2026s We Can't Believe Are Still on the Board

It's been more than three full months since we last broached the topic of uncommitted 2026s we believe should be coming off the board.   We can lead a horse to water, and in this case, we're urging them to go ahead and get that drink.    After nearly another full regular season of action, it's again time to highlight some names across South Carolina who have earned the right to make their move to the next level official over the coming months. These players have elevated themselves in different ways, proving everything we already knew about them from the offseason or even their junior campaigns weren't the complete picture.   We're not saying all of these guys are on the Power 4 or even Division-I levels. But for them to still be on the board is a bit of a surprise at this point in the game.   We're going to start with several options on the offensive side of the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592672' first='CJ' last='Falotico'] K, Philip Simmons   If you were looking at a tailback who averaged nearly eight points a game over the course of a season, you'd pay attention. So why ignore a kicker who's done just that? Falotico entered Friday's game against Timberland having connected on 40-of-44 PATs and seven-of-eight on field goals (long of 47). His 61 points scored through the first eight games of 2025 had him among the top 15 point scorers in the state, regardless of position. Tack on a 61-percent clip on touchbacks and the fact that he handles punting duties and he's a ready-made college signee who will only get better with time.    [player_tooltip player_id='1820899' first='Josiah' last='Mason'] OL, South Florence   We're not going to repeat coach Drew Marlowe's words lightly: Mason may end up being the most effective player on the 2025 Bruins' squad. The tackle can play both sides of the line, so he's flexible to in-game adjustments. He was a big part of South's 2024 title team, so he's experienced playing in the biggest games he's faced to date. And, frankly, he's got a mean streak that - as you'll see on his film - leaves him planting defenders on their backs, often two at a time. He's 6-foot-3 and a sturdy 250 pounds with a frame that could carry more if necessary. Need we say more?    [player_tooltip player_id='1327713' first='Matthew' last='Hillstock'] WR, Easley   Every year, a couple smaller receivers come out of the state and make an immediate impact for a college somewhere around the southeast. This season, the prime such target was Northwestern's [player_tooltip player_id='1267334' first='Kameron' last='Vance'] (committed to Lafayette). Hillstock (pictured, left) might be the most polished among the rest. Even at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, the Easley senior has some serious bulldog in him. He long since expanded out his catch radius and has the type of cutting ability to maximize every bit of his speed. And when that's not enough, simply get the ball in his hands any way you can and watch him lower his head and tune his inner tailback.    [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] QB, Lamar   With a new head coach and an adjustment to losing some of his favorite weapons from last year to graduation, Pierce has shown he can expand his playmaking ability even more from his sophomore and junior seasons. Pierce is running more than he ever has by design, and it has resulted in a career high in rushing yards in a season (558) and rushing scores (13) with a regular-season game and the Silver Foxes' postseason still ahead of him. It's not as if Pierce's throwing ability has diminished; in fact he may very well set a new career high in passing yards in a season before 2025 is done, too. Lamar will be a factor in the Class A Upper State playoffs as either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, and Pierce will be at the heart of it all one more time. It should give colleges a few more opportunities to check him out live.    [player_tooltip player_id='1667450' first='Amari' last='Verner'] RB, Seneca    The Bobcats were still ver much a work in progress a year ago, and Verner has continued to develop despite having even more pressure on him to perform. With fewer carries than he had a year ago, he's already got roughly 500 more rushing yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground. He's averaging just shy of 10 yards per carry and there's little reason to believe he won't be joining the 2,000-yard rushing club this fall. His 341-yard, five touchdown game against Green October 17 proved he's not even close to slowing down, either. Verner has put himself in rare territory this fall and we think there's going to be a late push for his services based on his durability and longevity of success over the last two seasons.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267286' first='Amadre' last='Wooden'] RB, Batesburg-Leesville   As PRZ scout Chris Dearing said: “Dude is on a heater right now.” Wooden added his sixth straight 200-yard game to his senior season Friday night in a 60-14 win against Pelion. If Wooden makes it seven straight 200-yard games the week against Saluda, he'll be within striking distance of 2,000 yards on the ground this fall during the opening round of the playoffs. He could ultimately catch on at a bigger school, or he will have the option of going smaller and being a Day 1 contributor. At 6-foot and north of 210 pounds, he's already got college size right now. Give him a season in an NCAA weight room and he could keep putting up some big numbers at the next level, too.     [player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky'] QB, AC Flora   There isn't a quarterback metric where Wentzky isn't going to come out of his senior season looking even better than the sophomore version of him that threw for 2,700 yards or the junior one that did the same. His passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage are all up while his interceptions are down. Most importantly, the Falcons are as good as they've been during his tenure. The 6-footer has had some nibbles, and even though the knock on him is that he's not three inches taller, we've got plenty of evidence that the “shorter” quarterbacks can have huge success at the college level, too. Wentzky is likely going to finish his career as the No. 1 quarterback in the Prep RedZone Class of 2026 rankings for a reason. And it's not because he's lucked into having targets on the outside.

It's been more than three full months since we last broached the topic of uncommitted 2026s we believe should be coming off the board.