3 Things To Know About the 2029 Class: Winter

We recently released our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2029-north-carolina-high-school-football-rankings/">updated 2029 rankings</a>, and we'll have plenty of content on the best freshmen in the state over the next week and a half. While we're known for writing up evaluations on every player who rose or is <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/02/2029-qb-newcomers-winter/">new to the rankings</a>, we're also looking at big-picture trends across the class. Just familiarizing yourself with a growing freshman class? Here are three things you should know about the class and its rankings.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2029 Rankings Update: Three Things To Know</h2>   The class of 2029 is in the spotlight, and fans may not be familiar with this younger class as a whole. One of the best ways to interact with an unfamiliar class is by identifying trends and comparing them to those of past classes. There's plenty to know about the class of 2029, but here are the first three things I think of when it comes to ranking this class as a whole.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1) It's Early, and Varsity Production is King</h3>   There are a few misconceptions I want to clear up about early rankings.   First, you'll see guys get early offers. That doesn't sway our ranking, except in extreme cases. If anything, it simply alerts us to unfamiliar players' potential. For example, [player_tooltip player_id='2072220' first='Amir' last='Daniels'] of Millbrook debuted inside the Top 10 in this update not because he earned some early offers, but because we saw his dominance throughout the playoffs and came away impressed with the freshman tackle starter at the 8A level. The offers simply confirm his elite upside, but the production carries the weight in his ranking.   The same could be said for our early No. 1 prospect, Scotland's [player_tooltip player_id='1858055' first='Mike' last='McLean']. He may have popped up on the radar with a couple of early Power Four offers before the season, but he's No. 1 because he had 25 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 scrimmage yards.   This is also why we use varsity tape as a clear dividing line. We almost always require some varsity film before moving someone into the rankings. To my knowledge, we've only ranked three players before they've taken a varsity snap in the last three classes. They were all quarterbacks that we'd both seen in camp, and received confirmation from the coaching staff that they'd start and would likely play well.   The amount of varsity film we require varies. If a guy has early offers, elite size or speed, or fantastic camp performances, we may only need to see enough to check the box. For unfamiliar players, we may need to see more. My biggest advice for players looking for a future ranking: patience. It'll happen. We have 91 freshmen ranked. We ranked 673 seniors; there's plenty of time.   That means that we have watchlist players in this class who are likely destined for future high rankings. I want to highlight two.   The early returns on Marvin Ridge quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='608028' first='Greyson' last='Dwight'] have been promising. A big quarterback with a big arm and excellent junior varsity numbers, we do not doubt that Dwight will be a future rankings riser. We held off on ranking him for now, but he's a name to know.   So too is Rolesville receiver [player_tooltip player_id='2113397' first='John' last='Spivey']. I've been told by multiple sources close to that program that he's the next great Rolesville receiver. When he breaks into the rotation, likely next season, expect him to make noise.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2) Elite Offense is Back</h3>   After multiple classes loaded with defensive talent at the top, we finally have a class that has a ton of elite offensive talent.   Eight of the top 10 players in the 2029 class are offensive players, including five at the quarterback and running back positions.   The three quarterbacks are intriguing in that typically when there's an elite quarterback, we tend to hear about them earlier in the process. We saw [player_tooltip player_id='1048930' first='Brody' last='Lowe'] is camp, but didn't expect much from him as a freshman, given the guy in front of him. But when Faizon Brandon went down with a hand injury, Lowe exploded for multiple 300-yard games, something not even Brandon had done.   We honestly hadn't heard much about [player_tooltip player_id='1604676' first='Weston' last='Michalak'], but when I saw the midseason film, I was blown away and pushed him to the top of the initial rankings. He has size, touch, and elite arm talent.   We honestly didn't expect [player_tooltip player_id='2003772' first='Tyson' last='Douglas-Brown'] to start this season with multiple seniors on the roster, but he won the job in camp and delivered a fantastic season for Corvian Community. He's the best rushing threat of the three, which gives him a skill set unique amongst his peers.   Joining those quarterbacks in the top 10 are McLean and fellow running back [player_tooltip player_id='1909457' first='Lloyd' last='Jones'], who actually led Havelock with 34 receptions and six touchdowns.   There are also three offensive linemen: impressive and versatile Northern Nash interior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='865972' first='Jackson' last='Jenkins'] in fourth, the aforementioned Daniels at No. 7, and Christ School's true center prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1925988' first='Scotty' last='Hicks'].   Further down, there are some intriguing receivers in the teens. In particular, I'm intrigued by impressive athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1853129' first='Derek' last='Monroe']. He hit our radar as an elite return man, but if he can hone his route-running and feel as a pure receiver, he has Top-5 potential.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3) Deep Defensive Back Class</h3>   It's not totally surprising to see that there are more defensive backs than any other position group in the rankings, but when we finished this update, even I was a bit taken aback that we have 18 DBs ranked. That group isn't just a bunch of small corners, either.   Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1896729' first='Jayden' last='Pipkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1884218' first='Kavion' last='Byers'] look more like linebackers than safeties while Chambers corner [player_tooltip player_id='1114103' first='Jymel' last='Green'] and Mallard Creek safety [player_tooltip player_id='1631133' first='Shiloh' last='Graham'] are each 6'1" or taller.   But, even some of the smaller guys have been impressive. [player_tooltip player_id='1858006' first='Dom' last='Baker'], [player_tooltip player_id='1925998' first='Tevin' last='Johnson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1896723' first='Jeremiah' last='Alexander'] all had productive seasons, but as tacklers and in terms of ball production. All three are pure football players, who will only get better as they grow.   There's plenty to come from Matt Morrow, Joshua Graham, and me on the 2029 rankings before we release our updated 2029 rankings 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 recently released our updated 2029 rankings, and we'll have plenty of content on the best freshmen in the state over the next week and a half. While we're known for writing up evaluations on every player who rose or is new to the rankings, we're also looking at big-picture trends across the class. Just familiarizing yourself with a growing freshman class? Here are three things you should know about the class and its rankings.