2027 Player Rankings Update: Newly Ranked Watchlisters, Part III

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.    The evolution of the slot receiver has been something of a revelation to our sport. Often used to create and exploit mismatches, many times a team's best offensive player will line up there. This case can be made for [player_tooltip player_id='1185394' first='Ty'ire' last='Clark'] of St. Peter's Prep. Clark not only has the ability to adjust to poorly thrown balls, but the open field vision to set opponents up to rip of big gains. Clark has been showcased often as St. Peter's quick/now game option, likely due to his exceptional ability in open space and to create for himself. Balance is also a part of his game as we see him absorb a hit and keep going. An area for him to be mindful of is that the ball is best in his hands - so it would benefit him to attack the ball and possess it as soon as possible.     A prospect we first noticed a few camp seasons ago at a Prep Redzone Event, [player_tooltip player_id='1105210' first='Chaz' last='Gray'] is a physical end that takes on kick out blocks with authority. He has a tendency to slow play line stunts, but has the length to make up for numerous things. With a clear path to more burn, expect an uptick of production and results from Gray.     From one edge player to another, [player_tooltip player_id='1476922' first='John' last='DeVincenzo'] is a prospect that utilizes his hips very well when pass rushing and turning the corner. On film, this taller prospect is athletic enough to be asked to play in space. I thought that DeVincenzo uses his arms to shed extremely, including defeat reach blocks. There is a level of physicality to his game, too. We see DeVincenzo take on kick out blockers with an exceedingly high level of physicality. Schematically sound, some more upper body strength and mobility will aid DeVincenzo in his pursuit of ball carriers all across the field.     If you are looking for sound tackling, [player_tooltip player_id='910741' first='KJ' last='Hackney'] does just that. Hackney does an outstanding job keeping his feet buzzing through contact when taking down ball carriers. At his best, Hackney's get off is outstanding - albeit a bit inconsistent right now. A hustler, the 2027 graduate will bust his tail as evidenced by him making plays 30 yards downfield. Hackney works hard to get extension and knock back the offensive lineman, creating separation and shedding to pursue from there. A consistent winner of 1on1 matchups, his film has not shown him taking on double teams or squeezing.     There is something to be said about having a war daddy in the middle of the line who can take on double teams correctly and not get displaced. For Brick Memorial, [player_tooltip player_id='1691089' first='Jaxon' last='Pacheco'] is him. Pacheco is disciplined in working through one, half-man on double teams and hold the line. While on the topic of double teams, Pacheco has shown to be able to split them open in a pass rush situation. Additionally, he recognizes reach, fighting it well and maintaining his gap control. A very well coached player, Pacheco has shown to wrong arm, redirect when stunted away from the play, and stack the heels of his offensive matchup when he slants past them. An area for him to improve would be to activate his hips when pass rushing.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 Player Rankings Update Coverage</h2>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2026-player-rankings-update-breakout-candidates-part-i">Breakout Candidates, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2027-player-rankings-update-breakout-candidates-part-ii">Breakout Candidates, Part II</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> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/2027-player-rankings-update-newly-ranked-watchlisters-part-iii">Newly Ranked Prospects from the Watchlist, Part III</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.