The Most Underrated Class of 2027 Prospects

'Tis the season of Rankings Updates. During this time of year, I hunker down, grind tape, and cast a wide net to find the most quality prospects I can in a given class. Over the next year, the class of 2027 is my top priority.   With the release of the 2027 Rankings Update, I've found a few prospects who I feel are well on their way to being college prospects come next offseason. I consider all of these prospects to have Division 2 ceilings.    I liked Cole's tape so much that I decided to rank him well within the Top 100. Cole is an extremely productive two-way player for the 2024 Division 7 Runner-Up.   Cole's defensive tape is what you expect. He reacts quickly, does a good job fighting through would-be blocks, and is all-around a sound tackler. I feel that he's especially efficient when defending outside the tackles.   I feel that Cole's real upside is at running back. Last season, Cole put up great <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/20141919/675b984c9a6eab4d07b1164e">highlights at running back</a>. Highlights like 0:20 show Cole's breakaway speed. Not elite speed, but definitely in that 4.6-4.8 range, able to outrun just about any defender in Division 7. Really, if his teammates do their job blocking, Cole has the vision and speed to break off huge runs. He flashes a little bit of contact balance and open-field elusiveness, but these aren't strongsuits quite yet. It's also worth mentioning that Cole is a legit weapon in the passing game.   Lastly, I'm happy to see Cole putting in work this offseason. He's frequented camps and has undoubtedly improved in the process. I see a GLIAC ceiling if Cole has a phenomenal 2025 season.     I've mentioned Honeycutt a few times, but man, he keeps on perfectly fitting criteria for my titles.   I feel that Honeycutt is on a superb trajectory. Really nice testing numbers, a few college camps, and another season of Baseball. Not to mention an extremely promising highlight tape. If I had to bet, I'd bet that Nic will be a GLIAC prospect in a year's time. Time will tell!     Kalamazoo Central has some legit talent. Crayton and Co. put themselves on the map last season with a playoff bid, and I'd bet they'll do it again.   Mykell is a deep threat. He's able to explode out of his release, make a quick move, and get downfield quickly. Able to force the defense to always think about the deep ball. Plus, Mykell earns a lot of "speed in space" touches. Screens, quick slants, etc. I'm impressed with Mykell's ability to see the field and run into open space after the catch. His contact balance isn't all that bad either. Lastly, Mykell has a few promising highlights at DB.   Mykell should absolutely be earning college offers next offseason. Like most on this list, he's got a D2 ceiling and D3 floor.     I just couldn't leave Trent off the rankings after the offseason he's had. Dude is fast, explosive, and his testing numbers back it up. At the SMSB Mega Camp, Trent posted a 4.67 40-yard dash alongside a 113-inch broad jump and a phenomenal 36.5-inch vertical.   The real question here is tape. I've got to see Junior season tape in order for me to get a better evaluation of Trent. Just going off athletic traits, Trent has the opportunity to be a phenomenal college prospect. He's checking a lot of boxes.     I really like what I'm seeing from [player_tooltip player_id='1682879' first='Brayden' last='Carpenter'].   Starting off, Brayden has an excellent Sophomore season <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16875298/672285065a40bea3d05aa563">highlight tape</a>. A lot of off-man coverage where Brayden perfectly reads the receiver, either jumping the route when his opponent breaks or staying patient and sticking with his man downfield. His highlights also suggest above-average ball skills. Not a pickoff artist, but still super solid at breaking up passes. There's also a decent variety of run stops- Brayden is solid, but not standout while stopping the run.   What makes me optimistic more than anything is Brayden's commitment to offseason competition. He's at camps, he's working out on his own time, and he generally seems very committed to his own development. Brick by brick, Brayden is gearing up for a breakout Junior season. We'll see, but I feel that Brayden is another D2 ceiling D3 floor guy.

'Tis the season of Rankings Updates. During this time of year, I hunker down, grind tape, and cast a wide net to find the most quality prospects I can in a given class. Over the next year, the class of 2027 is my top priority.