2027 Rankings Spring Cycle Sneak Peak

On April 15, we're going to unveil the next wave of Class of 2027s who have done enough to warrant a number next to their names.   These players all have different circumstances. Some split time at their position. Others flew under the radar a little longer than they wanted. One is a high-profile transfer from out-of-state.   Either way, come next month, we've seen more than enough out of each of them to add them to the rankings. They won't be alone. Not by a long shot.   But these 10 players have proved their mettle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824319' first='Jacob' last='Sweet'] DL, Pinewood Prep   If we're going to say that production matters, it's impossible what Sweet's meant to the Panthers during their 2025 state title run. He finished the year with 68 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, eight pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. At 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, we think his value would translate to most of the bigger programs around the state - especially when you consider he's still growing and learning the game. But what he's got down so far is plenty good enough to earn the number.    Myjae McCoy and Jamorie Hendricks LBs, Marlboro County    McCoy and Hendricks are two of the reasons why the Bulldogs' defense had some eye-opening results last fall while most of the luster from the ill-fated 2024 season had worn off the statewide talking points. The middle linebackers are both true seek-and-destroy types. Whether that means getting to the edge to negate a stretch play or going through an offensive lineman to get to the backfield, Hendricks and McCoy can do it. They didn't finish with 59 and 107 total tackles, respectively by accident. And their film jumped off at us within the first 60 seconds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820859' first='Scotty' last='Kelly'] DB, Daniel    In the Lions' stat pack last year, the top of most of the defensive categories were held down by seniors. And, yet, when we roll things forward to 2026, it's clear Daniel isn't starting over from scratch. Kelly is a perfect example. He went from 11 tackles as a lightly used sophomore to 62 as a junior. The strong safety added 11 tackles for loss, an interception, four pass break-ups and a sack. He did all of that at right around 160 pounds. What will he look like with another offseason in the weight room? We're not sure. But we're not waiting on his spot in the rankings any longer.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820699' first='Brayden' last='Price'] ATH, North Central    While Price is being targeted by colleges who see him as a defensive back, you can go ahead and throw out any designation for him at this level. That's because his varsity reps have placed him at six or seven different positions on both sides of the ball and a few more spots where he can fill in on special teams. He had 32 tackles and four picks on defense and more than 1,100 combined passing/rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on offense last fall. Teams will try to scout him out, but they better be prepared to do it with multiple bodies.    [player_tooltip player_id='2129235' first='Hezekiah' last='East'] OL, Strom Thurmond   We almost always confer with coaches before making these types of decisions. Sometimes it's little more than a rubber stamp confirmation. Case in point: We saw play after play of East pushing folks around as if they weighed 120 pounds from his spot on the offensive line. Then, Strom Thurmond coach Andrew Webb informed us that his thick left tackle benches 385 pounds (and climbing). We didn't blink at that figure. East is shorter than your traditional tackle but has proved himself as perfect in the offensive scheme the Rebels are using.    [player_tooltip player_id='1675598' first='Tai' last='Phillips'] RB, Irmo    There's no reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to Phillips and his abilities after he made his way from North Carolina a few weeks back. Phillips was a top-30 players in the Class of 2027 and for every moment he looked like he was still raw there were 10 more where it appeared as if he was a dominant tailback who possessed top-flight college tailback type of speed. Irmo has been a master at getting those types of players into open space. And it's why Phillips is primed for a huge senior season in his one and only year in the Midlands.    [player_tooltip player_id='1816745' first='Ty'Quarius' last='Shannon'] WR, Fairfield Central   When we dug into Shannon last month, we didn't simply see another receiver piling up stats against weaker programs or a dude who took plays off. In fact, it was the opposite. Fairfield Central knows that it's next big receiver is here, and he's now. Over the course of the next nine months, you'll see it, too. Shannon is going to be in contention to double up on the 560 receiving yards he had as a junior and when you mix him into the running and return games, we're confident saying he should be in all-state contention.    [player_tooltip player_id='1827442' first='AJ' last='Hillary'] (pictured) and [player_tooltip player_id='1819537' first='Collin' last='Tillman'] QB, North Augusta   Between Hillary and Tillman, North Augusta has not one but two starting quarterbacks both equally capable to performing when they're on the field. At the same time, we've been impressed by how well each of them can handle high-pressure situations. We're not exactly sure the decisions the staff is making on who is playing when, but the on-the-fly rotation is working to a T. The “starter” is determined each week during practice, and then they both essentially get a half of football every Friday to move the offense. What they've done with that strategy is why they're both being added to the rankings come April.

On April 15, we're going to unveil the next wave of Class of 2027s who have done enough to warrant a number next to their names.