The Runway: Class of 2027 Prospects to Know – 9/20
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Interested in reading this and more? Use the code AlPops30 for 30% off a Prep Redzone Next Subscription 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…
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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.
Hayes is the type of Quarterback prospect that gets you, me and everyone else excited about what’s to come over the next four years, as he’s getting ready to enter high school. The 6-foot, 155-pound righty is currently lighting up the scoreboard for Highland East Junior High to the tune of 500+ yards and 10 touchdowns in limited time in three games due to lopsided victories. The eighth-grader will be headed to Moore High School next year, currently ranked No.15 in the state, and located less than a half hour from Oklahoma City, nearly smack dab in the middle of the state. Watching his film, he has an absolute cannon for an arm and there isn’t a throw on the field he can’t make at this point. I wouldn’t call him a true dual-threat but he can certainly take off and scorn defenses with his 4.98 speed in the forty. I’d be more concerned with what he can do with his arm in terms of hitting the deep ball and throwing with very good accuracy. Certainly among the top 2027 Quarterbacks I have seen in Oklahoma right now.
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Last week I wrote about 2027 Wide Receiver prospect Carter Bonner Carter Bonner 6’2″ | 185 lbs | WR Imani Christrian Academy | 2027 State PA and the attitude the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder brought to the position. Today we’re looking at his running mate and teammate Ja’Shawn Lewis Ja’Shawn Lewis 6’1″ | 175 lbs | ATH Seton LaSalle | 2027 State PA . Everything that Bonner brings from a physicality standpoint, Lewis brings from a speed, quickness and finesse standpoint. Bottom line, Lewis is an elite Wide Receiver and Safety prospect. The Pittsburgh native is special and should start seeing some very early recruiting attention if I had to guess. At 6-foot and 170-pounds, if he gets the ball in space there’s only a short list of Defensive Backs in the 2027 class that have a shot at making a play on him. He does a phenomenal job of stacking Defenders before break off his route and getting open. I can’t say enough good things about his play. I full anticipate him being an FBS player if he continues on this path.
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By no stretch of the imagination is he the biggest 2027 Running Back in the county, but there’s certainly no shortage in talent with Martin II. Muhammad Ali once famously said, “the hands cant hit, what the eyes can’t see” and that’s the best way to sum up this eighth-grader. At 5-foot-6 and 135-pounds he’s fast, shifty and can wiggle himself out of any precarious situations. Coming off an Offensive MVP season a year ago for Hillcrest Middle School, he has showed no signs of slowing down this season. He receives the handoff at full speed and hits the line of scrimmage hard. Whether he ducks and dodges behind his linemen or accelerates through the hole, he gets to where he’s going quickly. Having covered middle school prospects for going on 13-years, I see a lot of North Carolina Central University athlete Twan Flip in Martin II’s game. Flip was a 2-star or 3-star depending on where you looked and despite being undersized was the Greater Charlotte Special Teams Player of the Year as a Senior in High School in 2020. Keep an eye out here for Martin II.
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If the offense you’re heading up has outscored its opponents 266-0 in the first four games of the season, you’re probably doing something right. Whiteman, a 6-foot, 165-pound Quarterback is at the helm of a hurry-up offense and has thrown for 30 touchdown passes in those four extremely lopsided contests. Read that again. Those stats, coupled with his leadership, are why the recruiting process is already heating up a bit for Whiteman. Having visited Georgia Tech this summer, he’s set to visit Oklahoma and potentially others this season. He’s a big strong kid who hasn’t met a weight room he doesn’t like and the results of his work ethic speak for themselves. I’m a big fan of his toughness and overall mentality towards the game. A hardhat and lunchpail type of kid that does whatever is needed to win.
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Last week I wrote about Bradley Ford Jr. Bradley Ford Jr. DB MS and what he’s doing at Brandon Middle School in Mississippi. Today we’ll swing the focus to his teammate Logan Drummond Logan Drummond 5’7″ | 130 lbs | DB Brandon | 2027 State MS , and everything they’re doing to replace Preston Ashley Preston Ashley 5’11” | 160 lbs | DB Brandon | 2026 State MS , who was named to the Class of 2026 Prep Redzone Next National Watchlist as an eighth-grader. He’s an exciting player to watch on the defensive side of the ball and is a standout at Corner Back. His coverage skills are very good and improving daily. He does a good job of sitting low in his back pedal and has very fluid hips, which allows him to turn and run with ease. That said, I’m an even bigger fan of what he brings in run support. At 5-foot-7, he’s a dog that loves to come up and hit. In his most recent game, a 40-12 victory that propelled Brandon to first place in the district, Drummond forced two fumbles and had four tackles. He also scored twice for the Bulldogs. Big things are ahead here.
I always find myself struggling to put a label on DeLecce when it comes to position and ability. He has a thick build at 5-foot-10 and 175-pounds, and in my opinion, translates best to a Linebacker. That said, he has also played Running Back in the past, and this year is contributing a ton as a Wide Receiver. He’s part of a Glassboro eighth-grade team that reads like a “who’s who” of South Jersey 2027 talent. He lines up alongside kids like Xavier Sabb Xavier Sabb 6’1″ | 180 lbs | ATH Glassboro | 2027 State NJ (who already holds an offer from Oregon) Davon Barr Davon Barr 6’0″ | 190 lbs | RB Glassboro | 2027 State NJ , Tasheem Butler Tasheem Butler 6’1″ | 210 lbs | LB Glassboro | 2027 State NJ , Kristopher Foster Jr., Amon Wright Amon Wright 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Glassboro | 2027 State NJ and many more. As a Linebacker he does a great job moving laterally and has pretty good quickness. Perhaps his best attribute is his closing speed on a ball carrier. He drops very well but the flashbulbs come out when he sticks his foot in the ground and attacks to make a tackle. He’s already getting attention from several South Jersey and Philadelphia private high schools, ahead of next year.
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Gleason is no stranger to the Prep Redzone Next spotlight, as I wrote about him several times last year, when he was in seventh-grade. On top of being an extremely likable young man with a personality that lights up a room, Gleason III is also a heck of a two-way interior lineman. Right now he stands at 6-foot and 265-pounds with a lot of natural strength. Possesses a very broad frame with the ability to tack on a ton of additional good weight and muscle, as he progresses to high school next year. As en eighth-grader this year, he’s earning a ton of valuable experience playing for both Crowley Middle School and the 13 DEA Dragons travel ball team. The Dragons squad is comprised of many of the DFW’s top upcoming talent, including Ethan Feaster Ethan Feaster 6’2″ | 175 lbs | WR Desoto | 2027 State TX , who already holds eight offers. Getting back to Gleason, his quickness off the snap and overwhelming power make him a tough assignment on both sides of the ball. If he can tack on additional inches and continue to improve overall athleticism, there’s no reason he can’t be an FBS signee come National Signing Day 2027.