2026 Rankings Update: Big-time Adds from the Watch List, Part III

<p><strong>Enjoy our newest rankings release. Use promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey.</strong></p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <p>As if they rose from the ashes like the Phoenix, there are prospects who seemingly come out of the woodwork. What differentiates this set of prospects from the rest is that from the ashes of the watchlist, they rose and are here to stay. Below are a handful of prospects that were watchlisted and, immediately upon film review, shot toward the top of our rankings for the class of 2026.</p>    <p>Listed as an athlete, partially because he does so many things well it is hard to project exactly where he will play at the next level, [player_tooltip player_id='1110220' first='Fiheem' last='Howell Jr'] is perhaps a player we should pay closer attention to. As a running back, Howell will lower his shoulder as he approaches the line. Able to get to his top speed quickly, we see that he has confidence in his skillset to totally reverse field. When cutting against the grain or working upfield, Howell will lower his pad level to lower his surface area and make his cuts sharper and quicker. I would categorize him as a very good zone scheme back.</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/FiheemH/status/1748454422940688817 </div></figure>     <p>There might not be one single player who shot up the highest from the watch list than [player_tooltip player_id='279299' first='Timothy' last='Hogan']. A top 30 player in the state and the number 1 linebacker in his class, Hogan accelerates through the hole very quickly after reading his keys. The sign of any great linebacker, we see him tackle well by wrapping low. Hogan sort of feels his way through the line at moments, but will bail and recover well in pass coverage. Many times we see him make tremendous plays on the ball - laying out, high pointing it, tipping them, and jumping higher than we typically expect linebackers. He has a proclivity to take away and clog passing lanes really well. When big gaps open Hogan takes the air out of them by pressing them hard and not missing tackles in the hole. His hips are really good and he is able to flip them quickly and often in coverage. </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/TimothyHogan_56/status/1782091032647156082 </div></figure>     <p>Positioning as one of Willingboro's top athletes, [player_tooltip player_id='1029761' first='Zahir' last='Bryant'] does many things right on the football field. Bryant plays safety both walked down near the line of scrimmage and deep back in the secondary, while also playing receiver. With the ball in his hands he is a cutback threat. This agility also causes him to make people miss in the open field. His get off is explosive, gaining an advantage immediately upon his release. Another part of his game that is intriguing is his ability to manipulate his speed to gain a step, specifically on switch routes. Defensively Bryant gets to his zone very quickly and has great breaks on the ball, exploding downhill in a hurry. When tackling he will lower his shoulder to lay the boom.</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/Wakemuppmoody </div></figure>     <p>The moment I saw an offensive and defensive film, I could tell I was going to like [player_tooltip player_id='1005632' first='Mekai' last='Henderson']. Defensively Henderson is a linebacker who actively attacks the ball when pursuing it from the backside. He has the speed to chase ball carriers down, hawking them, even if it means cutting past the rest of his team. Henderson accelerates extremely well, especially off of the edge. You can tell he is relentless in his approach and wants to make every plays. Lastly, Henderson is a tremendous tackler, wrapping very well. As a running back, Henderson has a second gear and can outrun everyone at his team's group size. By keeping his feet moving we see him break the majority of initial contact. The stiff arm is available to him, as well as the ability to bounce the ball outside. Against smaller, weaker defenders Henderson intimidates them by plowing through them. Cutback vision is something he possesses too, taking inside zone and cutting it back all the way against the grain. To me, Henderson profiles as a one-cut and go runner.</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/MekaiHenderson5/status/1811052423617622380 </div></figure>

Enjoy our newest rankings release. Use promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey.