2028 Rankings: Class Predicated on Speed

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If past trends hold, what we've already seen from the Class of 2028 bodes extremely well for this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can look at early on-field production all we want, but over the course of the last two months, 35 of the 81 players included in our latest rankings cycle update have collectively elevated this class into special territory. That's because - thanks to our access to Catapult GPS data from the Carolinas Coaches Combines - we know this class is fast. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Catapult Sports Cat 1 vests those who participated in the Combine series this year go further than the old standard of simply measuring 40 times and calling it a day. The specifics of the data can then be compared against other grade levels. Not every player we have ranked has worn the Cat 1. But the sheer sample size of what 2028 accomplished can't be overlooked.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's break down each of the three speed tiers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>20 MPH CLUB</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In total, 13 ranked players fell into the 20.00-20.99 category. What we noticed was a higher-than-normal level of quarterbacks and linemen joining the outside skill positions who typically dot this territory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of the defensive linemen - [player_tooltip player_id='1615105' first='Kermit' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1672934' first='Landon' last='Simmons'] - are going to be playing alongside each other this fall for Stratford. And as for the three quarterbacks, Airport's [player_tooltip player_id='1467834' first='Jay' last='Eady'] has been known as a physical runner since he took over the starting job, while Hartsville's [player_tooltip player_id='1615056' first='Ford' last='Wallace'] and Swansea's [player_tooltip player_id='1672924' first='Kendall' last='Wright'] are more pass-first guys who hope to not have to rely on their wheels as much.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1467834' first='Jay' last='Eady'] QB, Airport - 20.94</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1615038' first='Emerson' last='James'] DB, Byrnes - 20.89</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1151306' first='Bryson' last='McGee'] RB, Berkeley - 20.85</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672934' first='Landon' last='Simmons'] DL, Stratford - 20.61</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672924' first='Kendall' last='Wright'] QB, Swansea - 20.58</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1016577' first='Elijah' last='Mitchell'] WR, Berkeley - 20.57</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1467849' first='Ryan' last='Jahn'] RB, Wando - 20.52</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1615056' first='Ford' last='Wallace'] QB, Hartsville - 20.40</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1615063' first='Preston' last='Smith'] RB, Midland Valley - 20.39</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672927' first='Ty' last='Abrams'] RB, Newberry - 20.37</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1615105' first='Kermit' last='Davis'] DL, Stratford - 20.35</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1467822' first='Josh' last='Evans'] DL, Mauldin - 20.29</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1222230' first='Quamell' last='Grant'] WR/DB, Hanahan - 20.10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>21 MPH CLUB&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For all intents and purposes, hitting 21 miles per hour starts to create some heady separation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2028s among our rankings included 15 players who fell between 21.00-21.99 miles per hour.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Near the top of this category are three receivers from around the state. But top-to-bottom checks multiple positional boxes. The leap we see from a player's freshman year in high school to his sophomore year tells us this list is a good place to start when thinking of players who could hit the next threshold within the next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672851' first='Ziggy' last='Offord'] WR, Lakewood 21.84</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672848' first='CJ' last='Hickmon'] WR, Hartsville - 21.81</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1061146' first='Teru' last='Davis'] WR, Summerville - 21.59</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672932' first='Dawson' last='Fowler'] QB, Greer - 21.53</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1467823' first='Jayden' last='Martin'] ATH, Crestwood - 21.49</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1636916' first='De'Andre' last='Caldwell'] DB, Swansea - 21.47</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1610229' first='Keenen' last='Cunningham'] WR/DB, Lugoff-Elgin 21.41 mph</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='874321' first='Raphael' last='Puiu'] WR, James Island - 21.31</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='873100' first='Zion' last='Dawkins'] DB, Gaffney - 21.27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672904' first='Logan' last='Thames'] DB, Nation Ford - 21.23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1312432' first='Jace' last='Shropshire'] DL, Blythewood - 21.11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672914' first='Carsyn' last='Harris'] WR, Gray Collegiate - 21.08</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672936' first='Kaleb' last='Brooks'] DB, South Aiken - 21.07</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672918' first='Kayden' last='Rogers'] DB, Latta - 21.04</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1051659' first='Hayden' last='Denmark'] LB, Goose Creek - 21.01</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>22 MPH CLUB&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When we get to the upper echelon of speed during this year's combine series at this age, it's important to start with a more global look. In total, 18 players from the Class of 2026 in this year's entire Combine series breached 22 miles per hour.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That tells us that seven 2028s doing the same thing has our ears perked up for the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consider this: Of the 575 players from the rising senior class who participated this year, only three peaked out at or north of 23 miles per hour. These seven players have all put that figure in their cross hairs before their high school careers are over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1615072' first='Levar' last='Gilchrist'] DB, South Aiken - 22.58 (pictured, No. 44)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1010338' first='Cameron' last='Gleaton'] TE, Midland Valley - 22.54</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672833' first='Trace' last='Hillian'] RB/LB, Hartsville - 22.53</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672894' first='Brady' last='McDowell'] WR, Carolina Forest - 22.43</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1467828' first='London' last='Wilder'] ATH, Socastee - 22.43</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1581471' first='Isaiah' last='Robinson'] WR, Byrnes - 22.23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1672857' first='Blake' last='Cochran'] ATH, Chesnee 22.06</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->