Breaking Down the Cornerstones of Virginia, 2027 Top 1-5

<p class="text-gray-700">5'11, 165. Put forth incredible freshman tape after his first year at Trinity Episcopal School, a program that's a part of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, away from the VHSA. Leads all 2027 Virginia prospects in terms of recruiting heat, Rainer has over 20+ offers to date. The likes of Michigan State, Penn State, USC, and Duke are all lining up to attempt to build something early with a young man who reminds me a ton of PA's top 2027 prospect, Larry Moon. </p>   <p>Tape begins with Rainer showing off his ability to collapse on his zone and make open-field tackles. A good blend of 1v1s, mixed in are block shedding reps that display just how nasty a tackler Rainer can be. A ton of tone-setting energy exhausted, kid has juice to his game outside of coverage skills. Has experience playing on an island, first coverage rep has Rainer playing man/press. Awesome balance through contact, great use of his inside-hand to stab and force leverage outside. I don't see too many freshmen with bump-and-run capabilities like this. Has a natural feel for playing off-coverage, can break on the football without having to keep eyes on the quarterback. I have to pump the breaks a bit but the young man almost looks college-ready after his first tape. Likely not ready for Big10/SEC ball of course, but Rainer is way ahead of the curve in terms of technique and feel. A ton of Rainer's tape showcases his edge-setting capabilities in run support, I bet there are potential suitors who are waiting to see more coverage reps once his sophomore tape releases, despite a good chunk of coverage reps scattered throughout his four-minute tape. Would love a chance to see this DB in person this Fall. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Khalid_Rainer/status/1785347034502901974 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Huguenot's [player_tooltip player_id='485443' first='Iveon' last='Lewis'] sat atop my 2027 board for longer than Rainer if I'm honest. After film study of each prospect, no one player excited me more in terms of future potential. When building these rankings, I must weigh actual production alongside future projection, I'd argue the difference between Trinity Episcopal's Rainer and Huguenot's [player_tooltip player_id='485443' first='Iveon' last='Lewis']. </p>   <p>6'2, 180, had a four-score game in his HS career debut. An overbearing wideout whose tape proves he can win with stride and physicality. Can play inside or outside slot at 6'2 yet Lewis is an obvious choice at X to play on an island. Has the nuance, tempo, balance, and body control to win against both man/press or man/off coverage. Has the hand-eye coordination to expand his radius far above his head, the type of wideout prospect you have to give occasional opportunities to despite blanket coverage. Can separate at the LOS thanks to physical hands, can separate downfield thanks to a track-like stride. A monster go-route target who is only going to get better in terms of attacking a defense vertically. Would love to see his route tree expand, but it bodes well that Huguenot deploys Lewis at various alignments. A lot better after the catch than I previously thought. This all amounts to what could be an all-around dominant offensive weapon, one who is equally hot on the recruiting trail as the above-ranked [player_tooltip player_id='720778' first='Khalid' last='Rainer']. Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Duke are all in on this soon-to-be sophomore. It'll be tough to poke holes in this kid's game two years from now. He'll likely be vying for top-rank positioning each and every update.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/gocrazzy0/status/1752366173923029248 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">DL/OL. 6'5, 290 pounds, boasts a 7'2 wingspan. </p>   <p>If I were a betting man, I'd say with close certainty that Rashad "Junior" Saunders will likely be the future top-ranked Virginia 2027 prospect. The sole reason we ranked Rainer and Lewis over Saunders this past update was because of the lack of offensive tackle reps provided. Not to the fault of Saunders at all. Speaking of Saunders' freshman tape, I can't help but be enamored with his future projection to offensive tackle. The seven-foot wingspan, 6'5, and a 290-pound frame built on broad shoulders, you can't help but see a Power Four tackle in Saunders. This especially true after seeing some promising reps on tape. Yes, the majority of Saunders' tape has him stationed at DE/IDL, where he is overtly dominant. I'm sure there are many college coaches scouting his game that actually like Saunders at IDL/DE, he's a natural interior disruptor who doesn't do much thinking on the fly. Awesome upper body strength, can lock out his arms on matchups stationed on either side of the ball. Can win off torque and power alone, will likely follow the footsteps of [player_tooltip player_id='235425' first='Darius' last='Gray'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1228316' first='Jaylen' last='Gilchrist']. Saunders already has quite the list forming in his favor, the likes of Tennessee, Maryland, N.C. State, VA Tech, and Penn State have already reached out to the Woodberry Forest lineman in the form of scholarship offers. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JrSaunders8/status/1780733283573407852 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">6'4-6'5, weighing between 215-225. Fits the stereotypical class-defining pass-rusher mold. 3.8 GPA. Almost listed as an ATH considering he can align anywhere on the defensive line. Whitehead can also serve as an OLB in most 3-4 fronts, he's got the burst and length to play the position athletically. LC Bird can get creative with Whitehead at TE or wideout, although I firmly believe his future lies along the front seven in some fashion/alignment. Offers out of Syracuse, Penn State, Florida State, and VA Tech. Will end up a 15-20+ offer holder.</p>   <p>Tape starts off with his hand in the dirt in a traditional DE alignment. Fantastic backfield reader, displays a good/great understanding of offensive traffic flow. Shows he can work upfield to get the quarterback deep in the pocket, next rep shows he can crash down the LOS to help shut down run plays before they can expand into the second level. Has some game-wrecker in him, looks to play the football when attacking quarterbacks. Can catch tackles off-guard after the snap thanks to an athletic get-off, often gets his hands inside the chest of a tackle only to quickly and powerfully swipe the hands to create displacement. Phenomenal pursuit angles taken, great motor too. If Whitehead can put on a good 5-10 pounds of muscle while maintaining athleticism and twitch, he'll stay among the top of our ranks for years on end. I'll keep my eye on how LC Bird utilizes Whitehead away from DE if they decide to explore and expand on his positional versatility.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/chriswhiteheadz/status/1792551182226907388 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I can say with confidence that Huguenot's [player_tooltip player_id='1311467' first='Zayvon' last='Miller'] garnered serious consideration for the one spot. Miller, along with the four above-mentioned prospects, all received the same grade. Miller simply "fell" to this spot because of position importance/value, as the majority of Miller's tape has him stationed at safety. Because Huguenot needs him at safety doesn't mean he's strapped to this position in terms of collegiate future, although he's an elite backend talent. Penn State, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin have all offered Miller, among many others that are invested in Virginia HS football. </p>   <p>6'3, 185. Boasts a quick two-minute tape on Hudl yet fully encapsulates the type of DB you're getting. Deployed in many two-high sets yet can play in single-high/Cover 3 sets as well. Tends to play 12-16 yards off the ball and does the majority of his damage away from the LOS. A centerfielder with phenomenal presence, range, and route recognition. Hands are that of a wideouts, can flip the switch from DB to playmaker. Elite awareness, I don't use the word elite often. Later in tape you can witness Miller's ability to fill the alley with intent on bringing down the ball carrier. You can witness Miller attack would-be WR blockers, shed, and pursue the ball carrier. He isn't a one-trick pony. Miller and Lewis on both sides of the ball just isn't fair. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/2k_ziggy/status/1791543862885851573 </div></figure>