5 New Names To Know In The 2027 Class

<p>With the first ranking of the 2027 class dropping last week, we're looking at 5 of the new names on the list and why we should be watching them moving forward.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1133449' first='Ryan' last='Minges'] - East Central - RB - 5'11" 195lbs</h2>   <p>There will be a massive hole in East Central's program next year with Ringer off to Miami. But, with that being said, they do seem to have a young back who is ready to roll. Minges worked in some this year behind Ringer, showing he's a capable young back. He's got a nice frame, he's thick and he can bounce off tackles. He's a much more straight-line, run-through-you, churn-out-the-hard-earned yards type of runner, but he's still got the speed to be explosive. Once he gets his footwork down to a T, he'll be incredibly hard to stop because his vision is one of his best traits. His freshman year saw him put up 410 yards and 4 TDs, which is just enough work to show what you can do. An impressive stat via the EC Program is that he had 245 yards after contact. This means over half of his yards were gained after being contacted. He's hard to bring down and the tape speaks for itself. Minges has set himself up nicely for a Sophomore breakout, so we'll be watching to see if he can live up to those expectations.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@RyanMinges</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1133488' first='Caleb' last='Kiengele'] - Northside - WR - 5'9" 165lbs</h2>   <p>One of the more impressive freshman campaigns belongs to the young WR in Fort Wayne. Kiengele operated mainly out of the slot and did a fantastic job all year long. For his size, he's really competitive in the air and does a great job with contested catches. He also does a good job giving the QB a big target. He's good downfield and does a good job creating separation with his last cut of the route. He was a chain mover and someone they could rely on to win, get open, and make the catch. While he has good top-end speed and could be a deep threat, it seems he's best at eating the defense alive underneath and finding the soft spot. He put up 27 catches, 260 yards, and 2 TDs on the year, but showcased everything he needed to in year 1. Kiengele is talented and should continue to develop into a phenomenal slot WR.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@CalebKiengele</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1133487' first='Kobe' last='Pullon'] - Castle - DL - 6'2" 190lbs</h2>   <p>Making an impact in year 1 is always the goal, making an impact and proving to be a player who is going to ruin games for offenses in years to come is the dream, and Pullon has to be living the dream right now. He had an impressive freshman year, to say the least. He's got a thick and growing frame that you can tell he's spent time developing. With 3 years left after this one, where he is has to be pretty exciting for the coaching staff. He's strong, relentless, and does a good job finding different ways to win, especially when they put him on the outside. Pullon is able to keep the edge while rushing the passer, and if he takes off, Pullon can run him down. He has long strides and chews up massive chunks of yardage. 32 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble round out his freshman year, but it's the way he looked doing it. Pullon seems to be half a step ahead of the other 2027 recruits and if he continues to develop and play at a high level, he'll be the premier DL of the class.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Kppp_7</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1128463' first='Tristan' last='Burelison'] - Portage - LB - 5'11" 180lbs</h2>   <p>Dynamic LBs can be one of the hardest things to slow down, and Burelison could be on his way to being that type of player. He's an explosive LB who does a great job tracking the near hip of whoever he's after. He's able to run down just about anyone, and when he's rushing the passer, he's at least able to impact the throwing lane if he doesn't get home. As quick as he is, especially at the line, he can get to the QB pretty quickly. It was pretty clear early on that he's most effective near the LOS. Whether he's rushing the passer or playing the run, Burelison has shown the ability to win in both scenarios. While he could use some time in the weight room to be more dominant at the line, he's young and has plenty of time. It's clear he's already in the weight room and doing what he needs to do off the field because he was successful on the field in year 1. I like Burelison and the flexibility he can give a defense down the road.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@TristanBurelis2</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1128464' first='Brody' last='Ramirez'] - Lake Central - RB - 6'0" 200lbs</h2>   <p>If there's an early obvious breakout candidate for the 2024 season, it's Ramirez for me. At least in the 2027 class, because he was worked in as a freshman, and because he's got a handful of tools you need to be successful. He's thick with a lower center of gravity. He's harder to bring down than guys seem to anticipate on first contact. This year was about getting his feet wet and seeing some live bullets flying. He handled himself well and should secure a bigger role next year. He's a downhill runner who doesn't waste much time or energy. His vision is decent and he can jumpcut to the next gap if needed. He had quite a bit of JV work and some big games, but on Varsity, he only had 9 carries but put up 87 yards. He had multiple big runs and did a good job picking up yardage every time he touched the ball. Ramirez is young, but he's a bigger back who should see a bigger step in volume next year. He checks out and if breaks out, I'd be 0% shocked.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@BrodyRamirez12</strong></p>

With the first ranking of the 2027 class dropping last week, we're looking at 5 of the new names on the list and why we should be watching them moving forward.