The Runway: 2027 Prospects Ready to Take Off 8/3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head into a new season of youth and middle school football around the country, below is a look at some class of 2027 prospects (athletes beginning their eighth-grade school year) that have come across my desk. As football recruiting and evaluating continues to change, the eighth-grade season is becoming a pivotal time for young athletes to garner early attention from Universities. Here's a look at some prospects that are on the trajectory to be playing a high level of football for years to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_62e9503c59abe","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["402854"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Watching film on a few 2026 prospects from Arizona earlier in the spring, I kept seeing the kid in jersey N0.3 make play after play.  After asking around on who the prospect was, I was shocked to find out that it was Lancaster, who will only be eighth-grade this year.  At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds he looks like he could play high school football right now, despite having another year to go. Last fall season he helped the Scottsdale Argonauts to a NYS 12U State Championship. He followed it up with a spring season that ended with an undefeated, unscored upon, State Championship. During the spring season, the Tight End/Defensive End played for Future U, a team largely comprised of athletes heading to play for 13-time State Champion Saguaro High School. Lancaster could be the gem of next year's u0022SagUu0022 class.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["400842"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Having seen him take the field in person twice this summer, I'm a big time believer in the ability of Palmer. The 6-foot-2, 150-pound Virginia Wide Receiver has all the makings of a prospect who could see offers start to come in, during his eighth-grade football season. From what I can tell, Palmer will be the deep go-to threat for the 757 Colts youth football program, replacing 2026 prospect Jyran Evans. Evans, who will be at Mt. Zion Prep this year, has quickly become one of the top Wide Receivers in the nation for the 2026 class and already holds offers from Michigan, Ole Miss, Buffalo, Campbell and Virginia Tech. If Palmer has even a fraction of the success Evans had, he should certainly be next up. He's a long athlete with a huge catch radiusu002du002dmaking him an obvious favorite target.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["378828"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"I've said it multiple times over the last calendar year, I'm a big fan of Hull.  The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder plays a physical, mean brand of football on the Offensive Line and doesn't consider the job done until opposing Defensive Linemen and Linebackers are pancaked.  Hull, who hails from Kentucky, is set to play Left Tackle for Northern Pulaski this season. Throughout his Middle School career he has proven time and time again that he's one of the best, and most versatile, big men in the Bluegrass State. His resume already includes multiple All-State and All-Region team selections, with more recognition on the horizon. Another big plus to me, is the athletic genes in his family. Brady, the baby of the family, has two older sisters that are/were both Division 1 Softball players in the SEC.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["214234"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Hailing from Illinois, Ellington is a 5-foot-10, 145-pound dual-threat signal caller with a high ceiling. Has encouraging size relative to this level of football, but what excites me is his verified 4.78 laser time in the forty. Watching his film, his athleticism obviously stands out right away. He moves exceptionally well in the pocket and can really turn it on, especially when he escapes into open field. Another positive I've seen while watching his film, is his improvement as a passer. In quite literally just the last few months, he seems to have tightened up his throwing motion substantially. Obviously no athlete's craft is ever perfect, and he certainly has room to improve, but his recent advancements tell me he's not even close to reaching his full potential. That could be a scary thing to see for defenses.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["403058"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Another prospect that will be suiting up for the O.G. Ducks in California this year, Mailangi looks to be u003cemu003eTHE u003c/emu003eguy upfront. Recently reclassing from the 2026 class because of his young age, he already holds offers from Oregon and Louisville. At 6-foot-3 and 320-pounds, he's as big and strong as they come at this level and he's only going to continue to get better. Throughout the off-season he has absolutely dominated the competition on the camp and training circuit, even wiping the floor with high school upperclassmen. While his strength and power is unquestioned, he's also every athletic for a big man. There are videos on social media of him successfully completing 36-inch box jumps. Though he's from Sacramento (northern California), there's no doubt the national powerhouse programs of the Trinity League (southern California) will be vying for his attention.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["403107"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"The younger brother of 2026 Prep Redzone Next National Watch List athlete Kamauri Austin, Aaron is cut from the very same mold.  The younger brother is quickly emerging as one of the top prospects in all of Arkansas for the class of 2027 at 5-foot-9 and 130-pounds. Currently listed as an Athlete, he's equally as dangerous in the secondary on Defense as he is as a Wide Receiver on Offense. If I had to make a choice right now, I'd say he has an edge defensively as a Safety, due to his ability to both lay the wood and ball hawk. Watching his film he's a very complete player in terms of ball skills and tackling ability. Often times a prospect can do one or the otheru002du002dAustin III can do both. Both the Austin brothers on a trajectory to do some big things during their prep career.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["403133"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Looking at this 2027 class early on, there aren't many prospects with the level of potential that Webb-Scott has.  The Georgia prospect enters his eighth-grade season already at 6-foot-3 and 195-pounds, with a developing mean streak. At his size and build, he's an obvious Defensive End/Edge player that could become a pass-rush specialist if he continues to ascend. This off-season in particular he has really started to transform his body from middle school player to athlete getting ready to fight for a Varsity spot in fall 2023. He has clearly dedicated a lot of time to his craft, putting on obvious muscle mass. Right now, he possesses nearly everything a coach could want in an Edge player. He's obviously a very long prospect that can explode off the snap with quickness. Gwinnett County in Georgia is known for producing elite football talents, Webb-Scott should be one of the next ones from the hotbed.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit"} /-->