New Additions to the 2027 Top 50

The 2024 WV high school football season has completed and now it's time to spotlight the 2027 class with the winter rankings update. Here are the new prospects who were added to the Top 50 rankings.    2027 Wheeling Central ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1157631' first='Nico' last='Kusic'] burst onto the scene this season for the Maroon Knights on both sides of the ball, showing a bright future for a few different potential positions. Kusic took over as QB1 when the original starter went down with an injury and never looked back. He threw for 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 500 yards and 8 touchdowns while also picking off 4 passes on defense. Kusic is long and athletic, which will give him options for which position he eventually settles in at in college with the potential to continue developing as a passer.      We're still waiting on a full season tape from 2027 Fairmont Senior DB Rudy Carillo, but the standout sophomore was one of the top athletes at our Stock Up Showcase last month and debuts as a Top 20 player and #4 defensive back in the class. Carillo showed out in both sessions at our camp and is the type of athlete who can plug and play at a few different spots. Defensive back ultimately feels like his most natural and gifted position as an all-around versatile athlete. Carillo has shown natural instincts for the position in his first year of varsity for the Polar Bears and will be a multi-year starter during his career.      A big-time small school offensive lineman to know out of Clay-Battelle is 6'7 285 big man [player_tooltip player_id='1615272' first='Zach' last='Gump']. He was a pleasant surprise when checking out his sophomore tape with measurables that can't be taught. Gump is a big ball of clay that can be molded into a future high-level prospect with D1 potential, depending on how he develops over the next two years. Size alone will get him on college radars, but Gump showed a nasty streak on film as a dominating run blocker at the Class A level. How his athleticism and footwork progress will determine his ceiling as a prospect, but the early signs for Gump warranted a Top 25 placement in the rankings.      2027 Huntington two-way big man [player_tooltip player_id='1272161' first='Jeremiah' last='Lyles'] saw varsity action for a talented Highlanders' squad as a sophomore on both sides of the line and debuts as the #2 DL in the class. He has the potential to flip to the offensive line in the rankings in the future, but size better translates to defense at this juncture of his career. Huntington boasted a talented lineman group on both sides, which speaks volumes to Lyles' potential, seeing significant playing time this early on. On defense, Lyles is quick off the line and uses his hands well as an interior lineman. He's strong at the point of attack and can hold his ground on double teams while making plays at the line of scrimmage.      2027 University two-way standout [player_tooltip player_id='1326514' first='Hayden' last='George'] was another impressive performer at our Stock Up Showcase and was a big-time playmaker on both sides of the ball for the Hawks this season. He's a fluid athlete and gifted route runner who creates separation and finds open field consistently. George has twitchy intangibles with YAC playmaking ability to add to his receiver arsenal. He's also a natural pass catcher with innate ball skills which led to high production as a sophomore as a receiver and defensive back.      A new name to our radar that flashed a lot of potential with the available film was 2027 George Washington OL [player_tooltip player_id='1616167' first='James' last='Payne']. Listed at 6'4 215 but appears bigger on film, Payne has the frame to add significant size if those measurements are accurate. Most of his reps were at left tackle, but he saw right tackle time as well, signifying he's athletic, and the glimpses we got of him back that up. Payne has good footwork and short-area quickness, which, if he can maintain as he adds size, bodes well for a bright future. He's quick and physical off the ball and does a great job moving defenders off the line.      Another 2027 Wheeling Central prospect who made his way into the Top 50 in this update is LB [player_tooltip player_id='1304656' first='Dustin' last='Sanner'], who produced a strong first season of varsity. Sanner totaled 90 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks as a sophomore. He's a good athlete with speed and quickness that will translate well in the future as he continues to learn the position. Sanner has a lot of raw ability and athletic upside that will allow him to develop into a top LB prospect in the 2027 class by his senior year if he continues to progress.      Another interior defensive lineman to know in the 2027 class is Linsly's [player_tooltip player_id='1615402' first='Darryn' last='McCormick'], who showed a lot of potential this season for the Cadets against a gauntlet of a schedule. He's quick for his size and often catches opposing offensive linemen off-guard with the ability to split the guard and center if they don't match his quickness. McCormick uses his hands well and sheds blocks consistently with good technique. He has a high motor and will fight through double teams in pursuit of the ball.      Huntington adds another 2027 prospect to the new Top 50 with DB [player_tooltip player_id='1616173' first='Ethan' last='Goodson'], who showed flashes as a sophomore this season for the Highlanders. He's a quick and speedy defensive back who saw time at safety this season with likely corner potential as well. Goodson is rangy on the back end of the defense and is strong in coverage but will also come downhill to defend the run. He has very good pursuit speed and tracks the ball well in coverage and when making a tackle. Goodson's potential is much higher than his current ranking, so don't be surprised if he's a future stock riser.      A third Huntington Highlander who debuts inside of the Top 50 is TE/DL [player_tooltip player_id='1272661' first='Antonyo' last='Paschall'], who showed promise and potential this season on the varsity squad. His body can take him in a few different directions positionally, depending on how much size he adds over the next two years. Tight end is where he'll begin in the rankings as the #2 prospect, with the bulk of his reps coming as a blocker. Paschall is still lanky at this point in his career but has the frame to continue adding size over time. He executed a bevy of blocking assignments in both the running and passing game showing trust from his coaches and owning his role on the team as a young player.

The 2024 WV high school football season has completed and now it's time to spotlight the 2027 class with the winter rankings update. Here are the new prospects who were added to the Top 50 rankings.