Behind the Scenes: 2024 Rankings, Junior Preseason

After releasing our preseason update for the junior class on Monday, it's time to peel back the curtain once again to give subscribers an idea of what happened behind the scenes. This class is interesting in that we have several players with high Power Five grades—guys that we anticipate could be impact players for the top teams in the country—and a plethora of players with FCS grades. We don't have a large group in between.   Some of that is to be expected and as I'll remind you below, the way we should all view the junior class versus the senior class at this point should be very different. I know we all like lists, so here are a few things to look for when surveying the 2024 class.   <h2>1. This class is nowhere near finished</h2>   It can be easy to compare the junior class to the senior class and assume that the latter is deeper, based simply upon how many players are ranked. Our senior class is enormous (Our largest yet) but that has just as much to do with the time and effort put in by our scouts as it does the depth of the class. At this point last year, we had around 160 players ranked in the 2023 class. Now, we have double that.   Don't be surprised if we do the same with the 2024 class. There are 163 players ranked in our system and high school is only halfway over for this class. We have two full years of upperclassman film yet to come and many unranked players will burst onto the scene in just a few weeks.   In fact, when comparing the two classes, the top of the 2024 class is probably better than the top of the 2023 class in terms of impact Power Five talent (But more on that in a second).   <h2>2. This Wide Receiver Class is... Good</h2>   Sometimes the simplest of vocabulary will do. In this case, I could try to use words like, "generational" or "incredible" but I settled for the intentionally understated, "good". The top of this class is already up there with the best classes I've scouted in North Carolina and that's even if you ignore the seven receivers listed in the top 15 (there are also three tight ends in the top 25).   You could put any of these guys in any order and I would not complain. Throw in No. 8 receiver [player_tooltip player_id='279885' first='Keenan' last='Jackson'] of Cuthbertson, who has a similar offer list to the rest of the top guys, and you have a dynamic receiver class. Most years, North Carolina puts out 1-2 elite receivers and a handful of good ones. The 2024 class has 7-8 receivers that could be game-changers at the Power Five level and a few more that can make an impact, and that's before these players have even started their junior seasons.   We don't normally see guys with elite skillsets take steps back later in their high school careers, so if anything, that number of elite pass catchers could reach double digits if guys like [player_tooltip player_id='335914' first='Izay' last='Bridges'] and [player_tooltip player_id='396831' first='Benjamin' last='Black'] continue to impress.   <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">"The 2024 class has 7-8 receivers that could be game-changers at the Power Five level and a few more that can make an impact, and that's before these players have even started their junior seasons."</blockquote>   <h2>3. Our difficulty in ranking a unique position group</h2>   In my opinion, we had the most difficulty ranking the running back class. Compared to the other classes, the sophomore class didn't have quite the number of absolutely eye-popping numbers (At least the kind of 200-yard averages or 50 touchdown seasons that make it impossible to leave players off a list). Instead, we had to look at some camp numbers and rely on intel we've heard from coaches about workouts and offseason training.   One of the guys that has really seen his stock rise is RB No. 3 [player_tooltip player_id='369976' first='Tyler' last='Mason']. We'd heard of Mason and his film is good, but didn't necessarily scream "RB No. 3". That was, until we caught wind of his performances at college camps, where he consistently ran in the low 4.5s. His size isn't an issue at all and he runs physically, so having the numbers to back up his speed really helped in our evaluation.   I'm interested to see the development of recently converted wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='115714' first='Ethan' last='Biggs'] at the running back position, as the Union Pines athlete was electric after the catch as a freshman. He took most of his sophomore year to settle into the new position, but I think he could be explosive there as well.   Lastly, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/anthony-quinn-jr/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/player/anthony-quinn-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anthony Quinn Jr.</a> is still our clear RB No. 1, even if the recruitment has not taken off to the extent we had expected. As you'll here me say a lot, players from the Fayetteville area often see their recruitment pick up much later in the process than similarly talented players from the Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham areas. He's a load to bring down and has good speed to boot. We still have him slotted in that G5 to P5 range.   4. Strong FCS & Group of Five Quarterback Class   When we say, "This is a good ________ class" it can often mean different things. Sometimes it means that the class has one or two awesome headliners. If four years later a position group puts out one solid Power Five starter and another guy that gets drafted, it's safe to say that position group was solid.   Other times, it can mean the class is deep--that the class will produce a few solid players at both the higher (FBS) and lower (FCS, DII, etc.) levels. Other times, we'll mention a class is top-heavy, lacking depth, but not top talent.   This particular quarterback class has one top quarterback ([player_tooltip player_id='91362' first='Jadyn' last='Davis'], who may end up the top quarterback in the entire country) and a slew of other guys that fit somewhere between "sure FCS starter" and "borderline Power Five recruit".   We absolutely love <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/johnathan-montague-jr/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/player/johnathan-montague-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johnathan Montague Jr.</a> and [player_tooltip player_id='203888' first='Mason' last='Fortune'] as prospects but thus far neither player has seen his recruitment take off at the highest level. Each has a cannon, but may need a few mechanical tweaks; nothing too crazy, but it looks like those guys could be players that first go play at the FCS or G5 level. Success there could bring them to the Power Five level at which we have them ranked.   Behind them, guys like [player_tooltip player_id='144215' first='Tanner' last='Ballou'], [player_tooltip player_id='117960' first='Elijah' last='Tillery'], [player_tooltip player_id='118810' first='Carter' last='Revelle'], and [player_tooltip player_id='147683' first='Tyler' last='Green'] have Group of Five and FCS potential. Ballou and Green can absolutely sling it, but lack that elite size some bigger schools are looking for. Revelle and Tillery will continue to develop and have perhaps the best chance to break through into the elite recruiting world.   Go even further and you find talented, steady players like [player_tooltip player_id='148015' first='Ricky' last='Tolbert'] and [player_tooltip player_id='142902' first='Brady' last='Hibbard'] who will see their recruitments pick up when FCS schools begin to really focus on the class of 2024.   Lastly, there are a few difficult to scout players like [player_tooltip player_id='124963' first='Evan' last='Medders']. Early in his career, he had a reputation as an athletic and erratic quarterback, so much so that I listed him instead as an athlete. Since then, he's really improved his accuracy and reached out to me personally to ensure I saw the improvement and changed his position. With similar improvement in decision-making, he's a guy to put on watch as a potential late offer candidate at the FBS level.   All the way down to [player_tooltip player_id='396921' first='Tyler' last='Budge'], you'll find players that are talented enough to go to the FCS level, a potential 20-plus future D1 quarterbacks.     What did we miss? Are any of these takes wrong? Let us know on our Twitter, @PrepRedzoneNC or let me know directly, @whelms21

After releasing our preseason update for the junior class on Monday, it's time to peel back the curtain once again to give subscribers an idea of what happened behind the scenes. This class is interesting in that we have several players with high Power Five grades—guys that we anticipate could be impact players for the top teams in the country—and a plethora of players with FCS grades. We don't have a large group in between.