2027 Rankings: The Big Leap?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We want to put a bow on this rankings cycle for the Class of 2027 by going over our thoughts on exactly where certain members of this group can go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Frankly, we're seeing the stars aligning for more than a couple of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're going to start with three obvious ones. They were players who missed a significant chunk of their 2024 seasons to injuries. For them, simply getting back on the field should do them wonders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From there, we're going to hit up some situational rises we could see happening for a variety of reasons. Altogether, these 10 players are trending in the right direction.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra']</strong> | RB, Byrnes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 16 overall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rebels' sensation was injured in the first week of the regular season and didn't return until November 1. That night, he helped Byrnes to a narrow win over Boiling Spring by going for 142 yards on just 19 carries while catching four passes for another 38 yards. It was a flash of the type of skill he brings to the table when he's healthy. His progress this offseason should put him on track to re-emerge as one of the very best tailbacks in the entire state, regardless of class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271244' first='Josh' last='Davis']</strong> | WR, AC Flora</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 52 overall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165081' first='Kendall' last='Byrd']</strong> (83 yards, 1,104 yards, 10 touchdowns), the Falcons entered the 2024 season with big plans. Many of them still played out offensively with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky']</strong> going off for nearly 2,700 passing yards. But Davis only had two games and never saw the field in September or later after suffering a knee injury. When he's back up to snuff - expected prior to 2025 fall came - he makes Flora's offense scarier than ever.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036774' first='Amare' last='Patterson']</strong> | WR, Beaufort&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 59 overall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles' sophomore started 2024 with a bang to the tune of four receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns against Fort Dorchester. It was his best game to date. But, like Davis, his season was dramatically shortened by a knee injury. Patterson has next-level potential, and all he needs to continue to prove is it to stay on the field. Recently cleared, Patterson has eight months to develop into one of the top receivers in the Lowcountry.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172365' first='Crawford' last='Poole']</strong> | LB, Cheraw</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 63 overall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were a number of reasons the Braves doubled their win total from five to 10 from 2023 to 2024. Poole was right up there near the top of the list. He put up another 47 tackles - which was close to his freshman output - but he added another five tackles for loss (16 in 2024) and eight sacks (11). His ability to control the edge is huge, and the fact that he's now 5-foot-11 and up to 190 pounds has him on the cusp of taking another jump forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1054957' first='Gray' last='Kitchings']</strong> | LB, Aiken (pictured)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 66 overall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hornets struggled in 2024. And, to be honest, for most of the last decade. But in new coach Steve Hibbits, we're like to see a significant jump in Aiken's defensive productivity. It was a mark of his best Lakeside (Ga.) teams during his tenure. It often started with his linebackers. Kitchings, then, might be a day one beneficiary of the new head coach. Kitchings was second on the team in tackles last fall and played his best football in the second half of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271261' first='Brayden' last='Everette']</strong> | OL, Mountain View Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 75 overall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everette sort of fits into the first crop, as he's dealing with a knee injury of his own and probably won't be fully cleared until the summer. What's just as important is that he's now at Mountain View Prep - a program with a higher ceiling than Travelers Rest - and he's 6-foot-2.5. The combination of those three factors have things trending in the right direction for a lineman who can play a number of positions, including his projected one at right tackle.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1078102' first='Darius' last='Carter']</strong> | WR, Ridge View</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 89 overall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blazers coach Derek Howard doesn't hesitate to call Carter the best route runner in the state. As a sophomore, he caught 36 passes for 549 yards and three touchdowns. Moving forward, he's going to take that experience into a deep and dangerous receiving corps that should have Ridge View's positional group ranking among the very best in South Carolina. He should be able to roll up some impressive figures, even if he's not the top receiver on the team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603784' first='Ryland' last='Curwen']</strong> | K, Berkeley&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 105 overall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Curwen beat out an experienced starter for the job last fall, but it wasn't until the second week of October that the Stags started letting him test his big leg on more than just extra points. He had a 30-plus yard field goal in three straight games and finished the year with four field goals and 28 extra points. Now, flash forward to 2025, and the Berkeley offense should start to look much more consistent. And that means more opportunities for their kicker to add to his own resume, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578290' first='Rod' last='Cranford']</strong> | DB, Hartsville&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 109 overall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no mistaking the Red Foxes' defense is about to take a hit. With linebackers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578873' first='Coleman' last='Radcliff']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012620' first='Web' last='Barnes']</strong> and safety <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272699' first='Da'Marion' last='Coe']</strong> set to graduate, though, that also means a big ol' open door when it comes to those asked to make plays. Enter Cranford, who was sixth on the team in tackles (47) while also breaking up three passes, picking off another and put up a pair of tackles for loss.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603963' first='Mason' last='Evans']</strong> | QB, Crescent</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Current ranking: No. 123 overall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quite a bit of Evans' sophomore season was a back-and-forth affair. Then, at the midway point, things started to click. By the final four games of the year, Evans started to look like a star in the making. Over those four contests - the regular-season finale against Walhalla and playoff games against Union County, Christ Church and Mountain View Prep - Evans not only didn't throw a pick, he averaged 152 passing yards and threw eight touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->