2028 Rankings Winter Update: New Additions Q3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's note: We'll continue breaking down this class in its entirety. If <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe/">you're not yet subscribed to Prep RedZone</a>, you can save 40% off an annual subscription by using the offer code <strong>Guerin40</strong> at checkout.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Winter rankings update for the Class of 2028 was its biggest yet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All told, 72 players joined the list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All three phases of the game are now further represented, and nearly every positional group on the field increased its overall number of players. This class has two more seasons of high school football ahead of it, but the still-too-early assessment of it includes a solid foundation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One by one, we're going to introduce you to each of the new additions in the Prep RedZone Class of 2028 rankings. Here's the third crop of new faces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1822869' first='Isaiah' last='Thompson'] LB, Mauldin - Finished with double-digit tackles in three of his last five games of his first season on the Mavericks' varsity squad</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1817791' first='Jayden' last='Wheeler'] DL, JL Mann - Massive human being chews up a lot of space in the middle of the Pats' defensive line&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2098885' first='Braylen' last='Griffin'] LB, Dorman - Stacked behind loads of older talent, Griffin now gets his opportunity to show his stuff on varsity level</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1850667' first='Quay' last='Vereen'] RB, Atlantic Collegiate - Took the lead for an Armada offense and led ACA to the playoffs and five wins for the first time</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2098784' first='Allen' last='Chisholm'] LB, Porter-Gaud -&nbsp;Became the go-to player for a Cyclones' defense that will return nearly all of its production next fall&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1819541' first='Ky'Dre' last='Wright'] WR, North Augusta - Gives Yellow Jackets and their two-platoon QB system more reason to throw the ball in 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1822773' first='Varr' last='Thompson'] DL, Chester (pictured) - First-year Cyclone made himself look like the defensive star of the future for Chester&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1644552' first='Ari' last='Rendell'] DL, Sumter - Game-changing size will keep translating more and more into shut-down edge production&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1820910' first='Jewel' last='Washington'] LB, South Florence - Initially a safety, Washington got plenty of good run at linebacker; now the parachute comes off</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1819981' first='Gabriel' last='Reyes'] LB, Fox Creek - Very little reason to think Reyes couldn't finish his junior with with triple-digit tackles</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2098787' first='Jake' last='Grantham'] LB, Lucy Beckham - Sure-fire tackler finished with 71 of them to go along with 14.5 tackles for loss from his spot on the edge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1819152' first='Jaquan' last='Burgess'] LB, Wilson - Another reason anyone not yet paying attention to the defensive talent at Wilson should start now</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1816469' first='Avery' last='King'] RB, Brookland-Cayce - Gets plenty of carries, and as he starts getting more out of the he's going to put himself on some short lists</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2077365' first='Jackson' last='Summey'] K/P, Oceanside Collegiate - If consistency is key, Summey has shown he can do it in nasty conditions when everything's on the line</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1827469' first='DJ' last='Johnson'] DB, North Augusta - We always hear about receivers' catch radius, but Johnson puts his defensive radius on display on the outside, too</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1818349' first='Damarion' last='Holmes'] LB, Sumter - His introduction to the starting lineup turned into his evolution as the team's primary linebacker moving forward&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2098785' first='Isaiah' last='Baxter'] DB/RB, Manning - The next big never-come-off-the-field Monarch did just that last fall, piling up numbers all over the field&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1818414' first='Josiah' last='Robinson'] LB, River Bluff - Finished his sophomore year with 124 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->