Rankings Update (August): 2024 Newcomers

Even though the 2024 class is still very young, there are multiple prospects who have managed to get their name out there. This has come from their new found playing time in their early high school career, and how they perform each time their number is called. Regardless of the fact that the sample size for this class is small at this point of time, there are players who’s film is becoming more accessible as time goes by, and many of these same players are already showing out in practice, and camps. This in itself warrants attention, and further evaluation of their talent. Below, we have added some of our favorite newcomers to this month’s rankings update, and we doubt that you will be disappointed. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="165716" first="Jake" last="Merklinger"] (QB)- </b><i>Calvary Day</i> It should come as a no-brainer that Merklinger has made this list, especially due to the leaps and bounds he made in his star studded, yet developmental freshman season. With the ball in his hands, not only is Merklinger a fluid athlete, but he plays with a very clean, polished release. Due to this, he has solid ball placement, and when he gets the ball out quickly, it usually comes accurately as well. Merklinger does a good job of making off platform passes look easy, and proves that he can make throws from within the pocket, and outside of it. His passes are thrown with good touch, and the strength that they are thrown with helps them to get to various levels of the field, including in tight windowed situations. We also like the maturity in Merklinger’s pocket presence, as he does a good job of stepping up in the pocket, keeping his eyes down the field, and throwing strikes to the open receiver. Entering into his 2nd season, we fully expect him to become a household name, and to prove why we have him added to our list, and ranked as 10th overall in the 2024 class. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="165724" first="Erick" last="Brown"] (RB)- </b><i>Lowndes</i> Many high school football fans may wonder why we have Brown added to our list due to the fact that he did not see much time on the field last season. Despite this, we see the high ceiling of developmental talent that he already displays. Not only does he run at a good pad level, but he is very quick, and elusive. His balance and strength is solid for his size, and the way he proved to improve in practice, and whenever his number was called on, is what makes him an attractive prospect. He has a very good twitch, and his quick feet leaves defenders in the dirt. Paired with this, the way he can change gears with speed, and take it to the house is what we think could be deadly next season. All in all, we think his talent is worthy of being ranked 46th overall, and we think he will show everyone why in the 2021 season. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="165718" first="Joseph" last="Stone"] (RB)- </b><i>Grayson</i> Stone, who plays for the powerhouse high school, Grayson High, received plenty of snaps at the RB position last year as a true freshman. As a young prospect, Stone already shows flashes of being a big time player, as he runs with a long stride, and has the ability to turn the corner, and use his quick feet to help him pick up extra yards. Along with this, Stone also runs with a good burst, and pad level, making it hard to bring him down on initial contact. With this, he proves to run downhill well, and can also use his twitch to make defenders miss. Next season, we fully expect Stone to take on more snaps for his team, and to help lead them to success. Until then, we have him ranked 38th overall in this month’s update. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="165720" first="Christian" last="Peterson"] (DB)- </b><i>Westlake</i> Peterson, who is transferring from a high school in Dothan, Alabama, plays with great range, and speed, and was very easy to want to rank 30th overall. This not only helps him to get to various levels of the field with effectiveness, but it also allows him to use his ball skills, and ability to high point the football to create turnovers. Peterson also plays a very instinctive brand of football, allowing him to play the run well, and use his defensive tenacity to bring players to the ground. He takes good angles, and does not have an issue with lowering his shoulder. Next season, we fully expect him to break out even more for his team, and to be one of their bigger playmakers on defense.