2025 Rankings Update: The Stockrisers

Ian Guerin May 2, 2023 @ 11:19 AM

The Class of 2025 rankings now reflect an even more accurate portrayal of what this class could become.   It's not difficult to see a number of stockrisers are leading the way for the rising juniors in South Carolina.   From players how made minimal jumps so far this offseason to others to grabbed this class by the horns, the moves and shakers of the bunch have made their mark in a big way.   THE MID-RANGE JUMPERS   Sometimes, it doesn't take a lot of movement for a player to make even minimal gains count.   But we've got a few previously ranked guys who made some headway, just the same.   Westside quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='346189' first='Cutter' last='Woods'] moved up three spots overall to No. 2, a placement that also means he's now the top-ranked quarterback in the class of 2025, at least for now. He's going to continue to get heavy competition from the likes of Richland Northeast's [player_tooltip player_id='272698' first='Will' last='Wilson'], Northwestern's [player_tooltip player_id='241044' first='Finley' last='Polk'], Irmo's [player_tooltip player_id='272713' first='AJ' last='Brand'] and Chesterfield's [player_tooltip player_id='272704' first='Kaegan' last='Chambers'], among others, for the foreseeable future.   Speaking of Brand, the young dual-threat signal caller moved up five spots to No. 14 overall, while Folks jumped two spots to No. 11 overall.    WAY, WAY UP   Among the previously ranked players, no one made the leap of Myrtle Beach defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='605530' first='Israel' last='Brown'].   The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder was hand-timed at 4.41 in the 40 back in March, when he was starting to really take hold of his track future at the same time. Brown, who is competing for the Seahawks in the 4x100 relay, the high jump and the triple jump is starting to put up figures that will allow him to potentially compete for state championships this time in two years.   That's not the only reason he's jumping up in the rankings, though.   Rather, it's the body of work he's adding that freak athletic ability to.   Last fall, as a sophomore, Brown developed into a would-be shut-down corner against some really, really good offenses. In addition to a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery, he proved his tackling skills were up the charts for most cover corners. He piled up 57 total stops on the year and wasn't afraid to go right at tight ends or running backs coming right for him.   Put it altogether, and he moved from No. 68 overall to No. 47.   FROM UNRANKED TO THE TOP 10   Two players didn't just move into our rankings. They've done everything necessary to be considered among the best in their classifications.   Lake City defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='809742' first='Amare' last='Adams'] - all 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds of him - was a clear-cut addition to our rankings, sure, but to move him into the overall No. 1 spot, we needed to see something special. Check.   Adams has attracted the attention of the majority of the SEC and ACC and schools as far away as Ohio State have pulled the trigger after word got out on the big lineman. He was as close to an obvious choice for our team as we've had to date.   And while [player_tooltip player_id='624354' first='Cam'Rich' last='Smith'] is less than 10 months into to his position, he's continued to impress this offseason after a dynamic first season at linebacker. The former tailback led Spartanburg in tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. He was an easy pick for all-region honors and might just be the best returning defensive player coming back in a jam-packed Class 5A region. His length suggests another couple inches in height are on the way. If that happens, there's no telling how far he rises up the recruiting charts.

The Class of 2025 rankings now reflect an even more accurate portrayal of what this class could become.