2022 Rankings: Breaking Down The Upstate (Part 5)

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="89305" first="Zorian" last="Young"] School: Wren Position: Running back Analysis: Young is just 5-foot-7, but he consistently blows through defenders with his low center of gravity. The bonus for recruiters is that Young catches the ball well out of the backfield. [player_tooltip player_id="89306" first="Jailen" last="Tribble"] School: Woodruff Position: Defensive back Analysis: Tribble has no issue being out on the island, and we’re pretty sure he actually likes it. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback could go from really good to great in a hurry. [player_tooltip player_id="91174" first="Kaydon" last="Sauers"] School: Crescent Position: Quarterback Analysis: The 6-foot-5, 225 quarterback completed 60 percent of his passes and averaged about 265 yards per game throwing and running while accounting for 13 total touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id="59492" first="Ashton" last="Whitner"] School: Greenville Position: Defensive back Analysis: The 6-foot safety never shies away from contact, plays the ball well out of the air and because of that already has some offers from the likes of schools in the MAC and Ivy League. [player_tooltip player_id="91176" first="Alex" last="Riddle"] School: Riverside Position: Wide receiver Analysis: Riddle can be a bit of a burner at times, but what really sets him apart is great hands and excellent footwork on the outside. It’s why nearly a third of the team’s offense went through him. [player_tooltip player_id="59490" first="Aalijah" last="Kelly"] School: Greenville Position: Wide receiver Analysis: A shortened season and one regular-season loss prevented the tallest receiver in the class from boosting his numbers some during the playoffs in 2020. That won’t happen again next season.