Hot Prospect list

Why did we create the Kicking World Hot Prospect List?

For Students: To help specialists get recognized and validated for their abilities and to streamline the college recruitment process.
For Colleges: To provide a reliable source for college football teams to discover legitimate specialists for their program.

How are students chosen for the Kicking World Hot Prospect List?

The minimum criteria to even be considered is that Hot Prospects must have attended at least (1) Kicking World camp and/or at least (2) Private Lessons in one year. No one makes the list unless we see them in person and can personally vouch for their kicking, punting or snapping abilities. Prospects are nominated collectively by the Kicking World staff and Coach Brent makes the final decision on who makes the list. While we see over 1,500 students a year, we only list the best of the best (typically our top 3-5% of specialists). We also list ‘On the Cusp’ prospects which typically includes our top 6-9% of students, who are on the verge of becoming full-fledged Hot Prospects.

What are LEVELS?

We assign a specific level to each prospect that correlates to what level of a college football team we feel their skills most accurately align with. Levels are expressed by NCAA College Football divisions of D1, D2, and D3. We only list D1 and D2 level specialists on our Hot Prospect List. We also list select students as ‘OTC’ for On the Cusp which means they on the verge of becoming full-fledged Hot Prospects, and we’re just waiting for them to put on the finishing touches.

Why don’t you RANK Prospects?

Many camp providers do rankings and we find it extremely difficult, if not impossible to say who would be a #1 kicker vs. #2, etc. Rankings of students are incomplete because they are based on only the students that particular camp provider has seen. So how does one company accurately say one kicker is “the #1 kicker in the country”? The star ranking system is not always an accurate representation of each student’s true ability. It seems that most anyone can receive a 3.5 or 4 star level even without true collegiate prospect ability. This unfortunately saturates college football recruiting lists and makes it difficult for college football coaches to evaluate who the true ‘college recruits’ are. We’ve seen first hand how the kicker star rankings many times create an inflated sense of ability and ego for both the student and parent. This puts them on a path of self-focus and their star ranking instead of maximizing their technique & fundamentals and being the best teammate they can be.

We’ve also discovered that the integrity of some of the ranking lists is not solely based on ability & performance, but in many situations, favoritism comes into play in form of how often you train with that provider, etc. which influences your ranking negatively or positively. As well, students who only attended one camp in middle school for example, and never went to that camp again, but after committing to a major college football team somehow they magically re-appear near the top of that company’s ranking list after the fact.

There are so many students across the world and no one coach sees EVERYONE. So hearing that someone is ranked ___ in the country in our opinion does not hold much weight. We instead choose to provide an assessment of the prospect’s ability and assign them a level based on their performance. However, we do list our Hot Prospect List in an order of Class Year and Best to least best.

What are the factors considered in choosing the Kicking World Hot Prospect List?

We hand pick specialists for our list who demonstrate they have what it takes to play at the next level. Several factors we consider are as follows:

In-Game Statistics
Camp Performance
Winning a Camp Competition
Private Lesson Performance
Track Record of Performance
Consistency
Foot to Ball Contact
Ball Flight
Accuracy
Distance
Hang-Time
Attitude
Hustle
Having a Duplicable Process
Mental Toughness
How you handle Pressure

How is a prospect’s ‘LEVEL’ i.e. (D1, D2, D3) determined?

Your level is determined by your kicking, punting or snapping metrics in conjunction with the factors discussed earlier. What we mean by ‘metrics’ is your accuracy/hang-time/distance for kickers & punters and your accuracy/times/build for snappers. A combination of your metrics from your games played, camp performances and private lesson training are used in calculating your level. We only list D1 and D2 level specialists on our Hot Prospect List.

We also have a level of ‘OTC’ which stands for On the Cusp. OTC students are on the verge of becoming full-fledged Hot Prospects but have some homework to complete first – such as a little more consistency, better ball rotation/flight, or adding hang-time on kickoffs, etc.

Some prospects do not have a ‘LEVEL’ and ‘COLLEGE’ listed, why is that?

We typically assign a Levl to Junior and Senior year prospects, i.e. ‘Upper Classmen’ only. We feel that in 10^th grade or less, a prospect’s true potential has not been reached yet and it would not be completely accurate to assess a level so early. However, we may sometimes assign a Level to standout sophomores & freshmen who clearly exhibit D1 ability! If an underclassman makes our Hot Prospect List, it means we expect big things from that student and they should be on your radar. We also list some students as ‘OTC’ for On the Cusp which means they on the verge of becoming full-fledged Hot Prospects, and we’re just waiting for them to put on the finishing touches. A College is listed when a student has committed to that school.

Can my assessed Level ever change?

Absolutely! Based on your performance at camps, lessons, in games as well as your track record over the long haul, your level may go up or down. Your level has nothing to do with how much money you spend in training with us. Your level is assessed throughout the year based on performance. Prospects may be added or removed to the Hot Prospect List at any time.

Summary

We put our heart and soul into what we do at Kicking World and do our very best at accurately assessing each prospect’s skills based on in-person performance at our camps and lessons. There will be times where a student severely under-performs or dramatically over-performs compared to their actual ability and we may not get an accurate reading of their true level, or overlook talented prospects because they had a bad day. You will be rated based on your performance.

The most accurate way to get assessed at your true level is to have a track record of performance over the long haul and show your consistency at multiple camps, private lessons, and in-game statistics.

Making our list is a very prestigious honor that you should celebrate and share with everyone you know. If you make the #KickingWorld #HotProspectList, we believe wholeheartedly that you have what it takes to play at the next level.

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View Past Prospects

View PRO Prospects

Class	Level	Name	Pos	ST	School	Coach's Comments	College
© Copyright Kicking World, LLC
2022	D1	Robert Gunn III	K/P	FL	Pinellas Park HS	Robert is without a doubt a Power 5 FBS scholarship-ready kicker/punter and the best 2022 kicker in the country. I believe he will be kicking in the NFL one day. He secured 4 early FBS scholarship offers from FAU, Army,...	Clemson University
2022	D1	Buck Buchanan	K/P	TX	Marshall HS	Buck grew a ton since his sophomore year and is almost unrecognizable now. He’s mature, physically fit, and a lot taller/muscular. He has a big leg and hits an excellent flight on his field goals and kickoffs and is one...	Louisiana Tech
2022	D1	Cameron Pope	K/P	WA	Eastmont HS	07/21 Update: Cameron is super smooth and consistent on field goals. He again won the Seattle 2-Day camp with over 25 kids and was perfect just like the National Showcase from 30 through 55. He proved at this July 16-17...	Undecided
2022	D1	Julio Macias	K/P	IN	West Noble HS	Julio had a dominating performance at the Kicking World July 17, 2021 kicking camp in Indianapolis where he won the FG comp with a 58 yarder and hit multiple kickoffs 75+ yards with 4.0-4.2 seconds of hang, and even crushed...	Undecided
2022	D1	Cole Segraves	K/P	KS	Maize HS	Cole improved quite a bit since his 2019 National Showcase appearance. I gave him homework to complete which included improving his field goal ball flight and adding a little more hang-time to his kickoffs, which is accomplished. On May 30...	Undecided
2022	D2	Mark Sayegh	K/P	TX	Westlake HS	Mark is a real pleasure to coach – he is extremely coachable, attentive, pays attention to the details, and has improved drastically since we started working together over 3 years ago. He fought for and earned the starting job at...	Undecided
2022	D2	Jonathan Spurlock	K/P	TX	Bastrop HS	Jonathan has improved immensely in the last year and I’m excited to get him on our List after having trained with KW at our camps and through lessons with me for over 2 years now. He has a big FG/KO...	Undecided
2022	D2	Jack Bruner	K	TX	Wimberley HS	Jack was a perfect 8/8 on FGs from 30 through 55 yards and won the kickoff elimination competition with a best ball of 74 yards / 3.99 seconds at our June 2021 Austin, TX camp. He secured his first National...	Undecided
2022	D2	Andrew Nelson	K/P	SD	O'Gorman HS	Andrew is a lefty with good kicking and punting ability. He fared very well at both of his first two appearances with Kicking World in March and June 2020 and really turned up his kickoffs and punts in his most...	Undecided
2022	D2	Matthew Gibbons	K/P	TX	Brandeis HS	Matthew is a solid Punter/Kickoff recruit. He’s been working hard on his fundamentals and has shown great improvement in his ability to hit consistent directional punts in the 4.0-4.3 second hang time range, occasionally crushing some in the 4.5+ second...	Undecided
2022	D2	Aaron Krinsky	K/P	CO	Pueblo County HS	Aaron has improved immensely in his last 2 camp seasons of training with Kicking World while I’ve been in town for our camps in Denver. He’s having a good season on both PAT/FG and is crushing kickoffs and punts too....	Undecided
2022	OTC	Lucas Carneiro	K	NC	Community School of Davidson	Lucas has a big leg and was only kicking for one season before earning a 2020 National Showcase invite. He held his own at last year’s national event finishing #8 overall on Day 2 kickoffs hitting several kickoffs in the...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Adrian Zamudio	K/P	TX	New Waverly HS	Adrian Zamudio just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Keegan McDermott	K/P	OH	Champion HS	Keegan McDermott just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Ian Garcia	K/P	FL	Foundation Academy	Ian Garcia just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Aiden Ighnat	K	OH	Hilliard Davidson HS	Aiden Ighnat just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Emanuel Aguilar	K	KS	Cimarron HS	Emanuel had a great showing at our June 2020 KC camp, earning the Golden Boot as the overall field goal winner, joining only a handful of campers in 2020 to successfully kick a 60 yard field goal in our double-elimin...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Logan South	K	CA	Eleanor Roosevelt HS	Logan South just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2022	OTC	Bryce Soli	K/P	SD	Harrisburg HS	Bryce Soli just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2023	D1	Dax Iverson	K/P	UT	Fremont HS	Dax Iverson has a monster leg and tied our all-time camp FG record with a 65 yarder at our October 2020 Denver camp. He hit 7 consecutive kicks from 30 yards through 50 yards the same day. While there was...	Undecided
2023	D1	Grant Reddick	K/P	FL	Boone HS	Grant has a big leg and performed exceptionally well at both of his appearances with us this 2021 camp season – on March 13-14 in Orlando and again on April 19-20 in Dallas. His kickoff and punt averages for Day...	Undecided
2023	D1	Maxx Lawton	K/P	VA	Midlothian HS	Maxx had a solid showing at our 2020 National Showcase and earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List. He finished #3 Overall on Day 2 Kickoff Eliminations (also had the day’s highest hang time average), and the...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Aidan Bonde	K/P	NC	Southeast Guilford HS	Aidan is one of only a few KW campers this season who earned the prestigious ‘Triple Threat Champion’ award meaning he clean swept all 3 (FG/KO/P) events at our July 2020 Charlotte, NC camp, finishing as the winner (younger group)...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Braxtyn Green	K/P	FL	Suwannee HS	July 20, 2021 Update Braxtyn looks awesome on field goals and kickoffs, and is punting well too. I got with him for a tune-up lesson in Florida this week (see recent YouTube video) and he was hitting field goals back...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Aidan Battle	K	KS	Atchison HS	Aidan had a terrific outing at our June 2020 Kansas City camp where he was crushing field goals from 50 yards and in and showed a pretty big kickoff leg as an incoming sophomore. Aidan has kept me up to...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Reese Lopez	K	NH	Merrimack HS	Reese is a big boy with a big leg! He’s improved immensely since attending his first KW camp last spring as a freshman. Now as a sophomore he’s gotten more athletic and smoothed out his form. He hits a beautiful...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Caden Smith	K/P	CO	Legend HS	Caden is a young sophomore who has a TON of potential. I’ve evaluated him at 3 different camps over the last 2 camp seasons, and he and his dad drove out from Denver to Austin for 3 days of training...	Undecided
2023	OTC	John Michael Crooks	K/P	OK	Oklahoma Christian School	John Michael had a solid showing at our May 2020 OKC camp. Unfortunately, he got injured half-way through this season and is healing up and won’t make this year’s National Showcase. But based on how his season stats and in-game...	Undecided
2023	OTC	David Perez	K/P	WA	Auburn Riverside HS	David Perez just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2023	OTC	Liam Quigley	K/P	NJ	Berkeley Heights, NJ	Liam Quigley just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Martin Connington	P	ID	Bishop Kelly HS	07/20/21 Update: Martin is one of the best punters in the country, for any class year. He routinely crushes 4.5+ second punts 45+ yards, and can even get up into the 4.8-4.9 second hang time range and rope them 50-55...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Jake Walter	K/P	OH	Hilliard Bradley HS	07/2021: Jake has improved immensely since his freshman year and now routinely hits kickoffs for touchbacks and is able to kick quickly rising field goals with excellent ball rotation, deep from 55 yards. He’s evolved into one of the best...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Clayton Amaya	K/P	TX	Smithson Valley HS	Clayton, as an incoming HS freshman has shown really well at our 2020 camps and even won a few events, hanging with kids two grade years above him. Most recently in mid-August, he’s been able to hit 50-55 yard field...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Alex Allemang	K/P	KS	Emporia HS	*June 2021* update** Alex has grown and matured quite a bit since last year and is hitting kickoffs with solid hang time and distance. He still needs to add a little more pop to his kickoffs but he’s really close....	Undecided
2024	OTC	Nicholas Angerstein	K/P	TX	Sacred Heart Catholic School	July 2021 Update: Nicholas had an excellent showing at our June 19-20 Austin, Texas kicking camp where he finished 1st on kickoffs in a field of over 45 talented campers. He averaged 73.33 yards / 3.86 seconds of hang on...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Benjamin Bell	K/P	CO	Rock Canyon HS	Benjamin Bell just earned his spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List and his profile is coming soon…	Undecided
2024	OTC	Ethan McBee	K/P	OK	Poteau HS	Ethan McBee just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2024	OTC	Trevor Henkle	K/P	IN	Zionsville Community HS	Trevor Henkle just earned a spot on the Kicking World Hot Prospect List as an OTC (on the cusp) level and his profile will be updated based on future performance. Students listed as an ‘OTC’ typically have shown promise at...	Undecided
2025	OTC	Daniel Jackson	K/P	MN	Zion Lutheran School	June 2021 Update Daniel looks really good and is still the only Class of 2025 kicker on the KW Hot Prospect List. He’s already getting looks from colleges and if he can string together a good volume of kicks in-game...	Undecided