Friday Night Freshmen: The Future of Class AAAA

Get 30% Off Your Subscription with Code PRZWV30 at Checkout!   It's always difficult for freshmen to make an impact on varsity in their first year of high school, but there are always some early names to keep close tabs on for the future. Here are some freshmen seeing varsity action with film this season!    The early top freshman in the class of 2029 has to be George Washington running back [player_tooltip player_id='1826125' first='Jaden' last='Black']. He's had an explosive start to his high school career for the Patriots and is the top freshman rusher in the state. Black has rushed for 750 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season and will have the opportunity to eclipse the 1,000-yard milestone in his first season in high school. Although he got banged up last week, Black has shown very good durability as a freshman with some high carry games under his belt. He's a natural playmaker at the position and has a great feel as a ball carrier as a young athlete with D1 potential in his future.      Starting on the offensive line as a freshman at the Class AAAA level is very impressive, and 2029 Cabell Midland OL [player_tooltip player_id='1563300' first='Grayson' last='Tilley'] has done just that. He has good early size and ability for the position and should be a 4-year player for the Knights when it's all said and done. Tilley being able to start in a Wing-T scheme against some tough competition speaks to his talent and mindset as a young lineman and bodes well for his future as a prospect. His physicality as a freshman jumps off his tape and is a big reason why Tilley has been able to see the field early on.      2029 Huntington WR [player_tooltip player_id='1329943' first='Kellen' last='Rife'] has seen some varsity and JV action this season for the Highlanders, and will be a top receiver prospect to know by his senior year. He had a prolific middle school career that will translate to the high school level in time. The Huntington coaches are excited about his future in the program, and you can see why when you turn on his tape. Rife has natural playmaking ability with the ball in his hands and will develop into a high-level YAC receiver in time. His vision and change-of-direction ability jump out when watching Rife play, and D1 programs would be wise to keep close tabs on him moving forward.      Seeing varsity action as a freshman for a program like Martinsburg is both rare and highly impressive, but 2029 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1716377' first='Christian' last='Irving'] has earned reps on Friday nights for the Bulldogs. He's going to develop nicely and become a future star in time with the potential he's showing as a young player. Irving has the size and athleticism to earn D1 looks in the future as his role increases each year. It appears he'll be a future playmaker at receiver and a bigger body to target in the passing game, but Irving's size could allow him to make an impact at other positions as well and is someone to monitor closely moving forward.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Christiani57834/status/1971989728791789668 </div></figure>     There's another prospect named Sack to follow over the next few years in 2029 Hurricane ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1716428' first='Cael' last='Sack']. His older brother Keegan had a great high school career before heading to Air Force to continue his playing career, and younger brother Cael may develop into a star in his own right. It appears he'll be a different kind of athlete than his brother at 6'3 175 as a WR or LB/DB prospect right now. Roster turnover for the Redskins has forced Sack to see varsity time as a freshman which will help his development as they take their lumps with a young team. His length and athleticism should translate to future success with continued development.      Another young Hurricane Redskin who has made an impact for the varsity team in a rebuilding year is 2029 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1408144' first='Tanner' last='Runyan']. He has a bright future as an OLB prospect with what he's showing early on and as his body develops. Runyan is doing a quality job at outside linebacker and has given reps at TE as well so far this season. He appears to be able to play in space and break down, and make a tackle in the open. Runyan also has the quickness to crash off the edge on the backside and track ball carriers down from behind. We'll learn more about his ability in the coming years, but Runyan is someone to tuck away for later.      Riverside has a pair of promising freshmen, with the first being 2029 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1642373' first='Davon' last='Brockman']. He could project as a receiver or defensive back and has a high ceiling at either position. Brockman has a natural feel with the ball in his hands and can make defenders miss consistently. He's a talented athlete in space on both sides of the ball, which speaks to his level of athleticism as a young player. Brockman is one of the more exciting 2029 prospects with varsity film to date and should develop into a future star for the Warriors.      The second 2029 Riverside prospect to know on their varsity squad is WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1652925' first='Cedric' last='Coping']. He and Brockman are both high-ceiling players for the Warriors and should be building blocks for their future success. Coping can play single-high safety as a freshman and has the athleticism to roam on the back end of their defense. He can cover ground quickly and close on the ball with speed that's allowed him to be a productive player in his first season of high school football. Coping has good instincts for a young defensive back and will develop well as he gets older.

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