Community Film Room, Episode 71

Our Winter rankings update pinpointed even more players from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes who have stood out in their respective positions. For a variety of reasons, our team decided that each of those new additions were worthy of a coveted spot in our rankings.   But as you've discovered by following along, we're nowhere near done.   As we traverse the offseason, we're also seeing a changing of the guard. And, as such, PRZ South Carolina is constantly looking at as many of the 10,000 or so prep football players in the SCHSL and SCISA ranks as possible.   Now, the Community Film Room is back.   In each edition, we'll break down five unranked players from across the state to let you see what we're seeing. The series will lead right into the the start of the spring rankings cycle, the ever-growing importance of the summer program schedules and then the 2026 season.   In Episode 71, we're digging into a big offensive lineman from the Lowountry, a CSRA tailback who should help his team even more as a senior, a productive SCISA linebacker capable of more, a tight end on the cusp of turning heads and a rising junior who could challenge for the lead in targets among Upstate receivers.     The 6-foot-4, 295 pounder played mostly guard as a junior, and he developed nicely as the season progressed. His initial pop off the snap is there, as his is ability to finish the play as it extends downfield.    He's going to shift to tackle for his senior year, and we can't come up with a legitimate argument against that. Here's why: Olsen was just a “baby” last fall, according to head coach Logan Hall. He was sandwiched in the interior to get his feet wet, sure, but what was also happening was a massive strength improvement brought about by his commitment to the weight room.   In roughly one calendar year, he increased his squat some 220 pounds, his clean by 100 and his bench by just shy of triple digits. All of those figures come across in his film, and they will continue to do so into his senior year and beyond as his bend improves and he further gets into a rhythm gaining leverage on opposing linemen.      Walker shot out of a cannon in his junior season rushing for a score and hauling in a pass for another in the Hornets' season-opening win at Aynor last August. He only got nine offensive touches in that game, but it was apparent he was going to be a bigger part of Aiken's plans after that performance.    He got at least 12 carries in his next four games, and his yardage reflected the additional usage en route to 394 rushing yards in eight games (he did miss the last two of the season with ankle and hand injuries). Walker's flexibility and what the staff saw out of him screams a further increase next fall.   The 5-foot-10, 190-pound rising senior can line up as a tailback, wing or full back, take direct snaps or run his end in the option. He doesn't dance around in the backfield and bursts into the hole when it's there and initiates contact when it's not. Even though he's not the long-term answer at the position for the Hornets, his skill aren't going to be wasted, either.       The more we dig into this sophomore class at Hilton Head Christian, the more we like. White is another prime example. In the fall, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound linebacker piled up 82 tackles, five tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and a sack.    He's mostly been taking on the look of a true middle linebacker for the Eagles, but this staff started to experiment with him more on the edge and in some designed blitzes throughout the season. Still, nearly two-thirds of his stops in 2025 were of the solo variety, and that's why this program can ultimately use him a lot of ways over the next two seasons.   White isn't going to get beat in a one-on-one situation often at this level, and as he gets even more acclimated to the varsity level and the game continues to slow down, that aforementioned sophomore class at Hilton Head Christian could all start to look like gangbusters.       We're going to start with McLauchlin by letting everyone know he's not going to be setting any land-speed records any time soon. Got it? Good. Because what he does bring to the table is a frame that make him one of the most imposing tight ends in the 2029 class as of right now.   At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, McLauchlin's first year of high school was mostly spent at the junior varsity level. Those days are done. He's already been selected for this spring's Carolinas Coaches Combines and should start to change his personal trajectory by the month from hear on out.    McLauchlin has the size as a H-Back, and he can come out of the backfield to make it really count. More importantly, he's got basketball hands and knows how to take advantage of a huge catch radius brought about by his wing span. Midlands, get ready.       If Bell's 38 receptions as a sophomore was any indication, you might as well get ready to hear about a whole lot more in the next two seasons. For the 5-foot-8, 160-pound receiver, those catches, 491 yards and five touchdowns were only the beginning.    After essentially serving as the team's fourth offensive option last fall, Bell's production value is going to get reinforced in a big way following the graduation of the team's top receiver, not to mention the tight end now in the FBS ranks.    Bell may be built for the slot (at this level or the next) for now, even if that's not how he's currently used. Typically lining up on the outside, he can go deep, sure, but he's just as likely to use his come-back ability to shed a defender before then using his leg strength to break free for a few more yards, if he's touched as all.

Our Winter rankings update pinpointed even more players from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes who have stood out in their respective positions. For a variety of reasons, our team decided that each of those new additions were worthy of a coveted spot in our rankings.