Community Film Room, Episode 32
In this article:
Our Spring rankings update pinpointed even more players from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes. For a variety of reasons, our team decided that each of those new additions were worthy of a coveted spot in our rankings. But we’d…
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Continue ReadingOur Spring rankings update pinpointed even more players from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes. For a variety of reasons, our team decided that each of those new additions were worthy of a coveted spot in our rankings.
But we’d be naive to think we’ve evaluated everyone or didn’t miss a few along the way.
PRZ South Carolina is constantly looking at as many of the 10,000 prep football players in the SCHSL and SCISA ranks as possible. Now, the Community Film Room is back.
In each edition, we’ll break down five (currently) unranked players from across the state to let you see what we’re seeing. The series will lead right into the the start of the 2023 football season and – not long after – our next rankings update.
In Episode 32, we’re taking a strong look at four linemen and a tailback who is about to see his carries increase.
Zack Ramsey Zack Ramsey 6'4" | 245 lbs | TE T L Hanna | 2024 SC TE/OL, TL Hanna
Call him a tight end. Or an extra tackle. Whatever. Just know that Ramsey is a ferocious blocker who helped the Yellow Jackets’ Wing-T offense average 31.5 points per game last fall against a punishing schedule. Ramsey is extremely active and has no issues playing either side of the line when asked. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, he’s basically the perfect mix of size and quickness in this scheme. It’s why some project him as an interior lineman while others see him moving to a more traditional H-back spot in the future.
Phillip McLean Phillip McLean 6'4" | 295 lbs | OL Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC OL, Carolina Forest
Carolina Forest’s offense has been so diverse the last two seasons with quarterback Scott Saylor running the show. Saylor is off to Coastal Carolina, but the Panthers’ big left tackle (pictured) is back for one more season, and that’s a good thing for the rebuild. McLean (pictured) was not all that long ago just a really big guy (6-foot-4, 295 pounds). But now he’s a really big guy who has shown a proficiency standing up opposing linemen, pushing them off the ball or away from the pocket when necessary and even pulling back across the middle of the play.
Jacari Bennett DL, JL Mann
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Bennett was a Class 5A All-State honorable mention pick and the Region I-5A Defensive Player of the Year after he piled up 86 total tackles, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Bennett is capable of that type of production yet again because he has very little wind-up at the snap. He just goes. He’ll be on a short list of players to lead the state in sacks this year, and he’s a strong candidate for some all-star consideration.
Shaheem Robbs Shaheem Robbs 5'9" | 190 lbs | RB Belton-Honea Path | 2024 State SC RB, Belton-Honea Path
While junior Marquise Henderson Marquise Henderson 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Belton-Honea Path | 2025 State SC has been the main attraction at tailback for BHP the last 12 months, Robbs is about to see his own production get every chance to increase, too. The 5-foot-8, 195-pound ball carrier averaged a respectable 5.7 yards per carry last year (when he and Henderson were sharing the load with the now-departed AJ Pendleton). Robbs’ best attribute is that he isn’t wasting his time dancing in the backfield. He hits the hole with authority and then makes any necessary adjustments from there.
Marcus Downs Marcus Downs 6'5" | 250 lbs | DL Riverside | 2024 State SC DT, Riverside
Downs was a pretty good player as a junior, when he recorded 34 tackles and four sacks. But what scouts are looking at – and why he’s now down to a top five that includes Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Georgia and North Carolina – is that his 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame and the way he uses it doesn’t come around very often. Downs is stronger than most of the players he’ll line up against at this level and plays with the type of physically gifted skills that are even more rare than his size.