2027 Rankings Update: OL Standouts Making Their Mark

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everything starts up front.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It doesn't matter the level, it doesn't matter the style or the offense, if you're not good on the line, you're not any good.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 21 guys in the 2027 class at OL are GOOD. They're big and strong. They're fast and agile. They play with balance and violence and a little streak of nasty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's look at the guys who earned rankings in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2027","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"2405","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2451","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6817987b0a28f"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BREAKING DOWN THE TOP 5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756223' first='Nate' last='Carson']</strong> Irmo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carson's stellar offseason has allowed him to move into the top OL spot in the cycle, and he's got a slew of P4 offers in hand already. His stock will only continue to rise when the Yellow Jackets get back on the field. There, he's physical, he imposes his will, and he's got a motor that never seems to stop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036776' first='Israel' last='Harris']</strong> James Island</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harris is capable of just erasing defenders from the stat sheet play after play. He's good enough at every aspect of OL play to take away whatever you're trying to do defensively, and he does it play after play. He's powerful and plays with a violent edge, and he just seems to keep getting better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='691267' first='CJ' last='Brooks'] </strong>Gaffney</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooks is massive at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, and with that size and his accompanying ability you'd expect him to have been THE guy on Gaffney's OL. That wasn't true last year, and it might not be true this year either, as the Indians have had a wealth of talent up front. What that's allowed Brooks to do is both grow and mature as a player and to fly a little bit under the radar. Well, he's certainly about to draw some added attention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172352' first='Reed' last='Paolucci']</strong> Blythewood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Paolucci's an offensive coordinator's dream. He can run block with the best of them, and at LT he's shown himself more than capable of keeping his QB clean and protecting the blindside. He's got the frame to get even bigger and stronger in the next couple of years, and his upside is tremendous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1223929' first='Markest' last='Davenport']</strong> Calhoun County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davenport (pictured) is an enormous human being at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, and he spends some time on the DL for the Saints. That's unfortunate for opponents, because he brings that mindset to the offensive side of the ball as well. He's a wrecking ball, lining up at LT and often wiping out most of the right side of an opposing defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rest of the 2027 OL group is almost evenly divided along one unique line - nine of the final 16 ranked players are 6-foot-3 or taller, and seven are below that mark. Now, that might mean nothing in the long run, but in a position that's largely evaluated by first-glance measurables, some of these guys are true monsters. Take Hilton Head's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271255' first='Hayden' last='Crockett']</strong> and Midland Valley's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603768' first='Brody' last='Kesselring']</strong>, for example. At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, Crockett often dictates the physical style for Hilton Head's offense, while Kesselring is the anchor for a line that wants to run the ball at nearly a 2-to-1 clip. Both helped block for 1,000-yard rushers last season, and both have a wealth of talent back behind them in the backfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakewood's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664627' first='Keytrelle' last='Griffin']</strong> and Mullins' <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664628' first='DeAndre' last='Stackhouse']</strong> are mirror images from a measurables standpoint, each standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 355 pounds. They're also both best described the way Dusty Rhodes would call out an old-school wrestling villain: "evil, wicked, mean, and nasty". That's the highest compliment you can pay an OL who embraces the physicality of the position the way Griffin and Stackhouse do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AC Flora's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153356' first='Ashton' last='Thompson'] </strong>is the tallest player in the OL rankings, at 6-foot-5, and he's stunningly athletic for his 285 pounds. Thompson wins plenty of battles at the line, using his size and length to his advantage, but he really opens eyes with the way he's able to get out in front of plays, springing his guys for extra yards way down the field. That's a hallmark of a couple of the other guys near the top of the list from a size standpoint. Riverside's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1426796' first='Marques' last='Skinner'] </strong>is an adept pass-blocker, but has no trouble getting downfield and helping his guys get to the second level. Mountain View Prep's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271261' first='Brayden' last='Everette'] </strong>showed a bunch of promise last season at Travelers Rest, and the Stars will look to use him as a leader at the point of attack as he makes the transition this year. Wando's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1651108' first='Ben' last='Buffum']</strong> is another guy whose run-blocking will be just as important and effective as his ability in pass protection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623487' first='Brandon' last='Streater']</strong> is one of the bigger players who seems to be ahead of schedule. He does everything well, but his ability to utilize the leverage he can create is off the charts, and helped the Eagles put up some strong offensive numbers a year ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, how about the guys who aren't just overwhelming by their size alone? Well, they're plenty good, too. Take Darlington's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664650' first='Jaiden' last='Green']</strong>. He's the shortest player on this list at 5-foot-11, but he's also the heaviest at 360 pounds. He's tough to get any kind of leverage against, making him nearly impossible to move off his spot when he's pass protecting, and he's athletic enough to collapse an entire side of the line in the run game. Marlboro County's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664521' first='Zirell' last='McKiver-Barker']</strong> and Hillcrest's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603877' first='Max' last='Barnes']</strong> are the same type of player as Green. Both are 6-feet, both are right at 300 pounds, and both are capable of just burying people. McKiver-Barker does it on the outside, but Barnes' physical domination comes right in the middle of the line at center, helping set the tone for the Rams' offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other four guys on the list are OL technicians who are capable of putting on weight and getting even better. None of them top 250 pounds, but all of them are athletic and physical for their size. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172369' first='Wells' last='Lewis']</strong> from Cardinal Newman is a two-year starter at center who's already got a ton of experience and is only getting better. Gray Collegiate's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422610' first='Jack' last='Armstrong']</strong> has incredible strength and excels at hand-fighting and at taking opponents off their feet. Dutch Fork's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664559' first='Niran' last='Ford']</strong> brings athleticism and versatility for the Silver Foxes, as he's able to play at either tackle. And Beaufort's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664611' first='Andrae' last='Ellison']</strong> is a lightning-quick center who's got great feet and gets the snap off in a hurry, enabling him to cause a bunch of trouble for defenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->