2024 Watchlist: Names-to-Know

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of this season’s varsity-starting sophomores were players who entered the year with significant experience on that stage, while others were getting the Friday night nod for the first time in their high school careers.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">There are many unsung heroes who fill important roles and make game-changing contributions play after play, and each one is worthy of gaining recognition for their hard work. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article mentions 10 names from the class of 2024 watchlist while taking a close look at five of those players. </span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="146072" first="Jake" last="Krekeler"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">is one of Valor Christian’s sleeper receivers who made impactful strides this past season. He is a physical player with the ability to gain yards after the catch by running past defenders or running through them. Krekeler was the only sophomore player to make significant contributions to a senior-led receiving core for the Eagles, making his junior campaign one to closely follow.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15533260/61b8016a478eaf054c547a3e’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15533260/61b8016a478eaf054c547a3e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">For players like Mountain Range linebacker </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143645" first="Connor" last="Clark"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, earning varsity reps happened early during year one as a high school football player. In his second year, Clark led his team in tackles by racking up a total of 94 with 63 being solo. Since his freshman season, Clark has continued to put on impressive performances that will surely pay dividends in the future.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Fairview’s </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143626" first="Naz" last="Valadez-Benavente"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">may be a low-flyer on the radar, but his consistent contributions made him a reliable member of a powerful squad with a lot of young talent. The scrappy sophomore receiver worked his way to becoming a viable option for the nation’s top freshman quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id="165130" first="Bekkem" last="Kritza"]. Valedez-Benavente is an ideal role-player who understands his job and does it well, making him one to keep an eye on as a recruiting prospect.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16117560/618825e73df5ff0664e152ec’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16117560/618825e73df5ff0664e152ec" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="146051" first="Pyrshawn" last="Miller"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a cornerback with Arapahoe who contributed to one of the stronger defenses in the state. The lockdown corner ended the season with 10 pass breakups and 43 total tackles, proving that he is technical enough to win in one-on-one situations and physical enough to hit. Miller is a name to circle for programs looking to invest in a tough defensive back.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pine Creek offensive lineman </span><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143636" first="Matthew" last="Jennings"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a player who popped up on the radar shortly before his sophomore season. His versatility allows for him to fill any position on the line and his dominant set of skills helps him win on almost every rep from each position. The popularity surrounding Jennings as a recruit has been gaining traction this past year, making him a prime player to know.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/4461209/61998edc23475b0290afa2b5’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/4461209/61998edc23475b0290afa2b5" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;">Other names to know</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="143632" first="Blake" last="Griffin"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">| Montrose | RB</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="143634" first="Dacio" last="Ramos-Tuiletufuga"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">| Vista Ridge | RB</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="145656" first="Walker" last="Hungate"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">| Boulder | ATH</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="251255" first="Elijah" last="Goss"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | Denver East | OL</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="143624" first="Davis" last="Lish"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">| Douglas County | QB</span>