2028 Rankings Debut: The Top 30

The 2028 West Virginia rankings have made their long-awaited debut as an up-and-coming rising sophomore class begins to make their names known. This class has the potential to be one of the most talented groups of prospects in recent memory in the state, given what they have shown so far, with many more expected to emerge in the years to come. Here are the 21-30 ranked 2028 prospects at this point in their young careers in our eyes.    2028 Nitro WR [player_tooltip player_id='1221847' first='Takye' last='Porter'] flashed as a freshman for the Wildcats among a very talented receiver group and should take on a bigger role as a sophomore. He'll still have to fight for touches with a loaded receiver group returning, but he has the dynamic playmaking potential out of the slot to demand them. Porter is the type of athlete who can be utilized in a variety of ways and can be a gadget-type player that you can be creative with.      [player_tooltip player_id='1166650' first='Peyton' last='Grigsby'] was QB1 for Capital as a freshman and will head to Herbert Hoover for the rest of his high school career. He did some good things for the Cougars in year one as a starting varsity freshman quarterback and should progress year after year at his new school. Grigsby will have big shoes to fill with 4-year starter and Northern Illinois signee Dane Hatfield finally graduating, but he will put his spin on the Huskies' offense as more of a passer. If he can keep adding size and progressing in reading defenses, Grigsby has the arm talent to be among the best quarterback prospects in the 2028 class.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thanks to my coaches for the opportunities this year, and thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Jerraldlong?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jerraldlong</a> for always keeping me prepared. <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneWV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneWV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WVMetroNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WVMetroNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/lootpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lootpress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillipsQBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhillipsQBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/QBIQsystem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBIQsystem</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WVPrepFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WVPrepFB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RecruitCapital?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RecruitCapital</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoalfieldsCo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoalfieldsCo</a> <a href="https://t.co/pVLLJEl7e4">pic.twitter.com/pVLLJEl7e4</a>— Peyton (PG-13) Grigsby (@grigsby_peyton7) <a href="https://twitter.com/grigsby_peyton7/status/1856688331720892553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2024</a></blockquote>     [player_tooltip player_id='1260138' first='Steven' last='Kinney'] was a very good offensive lineman for Nitro as a freshman, but debuts in our rankings as the #1 defensive line prospect. That may be a bold move based on having very little experience at that position last season, but Kinney showed a lot of potential there at a camp this summer. His size better projects along the defensive line as a college prospect, and Kinney has the physicality and quickness to develop well at that spot. He's likely to get more reps on that side of the ball as a sophomore and show the potential we saw from him this summer.      2028 Doddridge County DL [player_tooltip player_id='1222034' first='Jacob' last='Britton'] will have something to say about Kinney's #1 DL rankings, and is neck-and-neck with him right now. He was a two-way freshman standout for the Bulldogs as a freshman and impressed us in person at our Stock Up Showcase back in January. Britton is highly physical for his age and plays with an edge, which we loved to see from a young lineman. He'll be a 4-year starter and will garner some serious college looks in the future with a great start to his young career.      We're betting on 2028 Martinsburg ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1221849' first='Kason' last='Warden'] to start to flash at the high school level this fall after missing his freshman year with an injury. A Top 25 ranking without any film to evaluate speaks to his ability and potential as an athlete and how much we believe in him moving forward. His best position as a prospect is yet to be determined, and Warden is the type of athlete who could excel at a few different spots. Keep tabs on him this season and beyond as we wait for him to produce game film, but we're confident he'll be a top name in the 2028 class.     2028 North Marion RB [player_tooltip player_id='1311022' first='Brian' last='Poindexter Jr'] had a great start to his freshman season for the Huskies before going down with an injury. He'll be ready to go again as a sophomore and should produce a big sophomore season if he can stay healthy. Poindexter Jr has dynamic playmaking ability out of the backfield as a quick and shifty scatback who can take it the distance any time he touches the ball. He's as effective laterally as he is getting vertical, which makes him a difficult task for defenses to contain.      The Faircloth name is well known in the Eastern Panhandle, as yet another offensive line prospect is emerging from the family tree. 2028 Hedgesville OL [player_tooltip player_id='1624400' first='Brody' last='Faircloth'] will continue the family business of a standout offensive lineman, which he showed last season as the varsity starting center. He's the son of head coach Matt Faircloth, which shows in how ready he was to play an important and difficult position in his first year of high school. Faircloth isn't quite as long as his older brothers yet, but still has very good young size as an interior OL prospect. He'll be a name to know for 4 years for the Eagles and will garner college attention in time, just like his brothers did.      A name that will emerge in a much bigger way this season in the 2028 class is John Marshall RB [player_tooltip player_id='1624347' first='Dalton' last='Cooper']. He finished his freshman season with two monster performances once he took over the starting running back spot late in the season and showed flashes of what he's going to do for three more years. Cooper is as physically impressive as any prospect in this class, which will display in his running style this year. He also has the straight line speed to pair with his size, which will cause serious issues for defenses. Developing his lateral quickness and ability will take his game higher as he gets older, and once he gets more comfortable as a varsity player.      2028 Morgantown ATH Brooks Kings already holds a rare college offer for a rising sophomore from WV State and should see varsity action this fall for the Mohigans. He'll be a two-sport standout in time, doubling as a baseball prospect and can be used on the football field at a few different positions. As he gets bigger, linebacker feels like his best position in the future, but King also has the athleticism to stick as a safety hybrid type of player, depending on how his body develops. He has a good mind for the game as a young player, which will allow him to see the field on Friday nights sooner rather than later at a program with a lot of athletes to utilize and compete for playing time with.      A promising 2028 running back to know for the next three years is Keyser's Dominik Crawford. He was one of their top playmakers as a freshman last season and will be one of the best running back prospects in this class. Crawford will be a versatile athlete for Keyser to utilize in their Wing-T system, and he is just as effective a pass catcher as he is a ball carrier. He has a natural feel as a running back, which you could see as a young player last season in his running style. Crawford flashed a lot of potential and upside as a freshman, but look for him to take his game up several notches as he gets older.

The 2028 West Virginia rankings have made their long-awaited debut as an up-and-coming rising sophomore class begins to make their names known. This class has the potential to be one of the most talented groups of prospects in recent memory in the state, given what they have shown so far, with many more expected to emerge in the years to come. Here are the 21-30 ranked 2028 prospects at this point in their young careers in our eyes.