Freshman Friday Episode 1

Welcome to Freshman Friday, a new weekly feature where we highlight some of the state's youngest high school players. Compared to some of my peers at other Prep Redzone sites, I'm typically a bit slower to write about the youngest class because I like to see some high school film first.   Now that the season has started, though, it's time to start highlighting some of the best 2029s in the state. We've just started compiling a freshman watchlist, but by the time this class graduates, it should be over 500 deep. So, we'll have plenty of content on the 2029 class. Here are five freshmen we're keeping an eye on. Welcome to Freshman Friday!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Freshman Friday: Five Freshmen To Watch</h2>    Let's start with the only freshman to make a start at quarterback so far this season. It's early, but Michalak has the look of a national recruit, with excellent size and one of the best arms I've ever seen from a freshman. His pocket movement and ability to throw on the run are already advanced, and he's a guy I'm trying to prioritize seeing in person. It's early, but he has No. 1 overall potential in the state.     Melvin already has great size and is a versatile defensive lineman, something that shouldn't surprise anyone who has seen his brother play four or five positions. The younger Melvin has excellent upside as an interior defensive lineman. He's playing mostly nose tackle on junior varsity and we wouldn't be surprised to see him get a call up in the not too distant future.     While Person isn't likely to get much playing time at the quarterback position as a freshman, given the depth chart there, he might be hard to keep off the field. He's a guy we've seen in a camp setting and we really like both his arm and athleticism. He's a two-way player who could play at multiple defensive back positions before ultimately moving back to full-time quarterback later in his career.     What better way to announce yourself to the high school football scene than with an offer from North Carolina? McLean is a shifty running back with great vision and sneaky power, and he has the athleticism to contribute on defense as well. He scored in a close 36-33 win over Dillon (SC) in Week 1 and looks like he could put up impressive numbers as a freshman.     When Baker competed at the CFI Showcase Camp earlier this summer, Matt Morrow was <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/cfi-carolinas-mega-showcase-top-quarterbacks/">impressed with him as a quarterback</a>. However, I think his biggest impact could be as a corner, at least in the short term. He has excellent movement skills, especially in tight spaces, which shows as a slot corner and with his pocket presence as a quarterback. He's already caught our attention and we're looking forward to watching him develop.    Which other freshmen need to be on our radar? Let me know on Twitter (@<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">whelms21</a>). Want to send this to someone who isn't a subscriber? Promo code Helms30 will take 30% off the first billing cycle of any subscription.

Welcome to Freshman Friday, a new weekly feature where we highlight some of the state's youngest high school players. Compared to some of my peers at other Prep Redzone sites, I'm typically a bit slower to write about the youngest class because I like to see some high school film first.