2028 Rankings Debut: The Top 80

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 71-80 ranked 2028 prospects at this point in their young careers in our eyes.    2028 Shady Spring OL [player_tooltip player_id='1538716' first='Peyton' last='Wade'] is a prospect we have seen grow in person over the off-season and is steadily improving as a player. He has the potential to be a future stock riser in the rankings if he keeps up the progression that he's shown as a young player to date. We've seen Wade improve each time we've had the opportunity to see him perform in person, and he's developing quickly with the work that he's putting in on his own time. Expect him to have varsity success this season for the Tigers and keep tabs on him over the next three years.      A 2028 prospect who may have high upside is Wyoming East's [player_tooltip player_id='1624388' first='James' last='Wood']. He has a large frame that will likely grow into a future offensive lineman as he gets older in the 6'5 235 range. Wood was a blocking tight end and defensive lineman for the Warriors as a freshman and will debut in the 2028 rankings as a DL prospect for now. Game film is very limited on Wood right now, so we'll get a better idea of his ability in the future. At his size, he'll be a prospect to monitor closely once he posts for film and develops his game and body.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/L1ubEqEv6g">pic.twitter.com/L1ubEqEv6g</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1624388' first='James' last='Wood'] (@wood_james59821) <a href="https://twitter.com/wood_james59821/status/1927664938849350011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>     Martinsburg has some big linemen in their 2028 class to know for the future, and that continues with OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='1624423' first='Ryder' last='Wolfe']. He was a force on the Bulldogs' younger squads as a freshman and will likely be a future varsity starter in time when the opportunity arises. His size and power as a freshman proved to be an issue for opposing players his age. Wolfe did some good things on both sides of the line at tackle on offense and along the interior on defense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1310969' first='Paul' last='Cochran'] was a varsity starter as a freshman for Riverside and will be a key 4-year player for the Warriors. He performed the most on the offensive line, but his size translates better as a prospect on defense. Older brother JR Cochran was a long-time standout for Riverside before graduating this year, and younger brother Paul appears to be on the same path. Size will be his biggest hurdle as a prospect, but the ability is apparent in his game as a young player.      [player_tooltip player_id='1221844' first='Jaxson' last='Workman'] was a varsity starter as a freshman at quarterback for Liberty-Raleigh and has versatility as an athlete. He'll make his debut in the 2028 rankings as an ATH, but could move to QB depending on how he develops as a passer over the next three years. Workman's size will allow him to move around positionally, where he was productive as a DE/EDGE last season as well. He has ability as a quarterback and should keep developing consistently at that position, but his athletic versatility is worth noting.      Buckhannon-Upshur's [player_tooltip player_id='1624464' first='Aiden' last='Snyder'] debuts in the 2028 rankings as the #3 kicker in the class. He's a talented placekicker for his age on PATs and field goals and is continuing to develop on kickoffs. Snyder has solid mechanics for a young specialist on place kicks, which will translate to future varsity success. He's a name to monitor over the next three years, once he produces more game film to evaluate.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMacKicking?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachMacKicking</a> for another successful weekend kicking in the books! Film: Clip 1: 40 middle Clip 2: 33 left hash Clip 3: kickoff <a href="https://t.co/gz2HN6DynN">pic.twitter.com/gz2HN6DynN</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1624464' first='Aiden' last='Snyder'] (@snyder_aiden2) <a href="https://twitter.com/snyder_aiden2/status/1903553917855912211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></blockquote>     [player_tooltip player_id='1421223' first='Payton' last='Metheny'] was an electric small school player last season for Petersburg, who will be a great piece for their program to build around for four years. Game film is very limited of Metheny right now, so a full breakdown of his game will come at a later date. However, he was a big-time producer as a freshman and has the athleticism that will give him options as a prospect for which positions he can play at the next level.      2028 Huntington QB [player_tooltip player_id='1624342' first='Luke' last='Christian'] is a name to tuck away for later as a prospect and has potential. He quarterbacked the Highlanders' younger squad last season and did some good things as a passer. Christian has good early size, which could allow him to move around positionally if he doesn't stick at quarterback. He'll have a lot of competition at that position at a school like Huntington, which produces some very good ones, but don't overlook his potential future there.      2028 Herbert Hoover DB [player_tooltip player_id='1221854' first='Shannon' last='Mitchell'] is a prospect to keep tabs on over the next three years. He has the potential to bloom into a future standout for the Huskies once his body develops and matures. Mitchell has the length already, but will need to add significant size to his frame to fully realize his potential. He has the upside and potential to develop into a future high-level player once his physical attributes catch up, so don't be surprised if he's a future stock riser in the rankings.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank u <a href="https://twitter.com/GordonCohagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GordonCohagan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GCMotion7v7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GCMotion7v7</a> for a great 7v7 season now time to lock n <a href="https://twitter.com/HHHuskiesFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHHuskiesFB</a> C/O 2028 DB <a href="https://twitter.com/jfields50?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jfields50</a> <a href="https://t.co/epasF5gRWa">pic.twitter.com/epasF5gRWa</a>— Shannon (Manman) Mitchell (@SMitchell304) <a href="https://twitter.com/SMitchell304/status/1928990854208782455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>     2028 Winfield LB [player_tooltip player_id='1335495' first='Talan' last='Westfall'] is an intriguing prospect who could develop into a future star over time. He has the early size for the position to build around moving forward, which could allow him to develop into a varsity standout. Westfall is extremely raw right now as a player, which is to be expected from most rising sophomores, but the upside is there for him to become a top linebacker or tight end prospect in this class eventually.

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 71-80 ranked 2028 prospects at this point in their young careers in our eyes.