2027 Summer Rankings Update: Defensive Stock Risers

The 2027 rankings have grown to 100 total prospects in the state of West Virginia, with many previously ranked athletes seeing a bump in their rankings. After a summer of getting out to camps, watching film, and receiving new college offers, here are the defensive players who made the biggest jumps in the rankings update.    Bridgeport LB [player_tooltip player_id='1154891' first='Gabe' last='Martin'] first caught our attention when the 2027 Watch List first debuted last winter as a standout on the Indians' freshman team. Fast forward a year and a half, and Martin is now our #2-ranked linebacker in the 2027 class. We got to see him in person earlier this summer at Fairmont State's Prospect Camp, where he earned a top performer mention and further cemented our high thoughts of him. Martin had a tremendous sophomore campaign, leading the AAA state champs in tackles during his first season of varsity football. He'll be a three-year starter and a household name in the state by his senior year and will garner college attention sooner rather than later.     Another 2027 linebacker who impressed as a sophomore varsity starter was Wheeling Central's [player_tooltip player_id='1304656' first='Dustin' last='Sanner']. He was the second-leading tackler for the Knights in 2024, posting 90 total stops, 6.5 for a loss, and 3.5 for sacks. Sanner is growing well into his 6'1 frame, with high-level athleticism that will allow him to develop into a complete linebacker prospect by his senior year. He has all of the physical tools and is steadily working on his own time to become a top prospect in the 2027 class, and is a name that colleges will want to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.     2027 Linsly DL [player_tooltip player_id='1615402' first='Darryn' last='McCormick'] impressed at our Combine Series Camp earlier this year and at the Spring Showcase that led to a jump inside the Top 40 of the rankings. He possesses the power and athleticism to finish as a top defensive line prospect in this class by his senior year and is steadily progressing as a player. As he continues to add size, McCormick will raise his ceiling as a prospect and should garner college attention soon.     Formerly ranked as our #2 TE prospect in the 2027 class, after seeing Huntington's [player_tooltip player_id='1272661' first='Antonyo' last='Paschall'] in person this summer, he now holds our #1 EDGE spot in the class. That was always likely to be where he ended up in the rankings, but we needed to see a bigger sample size of Paschall there before moving him over. He showed a lot of potential and upside at a camp this summer that we attended at that position, and he has a frame that can be significantly molded by his senior year. The raw potential and athleticism make Paschall an intriguing prospect if he continues to put in the necessary work to get there.     2027 Nitro DB [player_tooltip player_id='1316655' first='David' last='Hill'] moves up inside the Top 50 as the #5 defensive back in the class after seeing him live this summer. He was our DB MVP at the Combine Series back in May, among some talented defensive backs, which warranted a bump in the rankings. Hill is talented in man coverage with fluid hips, quickness, and speed to stick to receivers consistently. His biggest goal moving forward will be to continue to add size with a slighter build right now, and if he can do so, Hill will surely finish as a top DB prospect in this class.     We liked 2027 University DB [player_tooltip player_id='1616215' first='Kyle' last='Weaver'] in our winter rankings update, but admittedly had him too low after seeing him in person this summer. Fairmont State jumped in early with an offer to Weaver after a strong camp performance this summer and is quickly coming out from under the radar. You could see his ability and skill in his sophomore tape as a defensive playmaker who has a natural feel for the game. Weaver's versatility as a safety prospect should also be noted, and he is the type of athlete who can be utilized in various roles and alignments on defense.     A steady climber in the 2027 rankings is Cabell Midland's [player_tooltip player_id='1589349' first='Aiden' last='Estep'], who seemingly looks better every time we see him in person. That was the case again earlier this summer at a camp after first getting eyes on him in January for the first time at our Stock Up Showcase. You could see his potential back then, and it's translating to confidence and steady improvement as he heads into his junior year. WV State also saw that potential as they extended Estep his first college offer back in June. He still hasn't come close to his ceiling as a player and is likely to again be a future stock riser in our rankings once this potential translates to varsity success on Friday nights.

The 2027 rankings have grown to 100 total prospects in the state of West Virginia, with many previously ranked athletes seeing a bump in their rankings. After a summer of getting out to camps, watching film, and receiving new college offers, here are the defensive players who made the biggest jumps in the rankings update.