WV Preseason Spotlight: Jackson County
In this article:
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 Jackson County. Here are some prospects you need to…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
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 Jackson County. Here are some prospects you need to keep an eye on in Jackson for the 2023 season.
Collen Moore Collen Moore 5’11” | 170 lbs | LB Ripley | 2024 State WV was a Class AAA Honorable Mention All-State player last season as a junior for the Ripley Vikings and looks to repeat those honors for his senior year. His size isn’t going to blow you away at 5’11 170 but Moore doesn’t let that stop him from being a very stout linebacker. Moore even lines up at defensive tackle at times and is fun to watch. He gives 100% on every play and has no remorse for his body. Moore is very physical and fights off blockers well for a linebacker his size and is always creating havoc. He’s a consistent tackler and shoots gaps well to make plays in the backfield. Ripley has a nice pair of linebackers with Moore and Casto.
Jacob Bowling Jacob Bowling 6’0″ | 175 lbs | ATH Ravenswood | 2024 State WV is Ravenswood’s #1 option at running back in their triple option system and carried the load for the Red Devils last season. Bowling rushed for just over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns as a junior in 2022 with a long of 95 yards and had 3 games rushing for over 100 yards. He was also his team’s fourth-leading tackler and a good two-way player for Ravenswood. Bowling gets you the tough yards up the middle and is a hard runner. He has enough speed to get to the corner at times and can break loose for big gains. Bowling often doesn’t go down on first contact and will fight for those extra yards. He can even line up at quarterback too and is a versatile playmaker.
Jacob Burgess Jacob Burgess 5’9″ | 175 lbs | RB Ravenswood | 2026 WV saw some varsity time as a freshman for the Ravenswood Red Devils and appears to have a bright future for them. Burgess averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2022 and should see an expanded role in the offense moving forward. The best part of his game is his speed which will really help their triple-option offense if they can get him in space. Burgess also helps his team on defense at linebacker and with his speed he can fly around and make plays as he continues to develop. As a freshman, Burgess rushed for 152 yards and had 16 tackles on defense. As the 2026 prospect continues to develop he should become a very good player in time for the Red Devils.
The Ravenswood Red Devils have a crop of promising young talent and 2026 OL/DL Hayden Heath Hayden Heath 5’10” | 235 lbs | OL Ravenswood | 2026 WV is on track to be a good one. You don’t often see freshman offensive linemen on varsity but Heath saw a lot of playing time in his first year of high school. He has pretty good size for a young offensive lineman at 5’10 245 and should only continue to get bigger as time goes on. He showed early versatility along the line and saw reps at all three offensive line spots. I think he’ll eventually settle into the center role full-time as he gets older and anchor the Red Devils’ line. For a young lineman, Heath appears strong and can move bigger bodies on the defensive line. Offensive linemen are tasked with pulling a lot in Ravenswood’s system and Heath has the ability to do that. This 2026 lineman is a name to watch for the next three seasons.