Recruiting Runway: Class of 2027 Prospects to Know – 3.17
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College recruiting never stops. With some schools beginning to reach out to some of the upcoming stars in the game, it’s important to know about kids that are about to break the internet. The Class of 2027 is loaded with…
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Continue ReadingCollege recruiting never stops. With some schools beginning to reach out to some of the upcoming stars in the game, it’s important to know about kids that are about to break the internet. The Class of 2027 is loaded with TONS of undiscovered talent around the country and here are some athletes that you need to know about now.
There are 11 opportunities to compete against some of these guys and other top 2027 & 2029 prospects this spring at our PRZ Next Rising Prospect camps. Do yourself a favor and get signed up for one. The talent that comes out never disappoints. Here are the dates/locations.
Abdul Turay Abdul Turay RB St. John Vianney | 2027 NJ is a running back who is set to be on the rise in the recruiting ranks as he makes his way onto the high school scene. The Garden State Product plays multiple positions on both sides of the ball, but excels as a ball carrier out of the backfield. Turay is a footed back, capable of stringing together long runs with creative movements as he works through the first and second level. One of the most interesting aspects of Turay’s game is that he always seems to be moving forward when he has the ball in his hands. The combination of power and the balance he has, makes it hard for anyone to bring him down. Abdul is a weapon in the backfield, and he should be a great asset at whichever high school he attends. He certainly has multiple to choose from.
Like Turay above, Stalin Knowlden Stalin Knowlden 5’7″ | 145 lbs | ATH St. Joseph Regional | 2027 State NJ is another New Jersey prospect to put on your radar now, as he gets set to begin his high school career at St. Joe’s Regional (Montvale). In fact the two were teammates this past season at the Matawan Huskies 13U team–one of the best in the state. Standing at 5’7 and 140 pounds, Knowlden has a solid frame to grow into as he continues to develop. On the football field, Stalin has the read-and-react capability to make plays on the ball swiftly and effectively. One of Knowlden’s strong suits includes him driving down on underneath routes and run plays and making plays in the box or in the backfield. Stalin is a solid tackler who finishes plays off anywhere on the football field. With the defensive weapon that he is, Stalin has the ability to be a playmaker at the Cornerback position.
Having seen him in camp settings each of his three year of of middle school ball, it’s safe to say Xavier Bala is one to keep tabs on coming out of the Empire State of New York. He measured in at 5-foot-9 and 155-pounds at the PRZ Next camp this winter and exceeded my expectations at a loaded camp. Xavier Bala has a sense of suddenness when he has the ball in his hands. Possessing a quick burst through running lanes in the defense, he has proven that he can hit is top-end speed quickly–having registered a 5.16 in the forty at the camp. Xavier is also a unique three-sport athlete who also plays as a point guard in basketball and has been training as a boxer as well. With this unique mix of sports under Xavier’s belt, he is beginning to put together a solid skillset that will aid in building change of direction, overall athleticism, physicality and durability. New York may not have the dozens and dozens of talented 2027 prospects that other states have, but Bala is one of the New Yorker’s to know.
Elien Reagan is a two-way linemen with big size and big time potential. The Sooner State product stands at 6’1 weighs 280 pounds and is one of the strongest kids I’ve seen, pound for pound. In fact, he’a already squatting over 400 pounds and benching 280 pounds–as an eighth grader. Elien is a ferocious blocker with a strong lower half that enables him to move his opponents with ease. With his strength, he has little problem moving people to open up run lanes in the run game. The powerful prospect is off to Owasso High School in the fall, with a varsity program that finished 10-5 a year ago. The Rams play all the traditional Oklahoma powerhouses: Bixby, Jenks, Union, Broken Arrow, Mustang, etc., so he come battle-tested against some of the states brightest future stars. In addition to his strength and size, he has pretty good fundamentals and is able to handle a variety of different athletes with the same level of success on every play. He has a strong punch with good feet, consistently knowing how to win in the trenches. With everything that I have seen from him, he is trending towards being an impact player in the trenches fairly early in his high school career. He’ll be at the PRZ Next Oklahoma Rising Prospect camp this April.
Cade Cooper is one of the more impressive all-around athletes that I have had a chance to evaluate out of this 2027 class. The Keystone State athlete has recently announced he’ll be heading to Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania for high school. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Cooper will be another big weapon for the Friars, whose varsity program finished 8-2 a year ago en route to the No.15. ranking in the state, per MaxPreps. Cooper primarily plays Wide Receiver, but has shown the ability to play multiple positions at a high level on both sides of the ball. He’s certainly is in the upper-echelon of the athleticism department and has no problem creating when he has the ball in his hands. He’s a long-strider who can cover a ton of ground in a short amount of time. With him being such a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands, it is obvious why he earned CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) MVP this past season. Being the plug-and-play athlete that he is, I would not be surprised to see him stack up some high offensive output games at the high school level early on in his career. He could be the answer on the outside that the run-first team (last year) was searching for.
Jeremiah Orcutt is an athlete to keep tabs on in the recruiting landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Jeremiah is a lengthy target who has shown to have a knack for making plays on the ball no matter where the ball is placed. Jeremiah is a sure-handed wideout makes catching the ball look easy. Jeremiah also has the vertical explosion to make plays on level three balls, which makes him a threat for red zone corner fades and jump balls over the middle of the field. One of the most impressive things about Jeremiah is his focus with he is catching the ball in double or triple coverage. No matter who many hands are around the ball, he always seems to be the one bringing it in. Jeremiah is a very exciting prospect to watch compete, and I hope he continues on his trajectory as he makes the jump up to the high school level after wrapping up a successful eighth-grade season on a talented Gridiron AIGA team in 2022.
TJ Lewis is a big-bodied back who is poised to be a tough out for defense’s in Illinois high school football over the next four years. The Land of Lincoln back stands at 5’9 and weighs 195 pounds and moves very well for his (unverified) size. Coming out of the backfield, TJ does a great job of keeping his pads low through the line of scrimmage, making defense dread tackling him once he breaks through the first level of the defense. Lewis brings a high level of physicality in his run game and is always fighting forward to maximize what the defense shows. The unique combination of pretty good speed, promising size, and obvious power allows him to keep the chains moving on a consistent basis. If he can improve top end speed, yet keep the element of power in his game, Lewis could become a Running Back programs will want to kick the tires on.