South Carolina’s Best Zones For PRZ’s Top-10 Talent (Part 2)

Ian Guerin July 8, 2021 @ 10:00 AM

From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, the Pee Dee to the CSRA, the Midlands up to the Charlotte suburbs, talent is everywhere. The six zones of South Carolina’s prep football landscape are all represented in droves when it comes to our Class of 2022, 2023 and 2024 rankings. But which of the six has at least temporary bragging rights when it comes to the Palmetto State’s top 30 players? Using the 10 highest-ranked players in each of those classes, we broke them down by zone. Yes, some of those are bigger than others, with more schools in bigger classifications to boot. However, this two-part series will highlight a clear trend in recruiting. Talent begets talent. Now, on to South Carolina’s two most prevalent zones featuring the best of the best. UPSTATE (8) The Upstate boasts the top player in the Class of 2022 in Mauldin defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="59459" first="Jeadyn" last="Lukus"] and the best in the Class of 2023 - Powdersville linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="89333" first="Jalen" last="Rambert"]. Those two are the anchors, but they aren’t the end of this talented crop. Toss in Greenville lineman [player_tooltip player_id="59461" first="Collin" last="Sadler"] and Greer tight end [player_tooltip player_id="59460" first="Jaleel" last="Skinner"], the Nos. 2 and 3 players in the Class of 2022 and Spartanburg’s [player_tooltip player_id="89339" first="Raheim" last="Jeter"] (No. 4 in 2023) and you’ve got five players ranked in the top five from this zone alone. Not to be forgotten, Byrnes offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="59465" first="Eli" last="Henderson"], Dorman offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="91355" first="Markee" last="Anderson"] and Gaffney quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="89340" first="Grayson" last="Loftis"] round out a list that will be a focal point all fall long. LOWCOUNTRY (8) [player_tooltip player_id="59462" first="Jaylen" last="Sneed"] is being talked about as possibly the best linebacker in the entire country available for the December signing class. The Hilton Head standout is everything major colleges want out of the position. And while he’s the lone senior to make the cut here from the Lowcountry, he’s got plenty of guys right behind him who are carving themselves into special talents. There’s offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="89337" first="Monroe" last="Freeling"] and Beaufort defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="89341" first="Eamon" last="Smalls"], a pair of rising juniors. Meanwhile, the sophomore class from Charleston to Hilton Head is queued up to blow up. Among that crowd is [player_tooltip player_id="139286" first="Kam" last="Pringle"], [player_tooltip player_id="91350" first="Davian" last="Brown"], [player_tooltip player_id="139291" first="Braylen" last="Kitty"], [player_tooltip player_id="91352" first="Kevon" last="Rivera"] and [player_tooltip player_id="91365" first="Braxton" last="Scott"]. Those five youngsters comprise one-half of the top-10 list for the entire state for the Class of 2024. You see why the coaches in that part of the state are getting their minds wrapped around the next three seasons.