2027 Rankings: Intriguing New Additions

*Use code Johnson30 for 30% off a Prep Redzone annual subscription*   The Class of 2027 Rankings Update had a massive list of new additions as well as athletes moving up from the Watch List to the Rankings. Among the list of new additions were several who really grabbed my attention and seemed to stay in my mind after the update has been finished. These are athletes who maybe are raw, but have special tools. Or maybe they have found ways to dominate without having the rare tools. Whatever the reason, the athletes in today's article have me excited for what their future holds on high school fields and beyond. Coaches, don't miss out on these kids.    One of the best athletes coming out of Madison in the Class of 2027 is OL [player_tooltip player_id='2064483' first='Joziah' last='Hayes']. The big man plays LT for Madison East and stands out from the crowd with his collegiate quality frame at 6'3" 280 lbs. Hayes has that big, strong upper body to maul DL, but also has a the skinnier and athletic lower body. That gives him some effective athleticism and nimble short area agility. The big fella is very raw, but he has so many tools for a college OL coach to work with from his size to his strength, mobility, and the right mentality to destroy his opponent.      I love watching this kid play on the edge. He plays with his hand in the dirt for Waunakee, but his 6'2" 220 lbs frame suggests he might have to play in a two point stance at the next level. Fine with me because Sam knows how to get into the backfield and create a lot of disruption. Sam explodes off the line with violent power that shows up as soon as he gets hands on. A lot of his clips you see a fantastic ability to bend and put himself at angles that allow him to get underneath OTs and either use that leverage to drive them into the QB or dip underneath them on the loop to the QB. Sam does a great job with his hand use too. Getting hands inside and using every bit of length to keep himself clean while violently attacking the edge. The athletic edge also has really good range to get lateral and chase down the ball as it tries to get outside his containment. Big things ahead for Sam. Make sure he is on your radar.      This kid is electric with the football. Explosive athleticism flashes on every single one of his highlight reel carries. Jebari always seems to be gaining ground once he has the ball in his hand. He is so quick to read and react to blocks and holes opening up that and his lateral agility is so sudden and powerful that he can press the line of scrimmage and juke into a suddenly open hole. The junior RB is so quick to get to top speed out of cuts too that he is able to beat LBs through holes and from there it is a race of angles downfield. A race that Jebari wins a lot. The playmaker at RB is fun to watch and should put together a really good summer.      Knohah hits the rankings as one of the largest athletes in the Class and one of the best DL. His 6'4" 295 lbs frame eats up a ton of space on the interior, and that sheer mass is supported with a lot of power to control the line of scrimmage. Power that tosses OL aside as soon as he engages in 1 on 1 battles. Knohah has such a powerful anchor that he can take on double teams and hold his ground while working to split the block. I was really impressed and caught off guard at the range the 295 lbs athlete plays with too, chasing the ball to the sideline. The raw tools are tough to find. Check him out.      I love the way Jesse plays defensive back. He is a hybrid between a safety and a nickel/slot corner. His 5'10" 180 lbs frame has the quick twitch athleticism needed to cover quick athletes and stay tight on them in the quick passing game. However, Jesse also has a lot of standout safety traits. One being his quick read and reaction. As soon as he knows where the ball is going Jesse is shot out of a cannon and he is going to absolutely run through the ball handler on his tackles. Jesse's mix of violence and athleticism make him an intriguing defensive back recruit that can play several spots in the secondary. Don't sleep on him.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDiUKeInV1k </div></figure>     Seneca is an athlete that is on the verge of a breakout. He has elite length for the edge position with a 6'6" wingspan and 35" arms. He also is piling up production to verify the tools are correlating to impact with 13 TFLs and 6 sacks in 2025. The stand up edge rusher dominates with his quick twitch lateral agility while pass rushing. He is able to side step and accelerate around OTs so quickly that several of his highlights leave the OT punching at nothing. Seneca's first step and lateral agility get him around OTs so quickly and then you see the closing burst to either get pressure or the sack. When he does engage with the OT you see his active hands constantly working to keep the OT's hands down as he works to get the angle. The tools and technique are coming together quickly. This kid is going to be a steal.      This is an intriguing weapon at WR. He is not the biggest athlete, but his highlights show a kid that is a dominant deep threat. Catch, after catch, after catch Alex is 3-5 yards behind the defense. He does a great job with savvy route running to open up that space. Whether it be setting up one way and then accelerating vertical when the DB bites or double moves, or getting lost in blind spots of DBs, Alex finds a way to get lost in space. It is usually the QB who finds him and it is deep downfield behind the secondary. The junior WR has a great ability to track the football on those deep passes too, quickly adjusting and making natural hand catches. This is an explosive weapon. Check him out.

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