2023 Rankings: Deepest Position Groups
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The 70 players in Prep Red Zone South Carolina’s updated Class of 2023 rankings find themselves stemming in large part from five position groups. In short, it’s all about the trenches and those lining up directly behind them. We broke…
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Continue ReadingThe 70 players in Prep Red Zone South Carolina’s updated Class of 2023 rankings find themselves stemming in large part from five position groups.
In short, it’s all about the trenches and those lining up directly behind them.
We broke down the top five positions tallies, as well as some of the top names in those spots.
LINEBACKERS (10)
Right off the bat, Class of 2023 No. 1 player Jalen Rambert Jalen Rambert 6'1" | 240 lbs | LB Powdersville | 2023 State SC from Powdersville brings some serious muscle to the linebacker corps. But the 6-foot-1, 240-pound mega-recruit is only the beginning.
He’s joined by the likes of Wren’s Luke Schuller Luke Schuller 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Greenville | 2023 State SC , Timberland’s Omari Jenkins Omari Jenkins 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Timberland | 2023 State SC and Southside’s Kazi Bland Kazi Bland 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Southside | 2023 State SC .
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (10)
To think that two different teams sport a pair of defensive linemen on our list is an impressive feat. Camden is represented by the position’s top-ranked player, Xzavier McLeod Xzavier McLeod 6'5" | 320 lbs | DL Camden | 2023 State SC , and the flexible David Copley David Copley 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Camden | 2023 State SC . While Oceanside Collegiate’s Tim Castain Tim Castain 6'1" | 240 lbs | DL Oceanside Collegiate | 2023 State SC and Marcus Adams Marcus Adams 6'5" | 235 lbs | TE James Island Charter | 2023 State SC have done their own share of early damage. Throw in a few other big names – such as Beaufort’s Eamon Smalls Eamon Smalls 6'3" | 300 lbs | DL Beaufort | 2023 TX and Sumter’s Monteque Rhames Monteque Rhames 6'6" | 230 lbs | DL Manning | 2023 State SC , and there’s no shortage of pressure on offensive lines around the state.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10)
Oceanside’s Monroe Freeling Monroe Freeling 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC has had a huge offseason, one bolstered by Power 5 offers for the 6-foot-7, 275-pounder. Four other offensive linemen – Dorman’s Markee Anderson Markee Anderson 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL Dorman | 2023 State SC , Northwestern’s Jordan Knox Jordan Knox 6'4" | 295 lbs | OL Northwestern | 2023 State SC , Seneca’s Cam Johnson Cam Johnson 6'2" | 295 lbs | OL Seneca | 2023 State SC and Indian Land’s Jack Beachum Jack Beachum 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Indian Land | 2023 State SC – join him in the overall top-15 for the state.
Toss in a Ridge Spring-Monetta’s Kanaan Ligons Kanaan Ligons 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Ridge Spring-Monetta | 2023 State SC , and you’ve got yet another inside the overall top 20. So, yes, this is a deep position grouping.
QUARTERBACKS (11)
There is a lot of different looks with the elite 11 (it was too easy) players at quarterback in our most recent ranking. From new rivals Raheim Jeter Raheim Jeter 6'3" | 220 lbs | QB Spartanburg | 2023 State SC (Spartanburg) and Grayson Loftis Grayson Loftis 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Gaffney | 2023 State SC (who transferred to Gaffney), to the cannon-armed Zolten Osborne Zolten Osborne 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Fort Dorchester | 2023 State SC at Fort Dorchester or the highly effective Carson Black Carson Black 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Nation Ford | 2023 State SC at Nation Ford, the arms are going to be a driving force for this position and this class.
RUNNING BACKS (11)
The running backs from the Class of 2023 may turn out to be among the best in recent memory in South Carolina. Just about everyone knows about Dutch Fork’s Jarvis Green Jarvis Green 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC (Pictured), Irmo’s Naahzeikial Mays Naahzeikial Mays 5'9" | 175 lbs | RB Brookland-Cayce | 2023 State SC , Oceanside Collegiate’s Vaughn Blue Vaughn Blue 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC and Stratford’s Jaedon Alston Jaedon Alston 5'7" | 195 lbs | RB Stratford | 2023 MD . They’re all in the top-20 overall rankings in the state.
The rest of the crop all has the potential to be special, too. Keep an eye out this fall for McCormick’s A’Chean Durant A’Chean Durant 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB McCormick | 2023 State SC and Spring Valley’s Evan Javis Evan Javis 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Spring Valley | 2023 State SC , among others.