Unveiling the 2028 Rankings: No. 1-8

As the 2024 football season reaches the midway point of the regular season, we've seen more than enough evidence from the youngest players around the state that the future is bright.    They've forced themselves onto their respective fields.   And it's not simply to take up space or provide a warm body.   No, the 24 players who comprise our initial Class of 2028 rankings have started to prove themselves early. Some lead their teams in certain statistical categories. Some bolster already strong squads that could be around deep into the playoffs.   All of them have made an impression.    Let us introduce you to the Top Eight of the initial Prep RedZone Class of 2028 rankings.   No. 8: Kingstron Green LB, Whitmire   Green is seeing some periodic carries on offense and even already has a couple of receptions and a touchdown on the ground from Week 3. His best value to Whitmire, though, is what he can do from his linebacker spot. He averaged eight and a half total tackles per game through the first four contests and has set things in motion to have quite the career if everything pans out. His 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame could use more, but this is an excellent starting point.   No. 7: [player_tooltip player_id='1467813' first='Raymond' last='Middleton'] RB, North Charleston   Even before Adrain Grady was named the Cougars' interim coach over the summer, he knew the Cougars' biggest issue in recent years was a lack of offense. Middleton (414 yards, three touchdowns through five games) has been a big boost in that department. He's picking up just shy of 10 yards a carry and feeding off and supporting quarterback Richard Hazel, receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1346277' first='Lorenzo' last='Kitching'] and the rest of that side of the ball.     No. 6: [player_tooltip player_id='1010338' first='Cameron' last='Gleaton'] TE, Midland Valley   From adding some extra size to the end of an already big offensive line to splitting out wide, Gleaton's versatility may be among the top early storylines for a Midland Valley squad that had a little bit of summer chaos. He's as comfortable in a safety valve role as he is in more designed passing plays, and he's being targeted more and more frequently as the season rolls on. He's already got a touchdown reception in a region contest under his belt. We think there are plenty more to come.    No. 5: [player_tooltip player_id='1312432' first='Jace' last='Shropshire'] DL, Blythewood   Shropshire has already spent more time in opposing backfields than most freshmen will in and entire season. He's has a significant influence in forcing quarterbacks out of the pocket - and more importantly, their comfort zone. It all looks so raw on film, as time after time Shropshire fights off the block on the edge and starts collapsing that pocket. He has six quarterback hurries in his first game, and as that skill set evolves we will likely see yet another in a recent line of big Blythewood defensive linemen.    No. 4: [player_tooltip player_id='1507618' first='Teru' last='Davis'] WR, Goose Creek   Davis burst into his freshman campaign with a 75-yard catch and run against North Myrtle Beach in Week 0. He had to wait a couple more weeks for his first touchdown reception, but that game against Beaufort when he was able to separate from his defender and extend in the end zone for a 41-yard score. Davis (15 catches, 206 yards) can go across the middle or get off the ground, and the propensity for quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402499' first='Kymani' last='Clary'] to hit him with quick passes shows how much of a playmaker this team believes him to be.    No. 3: [player_tooltip player_id='1467808' first='Anthony' last='Simmons'] DL, North Charleston    Simmons might be among the most impressive combinations of size and athletic ability at this age that we've seen in the four years of this site. He hovers in the 320-330 pound range and has made running up the middle against the Cougars much more difficult. He's doubling up and getting significant reps at offensive guards, too. The scary thing for opponents in the future will be that Simmons turned 15 years old last week.     No. 2: [player_tooltip player_id='873100' first='Zion' last='Dawkins'] ATH, Gaffney   For a freshman to see the types of minutes that Dawkins (pictured) is on this defense says he's got some potential. Watching him actually play, that ceiling gets a little higher. He picked off a pass in his career opener, chased it with a pair of pass deflections and then two tackles in the ensuing two games. But we didn't label him as a defensive back because it appears by season's end he'll also have plenty of clips on special teams and maybe a few on offense, too. What we're seeing now might only be the best way to get him on the field early.    No. 1: [player_tooltip player_id='1094520' first='Jace' last='Grass'] QB, Pendleton    The NCAA Division-I offers started in March of last year - that's right, when he was in Spring Break of his eighth grade academic year - and there was a steady diet of more to come between then and late June. By that point, it was evident that he was too good to keep off a varsity playing field, hence the transfer to Pendleton. All he's done since the move was throw for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. When his interceptions rate (six in 133 pass attempts) drops, watch out for what comes next.

As the 2024 football season reaches the midway point of the regular season, we've seen more than enough evidence from the youngest players around the state that the future is bright.