Film Room: Breaking down 5 emerging '28 athletes you need to know

The updated Prep Redzone Maryland/Delaware/D.C. rankings were recently updated and there are dozens of emerging prospects on the list. I take a look at five of those prospects in this article.    Wooden has an early offer from Syracuse. He lined up at both cornerback and wide receiver last season. Wooden's versatility as a defensive back stand out. He lined up at both cornerback and safety positions and was effective. Wooden is a sounds wrap-up tackler and consistently finishes with good pad level. He diagnoses plays quickly, especially in zone concepts and screens. Wooden covers ground quickly in both the run and pass game. He has natural hands and timing when going for the ball in the air. Wooden projects as a high-level free safety with hybrid defensive back potential. He can play both deep and downhill. Wooden's length, instincts, and tackling ability make him a valuable asset in multiple defensive packages.     Smith's early film shows that he has lateral agility, toughness, vision that enables him to make explosive plays. He quickly possesses traffic and anticipates running lanes. Smith hits top speed quickly and uses sudden bursts to get through tight windows. He's elusive and gets past defenses with jukes, cuts, and spins with fluidity. Smith doesn't go down easily and maintains balance after contact. He's a versatile back who can make plays from different positions. I love Smith's ability to finish plays too. He knows how to complete runs with physicality.     Stevens has offers from Maryland and Syracuse. The majority of his playing time came on the JV level. Granted, the game highlights are limited. However, if you take a look at some of the 1v1 clips he has on his X account (formerly known as Twitter), the kid passes the eye test with flying colors. If all goes like it's supposed to go, Stevens will mostly likely emerge as one of the top defensive linemen in his class. He has the frame, explosiveness, and versatility to make an impact on either side of the football.     Davis has early offers from Wisconsin, Boston College, South Carolina, Delaware State, Maryland, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh. He's a two-way player with a high ceiling as a safety due to his awareness, tackling ability, and ball skills. Davis reads plays fast and reacts even faster. I like the fact that he can handle man and zone coverage responsibilities from the safety position. Davis Is willing and technically sound and doesn't shy away from contact. It's worth noting that he's a weapon on offense as a wide receiver and his dangerous after the catch.     Tibbs has early offers from Virginia Tech, Rhode Island, Marshall, Toledo, Pitt, Delaware State, Akron, Syracuse, and Morgan State. Tibbs is an exciting player who can make plays in the return game, pass, and run game for his team. He has great open-field speed, showing acceleration and long speed in his highlights. Tibbs is electric on kick and punt returns and is effective from the slot, outside wide receiver, and in the backfield. His game is built on explosiveness, vision, and versatility.

The updated Prep Redzone Maryland/Delaware/D.C. rankings were recently updated and there are dozens of emerging prospects on the list. I take a look at five of those prospects in this article.