2027 Player Rankings Update: Newly Ranked Watchlisters, Part II

For some prospects, the long wait is over. Part of the beauty of Prep Redzone's rankings watchlist is in the name and intention itself – we watch. After watching countless hours of film, here some of the prospects who lived on our watchlist for various periods of time, only to be revealed as top prospects.    I have got a soft spot for public school tight ends that can ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1540893' first='Shane' last='Small'] can ball. Part of an outstanding program in Old Tappan, Small comes up big when it matters most. A quick get off at the snap of the ball allows him to gain ground very quickly. As if he has springs in his shoes, Small moves well and penetrates the secondary with ease. From what I saw, Small never broke the rule of using his hands to catch the ball, while also showing that he high points it very well. this has allowed him to make highly ocntested catches look easy.     With Lotzeir Brooks now patrolling the sidelines in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, [player_tooltip player_id='1476891' first='Reggie' last='Holley'] is now ready to take the reigns from Brooks as Brooks did years ago from Ta'Ron Haile. Holley has a very clear explosive nature to himself. Because of that explosion, his release off the line and shiftiness in the open field are exemplified. That said, Holley understands that patience is the better part of valor, as he picks and chooses his spots when to turn on the jets when necessary and not haphazardly. When Holley possesses the ball, he barks loudly with a "junkyard dog" mentality. We see him fight for extra yardage by lowering his shoulder or doing whatever necessary to gain just one yard - including go through you. His routes are crisp and he uses his hands to make catches. Lastly, Holley will extend and convert catches on balls you might no t expect him to.     [player_tooltip player_id='1676344' first='Axcel' last='Bailey'] might be one of the best kept secrets int he state. Bailey has a second gear that he can find in order to split cover 2 safeties right up the middle. Bailey is strong enough to shed off arm tackles, while having the open field vision to be able to frequently use that second gear he has. Ball security is paramount as we see in pinned tightly to his chest. Tape shows us that Bailey uses his hands to catch the ball and will not bounce hings early either.     The only place you might find a pass catcher taller than [player_tooltip player_id='1610803' first='Sean' last='Currie'] is on a basketball court. Currie is a 6'7" target who is extremely difficult to bring down to the ground. A powerful lower half allows him to carry multiple defenders who are draped on him. Currie might have spent some time on the hardwood too, as we see him box out and high point the ball. It seems that the deeper his route his, the better he moves. I liked that Currie's tape showcased him in all three levels of the passing game too.     [player_tooltip player_id='751492' first='Zakai' last='Murphy'] seems to have found a home as the slot receiver. Murphy possesses speed and quickness that enables him to separate from slot corners and safeties alike. I thought that he ran very good routes that allowed for the creation of space from him and his opponents. Not necessarily something all slots do well, yet Murphy tracks the ball over his shoulders very nicely;      <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 Player Rankings Update Coverage</h2>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2026-player-rankings-update-ranking-stock-risers-part-i">Rankings Stock Risers, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2027-player-rankings-update-newly-ranked-watchlisters-part-i">Newly Ranked Prospects from the Watchlist, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2027-player-rankings-update-newly-ranked-watchlisters-part-ii">Newly Ranked Prospects from the Watchlist, Part II</a>

For some prospects, the long wait is over. Part of the beauty of Prep Redzone's rankings watchlist is in the name and intention itself – we watch. After watching countless hours of film, here some of the prospects who lived on our watchlist for various periods of time, only to be revealed as top prospects.