KAKE Appearance

High School Sports The Magazine appeared on KAKE 10's Overtime Live on Sunday night. We talked prep football signings with Ben Arnet and Jason Duda. I didn't even get close to using all my notes, so I'll share them with you here.

'08 Division I Signees
Arthur Brown, Wichita East LB
Arthur Brown was a key cog in Miami’s compilation of the top recruiting class in 2008. He is one of five outside linebackers signed by the ‘Canes who Scouts Inc. ranked in the top seven. He is the only one of the five not from the state of Florida. This class led by Brown was sorely needed at Miami, as their defense performed uncharacteristically last season, leading to the firing of defensive coordinator Tim Walton. Linebackers coach Michael Barrow, one of Miami’s many great linebackers over the years as a player, was retained, however, and Brown never wavered in his decision to attend Miami when Walton was fired.

Logan Dold, Garden Plain RB/S
While Brown courted and was courted by the top programs across the country for over a year before making his decision and sticking to it, Logan Dold made a commitment to Kansas State during his junior year and never wavered. After being recruited as a safety initially, coaches at K-State are telling the second all-time leading rusher in Kansas prep history he could play on the offensive side of the ball. After watching another Kansas prep product, Jake Sharp of Salina Central, the former all-time second-leading rusher in the state, have an impact as an undersized sophomore in the backfield for KU, one of the top teams in the country last season, it’s not unfeasible. Kansas football talent is gaining respect, evidenced by the high number of Division I signees this season from the state.

Chris Harper, Wichita Northwest QB
Other than Arthur Brown, Chris Harper’s was probably the loudest storyline this recruiting year. He announced on December 17 his intentions to attend Kansas State, only to back out after the man who recruited him, Wildcat offensive coordinator James Franklin, bolted for Maryland. I remember talking to Harper’s high school coach at Northwest, Weston Schartz, on the day of the announcement and him telling me that he could still change his mind – which he did, and it led to a lot of debate. Just what do these pre-signing day commitments mean? Well, in this case, which is special, when the guy who recruits you leaves, the commitment doesn’t mean much to the athlete when it doesn’t mean much to the coach. So Harper ended up signing with Oregon, where he’ll hope to play quarterback. Darron Thomas out of Aldine, Texas, a de-commit from LSU who, like Arthur Brown at Miami, already enrolled at Oregon in January, will battle with him for the position in the coming years. Harper could very well end up as a wideout.

Brayden Burris, Bishop Carroll OL
Brayden Burris provided another interesting storyline at the final hour that involved Kansas State. Burris, who committed to the Wildcats as a junior, was asked to gray-shirt, which meant he would los his scholarship until the spring semester of 2009, late in the process before signing day. Burris ended up signing with Iowa State, a team which coincidentally sent K-State’s season into a free-for-all, dealing them their first of four straight losses in November to end their season. Burris wasn’t the only local player to be signed by the Cyclones.

Dakota Zimmerman, Campus L
Campus lineman Dokota Zimmerman was signed as a long snapper, further evidence of a developing trend in college football to take the position as seriously as the pros by recruiting specifically to fill the position.

Darius Parish, Wichita North L
Darius Parish, a 6-4, 335-pound lineman, leads a recruiting class that Scouts Inc. rated a C, as the Jayhawks landed not one of their top 150 recruits. I think you have to take this with a grain of salt, though, because how many top 150 recruits played on Kansas’ Orange Bowl title team this season? Parish has tons of ability, though it is still raw. His ability to move well with such great size, though, makes you think he can eventually be a great player. And he’s a very good, confident, soft-spoken kid. Though few Kansans would ever hold his de-commit from Nebraska against him, don’t let that situation reflect on his character. A switch in head coaches is huge. These are the guys players develop relationships with when they make their visits and talk on the phone. If they leave, how can you not expect the player re-open the process. Either way, if he re-opens the process or sticks with the original school, he’s entering unknown territory. If anything, he’s revisiting schools with coaches he already actually knows. A conversation I had with a Bishop Carroll wrestler, Jordan Keller, impacted my thoughts on this very much. He made a visit to Columbia University in New York City and thought for sure that’s where he would attend college. But a subsequent visit to Cleveland State changed his mind – and he said it was because of the relationships he built with the wrestling coaches there. I know from personal experience from trying out for a semester as a walk-on at the Division I level. Even in their off-season, their coaches own them. They’re always with the team. If a kid’s going to play Division I athletics, he better know and like the coaches, because he’s going to be doing what they tell him to do constantly.

Kale Pick, Dodge City QB
Kale Pick, the Dodge City quarterback who missed most of his senior season with a torn ligament in his thumb, also de-committed from Arkansas when Houston Nutt came under fire.
Pick signed with KU along with Parish.

Tanner Hawkinson, McPherson TE
A highly-touted prospect who could become a big name in the KU offense in the years to come.

Potential Division I guys coming up through the ranks.

Class of '09
Bryce Brown, Wichita East RB
Broke his own single-season City League rushing record this season with 1,850 yards. Would have broken 2,000 easily if not for repeated holding penalties throughout the season. With a 2,000-yard season in 2008, he’ll pass Logan Dold as the second-leading all-time rusher in Kansas prep history. Has compiled 5,185 rushing yards and scored 60 touchdowns in career. Just like his player, he’s a top-five player in the nation for his class. Bryce Brown will be scoring touchdowns on national television in a few years.

Brett Soft, Maize WR
Brett Soft is slowly building a reputation. He was a complete unknown before this past fall. He had negligible receiving stats in 2006 on a senior-laden Maize football team. Last season, however, he hovered around 200 yards receiving in several games, and ended up breaking the state’s single-season receiving yards and receptions records in just 10 games played. This is a player who needs to be on recruiting radars across the country. He’s big, 6-4, 200 pounds, and has suction cups for hands.

Huldon Tharp, Mulvane RB/LB
6-0, 200, 1,922 yard and 25 touchdowns last season, 3,195 yards and 421 tackles at linebacker for his three-year career at Mulvane; Miami and others are interested

Ian Knight, Wichita Heights DE
6-1, 235 was offered by Illinois last week

Jaydan Bird, former Andover Central RB/LB (now lives in Conway Springs)
6-0, 210 RB/LB offered by Miami; will he run out of the single wing offense with junior quarterback Caleb Brill, 1,900 total yards last season, at Conway Springs next year? Conway could be back on the map to win its first state title since 2004 when it ran off its fourth straight under Mark Bliss. Coach Lelin George at Conway will go after his first title next season after a surprise appearance at 3A sub-state this fall. Garden Plain’s loss of over 25 seniors will help, though the return of a 2,000-yard passer and 2,000-yard rusher at Silver Lake will not help. Tyler Roberts and Cameron Renfro

Nate Dreiling, Hutchinson LB
Led team in tackles with 145, 91 solo and 14 for loss of yardage

Forrest Stucky, Hutchinson DT
Led team in tackles for loss (21), sacks (5.5) and pressures (32); third in tackles with 77

Class of '10
Blake Bell, Bishop Carroll WR (QB next season)

Damarcus Robinson, Wichita Northwest RB
1,102 yards rushing and 11 TD on 143 carries; junior Colby Duranleau one of three juniors and one sophomore returning to the Northwest OL next season

Joseph Randle, Wichita Southeast RB/DB

Deveon Dinwiddie, Hutchinson SB
∑ Returned two kickoffs for TD; 34.9 yards per kickoff return; third on team in rushing yards with 694; six receptions for 236 yards and four TD; three TD in state title game

Class of '11
Chaquil Reed. Wichita East DE
Jordan Phillips, Circle