The Runway: Class of 2027 Prospects to Know – 9/7

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the calendar turns to September, and most middle school football team's around the country are in action, 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_630e4934061e1","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["429539"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"An absolute terror rushing off the edge, Tautolo flat out gets after the Quarterback with violent and bad intentions. Having played most of his youth career in, or around Las Vegas he's playing his final year of youth football for the OG Ducks out of Southern California. Tautolo is the latest Edge rusher for the Ducks that projects to be playing on Saturdays in the near future. From as far back as Keyon Ware-Hudson (now at Oregon) to 2026 Prep Redzone Next National Watch List athlete [player_tooltip player_id='212233' first='Shaun' last='Scott'] (four offers as a freshman at Mater Dei right now) the Ducks always have guys that can get into the backfield quickly. Tautolo has a good build and is very athletic for his size. I wouldn't rule out a switch to Linebacker depending on his physical development.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa27a7"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e4b7b061e3","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["378931"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"We've written about Ruth a few times since June, when I first came across him at the Future Stars Game week. Ruth was a star on both sides of the ball for team North Carolina, and it was very obvious from the first practice that he was arguably the top talent regardless of class on North Carolina. As a former defensive lineman I say this gritting my teeth, but I almost wish his athleticism wasn't u0022wastedu0022 on an interior guy. He's so fast, quick and disruptive that I can only imagine what he'd be like as a Linebacker or Running Back. I think the best comparison I can give is NFL Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp. Certainly not the tallest at 5-foot-11/6-foot, but hands down one of the most athletic. Heck, his nickname is u0022Big Nastyu0022...you tell me how you think he plays.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa27fd"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e4bca061e4","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["378859"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"After a standout performance this summer for the Tennessee Future Stars, which netted him a selection to the u003ca href=u0022https://prepredzone.com/2022/06/tn-future-stars-class-of-2027-game-top-performers/u0022u003eClass of 2027 Game Top Performersu003c/au003e, Scraggs has showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, he's been the catalyst for a Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) squad that currently sits 5-0. Scraggs is an impressive back that plays with a similar style to Carolina Panthers stud, Christian McCaffrey. He's a gasher who only needs a small hole to explode through to make the defense pay. He is also a threat out of the backfield as a receiver, too. On top of that, CAK runs a lot of RPO which makes the defense account for Scraggs on every play. With verified, electronic 4.78 speed in the forty, he's a long day at the office for opposing Defensive Coordinator's.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa2834"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e4c37061e6","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["212225"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"In my humble opinion, Ioane is arguably the top interior Defensive Lineman in the class of 2027 at this point. Already holding an offer from the Arizona Wildcats, he was essentially a full calendar year younger than other prospects in the class of 2026, so he reclassed to the class of 2027 this past off-season and is playing 14U football for the Orange County Buckeyes in 2022. At 6-foot-3 and 275-pounds he is beyond advanced in terms of pass rush moves, quickness and understanding of the position. I love the way he uses his hands and defeats blocks. He's a versatile fit for a bunch programs moving forward, as he's big and strong enough to play inside in a 4-4, but also athletic enough to play Defensive End in a 3-4. He's going to be a very highly recruited player.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa2866"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e4cdb0b4ea","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["402684"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Down in the greater Dallas-area, I'd get ready for a monster year out of McAdams in 2022. The Life Oak Cliff Middle School student reclassed from 2026 to 2027 this past offseason, and should be one of the top stars in the DFW Metroplex. A year ago he accounted for 1,000 yards in offense and eight touchdowns, en route to a District Championship. At 5-foot-11 and 165-pounds he's a heck of an athlete and can do some magical things with the ball in his hands. This summer he started getting his feet wet in the recruiting process by attendingu002du002dand by many accounts performing wellu002du002dduring camps at the University of Texas, TCU, SMU, Texas Tech and others. Stay tuned.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa2893"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e61c5288e6","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["425629"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Speaking in generalities, New York isn't exactly the powerhouse that Florida/Texas/Georgia/California is when it comes to football talent. With that said, there are a few diamonds in the rough that shine and Bala certainly fits that category. Without question, he's an athlete. He plays Point Guard on the hardwood, Running Back on the gridiron and is also an amateur boxer. Everything Bala touches athletically, turns to gold. While he's not the biggest, not the fastest, not the quickest in the class of 2027, he achieves personal and team success down every avenue. There are some kids that are just born winners and that's what Bala is. How high his ceiling is remains to be determined, but in the state of New York he's certainly in the upper-echelon in terms of football talent amongst eighth-graders.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa28c3"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6318f51239785","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["438058"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"I first took notice of Musser while watching the film of teammate, and fellow 2027 prospect, [player_tooltip player_id='411721' first='Max' last='Brown']. My eye kept catching the big 6-foot-1, 180-pound signal caller that could also run like a deer. A few weeks later, I touched base with said QB, [player_tooltip player_id='438058' first='Ben' last='Musser'], and I'm a big fan. He's big-time athletic for a bigger Quarterback, clocking a verified 11.70 in the 100M, a 24.09 in the 200M and a 19'  Long Jump. Also plays SS on the diamond. I think a very safe and fair comparison to his game, would be to that of former first-round pick and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator, Byron Leftwich. He's big but certainly not a statue; He's fast, but not Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) fast; Leftwich was laser'd at a 4.85 in the forty and I think Musser should end up there or a little bit faster. He's a dual-threat kid that's also really strong and tough to bring down. Honestly, it's not out of the question that he ends up playing on the defensive side of the ball given his overall physical plusses.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-6499fa0aa28fa"} /-->