2028 Athlete Newcomers: Winter

We released our updated <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2028-rankings/">2028 class rankings</a> last Monday, which included 58 newcomers from the sophomore class, pushing our total ranked players in the 2028 class to 281. We're almost finished breaking down every new player in the rankings. Last week, I looked at some of the numbers driving the update in my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/behind-the-scenes-of-the-2028-rankings-update-january/">Behind the Scenes</a> piece, then wrote <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/3-things-to-know-about-the-2028-class/">three things to know</a> about the class as a whole. Here, we're finishing our newcomers series with the new athletes in the rankings.   Editor's Note: If you haven't looked at our piece highlighting the 2028 stock-risers at the athlete position, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/02/winter-stock-risers-2028-athletes/">check it out</a>.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Newly-Ranked 2028 Athletes</h2>    A true multi-faceted athlete, Taylor led West Stokes in receiving, averaging over six yards per carry on 60 rushing attempts, and was an excellent cover corner defensively. He's electric with the ball in his hands and plays a bit bigger than his size suggests, as he's comfortable making contested catches and matching up with bigger receivers.     Mountain Island Charter isn't afraid to put its best players in a variety of roles and positions, and wherever Brown lined up, he was effective. He played primarily as a slot corner on defense, but was huge on special teams, as well, locking down returners as a gunner. He's primarily a defender, but don't be surprised if he catches a few passes next season.     Giddings was one of the top players on a Warren County team that made a deep playoff run, contributing on both sides of the ball. He picked off four passes defensively, averaged nearly 10 yards a touch as a rusher and receiver on offense, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Not only can he contribute in all three phases, but he can also play a variety of roles in each.     Cleveland has produced several standout corners in recent seasons, and Johnson could be the next. That being said, he also had a handful of catches as a receiver, and he has the size and speed to contribute there, as well. Johnson has one of the more college-ready bodies among our newly-added athletes, and he'll continue to develop at a perennial powerhouse.     Sykes' biggest contribution was as a corner with three interceptions for South Garner, but he was also an elite kick returner for the Trojans and had a few huge catches as a receiver. He averaged over 30 yards per touch as a kick returner and receiver. Long-term, he probably projects as a corner with elite ball skills, but it's hard to ignore the impact when he has the ball in his hands.     Harris exploded onto the scene in 2025 with a phenomenal year as a dual-threat quarterback for Roberson. He threw for nearly 1,500 yards and was one of the top rushers in the state at the quarterback position, with over 650 yards and 11 touchdowns. He showed some impressive touch as a quarterback, but this is a situation of a team wanting to get as many touches as possible for its best athlete, and while we're not sure which position he'll call home long-term, the early returns show he's going to be exciting.    There's plenty to come from Matt Morrow, Joshua Graham, and me on the 2028 rankings over the next week. Stay locked in with Prep Redzone for more insights, evaluations, and rankings updates. Want to share Prep Redzone with a friend? Promo code Helms30 will get them 30% off their first billing cycle for any subscription.

We released our updated 2028 class rankings last Monday, which included 58 newcomers from the sophomore class, pushing our total ranked players in the 2028 class to 281. We're almost finished breaking down every new player in the rankings. Last week, I looked at some of the numbers driving the update in my Behind the Scenes piece, then wrote three things to know about the class as a whole. Here, we're finishing our newcomers series with the new athletes in the rankings.