does a great job tracking it and using his length to win. He isn't the quickest in short-area change of direction, but he doesn't need to be — he wins with size, body control, and timing. In 2024 he hauled in 22 catches for 306 yards and eight scores in just eight games, showing off how efficient he is when the ball comes his way. West Point leaned on him as a red-zone weapon, and he delivered time and again. Going into 2025, expect him to be their chain-mover and trusted end zone target again, while also being a true asset in their run game. He's the kind of reliable and versatile player every program needs, and he should be in for another big year.     Arnett turned heads across Arizona last fall, putting up a monster line of 58 catches, 1,230 yards, and 24 touchdowns as a junior. He's got that rare combination of speed to separate, body control to win contested catches, and the shiftiness to turn short gains into scores. He isn't the biggest wideout on the field, but his ability to out-leverage defenders, run crisp routes, and make tough plays in traffic more than makes up for it. Mountain View leaned on him as their go-to guy in every situation, and he delivered with WR1 efficiency. Going into 2025, he's clearly the centerpiece of their offense. Defenses will throw brackets and doubles at him, but expect the Toros to find ways to feed him on quick-game throws and mix in just enough of the deep shots. He's the kind of receiver you circle on the scouting report every week, because if you don't account for him, he'll change the game on his own.     [player_tooltip player_id='549596' first='Zerek' last='Sidney'] might not blow you away with measurables, but he more than makes up for it with the way he plays the position. As just a sophomore last fall, he stepped into a Desert Edge offense loaded with talent and still found a way to lead the team with 591 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. That speaks to how reliable he is in every situation — he can go up strong in contested spots, use his legit top-end speed to win downfield, or settle into soft spots to give his QB an easy outlet. What really pops is how complete he already is: he comes back to the ball, plays with a physical edge, and runs everything at full speed. Desert Edge leaned on him in big moments, and he delivered with multiple double-digit catch games late in the season. Heading into 2025, now a junior, he's clearly going to have a lot on his shoulders for this offense. With seniors graduating, his target share is only going up, and you can expect to see him featured on plays designed to let him create after the catch.     Hanzal has already proven he can be a go-to option in Valley Christian's passing game, and the numbers back it up — 26 catches for 516 yards and 9 touchdowns last season, averaging nearly 20 yards per grab. What makes him special isn't just the production though, it's how he gets it done. He runs crisp routes, has reliable hands, and does an incredible job tracking the ball through traffic. That ability to find it and secure it when defenders are draped all over him is something you can't teach. He's got enough speed to push safeties and make himself a vertical threat, but he also knows how to break off a route and move the chains. With another year of experience and a bigger role in the offense coming in 2025, I'd expect Valley Christian to keep dialing him up as their vertical/seam target and trusted play-action shot guy. He's the type of receiver you can consistently trust on 3rd-and-8.

When you get inside the 20, everything changes. The field shrinks, windows tighten, and running lanes disappear, so having guys you can trust to win in the red zone is the difference between kicking three and putting up six. Defenses know what's coming, but the best red-zone targets still find ways to win with body control, strong hands, or simply the knack for getting open when it matters most. These are the players coaches look to when the game is on the line, because you know they'll give you a real shot at finishing drives.