The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class - Film Review Pt. 8

Check out the latest installment of THE NEXT WAVE featuring prospects in the Maryland/D.C./Delaware 2026 recruiting class. Today, we look at five athletes who are currently ranked.    Position Evaluation - Running back: [player_tooltip player_id='373424' first='Jeremiah' last='Seaton'] is a running back who brings vision, toughness, and balance to the field. Seaton is hard to bring down on first contact. He's usually thinking one or two moves ahead, which enables him to make quick decisions on whether to cut upfield or bounce the run outside. Seaton's ability to read blocks and react is one of his strongest traits. He's not the biggest back, but Seaton is a physical runner who consistently breaks through arm tackles and finishes with authority in his highlights. On several plays, he lowered his shoulder and powered through defenders. Seaton's got a little wiggle to his game, too. He's not flashy but elusive enough to avoid tacklers in space and pick up the extra yards. Seaton has a smooth-running style. He'll improve his stock as he improves his top-end speed. When it comes down to it, he is a dependable downhill runner with solid vision and physicality.     Position Evaluation - Safety: [player_tooltip player_id='1291838' first='Chris' last='Palmer'] is a safety who plays fast, physical, and with a competitive edge. He splits time between safety and wide receiver, but his defensive film shows real promise for the next level. Palmer brings value as a defender of both the run and pass game. As a pass defender, he scans routes and reacts without hesitation. I am sure Palmer's wide receiver skills help him with his instincts as a defensive back. Palmer has the range to patrol the middle of the field and closes space well when working in the zone. There's one play where he hustles 40-45 yards downfield to make a tackle after the quarterback broke the pocket. You have to love effort like that.   In the run game, Palmer doesn't shy away from contact. He's disciplined when it comes to containment. There's one play where the running back cuts back into his lane, and he makes a clean open-field tackle. Right place at the right time. Palmer's highlights also show him taking smart pursuit angles and not overruling plays. Being a reliable tackler, especially in space, is another of his strong skills. I'd like to see a separate highlight of his best defensive plays. There's no doubt he makes things happen as a wide receiver. But the skills to pay the bills will come from him playing defense. He's only scratched the surface and will get even better once he gets coached up even more in college.     Position Evaluation - Cornerback: Confidence and quickness are a big part of [player_tooltip player_id='402476' first='Yalik' last='Carter']'s game as a cornerback. He's a true ball hawk, and several interceptions prove that in his highlights (including a couple of pick-sixes). Carter does a great job of reading the quarterback well. His instincts as a defensive back are impressive. Carter has excellent timing and patience in coverage. When it's time to break on the ball, he's quick about it.   Carter's versatility makes him a very attractive prospect to college coaches. He looks comfortable in both zone and man coverage. He shows good awareness in zone coverage, gains depth quickly, and reacts quickly to route combinations. He left a hitch route on one play and jumped the seam to pick off a pass. Carter can also disguise coverage well. In the few plays of his in man coverage that I watched, Carter plays with short-area twitch and quick feet. It's worth noting that he is also physical in running defense. Carter has no problem coming downhill to make tackles in the flat or against the run. One of the better plays on his highlights shows him hustling at least 20-25 yards downfield to make a tackle. Carter is smart, aggressive, and fast. I like the energy he shows on film and his instincts and toughness.     Position Evaluation - Wide Receiver: [player_tooltip player_id='1313454' first='Darnell' last='Stokes'] is a prospect who brings a lot of excitement to the offensive side of the football. He's a true playmaker, consistently turning small gains into big plays. He's always a threat to score, whether catching a five-yard hitch or taking a jet sweep. His highlights are filled with plays showing him eluding tacklers in space and outrunning people to the end zone. He's a wide receiver who made a big impression, catching 639 receiving yards and running 598 rushing yards during the 2024 season.   Stokes's playmaking ability is proven by the fact that he scored 22 total touchdowns last season. What stands out most to me about Stokes is his acceleration and agility. He reaches top speed quickly and has the kind of "wile" that makes defenders miss in the open. For a player his size, Stokes' short-area quickness is impressive. As I alluded to earlier, he's dangerous after the catch.   Stokes can also create separation by his smooth route running or overall speed to outrun people. He also shows good awareness against zone cover, as he can find soft spots and adjust his route to get open. Stokes' highlights show that he can beat defenders deep as well. I would like to see what his route running looks like beyond what's on his highlights (it's not his fault, of course). With his explosiveness, speed, agility, and playmaking ability, Strokes has the potential to make a mark early at the next level.       Position Evaluation - Wide Receiver: [player_tooltip player_id='711772' first='Jhalil' last='Anderson'] is a big-bodied, physical wide receiver who grabs your attention on the field because of his size and how he uses it. Anderson is an apparent mismatch on the field, especially in the red zone. There are several highlights of his winning contested catches with strong hands, and he shows good body control while catching touchdowns.   Anderson is more than just a big target. He can stretch the field. In one play, Anderson sold a fade route with a smart steam and a jump-ball catch at the goal line. On another, he ran a hitch-and-go, fooled the cornerback, and scored.   Anderson also has the skills to get those yards after the catch on short gains. On a bubble screen, how showed patience, cut across the field, broke a tackle, and scored. That's just one sample of him making things happen with the ball when it's in his hands. Speed-wise, he's more of a strider who can get separation. Anderson has solid ball skills and knows how to work himself open against zone coverage. He's a reliable possession receiver who can make the change. Anderson has a significant upside with his big frame, strong hands and a nose for the end zone.    PRZ LINKS   Other articles to read   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/marylands-class-of-2027-in-depth-analysis-of-the-top-5/">Maryland's Class of 2027: In-Depth Analysis of the Top 5</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/evaluating-the-ranked-2026-md-linebackers-in-the-top-10/">Evaluating the ranked 2026 MD linebackers in the Top 10</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/wcac-ranked-as-a-top-10-toughest-high-school-football-leagues/">WCAC ranked as a Top 10 toughest high school football league</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/scouting-the-maryland-2027-class-running-backs/"> Scouting the Maryland 2027 class: Running Backs</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/scouting-marylands-2027-class-wide-receivers/">Scouting Maryland's 2027 class: Wide Receivers</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/scouting-marylands-2026-class-defensive-backs/">Scouting Maryland's 2026 Class: Defensive Backs</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/evaluating-the-ranked-prospects-maryland-2028-defensive-players/">Evaluating the ranked prospects: Maryland 2028 defensive players</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/marylands-2028-defensive-backs-top-10-evals/">Maryland's 2028 Defensive Backs: Top 10 Evals</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/the-next-wave-scouting-the-2026-class-film-review-pt-3-2/">The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class: Film Review Pt. 3</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/the-next-wave-scouting-the-2026-class-film-review-pt-4/">The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class: Film Review Pt. 4</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/the-next-wave-scouting-the-2026-class-film-review-pt-5/">The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class - Film Review Pt. 5</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/the-next-wave-scouting-the-2026-class-film-review-pt-6/">The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class -Film Review Pt. 6</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/the-next-wave-scouting-the-2026-class-film-review-pt-7/">The Next Wave: Scouting the 2026 class – Film Review Pt. 7</a>

Check out the latest installment of THE NEXT WAVE featuring prospects in the Maryland/D.C./Delaware 2026 recruiting class. Today, we look at five athletes who are currently ranked.