2027 Watch List: 18 Early OL & DL to Know
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The 2027 Watch List has made its debut and 100 of some of the top freshmen in the state have been added. While there will be many more added through the next three years, it’s important to recognize some of…
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Continue ReadingThe 2027 Watch List has made its debut and 100 of some of the top freshmen in the state have been added. While there will be many more added through the next three years, it’s important to recognize some of the 2027 prospects and start getting them on the radar. Here are some 2027 offensive & defensive linemen that have shown early signs of developing into future college prospects.
Offensive Line
The 2027 signing day is three years away, but I’ll go ahead and put in a prediction that Princeton freshman offensive tackle Landyn Moore Landyn Moore 6’5″ | 280 lbs | OL Princeton | 2027 WV will be signing with a P4 program when it comes around. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was already preparing to head off to college in five months from watching his film and seeing him in pads. The 6’5 280 big man just wrapped up his freshman campaign with the Class AAA state runner-up Tigers and paired quite nicely with highly ranked 2024 OL and Air Force signee Eli Campbell Eli Campbell 6’3″ | 290 lbs | OL Princeton | 2024 State WV on the right side of their line. The two biggest traits that Moore has above most young linemen outside of prototypical size are nastiness and quick feet. He doesn’t move how most freshmen offensive linemen move and has natural athleticism that can’t be taught or coached. Moore has good bend and plays with good leverage for a young lineman his height. He can get wide on his kick slides and can stay in front of smaller and quicker defensive ends and edge rushers further showcasing his high-level footwork for his age. Moore also shows great early strength and drive and does a great job sustaining and finishing blocks. It wouldn’t surprise me if he received some offers before his sophomore season and is a surefire D1 prospect.
Highlights
South Charleston has quite a few 2027 linemen prospects with bright futures but the one with the highest upside and potential may be Elijah Bausley Elijah Bausley 6’2″ | 250 lbs | OL South Charleston | 2027 WV . He’s the younger brother of former Black Eagle two-time all-stater Xavier Bausley who recently transferred back to WV to WVU from Jacksonville State where he was a Freshman All-American this past season. The Second Team All-MSAC performer has the potential to follow in his footsteps of eventually developing into a D1 prospect. Listed at 6’2 250, Bausley still has plenty of room to grow, and his older brother measures in at 6’5 so Elijah will likely keep growing over the next few years. On the field, he’s an athletic and physical young guard who has shown some versatility in being able to play both guard spots, center, and tackle. Bausley shows good foot quickness when pulling and on kick steps in pass protection. He can block down to the second level or in space after pulling and also does a nice job of hand fighting. Continued development in the weight room along with physical growth will serve him well but Bausley has the ability and family pedigree to become a high-level prospect in time.
Highlights
Yet another Philip Barbour Colt offensive line prospect that I like is 2027 guard Ayden Bremigan Ayden Bremigan 6’0″ | 265 lbs | OL Philip Barbour | 2027 WV . Bremigan first got on my radar after seeing him in person at the Winter Exposure Showcase back in December where he caught my eye as a raw but high-potential young lineman. The 6’0 265 big man saw plenty of varsity action on a Philip Barbour team that won their first playoff game in school history. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a full-time starter in 2024 as he showed flashes as a freshman and at the camp I saw him at. Bremigan has a prototypical guard frame and stature and this will be a huge off-season for him in the weight room to take his game and body to the next level. He’s already shown he has the feet and athleticism to develop into a very good guard prospect and now just needs to let his strength and fundamentals catch up. I’m a believer in him and Bremigan has a bright future if he puts the work in.
Another 2027 offensive lineman who caught my eye at the Winter Exposure Showcase back in December was Morgantown’s Konnor Mott Konnor Mott 6’4″ | 290 lbs | OL Morgantown | 2027 WV . At 6’4 290, Mott already has great size and strength development for his age. For being as big as he is already, Mott moves well for his age and size and has natural athleticism that will greatly benefit him down the road. He’s a four-sport athlete and owns the shot put record at South Middle School. High school highlights are limited right now but I thought he popped at defensive line where he further showcased quality early athleticism with a quick first step and burst off of line. Morgantown will need to replace quite a few senior varsity offensive linemen in 2024 and it wouldn’t surprise me if Mott slides into one of those spots as a sophomore.
An offensive lineman who impressed me on the Parkersburg Big Reds’ younger team was Drey Grinter Drey Grinter 6’1″ | 270 lbs | OL Parkersburg | 2027 WV . The 6’1 270 big man plays with a level of physicality and nastiness that I loved seeing from a young lineman. Grinter played both guard and tackle this season and it will depend on how much longer he gets to decide which spot he translates better to at the next level. He showed quality athleticism and feet as a freshman showing he can play tackle if he gets a bit longer. I love the way he plays the offensive line position at an early age and has the mindset and tools to develop into one of the top OL in the 2027 class in time. Grinter is a bully on the field and a powerful young lineman who could do just about anything he wanted to do on the freshmen/JV team. I think he has a very good chance of being a varsity starter as a sophomore and has a great future at the position.
Cabell Midland has some promising freshmen coming up the ranks as expected and another one that I like is OL Braeden Armstead Braeden Armstead 6’2″ | 230 lbs | OL Cabell Midland | 2027 WV . Armstead is a 6’2 230 left tackle right now who looks like the type of athlete that will keep growing. He’s a three-sport athlete who is also a very good baseball player as well as on the hardwood and will have some options for which sport he wants to play in college. Depending on how he grows and which sport he gravitates more towards, Armstead can develop into a quality offensive line prospect over the next three years. I thought he flashed a lot of good things on his freshman highlight tape and if he can put on the size needed to play the position he’ll have the talent to play there at the next level. Armstead already possesses the athleticism and physicality needed to play offensive line and was driving defenders 15+ yards downfield at times on film. He flashed some violent hands and very good foot quickness for his age that allows him to block down to the second level and in space. I think Armstead has a high ceiling for OL if he puts on more size and another young lineman in their program who has impressed early on.
Highlights
Another South Charleston Black Eagle with tremendous upside and potential is offensive tackle Morgan Watts Morgan Watts 6’6″ | 280 lbs | OL South Charleston | 2027 WV . Watts was a Special Honorable Mention All-MSAC performer as a freshman whose best football is ahead of him. He has elite size for a freshman tackle at 6’6 280 which gives him a very high ceiling with continued development. His highlights are very limited at this time but does appear to move well for his size and age. As more film becomes available we’ll have a better evaluation for him, but Watts is certainly worth mentioning as a future offensive tackle prospect name to know.
The third South Charleston offensive lineman to be mentioned as a 2027 prospect to watch is center Lincoln Johnson Lincoln Johnson 6’3″ | 270 lbs | OL South Charleston | 2027 WV . The very young Black Eagles struggled mightily this season, albeit versus a gauntlet of a schedule, but there are a lot of exciting young players coming up to help turn their program around. The 6’3 270 freshman anchored the Black Eagles’ line from his center position this season and can also play defensive tackle. Johnson is probably the most raw athlete of the three at this time but can develop himself into a scholarship-level prospect over the next three years. He has a wrestling background that should greatly benefit him at center and has done some good things on the mat this year too. If Johnson puts in the work over the next three years I think he’ll develop into a quality offensive line prospect.
Defensive Line
Dominic Asbury Dominic Asbury 5’8″ | 240 lbs | DL Wheeling Central | 2027 WV had a very productive freshman season for perennial power Wheeling Central and is a defensive lineman to know over the next three years. The 5’8 240 defensive tackle was the third-leading tackler for the Maroon Knights totaling 51 tackles and 3 TFLs. Asbury has good short-area quickness to pair with early strength and power. He can drive offensive linemen back in 1-on-1 blocks while flashing violent hands at times. Asbury can break double teams and fight through them to make a play at the line of scrimmage. He showed good pursuit speed for his age and size and plays until the whistle showing the willingness to chase down ball carriers downfield. Added size would raise his ceiling further, but Asbury has shown early ability and development as a freshman.
A Class A defensive lineman to know is Man defensive end Jake Endicott Jake Endicott 6’2″ | 230 lbs | DL Man | 2027 WV . Having seen him in person at their playoff game against Cameron, Endicott has legit 6’2 230 size who I thought was a senior before looking him up. He’s a man-child right now who will learn how to fully utilize his size and athleticism over the next three years. Endicott has the natural athletic ability and size to further develop in time, but it’s fun to watch him go out there and run around making plays as a raw athlete. You can picture him getting up to 6’3-6’4 and 250 pounds in the future and should have a D2 floor by the time he’s a senior. Endicott is a 2027 prospect that I’m excited to follow and watch develop throughout the next three years and is someone who I believe has a high ceiling and great upside.
Other 2027 OL & DL to Know:
Bradley Crowder Bradley Crowder 5'10" | 250 lbs | OL Herbert Hoover | 2027 WV – Herbert Hoover
Braylon Watts Braylon Watts 6'0" | 230 lbs | DL George Washington | 2027 WV – George Washington
Chris Garlow Chris Garlow 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL East Fairmont | 2027 WV – East Fairmont
Christian Hoosier Christian Hoosier 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Williamstown | 2027 WV – Williamstown
Jace Repass Jace Repass 6'1" | 275 lbs | OL Westside | 2027 WV – Westside
Kaiden Wilborne Kaiden Wilborne 5'11" | 300 lbs | OL South Charleston | 2027 WV – South Charleston
Vincent Arnicar Vincent Arnicar 6'2" | 315 lbs | OL Washington | 2027 WV – Washington
Zion Reaves Zion Reaves 5'11" | DL Martinsburg | 2027 WV – Martinsburg
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