As we head towards a new football season in the fall of 2024, IdahoSports.com is once again getting fans ready by unveiling the Top 10 players at each position.  These lists feature players from all corners of the state, and from all six classification levels.  Each week, we'll publish a new list of Top 10 players.  Here's the schedule:

July 3 (Offensive Linemen)

July 9 (Defensive Linemen)

July 16 (Special Teams)

July 23 (Running Backs)

July 30 (Linebackers)

August 6 (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends)

August 13 (Defensive Backs)

August 20 (Quarterbacks)

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends to watch out for in 2024.  These selections have been made by the editorial staff at IdahoSports.com, and are listed in alphabetical order by school.  We made these selections based on a number of factors, including: returning All-State or All-Conference pedigree, college recruiting hype, and the good old-fashioned eye test.

Bode Brackenbury, 12, Declo

The 6-foot, 160-pound senior flew under the radar at the start of last season, as an injury kept the explosive talent sidelined.  But after returning to the lineup midseason, Brackenbury excelled with 43 tackles and four interceptions, while also playing running back/receiver on offense.  Declo is among the favorites for the Class 3A championship this year, and Brackenbury is a big reason why.

Coye Coffman, 12, Fruitland

On the surface, Coffman’s stats don’t stack up to some of the others on this list: 29 tackles and three interceptions.  And yet, when assessing defensive backs, a lack of numbers can be a good thing, too.  Generally a high tackle total means two things: your coach trusts you to play “in the box” as a hybrid safety-linebacker, or your defense is so leaky that you’re forced to make a ton of tackles as the last line of defense.  When you watch Coffman on tape, you can definitely see the traits and instincts needed to be a great DB.

Darrell Vasquez, 12, Firth

Darrell is simply the latest in a long line of talented Vasquez’s to roam the sidelines at Firth.  The 5-foot-10, 165 pound safety roams like a center fielder, bursting into the picture from seemingly out of nowhere.  It’s the main reason Vasquez lead all 2A players in interceptions last year with seven.  Vasquez earned 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-State accolades, and was also the Nuclear Conference Offensive MVP at quarterback.

Mason Saunders, 12, Hillcrest

Hillcrest enjoyed a major breakthrough in 2023, going 12-1 with the only blemish coming against Bishop Kelly in the state championship game.  A big key to Hillcrest’s success was their excellent defense.  The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Saunders anchored the secondary by providing lockdown defense against some of Idaho’s most explosive receivers.  This year, Knights coach Brennon Mossholder says the 1st Team All-Conference DB will “draw our opponents’ best wide receiver each week.”

Luke Henry, 12, Homedale

The deep safety in Homedale’s defense, the 5-foot-10, 165 pound Henry nabbed three interceptions while finishing with 31 tackles.  Henry also doubles as a wide receiver on offense, which means he knows how his opponent thinks.  It’s an underrated skillset that some of Idaho’s best small school programs thrive at.

Kenny Hernandez, 11, Kimberly

Hernandez is a 5-foot-11, 160-pound cornerback with speed to burn.  Granted, there’s lots of speed on this year’s Kimberly team, but Hernandez had a knack for delivering at precisely the right moments as a sophomore in 2023.  The 1st Team All-Conference selection finished the year with 20 tackles and five interceptions.  Many of those picks clinched tight wins, and Kimberly fans are excited about Hernandez’s next step forward as a junior.

Kaiden Kimble-Turner, 12, Rocky Mountain

Kimble-Turner is one of Idaho’s most prized recruits, standing 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.  He is a solid brick wall, and takes his work in the weight room as seriously as his duties on the field.  Adding to the strength is a speed that can’t be taught, as Kimble-Turner ran a 10.8 100-meter dash time this past spring.  Kimble-Turner has offers from Division 1 schools Army, Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming, as well as NAIA powers College of Idaho and Carroll College.

Hayden Thompson, 12, Rocky Mountain

Our second consecutive Rocky Mountain Grizzly to make this list, Thompson plays free safety.  The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder finished his junior season with 82 tackles, and has offers from Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State and Montana State of the Big Sky Conference.

Joker Joyce, 11, Teton

Thrust into the starting lineup for the 3A runners-up as a sophomore in 2023, Joyce enters his junior season even more seasoned and polished than he was a year ago.  That could be a problem for opposing coaches, as the 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety finished with 86 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble, picking up 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-State honors along the way.

Dalton Carter, 11, Twin Falls

Another promising underclassmen that started as a sophomore, Carter could challenge for Idaho’s top prospect in the Class of 2026 by the time it’s all said and done.  The 6-foot, 165-pounder finished last year with 74 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six interceptions and a forced fumble.