2027 Rankings: New Head Coaches Can Rely On These Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every offseason, head coaches come and go as a natural progression of the business. Some move on to other jobs, and some are asked to leave due to a lack of wins. Whatever the reason, there are normally upwards to 30 or more head coaching changes per year in South Carolina.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we sit in the early part of January, there have already been 16 openings announced in the state. While the searches are taking place to find the replacements, the players in the 2027 Class are working out and preparing for whoever comes in to lead their respective programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this look at the 2027 Class, we breakdown some of the players that are at schools with current job openings (as of Jan. 7). What will the new coach be walking into and how some of these players can help ease the transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1811070' first='Parker' last='Collins']</strong> LB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1149041' first='Beckham' last='Diimmler']</strong> K/WR, Chapin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles finished 0-10 and will move in a different direction with the coaching staff. They used at least five different quarterbacks last season so that is one area that will need attention but Collins (pictured) and Diimmler could help. Collins was the leading tackler with 77 stops and seven tackles for loss. Creating more turnovers is going to be helpful for Chapin and Collins could help in that area as he's physical and fast to the ball-carrier. Diimmler has great size and can be an asset at receiver and kicker now that he's 100-percent healthy again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1644939' first='Keandre' last='Allen']</strong> ATH/LB, Colleton County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen is likely to play several roles for the new coaching staff. He had a growth spurt before his junior season so that moved him from the secondary to a linebacker spot. But he also could see time at running back and receiver on offense. He's multi-talented and very physical at the point of attack. He's probably better suited on defense on the next level but someone with his talent is going to play all over the field in high school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/23530879/692cfe7f804979f842c301c0' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-695e89cd09d3e"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1399640' first='Noah' last='Legg']</strong> QB, Conway</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conway struggled to a 2-9 record last season, but Legg was one of the bright spots. He threw for nearly 900 yards and rushed for nearly 300 more so the new coach can start rebuilding around him. A broken hand sidelined Legg for several games so his health might be the most important factor here. The Tigers were young a season ago and suffered some injuries along the way so having a healthy Legg back under center will be key for the new coaching staff.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1763191' first='Tony' last='Cooper']</strong> RB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1763266' first='Brayden' last='Harris']</strong> LB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1763286' first='Luc' last='Tran']</strong> QB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422598' first='Zavier' last='Polite']</strong> DL, May River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sharks job came open after a 7-4 season but there is talent coming back on both sides of the ball. May River was a team that ran the ball over 500 times last season while attempting less than 20 passes. The new coach might have different ideas, but Cooper and Tran combined to rush for nearly 900 yards between them. With leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1592230' first='Sean' last='Mitchell'] graduating, they could get more opportunities. Harris and Polite averaged right at eight tackles per game and finished with a combined 11 sacks. That gives the new coach a solid duo to build around on the defensive side of things.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822553' first='Will' last='McNeely']</strong> QB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664629' first='Jaden' last='Chestnut']</strong> RB, North Myrtle Beach</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McNeely made the transition from defensive end to quarterback and as expected, he was a better runner than a passer. But both skills developed as the season went along. Whoever the new coach is will have to figure out how to use McNeely but with 29 rushing touchdowns, I'm sure he has a future somewhere. Chestnut can also play multiple positions and he's likely to help out at running back, receiver or even defensive back. These two should play a huge role in whoever gets this job.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19501454/691fcbab98559ebf5133537d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-695e89cd09da3"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664563' first='Nayshaun' last='Brown']</strong> LB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603974' first='Franklin' last='Richardson']</strong> QB, Sumter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the most recent job to come open, and this might be the marque job on the market right now. The Gamecocks went 9-2 last season and both Brown and Richardson played huge roles in that. Richardson is a load to try and tackle and led an offensive that was explosive most of the season. He's been a two-year starter and last season he ran for 1,424 yards and 31 touchdowns while throwing for four more. The new coach might have to work with Richardson on the passing game, but he has the running attack figured out. Brown was limited to just six games a season ago but still finished the season as the fourth-leading tackler with 53. He's fast and physical and attacks on the point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1732517' first='Jhais' last='Mckiever']</strong> QB, [player_tooltip player_id='1659953' first='Markeese' last='Winn']<strong> </strong>DB, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1745339' first='Valentin' last='Escudero']</strong> P, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824733' first='James' last='Smith']</strong> DB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036740' first='Tiyon' last='Fanning']</strong> RB, White Knoll</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's face it, this is one of the better jobs open so far in this cycle. It not only has to do with past success, but it also has to do with returning talent. The combination of Mckiever and Fanning in the backfield is a solid base to build around. Mckeiver had a fantastic season in his first year starting and will bring back a wealth of athletic prowess and decision-making back to the position. Fanning has been a starter since his freshman year, and he could be one of the breakout stars in 2026. Smith and Winn are more than capable of building the defense around. Escudero gives White Knoll a specialist that can flip the field and be a weapon in special teams.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->