2026 Rankings: New Additions (Defense)
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Interior lineman and edge rushers. Middle linebackers with ridiculous numbers and safeties who move into the crease with ease. Corners with elite skill sets. All of them are among the additions to the Prep RedZone Class of 2026 rankings. In…
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Continue ReadingInterior lineman and edge rushers. Middle linebackers with ridiculous numbers and safeties who move into the crease with ease.
Corners with elite skill sets.
All of them are among the additions to the Prep RedZone Class of 2026 rankings.
In total, 26 of the 50 additions to our list stem from the defensive side of the ball. They help comprise rosters at schools big and small alike.
The one thing that draw them together is an ability to play this game at a high level early in their careers.
Let’s introduce you to each of the new names in the PRZ rankings.
Cedric Wherry Cedric Wherry 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB South Pointe | 2026 State SC DB, South Pointe – Finished his sophomore season with 45 total tackles, nine pass breakups and a pick from his roaming spot in the secondary.
Ophir Hill Ophir Hill 5'7" | 195 lbs | LB Lower Richland | 2026 State SC LB, Lower Richland – Diamond Hornets top tackler from a season ago averaged better than six stops per game.
Daniel Capehart Daniel Capehart 5'11" | 180 lbs | LB Dillon | 2026 State SC LB, Dillon – Well positioned to finish next season with 80-plus tackles and make more of the high-impact bigger plays.
Denardo Henry Denardo Henry 5'9" | 195 lbs | DL Ridgeland | 2026 State SC LB, Ridgeland – Edge can start with his hand on the ground or in a standing position. His goal every time is the same; get to the quarterback.
Jayden Jenkins Jayden Jenkins 5'9" | 160 lbs | DB Palmetto | 2026 State SC DB, Palmetto – Five interceptions from 2023 got our attention. His 32 tackles on top of the picks showed he wasn’t a one-trick pony.
Elijah Brown Elijah Brown 5'9" | 155 lbs | LB Ware Shoals | 2026 State SC LB, Ware Shoals – Even if Brown didn’t chip in at tailback, he’s be right here because of his proficiency making stops in heavy traffic.
John Miedreich John Miedreich 5'8" | 160 lbs | LB Riverside | 2026 State SC LB, Riverside – Averaged better than 13 stops per game, and he wasn’t even the Warriors’ top tackler. That player has graduated, leaving Miedreich potential for more.
Julian Senn Julian Senn 5'11" | 195 lbs | LB Newberry | 2026 State SC LB, Newberry – Seen is only beginning to show his long-term possibilities for not only tackles, but tackles for loss and turnovers.
Grayson Gunter Grayson Gunter 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Gilbert | 2026 State SC LB, Gilbert – Graded out at better than 90 percent last season while making all sorts of plays in areas other than tackles.
Elijah Williams Elijah Williams 6'0" | 315 lbs | DL Myrtle Beach | 2026 State SC DL, Myrtle Beach – Didn’t have big numbers while starting every game last fall, but he chewed up space so others could.
Jordan Ravenell Jordan Ravenell 5'10" | 170 lbs | DB Goose Creek | 2026 State SC DB, Goose Creek – Drew some hefty assignments on the island as a sophomore, and still made play after play after play.
JT Williams JT Williams 5'11" | 185 lbs | LB Summerville | 2026 State SC LB, Summerville – Williams got to learn on the job and contributed. Now he steps into a bigger role on the Green Wave defense.
Jordyn Best Jordyn Best 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Lower Richland | 2026 State SC DB, Lower Richland – Safety knows how to lower the boom and cover a lot of ground on the back end at the same time.
Anthony Atkins Anthony Atkins 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Christ Church | 2026 State SC DB, Christ Church – Had more of the state championship-winning corner’s PBUs turned into INTs, you would have heard his name a lot earlier.
Kayden Payne Kayden Payne 5'9" | 185 lbs | LB Ninety Six | 2026 State SC LB, Ninety Six – Made 32 tackles and two pass breakups and showed he could develop in a big way leading into his junior season.
Miles Wilson Miles Wilson 6'0" | 300 lbs | DL South Pointe | 2026 State SC DL, South Pointe – In 20 career varsity games, Wilson has already put up 63 tackles and 14 TFL. Now, he’s an upperclassman.
Amare Reaves Amare Reaves 5'8" | 160 lbs | DB South Florence | 2026 State SC DB, South Florence – Reaves pitches in on the Bruins roster with consistency, but he’s also able to make the home run defensive play, too.
Christopher Christopher SC ‘ last=’Glover’] LB, Calhoun County – The Saints’ top returning tackler will have to absorb some of the losses from three influential graduating players from last year’s team.
Antonio Brown Antonio Brown 5'8" | 185 lbs | LB Myrtle Beach | 2026 State SC LB, Myrtle Beach – Even at 5-foot-8, he finished the year with 78 tackles and 12 tackles for loss and a defensive touchdown for the Seahawks.
Wynn Meetze Wynn Meetze 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Gilbert | 2026 State SC DB, Gilbert – Indians’ top tackler finished 2023 with 123 stops, 11 tackles for loss, four picks and five pass breakups.
Kevin Rivers Kevin Rivers 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Berkeley | 2026 State SC LB, Berkeley (pictured) – Registered 65 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in his first full season on varsity.
Michael Posey Michael Posey 6'0" | 205 lbs | DL Eastside | 2026 State SC DL, Eastside – Posey’s numbers behind the line from last fall are ridiculous, and he only played a portion of the Eagles’ schedule.
Gray Patterson Gray Patterson 6'2" | 190 lbs | LB Fort Mill | 2026 State SC LB, Fort Mill – From his size to his mobility to his consistency, it’s not hard to be impressed by what he’s capable on this defense.
Dontrell Wilson Dontrell Wilson 6'1" | 310 lbs | DL Camden | 2026 State SC DL, Camden – Finished his sophomore season with 61 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
Jordan Boston Jordan Boston 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Hammond School | 2026 State SC DB, Brookland-Cayce – Most cornerbacks aren’t 6-foot-2, but Boston isn’t most cornerbacks, either.
Tamarion Watkins Tamarion Watkins 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Northwestern | 2026 State SC LB, Northwestern – Everyone talks about the Trojans’ offense. Watkins is among the reasons the defense should be mentioned more.