2024 Rankings Update: Defensive Stockrisers

Ian Guerin January 11, 2023 @ 10:19 PM

We thought we knew.   Four defensive standouts had proved themselves, long since moving into our rankings and in a couple of cases into the top 30.    The biggest problem with that line of thinking is that these four weren't done. Not even close. What's more, we think they could be even better. As much as their new and improved rankings show what we think of them, it's only the next phase of their growth.   These defensive Stockrisers have shown they could each be superstars before it's all said and done this time next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='340395' first='Chris' last='Glover'] LB, James Island (Up 26 spots)   This new-to-the-top-100 junior could make another big leap sooner rather than later, if for no other reason that we see his 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame and quick first step attracting attention in the camp circuit. Glover finished 2022 with 55 solo tackles, 25 assisted stops, 12 tackles for loss, a sack and a pick, a nifty eye-read job that fires up his highlights.    [player_tooltip player_id='448980' first='Shaikh' last='Thompson'], DL, Hilton Head (Up 30 spots)   By the time the 6-foot-4 edge rusher garnered an offer from Coastal Carolina, his coach had been blowing us up about him for a few months. We saw him in person in game and showcase action, and we're hear to tell you that if his physical tools won't work at the college level, we're not sure what will.     [player_tooltip player_id='208334' first='Kelvin' last='Hunter'], DB, West Florence (Up 14 spots)   We had Hunter ranked inside the top 30 back in September, mere weeks into his 2022 season. Within a few weeks of that, we realized it wasn't high enough. That's because in the four-game span to follow, the hybrid safety/linebacker churned out 32 solo tackles and eight tackles for loss. In a month. Against a bunch of would-be playoff teams. At times throughout the year, the kid who now has major college offers was nearly unblockable.    [player_tooltip player_id='91351' first='Jayden' last='Fuller'] LB, Aiken (Up two spots)   While he technically only moved up two spots, we can't say enough about what Fuller has done in the past four months. It crescendoed in Myrtle Beach in December, when the linebacker showed up to the Joanne Langfitt Junior Showcase and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/12/ballers-from-the-joanne-langfitt-junior-showcase/">showed how much of a freak athlete he really is</a>.   The three players he's currently trailing (offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='139286' first='Kam' last='Pringle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='139295' first='Josiah' last='Thompson'] and multi-tool athlete [player_tooltip player_id='163871' first='Mazeo' last='Bennett Jr']) have somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 major offers. Fuller doesn't have that type of recruiting resume. But we're positive that his abilities are going to translate to plenty of traction sooner rather than later.

We thought we knew.