Recruiting Runway: Class of 2027 Prospects to Know – 11/2
In this article:
Interested in reading this and more? Use the code AlPops30 for 30% off a Prep Redzone Next Subscription We are nearing November and middle school football seasons are reaching the later stages, or in some states, has already wrapped up. The prospect landscape…
Access all of Prep Redzone Next and Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingInterested in reading this and more? Use the code AlPops30 for 30% off a Prep Redzone Next Subscription
We are nearing November and middle school football seasons are reaching the later stages, or in some states, has already wrapped up. The prospect landscape is starting to become clearer and below is a look at some class of 2027 prospects (athletes in 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.
Carter is an athlete who can seemingly do it all coming out of the talent-rich state of Alabama. Carter’s electrifying speed makes him a problem on either side of the ball. As a wideout, Carter has the capability to blow the top off of any coverage or defensive back that he faces. As a defender, his speed allows him to cover large portions of the field effectively, making it hard for opposing quarterbacks to throw the ball to his side of the field. If Carter is called to blitz the backfield, he is fast enough to get into the backfield and stop plays before they have a chance to start. Just from what I’ve seen, Carter is a kid that people should be looking out for in the future. After helping his eighth-grade team finish undefeated and win a conference championship, I am expecting big things to come from him and his career.
Mark is another athlete that hails from the state of Arizona. With his primary position being defensive back, Mark has the speed and athleticism to keep up with any wideout he faces. In coverage, Mark does a phenomenal job dropping with the receiver and if the ball is coming his way, he does a great job of tracking the ball and ensuring the pass is either incomplete or intercepted. Mark is also a very strong open-field tackler. If the ball is thrown underneath him, he has no problem driving down and making the tackle to keep the ball from advancing any farther. Overall, Mark is one of the better defensive backs that I have seen in the desert for the 2027 class, and I am excited to see him develop in the future.
Highlights
Cash is a very promising quarterback prospect coming out of the state of Colorado. One of the first things that jumped out to be when watching his tape is his ability to throw the ball accurately downfield. When he is taking those down field shots, Cash does not sacrifice accuracy for range, nor does he change anything in his throwing motion. Another impressive attribute in Cash’s game is his pocket presence. At 6-foot and 155-pounds, whether the pocket is clean, or he has defenders in his face, Cash still throws a consistently crisp ball of his receivers. With quick game, Cash is very good with getting his feet set and delivering a quick accurate to his wideouts on time and in an area where the receiver can continue to advance the ball. Overall, Cash has proven that he has all of the tools to be successful at quarterback and his youth career has proven that. I am excited to see him progress down the road, as he gets set to begin his high school career.
Aaron is a twitchy athlete coming out of the talent factory state of Florida. Aaron has electrifying speed that allows him to essentially do whatever he wants on the field. As a returner, Aaron uses his game-changing speed and athleticism t0 run around and through his opponents. Coming out of the backfield, Aaron as the agility to make moves on defenders and create separation from the second and third levels of the defense. As a receiver, Aaron proves that he can get open on any route concept and has the hands and speed to catch the ball and make his way to the end zone. Overall, Aaron is definitely one of the fastest kids I’ve watched on tape thus far for the class of 2027. There’s a difference between actual speed and perceived speed, Johnson Jr. has both. With added size and continued growth, he could become a very exciting FBS prospect.
Highlights
Dereon is a running back coming out of the state of Georgia that has people in Valdosta very excited. The first thing that jumped out to me when watching his film is ability to improvise on the run. As the blocks develop in front of Dereon, he has the vision and in the instinct to make crisp cuts as he works through the line of scrimmage. Despite being a shorter, smaller back, another aspect of Dereon’s game that is impressive is the physicality he plays with as he runs the ball. When he is toting the rock, he has no problem dropping a shoulder and running through defenders as he makes his way to the end zone. Just from the film that I have seen, Dereon proves to be a complete package coming out of the backfield and can stay on the field in almost every offensive situation. He recently capped off his middle school career by helping Valdosta to their third straight league championship and finishing undefeated.
Hailing from an under estimated football state in Indiana, Alex is quarterback that shows some promise in this 2027 recruiting class. He did a lot of everything everything this past season for Dekalb Middle School. The 5-foot-10, 150-pounder helped Dekalb finish undefeated and bring home the Northeast Eight Conference title. Further stamping his season, Alex was named Offensive Player of the Year and Team MVP. He’s a threat in both the run game and the pass game. He has no problem dropping the ball into the perfect place for his wideouts whether he is dropping back or sprinting out in pass game. When Alex is on the run, he has the speed to outrun almost everyone on the field and does a great job reading defensive linemen and finding open lanes to pick up large chunks of yards. Overall, it is clear that Alex nightmare for defenses and is a dream player for almost any offensive coordinator to get creative with. There is a lot of upside to his game and he certainly has the potential to be a scary dual-threat Quarterback for the rest of the Hoosier State to deal with.