Grading the 2027 Offensive Position Groups

My “grading the position groups” articles are among my favorite to write. It can be extremely helpful when looking at a class as a whole to break it down by position to see what the strongest positions are in the class. It can add context to the class as a whole and give insight to college coaches about where the state's areas of strength lie for each class.   I'm grading position group based on depth, top-end talent, number of players at that position within the top 50, 100, and 200 overall recruits, and by comparing the groups to past classes. We bucket players based on projected college level, so I'm also looking at where these classes are the strongest. Earlier this week, I looked at the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/grading-the-2027-defensive-position-groups/">four main defensive position groups</a>. Now, it's the offense's turn Which 2027 offensive position group will get the highest grade?   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grading the 2027 Offensive Position Groups</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterbacks: B</h3>   The Numbers: 36 ranked QBs, five top 50, 10 top 100, 22 top 200   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='1321007' first='Jamouri' last='Nichols'] (No. 23 overall), West Charlotte   Strongest Level: High FCS/Group of Five   Quarterbacks are always an interesting position. Unlike other positions, only one guy can play at a time, meaning colleges typically sign fewer passers than other positions. That means a guy with a borderline Power Four grade from us is more likely to find his offers coming at the Group of Five level. The same can be said with guys with G5 grades and FCS offers.   We have a ton of players ranked in the high FCS to low Power Four range, meaning as many as 14 players in our rankings could find themselves at the Group of Five or high FCS level.   While there isn't a truly elite quarterback in this class, there are plenty of really good ones, starting with Nichols at West Charlotte. He, Southern Durham's [player_tooltip player_id='1050807' first='Tyson' last='Broadway'], Hough's [player_tooltip player_id='254550' first='Ethan' last='Royal'], and Independence's [player_tooltip player_id='915835' first='Jared' last='Street'] are the guys we could see ending up at the Power Five level.   It's a class that can, in general, really run. 12 players, including Nichols, Ge'eary Johnson, [player_tooltip player_id='1678610' first='Rashad' last='Lynch'], and [player_tooltip player_id='738731' first='AJ' last='McClain'] all finished in the top 100 in the class in rushing, even though none of those teams run some sort of triple option or Wing T system.   I'd expect a huge shakeup after this group's junior seasons, as several players have rankings based on camp performances and potential. That means that when more of these guys become full-time starters, there's a good chance some of them rise and some of them fall.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Backs: B-</h3>   The Numbers: 34 ranked RBs, six top 50, 11 top 100, 21 top 200   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='378957' first='Amir' last='Brown'] (No. 12 overall), Rolesville   Strongest Level: Division II/Division III   The top of the class is decent, with a few likely Power Four running backs, but the depth of this class is what shines. There are plenty of players in the 175-275 range of the rankings that we really like. Typically, there's something (usually size or raw speed) holding these guys back from being true FCS/FBS prospects, but there's a ton of production from guys like Providence's [player_tooltip player_id='1294978' first='Chase' last='Williamson']. Other guys, like Southeast Raleigh's [player_tooltip player_id='1251476' first='James' last='Adams'] could blow up this season with added opportunities.   So no, it's not an overly flashy class in terms of early offers or elite prospects, but it's a really strong class top to bottom. The FCS-graded bucket with guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1607799' first='Kamari' last='Holloway'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1304566' first='Nixon' last='Willis'] intrigues me and I think a few more prospects could separate themselves from the pack with strong junior seasons.   Expect plenty of change in these rankings over the next few years.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receivers: B-</h3>   The Numbers: 51 ranked WRs, five top 50, 12 top 100, 27 top 200   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='1222913' first='Anthony' last='Roberts'] (No. 15 overall), Rolesville   Strongest Level: Group of Five   The strength of this deep class lies in the sheer number of guys who could play at the Group of Five level. We really like Shelby's [player_tooltip player_id='1154024' first='Majay' last='Thompson'] (No. 43 overall) putting him in the Power Four range, even if his offers have all been from lower FBS schools this year. Other guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1607095' first='Randolph' last='Ross'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1395227' first='Rakem' last='Hammock'] have already picked up some steam on the recruiting trail and there's a host of other players behind them with athletic profiles that suggest they'll play FBS ball on Saturdays.   We're interested to see how this class develops. There are a ton of players on our radar, which isn't uncommon given the receiver position is one where we typically see more early playing time, but we're not sure what to do with a lot of guys in the 200-300 range. Some players will grow, get faster, refine their route-running, and overall improve their stock. Others won't, it's a reality of scouting.   Rolesville leads the way with four receivers in the rankings, so I'll be interested to see how they get used this season. I really liked [player_tooltip player_id='1337937' first='Dylan' last='Martin']'s film; can he carve out a role within the Rams' offense? Expect some position shifts and plenty of movement within the rankings over the next two years.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tight Ends: C</h3>   The Numbers: Nine ranked TEs, two top 50, three top 100, eight top 200   Highest Ranked*: [player_tooltip player_id='1607810' first='Qualteau' last='Hawkins'] (No. 22 overall), Stuart Cramer   Strongest Level: FCS   This is a small, but mighty group and illustrates a growing trend in college recruiting. College-ready tight ends are hard to find. In fact, this group is small enough for me to write evaluations on all of them in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/spring-rankings-update-scouting-the-2027-tight-ends/">one article</a>. I really, really like the players we do have ranked, but there just isn't a ton of depth. We had some movement in this rankings update: Hawkins flew up the rankings, as did [player_tooltip player_id='718315' first='Hudson' last='Nolden'], who snuck into the top 100.   It's worth noting that we still have elite prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1607779' first='Jaxon' last='Dollar'] ranked as an athlete, while some other outlets have him as a top-ranked tight end.   There's a group of larger receivers who could find success as unique tight end hybrids. We really liked [player_tooltip player_id='1668973' first='Sione' last='Latimore'] in camp. As more players emerge, I'd expect that we'll finish the cycle with 15-20 guys ranked. We've already added [player_tooltip player_id='1682686' first='Tyson' last='Stanton'] from Wake Forest to the back end of our system for next update and we expect a few more guys to join the fray.   The FCS group of [player_tooltip player_id='1252939' first='Hayes' last='Brawner'], [player_tooltip player_id='1572063' first='Kenneth' last='Best IV'], [player_tooltip player_id='1608324' first='Troy' last='Alderfer'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1125763' first='Alex' last='Haywood'] is a solid foursome with size and athleticism. That's the group I'm looking at as potential risers.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line: B</h3>   The Numbers: 40 ranked OL, three top 50, 11 top 100, 27 top 200   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='415457' first='Bryce' last='Johnson'] (No. 35 overall), Weddington   Strongest Level: Mid-FCS   There's a logjam of talented linemen in the 150-200 range in our rankings. Statistically-speaking, a few of those guys will move up, while it's likely at least one will fly up to the top 100. Could that be Cardinal Gibbons' versatile [player_tooltip player_id='1607759' first='Malek' last='Griffin']? Or maybe Enloe's massive tackle, [player_tooltip player_id='1649251' first='Noah' last='Nelson'], a guy who has flashed elite traits and would soar with a bit more polish.   There are a few others with less experience but plenty of talent, like Cleveland's [player_tooltip player_id='1669834' first='Donovan' last='Hicks'] and still others who have the experience and high-level technique, who would fly up the rankings if they could add a few pounds. That group includes Hickory Ridge's [player_tooltip player_id='1607805' first='Gavin' last='Passino'] and Crest's [player_tooltip player_id='1607907' first='Nick' last='Albright'], two guys I really like.   There aren't any surefire elite players in this group, but the offensive line is the hardest group to scout and there could certainly be a future Power Four starter in this class, perhaps Johnson or Independence's [player_tooltip player_id='946623' first='Nori' last='White']. This group could grow, and I've already changed the positions of a couple of guys on the back end of the website. South Garner's [player_tooltip player_id='863025' first='Bobby' last='Conyers'] will play primarily on the offensive line this season, a move that could raise his stock.   Disagree with my grades? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>).

My “grading the position groups” articles are among my favorite to write. It can be extremely helpful when looking at a class as a whole to break it down by position to see what the strongest positions are in the class. It can add context to the class as a whole and give insight to college coaches about where the state's areas of strength lie for each class.