Stock Riser Watch: A Player At Every Position

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Ian Guerin March 16, 2022 @ 09:00 AM

The Class of 2023 rankings won’t be updated for another two months, but that doesn’t mean we’re not tracking the entire class looking for potential stock risers. Some of these guys are finding ways to stand out in the offseason crowd. Via some combination of offers, conditioning, 7-on-7s and some other normal progression, we can already spot a player at every offensive and defensive position who appears ready to climb the rankings.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> DB - [player_tooltip player_id="202742" first="Avery" last="Duncan"], North Myrtle Beach (Currently: Overall 97/Position 11) Duncan missed a chunk of last season with an injury. However, he’s getting back to normal and has new head coach Greg Hill moving up from his spot as defensive coordinator. The Chiefs will be young, but Duncan will be a focal point. LB - [player_tooltip player_id="132398" first="Chandler" last="Perry"], Dutch Fork (Currently: Overall 54/Position 6) [player_tooltip player_id="214159" first="Cj" last="Wicker"]’s departure puts more of the onus on this powerful defense on Perry. The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder can shoulder the burden. With or without some DI interest of late, Perry could be the next big thing at Dutch Fork. DL - [player_tooltip player_id="146357" first="Tim" last="Castain"], Oceanside Collegiate (Currently: Overall 44/Position 4) Castain came on huge toward the end of last season and has gained some traction in recent weeks with camp circuit invites and the like. Eventually, word of his insane TFL number from his junior year was going to get out. OL - [player_tooltip player_id="263158" first="Logan" last="Locklear"], West Florence (Currently: Overall 155/Position 22) The 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle is on the verge of offers, and we can see why. His long reach and some production at the Joanne Langfitt Junior Showcase in December - not to mention some solid film and an offense that shows off his skills - are doing him wonders. TE - [player_tooltip player_id="202754" first="Tracy" last="Stephens"], Ridge View (Currently: Overall 112/Position 4) Ridge View is bringing back a decent amount of its production from last season, but it will be replacing an electric QB and might need a nice safety valve. Enter Stephens, who at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds is capable of getting open in a hurry. WR - [player_tooltip player_id="202725" first="Chris" last="Lofton"], AC Flora (Currently: Overall 36/Position 6) Admittedly, Lofton doesn’t have much room to improve in the rankings when looking at the big picture. But if any receiver in the class could bump another player from the top five, he’s certainly in the mix. His skill set supersedes his relatively smaller frame. RB - [player_tooltip player_id="262552" first="Tyler" last="J Smith"], Barnwell (Currently: Overall 39/Position 7) Smith (pictured) has a Division-I body (he’s 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds), some serious production on his resume - he rushed for 2151 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior - and the type of potential so rarely seen at this position. QB - [player_tooltip player_id="262690" first="TJ" last="McElmurray Jr"], Midland Valley (Currently: Overall 149/Position 17) The quarterback position is loaded for the Class of 2023. There are huge arms and great scramblers and excellent IQ guys. In McElmurray, we see enough of every quality and a budding squad around him to think it’s only a matter of time for him.