Behind the Scenes: 2025 Rankings Update, Sophomore Preseason

Once again, we've released a rankings list and it's time to take you, the reader, behind the scenes and show you how it all came together. As is the case with younger classes, a lot of these rankings come down to projections. We'll have a much better idea at this time next year about most of the players to watch, especially outside of the top 10. For now though, here are a few thoughts about this class.   <h2>1. Watch List vs. Rankings</h2>   Each state takes a different approach to how they utilize the watch list feature, so here's a reminder about how we do it on the North Carolina site.   For our youngest classes, we differentiate between watch list players and ranked players. To be on the watch list, we simply need to hear of a player, either from coaches or other sources we trust. Maybe they've made an impact on junior varsity or we've heard about their performance in practice or at camps. However, we have a few general guidelines for what we require of a player before ranking them.   The easiest way to make the rankings as an underclassman is to have some varsity film. While we recognize that this often isn't up to the player, it really makes the evaluation process easier (So send us that film!). We do make a some exceptions for players that have unnaturally good showings at camps or guys we've seen in person a few times.   Because of this, we've gone from a ranked list of 10 players in January to 47 now (And yes, we probably missed a few guys, we usually do, especially early in a class). By the end of the season, we expect to be nearly to 100 players as more sophomores play on varsity.   So, please, just be patient with us. Better yet, <a href="https://twitter.com/whelms21" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/whelms21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweet at me</a> and tell me how terrible I am for leaving _______ off the list.   <h2>2. Two elite prospects</h2>   While it fluctuates throughout the duration of the scouting process for each class, there typically becomes a clear-cut group that is just a bit above the rest. It's usually my opinion and it usually changes. Here, when I say elite, I'm not counting players with a Power Five grade, but rather impact college starters that should hear their names called early in the NFL Draft.   For example, at this point (Pre-sophomore year) the 2023 class had two elite prospects (Sampson + Walker), swelled to six or seven, then settled back to its current 3-4 (I consider [player_tooltip player_id='293255' first='Tamarcus' last='Cooley'] elite, but that's a conversation for another day). The 2024 class had just one elite player a year ago, but currently sits at 4-5, thanks to a transfer and a couple of dramatic improvements.   The 2025 class, in my opinion, has two program-changers. [player_tooltip player_id='271204' first='Gus' last='Ritchey'] is incredibly versatile and provides huge upside as either a tight end or edge rusher, depending on how his body develops. He's instinctual at both positions and put up some elite performances at some of the top schools in the country.   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/david-sanders-jr/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/player/david-sanders-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Sanders Jr.</a> will probably end up as the top tackle in the country in the 2025 class and he's already punching well above his weight class, winning "Offensive Line MVP" awards at multiple SEC schools. Those weren't just against 2025s, but among all classes. His combination of length, quickness and technique is rare. He has top 10 overall draft potential.   <h2>3. Quarterback Development</h2>   I'm always interested to see how quarterback classes evolve. Some start strong and fizzle out over time while others contain several late bloomers that turn heads only once they've become upperclassmen.   This class has a lot of unproven guys with massive potential, even relative to other classes at this stage. [player_tooltip player_id='351827' first='Zach' last='Lawrence'] is the most polished, but he still has a lot of developing to do. Behind him, I'm intrigued but a few signal callers.   [player_tooltip player_id='145389' first='Elijiah' last='Oehlke'] lacks elite size, so I initially dismissed him in the opening portion of our Prep Redzone camp. As soon as the guys picked up footballs though, I was all in on Oehlke, who has a live arm and surprisingly polished footwork. He's already added some weight to his frame and will need to continue to do so, but I love his potential.   There's a quartet of quarterbacks in the channel between Fayetteville and Raleigh-Durham that intrigues me. [player_tooltip player_id='351891' first='Jordan' last='Bryant'] of Overhills is a guy I've had on the watch list since the start and if he continues to develop, he's a serious college prospect. [player_tooltip player_id='264956' first='Jackson' last='Byrd'] had the talent to start at most schools last year but sat behind one of the top 2022 quarterbacks in the state at Cleveland. The early returns on [player_tooltip player_id='335418' first='Joshua' last='Brown'] at Seaforth are good and though I don't know much about Seventy First's [player_tooltip player_id='286177' first='Deandre' last='Nance'] (Hence, the watch list designation), my contacts in that area of the state say he has enormous potential.   At this point, it's too early to know if this is a one or two D1 quarterback class or if there are five or six guys that will rise to the occasion. Regardless, I'm excited to see how this class develops.   <h2>4. The Next Steps</h2>   Our goal is obviously to add players to our ever-growing rankings list, so what's next? The fall evaluation period is usually a time of major shakeups and additions. No matter what a player does in the offseason, a good (or bad) performance during the actual football season can have a huge effect on their ranking and how we view them as a prospect.   As a note here, our rankings are not a regurgitation of the state's stat leaderboards. If the state's leading passer has only average traits or measurables, he isn't likely to be the top-ranked player. After all, you take your traits with you to college, not your stats. While most of the top prospects will perform well in high school, high school success does not directly translate to an overwhelmingly positive review as a prospect.   That being said, the easiest way to move the needle is to perform well in games. If we like a player at camp, we'll really like him if he looks like one of the best players on the field when the lights are on.   A large group of unevaluated sophomores took their first varsity snaps Friday, or will take their first varsity snaps at some point in the near future. There's a large crop of previously unnoticed players that will catch our scouts' eyes as the season progresses. As soon as we notice a new player, we do our research — film study, calls to coaches, etc. — and give him an initial (And tentative) grade. That can change, but it determines approximately where in the rankings a player will find himself at the next update.   This state is huge. There are over 350 high schools and thousands of players. We can't find every player, but if we have stats, film or notes from coaches, parents and fellow players, our jobs become a lot easier. If you know someone who isn't ranked and should be, <a href="https://twitter.com/whelms21" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/whelms21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">let me know</a>!

Once again, we've released a rankings list and it's time to take you, the reader, behind the scenes and show you how it all came together. As is the case with younger classes, a lot of these rankings come down to projections. We'll have a much better idea at this time next year about most of the players to watch, especially outside of the top 10. For now though, here are a few thoughts about this class.