Meet the New Guys: Class of 2029 Nos. 6-10

We just dropped our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2029-north-carolina-high-school-football-rankings/">initial 2029 rankings</a>, and since this is a new class, only a few of these players have scouting reports. I'm slowly changing that.   I've already gone behind the scenes of the creation of this class, with stats, big-picture takeaways, and some class superlatives. This series is different. We're going straight through, from No. 45 to No. 1, to break down every ranked player in the class of 2029. Let's meet the new guys. We've hit the top 10. Let's meet some freshmen stars.   Other 2029 scouting reports:   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/meet-the-new-guys-class-of-2029-nos-41-45/">No. 41-45</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/meet-the-new-guys-class-of-2029-nos-36-40/">No. 36-40</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/meet-the-new-guys-class-of-2029-nos-31-35/">No. 31-35</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/meet-the-new-guys-class-of-2029-nos-26-30/">No. 26-30</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/meet-the-new-guys-class-of-2029-nos-21-25/">No. 21-25</a> No. 16-20 No. 11-15   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet the 2029 Class</h2>    Hicks is a young center prospect who shows good technique and locked up a few bigger interior defenders. He's still growing into his body and realizing how to use his strength, but he's in a great position to continue to develop physically. I'm excited to follow his progression over the next few years.     A glance at Jones' stat line shows he's doing more as a receiver than a rusher, but that's a bit misleading. He's done a ton of damage on pop passes off jet motion. Havelock loves to get him moving in a direction. He's a big athlete who can break tackles with ease. Expect him to take over as the lead guy next year. The multi-sport athlete is one of the best players in the state and a potential top skill player.     Butler's ranked eighth in the state, but we're not even sure he'll play football at the next level. The big, lengthy edge rusher is also a standout on the baseball diamond. Butler had nine sacks, flashing in the running game as well. He's already well put together and can win with speed or power.     We really liked Jenkins when we saw him in offseason camp, and to be honest, we missed that he was playing well on varsity. Then we dove into the film and realized he takes things to a different level on Friday nights. He's playing center, a rarity at his age, and he's not only blocking well, but also helping with protections and anchoring the offensive line.     A two-way player, we like Lineberger best as a corner. On the offensive side of the ball, he can win with quickness, but also flashes high-level jump ball skills. Those same traits play themselves out on defense. Despite a brutal schedule, Lineberger was often left on an island against talented receivers. He plays far bigger than his frame suggests, and he's one of the top freshmen in the state.    We'll have plenty of pieces on our 2029 class rankings over the next week, in addition to playoff coverage and Player of the Year voting. Want to make sure you're on our radar? Our next <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2124/register/stock-up-showcase-carolinas">Prep Redzone Carolinas Showcase</a> is Dec. 7. Promo Code HelmsWinterPRZ will get you $10 off registration.

We just dropped our initial 2029 rankings, and since this is a new class, only a few of these players have scouting reports. I'm slowly changing that.