Final 2026 Rankings Update: New Additions OT

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the 129 new additions to the Prep RedZone Class of 2026 rankings here in the Winter Updates cycle, 16 jumped directly into the top two-thirds of our charts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These 16 all had different situations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were players who transferred from other schools, others who made massive leaps in their production and ability in their final year at the prep level and even a couple who we'd simply not heard much about in past seasons.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only consensus we could come to when it came to these 16, though, was that each of them not only deserved a number next to their name, they'd absolutely earned it on their respective fields during the 2025 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we begin to close out our coverage of the Class of 2026, let's tell you why they didn't simply move into the rankings, but up the charts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2073102' first='Jay' last='Duncan']</strong> WR, Greenwood - The 6-foot-3 receiver inked with Furman last week after becoming one of the Eagles' favorite targets this fall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734490' first='Jaylen' last='Dash']</strong> DB/WR, Orangeburg-Wilkinson - On a team full of two-way standouts, Dash found new ways to inspire others to follow his lead while rarely coming off the field</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1402494' first='Treyvon' last='Pauling']</strong> WR, Lake Marion - College ball may be even more of an eye opener for fans of the 5-foot-9 receiver/kick returner/whatever else someone can draw up for him</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1766682' first='Jah'mir' last='Heyward']</strong> DL, Berkeley - Even before his 10 rushing touchdowns, Heyward was already often dominating from his spot on the defensive line</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1320686' first='Lamareon' last='Thompson']</strong> OL, Oceanside Collegiate - There's little to nitpick about how the big guard performed in his lone season with the Class 3A champs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1819312' first='Ben' last='Turner']</strong> TE, Bishop England - If everyone's first year of football looked like Turner's, this sport would be even bigger than it already is; Turner was that impressive</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821063' first='Eric' last='Mittag']</strong> P/K, Fort Dorchester - Mittag led the state in multiple punting categories and finished third on the team in scoring with his FGs and PATs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2071765' first='DJ' last='Lee']</strong> RB/DB, Southside Christian - Lee piled up 1,250 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and 35 tackles and two picks on defense en route to region POY honors</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1708197' first='Jai' last='Chuniesingh']</strong> WR, Pelion - It's nearly impossible to ignore Chuniesingh's 1,100 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games as a senior</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821420' first='Carl' last='Capers']</strong> LB/DB, Lake Marion - Capers was both consistent (79 total tackles) but also put up plenty of high-impact figures (14 TFL, 14 QBH, four FF, 6 PBU).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1278604' first='QuaShaun' last='Hampton']</strong> DL, Keenan - Even while missing games, Hampton was unmistakable with his size and ability to shove off double teams from his spot on the line</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='302810' first='Emari' last='Nance']</strong> ATH, TL Hanna - Offense, defense, didn't matter; Nance shot well past 1,000 all-purpose yards and was just as influential on the other side of the ball</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664615' first='Zavion' last='Meadows']</strong> DL, Dorman - North-South selection piled up 52 tackles and 11 TFL during his breakout campaign for the Cavaliers&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820899' first='Josiah' last='Mason']</strong> OL, South Florence - The big left tackle was a driving force for a run-based offense that reached its fourth consecutive state championship game</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820976' first='Nick' last='Zincone']</strong> WR, Carolina Forest (pictured) - Speedster made waves during the spring combine slate, then backed it up with just shy of 1,000 receiving yards</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820181' first='Kenard' last='Heyward']</strong> RB, Carvers Bay - After missing nearly all of 2024, Heyward returned to put up more than 2,000 rushing yards for a Bears squad that won 12 games</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->