2022 Rankings: Breaking Down The Upstate (Part 2)

With a little under one-third of our Class of 2022 rankings players coming from the Upstate, it is by far the most represented zone in all of South Carolina. This tightly packed crop of talent is vast. Needless to say, we’re going to need a few entries to get to them all. Over the course of a week, we will break down every single one of the players from this ultra-rich zone, one we expect top-flight production from next fall. [player_tooltip player_id="91218" first="Malachi" last="Hill"] School: Wren Position: Running back Analysis: Along with backfield mate [player_tooltip player_id="89305" first="Zorian" last="Young"], Hill (554 yards, 11 touchdowns) was a huge part of an offense that deceptively runs the ball more effectively than opponents would believe. [player_tooltip player_id="91225" first="Kamren" last="Johnson"] School: T.L. Hanna Position: Running back Analysis: A perfect example of a player maximizing the Wing-T, Johnson was second for the state runners ups last year in yards and touchdowns. He’ll have an increased role in 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="61075" first="Ethan" last="Jackson"] School: Pendleton Position: Linebacker Analysis: A fearless tackler with a decent wing span that helps his cause, Jackson has no issue stepping in on special teams to blow up a return. Even when Pendleton struggled, Jackson was consistent. [player_tooltip player_id="91228" first="Logan" last="Lasher"] School: Daniel Position: Linebacker Analysis: Lasher is listed as a middle linebacker, but his ability to move around gives the defensive coaches a ton of leeway schematically. His 88 total stops last year proved them right. [player_tooltip player_id="91231" first="Boston" last="Miller"] School: Daniel Position: Linebacker Analysis: At 6-foot-3, above-average closing speed and a great leaping ability, Miller is a prototypical college free safety. That makes him an outstanding one in high school, too. [player_tooltip player_id="91232" first="Cor’tez" last="McGee-Purry"] School: Southside Position: Defensive back Analysis: McGee-Purry plays bigger than his 5-foot-8 listing would suggest, and the safety does it by maximizing the open space in the defensive backfield and being a solid form tackler.