Upstate's Best: Zone's Top 10 Players

The 2025 high school football season will be here before you know it. Impress your family, friends and neighbors with how much you know by gaining access to everything Prep RedZone South Carolina produces by <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe/">becoming a subscriber today</a>. We are currently running a 40% off special on all annual subscriptions to the site. Simply use the offer code Guerin40 at checkout to take advantage.   As usual, the Upstate has a ton of top-level football talent.   From P4 commits to guys who fill any role their team needs, there are stars at every level in the northwest corner of the state.   In a three-part series, we're going to take a look at a few of them. Up first are the ten guys ranked at the top of the zone in the 2026 rankings. From a couple of nasty OL to a QB, a WR, a bunch of guys on defense, and a kicker, here's a look at what they can do to take over a game - and a season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165753' first='Tre' last='Aiken'] OL, Clinton   Clinton's going to run the ball to be successful. A lot of the time, they're going to run it behind Aiken. The 2A state champions churned out more than 4,700 yards on the ground last season, and a couple of their top rushers are back for more. The good news for those guys is that Aiken is back up front - all 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds of him. He's good at the things all top-flight linemen are good at, and he's got a little bit of a nasty streak. But in an offense that features a whole lot of misdirection and window dressing behind the line of scrimmage before and at the snap, the things the line are asked to do are deceptively simple. And Aiken is EXTREMELY good at one in particular - Imposing his will on the man across from him.   [player_tooltip player_id='402497' first='Kentavion' last='Anderson'] DB, Dorman   Anderson (pictured) just does a whole bunch of things really, really well for the Cavaliers. He absolutely stuffs the stat sheets and he's a tackle machine, often playing a kind of hybrid safety/linebacker. He's got the measurables and talent to shine at either. The Clemson commit is capable of wreaking havoc in the backfield, as well as defending against the pass. He blocked a kick and forced a fumble last season, an indication of how active he is no matter where he lines up or where the play takes him. Dorman's strength last season was its defense, and Anderson is a big part of the reason why. As a senior, he'll play again behind some talented linebackers, and a DL who will eat blockers and leave them free to roam.   [player_tooltip player_id='212409' first='Scottland' last='Dover'] OL, Gaffney   The offensive line has been a strength for the Indians for years, and this year should be no exception. Dover is one of the guys who makes it go. He's huge, at 6-foot-3 and 287 pounds, and he's strong. But the way he uses that size and strength is what's landed Dover not just on this list, but on the list of a ton of schools at the next level. The Appalachian State commit is physical enough to play tackle and athletic enough to play guard, and he does both well for the Indians. He can pass block, he can pull, and a bunch of times when you're looking for him on film, you need to start with looking on the ground because he's just buried a guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='473009' first='Jeremiah' last='Favorite'] DB, Boiling Springs   Favorite is often the best all-around player on any field where he finds himself. He's a virtual lockdown defensive back for the Bulldogs, and the numbers (or the lack of them) bear that out. He had two interceptions as a sophomore and four more last season, knocking down 11 passes over the course of those two years. He's a guy where the true stats are going to be measured by the absence of numbers - teams often just don't bother throwing it his direction, or aren't able to. He's also an explosive returner, with 232 return yards a year ago. And, he could take on a bigger role for the Bulldogs on the offensive side of the ball this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='284134' first='Jayvon' last='Gilmore'] QB, Gaffney   The Arkansas commit made an immediate impact after transferring to Gaffney last season, throwing for for more than 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns. He did that against one of the toughest defensive regions in the state, and when you look at Gilmore it's easy to see why. He's got a good release, he can move the pocket, and he's got an uncanny ability to hold the ball until the last possible second in order to let a play develop while still getting it away cleanly. With another successful offseason behind him (and one of his most important weapons back and healthy), Gilmore could be poised to be even better this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth'] WR, Mountain View Prep   Hainsworth has a knack for big plays. That was evident before he even took a snap at Mountain View Prep, as he notched a bunch of TDs of 50 yards or more as a sophomore at Dorman. He continued his explosive play as a junior for the Stars, ending the year as their leading receiver by nearly double with 947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, doing all of that on just 40 catches. He added 109 yards and another TD on four carries, and seemed to be at his best in the biggest moments. The Stars' first offensive play from scrimmage in school history was a 60-yard Hainsworth TD. In MVP's toughest game of the regular season last year, a 40-38 win over Woodruff, Hainsworth made a one-handed grab that drew audible gasps in the press box and resulted in an 82-yard game-clinching TD. In the Upper State title game, a long run set up a score for the Stars. It's pretty evident that when there's something on the line, Hainsworth is the guy.   [player_tooltip player_id='816751' first='Jude' last='Hall'] WR, Christ Church   Hall is a problem. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he presents a big target that's difficult for a lot of high school defensive backs to deal with. When you add outstanding speed, it's even tougher. But what should open some eyes is what Hall was able to accomplish last season. After an early-season injury sidelined Christ Church's most electric offensive playmaker, Hall stepped directly into the role and notched 57 catches, 967 all-purpose yards, and five touchdowns. He did all that drawing almost every bit of attention that opponents could muster, as he served as the Cavaliers' most effective threat - and he still got it done.   [player_tooltip player_id='816752' first='Will' last='Love'] K, Spartanburg   Let's talk about the best kicker in the state. Does [player_tooltip player_id='816752' first='Will' last='Love'] bang touchbacks and make opponents start deeper than they'd like on a regular basis? Of course. Can he pinpoint kick when he needs to? Absolutely. But here's what Love really does to a football game: he completely wrecks the opponent's idea of how much of the field they need to defend. Bend-but-don't-break from 20 to 20 is sometimes an accepted fact of the game. Guys have talent, your defense will flex its muscles, you'll force a field goal attempt. But what if suddenly that magic number is the 30-yard line instead? What if Love makes the Vikings comfortable with that 47-yard attempt (spoiler: he does). How much more pressure does that put on a defense? Now, what if it's even further than that? Well, Love had IN-GAME makes of 48, 49, 51, and 54 last year, and has film from as far as 65 yards. He simply changes the game for the Vikings.   [player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell'] RB, Gaffney   McDowell is an interesting player, having long been one of the most highly-regarded players in the 2026 class. He's been surrounded by talent at Gaffney, and last year he was hampered by injury for most of the season, so his numbers might not leap off the page they way they did early in his career. But look closer, and you'll see the little things that McDowell does. Yes, he's a talented runner with vision and speed. But he's also one of the Indians' best receivers, excelling at catching the ball out of the backfield to the tune of nearly 1,000 career yards doing just that. He also blocks well when called upon. And this year, head coach Donnie Littlejohn says he's healthy and might be better than he's ever been.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165096' first='Jaxx' last='Wilson'] LB, Westside   Wilson was one of the best defenders on a really good Westside defense as a junior, with 83 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception. But that doesn't even scratch the surface of what Wilson brings to the table. His instincts are off the charts, and he never seems to be out of position. He pursues the play well, particularly sideline to sideline, and he diagnoses plays quickly and has no trouble finding the ball. With a ton of defensive losses to graduation, the Rams will turn to Wilson to lead them. He's more than capable.

The 2025 high school football season will be here before you know it. Impress your family, friends and neighbors with how much you know by gaining access to everything Prep RedZone South Carolina produces by becoming a subscriber today. We are currently running a 40% off special on all annual subscriptions to the site. Simply use the offer code Guerin40 at checkout to take advantage.