AL Pops’ Class of 2027 Prospect Evaluations – 4.27

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the constant search for who the biggest and brightest stars of tomorrow are, PRZ Next stays with a constant eye towards the future of football. Here's a look at five class of 2027 prospects, from five different states, that I'm high on today.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":[1030649],"_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":"- Comes with very good size for an 2027 prospect already standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and is starting to develop a muscular buildu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- Played in all five varsity games, on both sides of the ball, as an eighth-grader this past season at Mount Zion Christian Academy. The school has gained a reputation for the athletes that have come out of it, such as NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e- Johnson has film as a quarterback and some at safety, but I think the safe bet right now would be to list him as an Athlete. At this size, with good athleticism and above average speed the possibilities are endless. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for him to end up as a play-making Tight End when it's all said and done","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["803126"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"- Immensely talented running back/linebacker prospect from Live Oak, Florida. A small town in northern Florida that equidistant between Tallahassee and Jacksonville. He'll be at Suwanee High School in the fallu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- Very productive at the running back position with a mix of power and good speed. Already stands a muscular 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. I drew a very quick comparison in running style, build and ability to former second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings and unanimous 2009 All-American running back out of Stanford, Toby Gerhartu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- As talented of a football player as Moran is, he's an even better baseball player. As of February he was ranked the No.1 catcher and No.10 overall prospect in Florida, in addition to being the No.12 catcher and No.74 prospect in the class of 2027, per Perfect Game.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["692440"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"- Really like the way Moll plays the game of football as wide receiver, but u003cstrongu003eLOVE u003c/strongu003ethe way he plays the safety position in the secondaryrnrn- Fearless and attacking in the secondary, he goes after every ball as if it's his. Knows when to go for the body versus the ball. I think there's room to improve as an overall athlete, in particular his speed, but there's certainly something herernrn- Despite being an Arkansas native, he plays 7v7 for a very good and talent-rich Sooner 7v7 program, based out of Oklahoma. He played his pre-high school ball at Bentonville Jr. High and will be off to Bentonville for high school. Following the same pathway as 2026 prospects Chris Ficklin and Blair Irvin III, who both made the PRZ Next National Watchlist as 8th graders and are currently ranked No.10 and No.11 in our 2026 Arkansas rankings.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["785372"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"- There aren't too many high school programs in the country that wouldn't be over the moon to have a 6-foot-4, 200-pound incoming freshman tight end/defensive end like Ballinger.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e- A three-sport athlete (also plays baseball and basketball) that also deadlifts over 300 pounds, his athleticism is scary for his size. At Tight End can line up in the slot or split out wide and cause mismatch nightmares. Also has the speed to take end-arounds the distance or to pick up big yards after the catchu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- The Centerburg High School football program in Ohio has made the playoffs for three straight years and has won the conference championship two of the last three years. Ballinger is the top kid, in a talented 2027 group, that looks to continue the trend for the Trojans","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["803284"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"- From what I've seen out in the Silver State, which has a lot of talent in this current eighth-grade group, Thatcher is my top quarterback in the 2027 class at this pointu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- Has all the physical tools you could want in a quarterback that is asked to do much more than just sit back and throw it, in today's brand of football. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds (unverified) he's a dual-threat but can also throw the deep ball. For a comparison, think 2022 Pro Bowl quarterback, Jalen Hurtsu003cbru003eu003cbru003e- Thatcher has a likable competitive edge to him. A cancer survivor, he's also a talented basketball player that can dunk. His brother, u003cstrongu003eChristian Thatcher u003c/strongu003eis a 2025 Linebacker prospect that is quickly closing in on 20 offers. Catch both Thatcher's at Arbor View High School in the fall","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644aa95ebbdcb"} /-->