2025 Rankings: Breakout Players for Next Season
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The class of 2025 is filled with a ton of young talent. Now that the 2022 season is just around the corner, it makes sense to look forward and highlight the potential breakout players from the 2025 class. This post…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2025 is filled with a ton of young talent. Now that the 2022 season is just around the corner, it makes sense to look forward and highlight the potential breakout players from the 2025 class. This post focuses solely on those players from the 2025 class who, in my opinion, will have breakout Sophomore seasons.
2025 6’0 180 QB – Denzel Gardner Denzel Gardner 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Dematha | 2025 State MD – DeMatha
There wasn’t a Freshman player in the nation that was more exciting and efficient than Denzel Gardner Denzel Gardner 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Dematha | 2025 State MD in 2021. He absolutely has my vote for Freshman player of the year, and his ceiling really couldn’t be any higher in my opinion. His dual-threat game is already reminiscent of Kyler Murray’s when he attended Allen High School in Texas. Like Murray, Gardner is a constant threat with his legs, and he’s also extremely difficult to tackle with his speed and elusiveness. He’s a dynamic scrambler who can throw on the run, and his quick release makes him even more impossible to sack. Denzel Gardner Denzel Gardner 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Dematha | 2025 State MD started against some of the top defenses in the nation this season, like St. John’s and Good Counsel, and each time DeMatha either won or made the game competitive in defeat. There’s absolutely zero doubt in my mind that Denzel Gardner Denzel Gardner 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Dematha | 2025 State MD is the next big name in high school football, and his talents, in my opinion, will translate incredibly well at the D1 power five conference level. His ceiling might even be beyond that, and, for that reason, scouts nationwide must look at Denzel Gardner Denzel Gardner 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Dematha | 2025 State MD very seriously. He’s the real deal in every single way.
2025 5’11 170 RB – Peyton Nelson Peyton Nelson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB St. Frances | 2025 State MD – Good Counsel
Good Counsel ran the football super effectively this season, and, as a Freshman, Peyton Nelson Peyton Nelson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB St. Frances | 2025 State MD was a huge part of the Falcons’ rushing game. Nelson has a very low center of gravity which makes him difficult to tackle, and his quickness really stands out when you watch him play the position. He has incredible vision and awareness for his age, and that skill is a huge reason why he was so involved in Good Counsel’s red-zone offense throughout the season. Peyton Nelson Peyton Nelson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB St. Frances | 2025 State MD also possesses quite the collection of jukes, and, combined with his quickness, he utilizes all of them efficiently, and in tandem, which only elevates his game even more. There’s no question that Peyton Nelson Peyton Nelson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB St. Frances | 2025 State MD will continue to be a bright spot for the Good Counsel rush attack in 2022, and WCAC defenses should get ready to defend the run against Good Counsel. They have a handful of talented young running back prospects, and Peyton Nelson Peyton Nelson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB St. Frances | 2025 State MD is certainly one of them.
2025 6’1 165 WR – Grant Grayton Grant Grayton 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Our Lady Of Good Counsel | 2025 State MD – Good Counsel
There are very few wide receivers in the 2025 class with as much talent as Grant Grayton Grant Grayton 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Our Lady Of Good Counsel | 2025 State MD . Good Counsel will graduate a few standout wide receivers this Spring, therefore, Grayton is going to have a lot more opportunities to prove himself on the field in 2022. His ability to read the ball while it’s in the air, and time his jumps accordingly, really separates him from the pack in his class. The Falcons are not lacking in talent or depth at wide receiver for their quarterback Frankie Weaver Frankie Weaver 6'5" | 190 lbs | QB Good Counsel | 2024 State MD , and, with their roster, Good Counsel is on track to make it back to the WCAC Championship again next season. Grant Grayton Grant Grayton 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Our Lady Of Good Counsel | 2025 State MD absolutely must be on everyone’s radar because he’s going to be in a prime position to put up numbers in 2022. He’s a very high level prospect at receiver.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/16105055/Grant-Grayton
2025 6’5 300 OL – Jayvon McFadden Jayvon McFadden 6'5" | 315 lbs | OL Riverdale Baptist | 2025 State MD – St. John’s
Jayvon McFadden Jayvon McFadden 6'5" | 315 lbs | OL Riverdale Baptist | 2025 State MD possesses incredible physical ability, but he is not limited to his size. McFadden is a top offensive lineman in his class because of his skill and his football IQ. Yes, McFadden is physically gifted, however, he must work twice as hard to maintain his athleticism. He clearly puts in the work in the offseason because he looked more athletic this year than any other offensive lineman in his class. The sky truly is the limit for Jayvon McFadden Jayvon McFadden 6'5" | 315 lbs | OL Riverdale Baptist | 2025 State MD , and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will thrive in 2022. McFadden is an elite D1 level talent with a ceiling that goes beyond that. He already has offers from schools such as Penn State, Ole Miss, and Maryland.
2025 6’2 210 DL – Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng – DeMatha
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng is, debatably, the best football player on this list, and the reasons are his patience and his athleticism. He has such an incredible feel for the game on the defensive line that he often sniffs out plays before they even develop fully. He possesses ridiculous closing speed, therefore, when he makes the correct read on a play the offense is almost always in trouble. Owusu-Boateng gained a ton of valuable experience that will bode extremely well for him in the short term for next season and in the long term for his collegiate recruitment. He already has power five conference offers from elite programs like Notre Dame, Pitt, and Boston College. Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng proved that he belongs with the best of the best in one of the top football conferences in the nation. He’s without question a high level D1 prospect who’s primed for a huge season in 2022.
2025 6’3 210 DL – Cortez Harris – DeMatha
Early on in the season, Cortez Harris showed a lot of promise on the defensive line. DeMatha’s defense was amongst the best and deepest in the nation, therefore, as the season went on, Harris didn’t get the amount of experience that he probably would’ve liked. However, he capitalized on the experience that he did get, and he absolutely has the potential to be great once he is given a legitimate chance. Cortez Harris is very young and he still has a lot of growing to do, however, with time and experience, he will absolutely develop into an elite level prospect. He has an incredibly high ceiling, and scouts should be eager to watch his development over the coming years. He has a strong chance of having a breakout season this Fall.
2025 6’0 170 DB – Devenchi Arnold II – Gonzaga
Devenchi Arnold II is an exciting young cornerback with a very high ceiling. He got a bunch of valuable and high quality playing time this season because, quite simply, he deserved it. Arnold II might just be the best corner in the WCAC class of 2025. He has elite closing speed, but receivers also have yet to beat him and get behind him during one on one matchups. Devenchi Arnold II is an elite defensive back, and he will continue to be a valuable asset for Gonzaga’s defense during his tenure. He certainly has D1 potential, and there’s no question that he will take on a greater role for the defense with more responsibility in 2022. Devenchi Arnold II and the Purple Eagles are in prime position for a breakout season.