All of the top six recruits from schools West Valley Preps covers will be on the same field when Desert Edge visits Centennial to start the 2023 season on Aug. 25.

The top 10 Northwest Valley recruits of the class of 2024 are:

#1 Deshawn Warner DE Desert Edge 6-4 215 lbs.

Offers: Arizona, Idaho State, Iowa State, Kansas, Massachusetts, NAU, Nebraska, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Texas, UNLV, Washington and Washington State

Verbal Commitment: Kansas July 1

Warner is almost in a dead heat with the two players just behind him as a fellow three-star recruit at a premium defensive position. Rivals has him rated a shade higher than any other West Valley player, and his 14 offers tops that of teammates Aundre Gibson and Kezion Dia-Johnson.

Most of those came in a flurry during spring of 2022. Warner is the easiest to project of the 2024 West Valley class. He fits the edge rusher prototype and capped the Scorpions’ Goodyear to Lawrence pipeline as the third Desert Edge senior bound for Kansas.

#2 Noah Carter DE Centennial 6-4 220 lbs.

Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado State, Idaho State, Iowa State, Louisville, Nevada, Texas and Washington

Verbal Commitment: Washington June 26

Like Warner, Carter is a three-star recruit. He has a claim to the top spot too. While Carter has fewer offers than Gibson and Warner, he joins Warner in receiving a major offer from Texas.

And for now, and the foreseeable future, his commitment to Washington makes Carter the West Valley player joining the best college program. Like Warner, he could be a lanky pass rusher. However, Carter also could develop into a nightmare matchup as a college tight end.

#3 Aundre Gibson CB Desert Edge 5-11 180 lbs.

Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Idaho, NAU, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, UNLV, Washington and Washington State

Verbal Commitment: Kansas March 15

Gibson may top this list in the estimation of some observers. He was the first local player in the class to break out with Power 5 recruiters. Gibson also started the bridge to Jayhawk nation.

Kansas knows what it getting — a dynamic cornerback and even more game changing kick returner. His verbal commitment was a landmark for Kansas, swooping into Pac-12 country and connecting with a corner coveted by half the conference.

Desert Edge senior linebacker Jonathan Kamara enjoys his official visit to the Kansas University on June 26. He is the fastest rising player in the West Valley recruiting rankings for the Class of 2024 and had already verbally committed to play for the Jayhawks on May 28.  (Courtesy Jonathan Kamara Twitter)

#4 Jonathan Kamara OLB Desert Edge 6-4 205 lbs.

Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, UNLV, Utah State and Washington

Verbal Commitment: Kansas May 28

Kamara in the fastest riser in the West Valley. Six months ago, he is closer to No. 9 or 10 on this list.

But his versatility, either as a three-down linebacker or a safety helped Kamara quickly shoot up the ranks thanks to Pac-12 and Big 12 interest. Probably the player furthest from his football ceiling at this point.

#5 Kenny Worthy III Centennial 6-0 178 lbs.

Offers: Offers: Arizona State, Army, Boise State, Boston College, Colorado State, Idaho, Iowa State, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State and Washington State

The top uncommitted player locally, Worthy took an official visit to Nevada in June and an unofficial trip to Boston College in April, in addition to a couple trips to ASU since new coach Kenny Dillingham was hired.

Worthy proved his bona fides with a seven interception season for the Coyotes.

#6 Kezion Dia-Johnson WR Desert Edge 6-0 170 lbs.

Offers: Arizona, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, NAU, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, UNLV and Washington State

Verbal Commitment: Massachusetts June 19

Since Dia-Johnson did not join his teammates at Kansas and chose a fairly unheralded UMass program, his announcement was under the radar.

Do not make this mistake. Dia-Johnson is a huge get for the Minutemen, and expands a relationship built by former Scorpion Steven Ortiz, who transferred from Minnesota to UMass in December.

#7 Ryan Wolfer OT Liberty 6-4 250 lbs.

Offers: Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Idaho, Mercer, NAU, San Diego State and Weber State

Colorado State started the ball rolling with a Feb. 1 offer and the Mountain West and Big Sky have jumped on board since — with service academies Air Force and Army also showing interest.

This light footed prospect has tackle height and should continue to fill out.

Millennium senior quarterback Blake Sparks and sophomore running back Zues Pindernation execute a zone read Nov. 5, 2021 at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear. Entering his senior year, Pindernation remains one f the top recruits in the West Valley (For West Valley Preps/Courtesy Ed Russell Photography)

#8 Zues Pindernation RB Millennium 5-9, 180 lbs.

Offers: Arizona

Pindernation enters his senior season in a similar position that Kavaughn Clark was in before the 2022 slate kicked off. Like Clark, his main offer came just after his sophomore season.And Arizona’s interest could have cooled since signing Apollo’s Adam Mohammed. But Pindernation can put up numbers that will draw recruiters’ attention behind a huge, senior-led line.

#9 Markhi McKinnon RB Desert Edge 5-11, 200 lbs.

Offer: Air Force, Idaho, Montana, NAU and UNLV

Verbal Commitment: Idaho May 22

The Goldwater transfer quickly hopped on the Desert Edge Class of 2024 train in the winter, picking up five offers from the Mountain West and Big Sky.

McKinnon will make this look like a steal — appropriately for the Vandals — once he takes the field halfway through the Scorpions’ season.

#10 Navi Bruzon QB Liberty 5-11 180 lbs.

Offers: Air Force

Were it a list of top high school players in the West Valley, the 2022 Arizona Cardinals state player of the year is No. 1. If it’s strictly a list on volume and quality of offers, Bruzon is probably around No. 12.

Ralph Amsden pegged it in a February column for Arizona Varsity. The similarities between Bruzon and Brock Purdy at this stage of their high school careers is uncanny, right down to the unwillingness from Power 5 schools to overlook height for elite production and leadership.

Iowa State came on board in Purdy’s senior year and we think something similar will happen for Bruzon.

Five more seniors to watch:

Brady Bakke 6-6, 290 lbs. OT (Centennial) – Army, NAU and Weber State have jumped on board for the Centennial big man in recent months and more could follow after the top tier offensive linemen commit.
Jaylen Dawson 6-1, 220 lbs. LB (Desert Edge) – Air Force, Army, Bowling Green, NAU and UNLV offered the young man who probably stacks up as the Scorpions best player.
Marshall Gillette 6-3, 200 lbs. WR (Northwest Christian) – Gillette also plays linebacker and only has Arizona Christian as an offer right now. But look for more schools to jump on board in the coming months.
Josh Morales 5-8 160 lbs. WR (Paradise Honors) – For now Morales edges out his quarterback. Both he and Gage Baker have offers to Division II school Fort Lewis in Durango, Colo. But Morales is the only player from a Surprise school with a D1 offer right now, from North Dakota.
Mikale Perry 6-5 300 lbs. OT (Millennium) – Southern Utah just offered the best of Millennium’s bumper crop of 2024 big men on June 24. This 6-5, 310-pound tackle is not done yet.