KANSAS CITY AREA DIVISION I FOOTBALL SIGNINGS
| Maliek Collins | Center | DT | Nebraska |
The leader of Center’s offensive and defensive lines, Collins will focus on his defensive abilities at Nebraska. While playing defensive tackle for the Yellowjackets, Collins (6-2, 285) racked up 102 tackles — including 43 for losses — and recorded 15 sacks. He was chosen the Bobby Bell Award winner after the season.
| Montell Cozart | Bishop Miege | QB | Kansas |
Cozart (6-2, 185) will be reunited with former Stags coach Tim Grunhard and wide receiver Tre Parmalee in Lawrence, where he hopes to use his cannon arm and superior athleticism to win the Jayhawks’ starting quarterback job. In leading Miege to the Kansas Class 5A title game last season, Cozart completed 204 of 373 passes for 2,759 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Kansas Gatorade player of the year as a junior, he also rushed 146 times for 626 yards and five more TDs.
| Jordan Darling | SM East | QB | Kansas |
Darling (6-4, 226) was the top-rated pro-style quarterback in Kansas for the 2013 class. He lettered in football in four states (Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Kansas). He also threw for at least 1,000 yards at his stops in Ohio; Texas, where he helped Waco Midway reach the state championship game; and with the Lancers, where he completed 122 of 195 passes for 1,553 yards as a senior.
| Charles Harris | Lincoln Prep | DE | Missouri |
After playing basketball since he was 4 years old, Harris joined the football team for the 2011 season. A 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end, he recorded 18 sacks, notched 100 tackles and forced two fumbles in two years.
| Zach Hannon | Rockhurst | OG | Nebraska |
While primarily playing offensive guard, Hannon was the anchor of a reliable Rockhurst offensive line. The Hawklets reached the Missouri Class 6 sectional round. Hannon (6-5, 295) did not allow a sack during his senior season, and he recorded 34 pancake blocks.
| Trent Hosick | Staley | QB | Missouri |
A dual-threat quarterback, Hosick (6-2, 225) led Staley to the Missouri Class 5 state championship as a junior. The Falcons fell short in 2012, but Hosick did his part, passing for 1,882 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 1,609 yards and 18 touchdowns. Hosick graduated from high school in December and is currently taking classes at Missouri.
| Ben Johnson | Basehor-Linwood | TE | Kansas |
Finishing his Bobcats career with 123 catches for 1,975 yards and 48 touchdowns, Johnson (6-6, 223) is a complete package at tight end. He’s an athletic receiving threat, but he’s also a physical blocker on the edge. Johnson, who also played DE in high school, had 42 receptions for 598 yards and five scores as a senior with 7.5 sacks, 57 tackles, including 14 for a loss, and seven pass deflections.
| Tony Lashley | Rockhurst | OLB | Idaho |
Lashley had his senior season cut short by an injury, but his combination of strength and speed still stood out to college scouts. In his junior year, he recorded 54 tackles and three sacks while often flying under the radar. Lashley is 6-1, 215.
| Jason Nix | Rockhurst | DE | Army |
Playing alongside Jordan Willis on the Rockhurst defensive line, Jason Nix helped give the Hawklets one of the most feared front fours in the state. Noted for his athleticism, Nix (6-2, 225) runs a 4.70 40-yard dash, an impressive time for a defensive end.
| Nick Ramirez | Lee’s Summit West | LB | Kansas State |
Ranked as a four-star prospect, Ramirez (6-1, 228) originally committed to Missouri before opting to sign with the Wildcats. A three-year starter, he recorded 115 tackles during his senior season. It marked his third consecutive season with at least 100 tackles.
| Clay Rhodes | Blue Valley | OL | Missouri |
Rhodes (6-5, 285) is a big boy, but he also has plenty of room to grow. He’s played left tackle throughout his career and hopes to stay at that spot, but is willing to learn right tackle as well if it helps him make an impact sooner. Rhodes’ development will be crucial in the Southeastern Conference, which is renowned for having the best defensive linemen in the nation.
| Craig Scott | Park Hill South | WR | Navy |
After originally committing to Idaho, Scott signed with Navy on Wednesday. The winner of the Otis Taylor Award, given to the top wide receiver in the Kansas City area, Scott (6-0, 180) caught 71 passes for 1,110 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. All three marks set school records.
| Anthony Sherrils | Hogan Prep | ATH | Missouri |
A dynamic athlete, Sherrils can play almost any skill position on the field. For Hogan Prep, he played primarily as a wide receiver and running back. He rushed for 1,591 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. He is expected to play cornerback for the Tigers.
| Kolton Shindelar | Liberty | TE | Tulsa |
A 6-6, 250-pound player, Shindelar had offers from Missouri and Kansas State but opted instead for the first Division I school that sent him an offer. He played only two years of football but developed into a run-blocking tight end whose athleticism — he’s a two-time all-state selection in the 110-meter hurdles — was enough to land him a college scholarship.
| Jordan Willis | Rockhurst | DE | Kansas State |
Despite his size, Willis (6-5, 250) has speed to burn on the defensive side of the football, making him a versatile defensive end who can also line up at outside linebacker. He registered nine sacks for the Hawklets in 2012, giving him a total of 22 over the final two seasons of his high school career.
DIVISION I-AA SIGNINGS
| J’Veyon Browning | Schlagle | RB | Northern Iowa |
Browning (5-8, 180), who also played some defensive back for the Stallions, finished his senior season with 129 carries for 1,070 yards — an 8.3-yard per carry average — and scored 15 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 1,466 yards and 20 TDs.
| Cole Davis | Kearney | QB | North Dakota State |
The leader of the Bulldogs’ spread offense, Davis passed for 1,744 yards and 21 touchdowns compared with just six interceptions during his senior season. Davis (6-3. 185) set a school record with 347 passing yards in a September game against Park Hill.
| Eric Greely Jr. | Liberty | ATH | Missouri State |
An athletic player, Greely (6-1, 185) can play several positions. He’s noted for his playmaking abilities at cornerback, but he also caught four touchdowns in his senior season and returned a kickoff for another score. Greely also starts for the Blue Jays basketball team and is a sprinter on the track team.
| Gabe Guild | SM South | RB | Holy Cross |
Wrapping up a strong high school career, Guild rushed for 1,470 yards and 12 touchdowns in basically 7 1/2 games last season. He also caught a touchdown and was first team All-Sunflower League for the second straight season.
| Khorey Kilgore | Blue Springs South | RB | South Dakota |
One of 32 players to sign with South Dakota on Wednesday, Kilgore (5-10, 190) lacks height but makes up for it with strength. He was the Jaguars’ offensive MVP in 2012 after rushing for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught five touchdowns.
| Coleman McCann | Mill Valley | OL | Northern Colorado |
McCann (6-3, 290) was a Kansas Class 5A honorable mention last season for the Jaguars, who dominated the Kaw Valley League. With help from McCann, Mill Valley’s offense totaled 2,254 yards passing and another 2,038 yards rushing in an 8-2 season.
| Dan Morin | St. Thomas Aquinas | OL/DL | Cornell |
Morin (6-3, 280) was highly sought among Ivy League schools for his football and classroom prowess. Morin, who scored a 32 on the ACT, helped the Saints win the East Kansas League last season with 58 tackles and three sacks. He was selected as a Top 11 player for Kansas by The Topeka Capital-Journal.
| Matt Plank | Gardner Edgerton | LB | North Dakota State |
Plank (6-2, 215) was the East Kansas League’s defensive player of the year after racking up 104 tackles for the Trailblazers last season. He was a finalist for the Buchanan Award as the best lineman/linebacker in the Kansas City area.
| Drew Potter | Basehor-Linwood | RB | South Dakota |
Potter (6-4, 229) was a three-year captain for the Bobcats. He rushed for 1,123 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 10 receptions for 200 yards. Defensively, as a bruising middle linebacker, Potter recorded 58 tackles with four forced fumbles.
| Aaron Ramsey | BV Southwest | QB | South Dakota |
Ramsey (6-3, 205) was the East Kansas League’s offensive player of the year, along with Gardner Edgerton running back Traevohn Wrench, last season. A dual-threat, option quarterback, he threw for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns, while adding 1,063 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
