Lowcountry’s Top Two-Way 2027 Standouts

There are a number of reasons the Lowcountry representation in the Class of 2027 rankings stands out.   There's the fact that three of the top five and five of the top 14 overall are from this zone. Or that 34 of the 151 players in the ranking hail from the Lowcountry. But we're seeing another trend developing, too.   Among those 34 are players are are adept at using their athletic skills to do more than just one thing.   You've got the likes of Ashley Ridge receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1036782' first='Jagger' last='Spivey'] taking on some occasional punting and kickoff duties. Or star Berkeley quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers'] punting some 15 times. Or Hampton County's offensive standout [player_tooltip player_id='1036756' first='Jordan' last='Bovain'] jumping in at defensive back from time to time. Or Cross starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1604028' first='Tyler' last='Harris'] casually stepping in and making five tackles during a playoff game. Or Baptist Hill defensive leader [player_tooltip player_id='1036773' first='Lamar' last='Singleton'] rushing the ball a few times on offense.    Six players from the Lowcountry, though, take it to the next level. These are legitimate multi-dimensional weapons in different phases of the game. Some of them are still not considered two-way starters.   But they are every bit of capable of taking over games on either side of the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1271262' first='Alex' last='Tchoryk'] DL, Philip Simmons   While Tchoryk only credited with five receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown from his spot at tight end, his role as a blocker for a team that rushed fro 2,200 yards last fall was big, too. As were his 49 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries (separate from the caused turnovers) from his more notable position, defensive end. Tchoryk now has two years of varsity experience under his belt and can be considered one of the Iron Horses' names to know moving forward.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172343' first='Kyilann' last='Gordon'] Baptist Hill   We've come to know Baptist Hill as a squad full of dudes who better be ready to have every ounce of their potential squeezed out of them. The roster, after all, ain't all that big. Gordon has spent his first two years of varsity ball taking turns impressing everyone on offense, defense and special teams. In 22 games, this is what the receiver/defensive back/whatever you want to call him has produced: 584 rushing yards (five touchdowns) and 533 receiving yards (six touchdowns) on offense and 105 total tackles and five interceptions defensively.     [player_tooltip player_id='1603740' first='Thaddeus' last='Czarnecki'] RB/LB, Hilton Head   Czarnecki went from lightly used tailback as a freshman to a certified two-way standout as a sophomore. He had 86 tackles, four tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, one sack and one forced fumble on defense and 794 rushing yards (8.7 ypc) with 10 touchdowns and six receptions for 70 yards on offense. He also blocked a punt and returned a playoff kickoff 90 yards for another touchdown. Oh, and his offensive numbers look like they're about to shoot through the roof.     [player_tooltip player_id='1172364' first='Mah'ky' last='Green'] Cross   With verifiable proof that Green is one of the fastest players in all of the Class of 2027, it's of little surprise the Trojans use their next big thing at tailback at corner, too. Because while he takes over the starting running back spot with 1,488 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns already on his resume, we are equally impressed by how he uses his speed in the defensive backfield. He picked of a pass in the 2024 season opener and teams rarely threw his direction the rest of the way.     [player_tooltip player_id='1422535' first='Jayvin' last='Risher'] Hampton County (pictured)   Risher's work ethic comes across every time he steps foot on the field. As a linebacker, his 12 tackles for loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries were the type of big-impact plays the staff loves while simultaneously complementing his 40 total tackles. Offensively, he added 747 rushing yards while sharing the workload carrying the ball. As time goes on and those numbers continue to improve, he's only left special teams. We can see that being his next rung.    [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray'] ATH, Summerville   When the No. 1 overall player in the class only had three tackles and two picks in 2024, we knew better than to change his positional distinction. Frankly, he's been the ultimate chameleon for the Green Wave over the last two years. After a freshman season in which he had 110 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four picks, he transitioned as a sophomore to a guy who had 1,200 receiving yards (13 touchdowns), 215 rushing yards (four touchdowns), 89 passing yards and another 177 return yards. His third stanza won't be boring.     ROUNDING OUT THE LOWCOUNTRY   Aside from the two-way threats, the rest of the zone is chock full of talent we'd be remiss to not mention.   Here's every player we haven't mentioned above ranked in the latest Class of 2027 update.   [player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers'] QB, Berkeley   [player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian'] QB, Oceanside Collegiate   [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams'] RB, Summerville   [player_tooltip player_id='1036776' first='Israel' last='Harris'] OL, James Island   [player_tooltip player_id='1172361' first='Matthew' last='Ponkow'] DL/LB, Bishop England    [player_tooltip player_id='1172368' first='Andrew' last='Massey'] LB, Hilton Head   [player_tooltip player_id='1422604' first='Jailyn' last='Broughton'] DL, Cross   [player_tooltip player_id='1271255' first='Hayden' last='Crockett'] OL, Hilton Head   [player_tooltip player_id='1036774' first='Amare' last='Patterson'] WR, Beaufort   [player_tooltip player_id='1036772' first='Rahiem' last='Saunders'] DL, Whale Branch   [player_tooltip player_id='1422587' first='Kordell' last='Holley'] RB, Bluffton   [player_tooltip player_id='1422598' first='Zavier' last='Polite'] DL, May River   [player_tooltip player_id='640683' first='Kevin' last='Johnson'] QB, Fort Dorchester   [player_tooltip player_id='1426798' first='Cameron' last='McCue'] DB, Berkeley   [player_tooltip player_id='1274260' first='Bryson' last='Bowers'] LB, West Ashley   [player_tooltip player_id='1422583' first='Khalil' last='Levine'] LB, Cross   [player_tooltip player_id='1603784' first='Ryland' last='Curwen'] K, Berkeley   [player_tooltip player_id='1603798' first='Jervaze' last='Salley'] QB, Woodland   [player_tooltip player_id='1603835' first='Mitchell' last='Lanier'] DL, Berkeley   [player_tooltip player_id='1604010' first='Caleb' last='Parrish'] LB, Academic Magnet   [player_tooltip player_id='1271251' first='Jordan' last='Johnson'] DL, Philip Simmons   [player_tooltip player_id='1604043' first='Sullivan' last='Damron'] DB, Lucy Beckham   [player_tooltip player_id='1271259' first='Jessie' last='Brown'] RB, Berkeley

There are a number of reasons the Lowcountry representation in the Class of 2027 rankings stands out.