WV Preseason Spotlight: Buckhannon-Upshur
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As we reach the under one-month window until the 2023 football season begins, we will spotlight some of West Virginia’s prospects to watch for this season. Today we will focus on Buckhannon-Upshur HS. Here are some prospects you need to…
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Continue ReadingAs we reach the under one-month window until the 2023 football season begins, we will spotlight some of West Virginia’s prospects to watch for this season. Today we will focus on Buckhannon-Upshur HS. Here are some prospects you need to keep an eye on from Buckhannon-Upshur HS for the 2023 season.
Buckhannon-Upshur offensive lineman Ryan Kelley Ryan Kelley 6’7″ | 345 lbs | OL Buckhannon-Upshur | 2024 State WV is one of the biggest athletes in all of West Virginia. The 6’7 355 offensive tackle earned Class AAA Honorable Mention All-State as a junior in 2022 and should increase that recognition this season for his senior year. For being that big of an athlete, Kelley moves pretty well for his size and his team asks him to pull and block in space in their wing offense. Kelley ragdolls defenders often and unsurprisingly he’s a strong athlete that can push people around. He overpowers opposing players consistently and is very tough to get past. Kelley should be one of the state’s top 2024 offensive linemen in 2023 and currently ranks as our #51 overall prospect and #10 rated offensive lineman in his class.
Bryson Johnston Bryson Johnston 6’2″ | 185 lbs | DB Buckhannon-Upshur | 2024 State WV is a do-it-all athlete for the Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers that can play several positions in all three phases of the game. Johnston mans one of the Buccaneers’ HB spots in their Power-T formations and can run or catch the ball. At 6’2 170, Johnston has good size and probably best translates as a wide receiver at the next level. He was also an All-Conference player previously as a defensive back where he’s talented as well. Johnston is even the starting punter and can return and cover kicks too. He’s a bit of a Swiss-Army-Knife for Buckhannon-Upshur and a versatile athlete who plays multiple sports. Johnston also showed the ability to block in the running game in their run-heavy offense.
Buckhannon-Upshur has a very promising 2025 offensive lineman in 6’3 330 Daren Daugherty Daren Daugherty 6’3″ | 330 lbs | OL Philip Barbour | 2025 State WV . Daugherty has been a starter for the Buccaneers since his freshman year and will be a 4-year letterman by the time he graduates. Daugherty lives in the weight room and has videos on his Twitter putting up impressive weight since he was in middle school. He and Kelley are a force on the right side of the Buccaneers’ line and they often run behind those two studs. Daugherty also sees time on the defensive line but I like him as an offensive guard at the next level. He should be one of the top 15 offensive linemen in the 2025 class by the time he graduates.
Highlights
Dawson Tenney Dawson Tenney 6’0″ | 170 lbs | QB Buckhannon-Upshur | 2026 WV took over the reins at quarterback for the Buccaneers as a freshman in 2022 and it looks like they have their QB of the future. Tenney’s football IQ must be very advanced to run that type of offense at such a young age and he performed admirably as a freshman. The 5’11 160 rising sophomore is also athletic and you could likely label him as a dual-threat QB. Tenney has good pocket mobility and scrambling ability and showed he can throw on the run accurately but also take off and run if needed. Tenney isn’t tasked with throwing the ball 30 times a game but when he does he throws a good ball and can hit on all three levels of the passing routes. Even when pressure is in his face, Tenney remains calm and doesn’t panic which you love to see in a young QB. The future is bright for this 2026 quarterback and a name to watch for the next three years.
Highlights
There’s not a lot of football film out there right now on 2025 TE Carter Zuliani Carter Zuliani 6’6″ | 230 lbs | DL Buckhannon-Upshur | 2025 State WV but the 6’5 220 athlete certainly has a lot of promise. Zuliani is a talented basketball player that averaged nearly 8 ppg and 8 rpg as a sophomore last season. He shows off his athleticism with easy dunks and can really get up and block a shot. That kind of athleticism can easily translate to the football field and if Zuliani puts in the work he could eventually develop into a D1 tight end. I’m a big proponent of 6’4-6’7 basketball power forwards and centers going all in on the tight end position for football and their ceiling is very high for the position. I’m excited to watch how Zuliani develops over the next two seasons and eager to see more football film of him. He entered our 2025 rankings as the #56 overall player and #2 ranked TE for his upside and potential.