Underrated 2027s: 20 To Watch In The Lowcountry

It's hard to believe we're in the middle of March with combines, spring practices and then summer camps and the start of football practice all bundled into the next five and half months.     We want to look at a group of 2027 players that could make huge leaps in our rankings by the time their senior seasons are complete. Some of these players are coming off injury while others burst on the scene with authority and should continue that trend.   Here are 20 players from across the Lowcountry that can see their stock rise by the end of the 2026 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821469' first='Owen' last='George'] QB, Academic Magnet   George is entrenched as the starter and he's without question a dual-threat option on the Raptors offense. He threw for just over 700 yards in 11 games, but he made his mark as a runner. The nearly 200-pounder ran for 1,334 yards and 19 touchdowns, which accounted for well over half the team's rushing yardage. Even though he was a target, he still found a way to be productive. Getting other players involved will be key but he could go for 1,000 yards in both passing and rushing in 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664611' first='Andrae' last='Ellison'] OL, Beaufort   Ellison is slightly undersized at 6-foot, 240 pounds but he fits well on the interior of the Eagles line at the center spot. He's quick off the ball and his snaps are accurate and on time. He is strong enough to push defenders around but also athletic enough to get out in front of the way and create running lanes. He does well with pass protection as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1766224' first='John' last='Cleveland'] WR, Berkeley   Cleveland is only one season back on the football field and he made an immediate impact to be the Stags second leading receiver. He caught 25 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns. The coaching staff believes Cleveland can increase those numbers and become a major factor in the offensive attack. He's long and lean and is a natural basketball player and those skills have translated to the football field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664589' first='William' last='Donato'] WR, Bishop England   The Bishops lost a ton of offensive firepower and its likely Donato is going to see his role change and increase. He caught 13 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also the backup quarterback. He's likely to move to that position full-time in 2026 and he has a good base understanding already.  He completed 58 percent of his passes for 403 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions last year. Donato has a big arm and should make the transition easily since quarterback is his more natural position.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664543' first='Jacobi' last='Saunders'] LB, Bluffton   Saunders already has put up huge numbers as evident by his 108 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 2025. But we think he can do so much more in 2026. He's 5-foot-7, 185 pounds and plays in a frenzy, looking to make plays all over the field. He has great instinct and can meet a ball-carrier in the hole and stop a play in its tracks. Saunders is part of a defense that is returning a lot of talent, but he could take the biggest leap going into his senior season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1823810' first='Devin' last='Cobbs'] DL, Cane Bay   Cobbs has already proven his worth as a huge run stopper, and he showed that ability last year in the Cobras playoff game against River Bluff. He can fill a gap and chase down a running back from behind if needed. He's still developing as a pass-rusher but has the size and athleticism to turn into an elite lineman pressuring the quarterback as well.     [player_tooltip player_id='1644939' first='Keandre' last='Allen'] ATH/LB, Colleton County   The Cougars limped home to a 1-9 record and will have a new coach this fall, but one-piece Bradley Adams can count on is Allen. It's likely that Allen will fill a lot of roles. He can play running back or receiver on offense and made the transition from cornerback to outside linebacker this past season. It's likely Adams is going to line Allen up all over the field and let the 6-foot, 180-pounder shine at a number of positions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1640695' first='Dakarai' last='President'] OL/DL, Cross   President is a very intriguing prospect just because he's 6-foot-4, 330 pounds. But there is a lot more to President than just size. He moves well, can get out ahead of a play and create a huge running lane. He also pass protects well. He is just scratching the surface on how good he can be, and we wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't skyrocket in our rankings by the end of his senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820333' first='Jeremiah' last='Walters'] DB/WR, Hilton Head   The Seahawks were a run-first team but that didn't prevent Walters from putting up decent receiving numbers with 40 catches for 859 yards and eight touchdowns. He added 44 tackles and four interceptions from his defensive back position. He runs well and with the bulk of the skill players on offense returning, it's likely they open things up and throw the ball more. That will result in more opportunities, and we wouldn't be surprised if Walter went for 1,000 yards receiving in 2026.    [player_tooltip player_id='2045834' first='Dewey' last='Bull'] LB, Lucy Beckham   The Bengals had three players with over 100 tackles, and Bull is the only one returning due to the other two graduating. Bull had 117 tackles with eight tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Bull can run sideline-to-sideline, but he isn't afraid to mix it up in the middle and make plays in that way. He should be the unquestioned leader of the Lucy Beckham defense in the fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1763191' first='Tony' last='Cooper'] RB, May River   The Sharks ran for over 3,000 yards as a team in 2025 and they had five players with 350 yards or more. Cooper checked in with 405 yards (third best on the team) on 69 carries and three touchdowns. Leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1592230' first='Sean' last='Mitchell'] graduated and that is going to leave a void, but Cooper should be ready to take his game to the next level, and he could flirt with 1,000 yards on the ground. He has a low center of gravity and is shifty, which will help in the run-first offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817380' first='Cedric' last='Burkes'] LB, North Charleston   Burkes played in just eight games a season ago but averaged nearly 10 tackles per game (78 tackles). He's instinctive, moves well and plays within his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. He's physical and doesn't mind playing in the middle or on the perimeter where he can showcase his speed. A healthy senior season could result in more colleges taking notice.   [player_tooltip player_id='640683' first='Kevin' last='Johnson'] QB, Northwood Academy   The Chargers stormed their way to the Class AAAA state championship and coach Johnny Waters called Johnson the best signal-caller in the state. That might not be a stretch considering Johnson threw for 2,499 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing over 63 percent of his passes. He has a big arm and is accurate on the deep ball as well as the short and intermediate routes. He commands the huddle and seems like a natural leader, which transitions well to his position.    [player_tooltip player_id='1549022' first='Grant' last='Castellow'] OL/DL, Oceanside Collegiate   Castellow is another player that we're excited about, mainly because of his 6-foot-3, 285-pound frame but he offers so much more than size. He's a little bit of a mauler and dominates once he engages a defender. He displays good feet work along with the ability to use his lengthy arms to his advantage. Castellow is going to see more time on defense in 2026 but we believe you can pencil him in as an offensive lineman at the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='1675500' first='Roman' last='Hood'] DL, Philip Simmons   Despite being a little bit undersized at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Hood is an anchor along the Iron Horses defensive front. He garnered 72 tackles and an astonishing 28 tackles for loss from his tackle position. He added 4.5 sacks and an interception. He uses his quickness to his advantage and can get into the backfield as the play is still developing. He also doesn't mind playing against larger linemen but his first step is his biggest strength.   [player_tooltip player_id='1065555' first='Grayson' last='Salego'] RB, Pinewood Prep   The Panthers added another state championship to the trophy case and Salego was a big part of that on the offensive side of things. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry and was the leading rusher with 814 yards and 14 touchdowns on 106 attempts. He only caught four passes last season, but he could become an option in the passing game as well. Salego has good size at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and he could be more of a workhorse this coming season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1765902' first='Bryce' last='Clemons'] LB, Stratford   Clemons is a known commodity around the Lowcountry, but his name should come up more across the state in 2026. He's coming off a season in which he finished with 124 tackles (10.3 per game), 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception. Clemons has decent enough size at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He's going to be counted on to be more of a leader because the Knights lost a wealth of talent due to graduation.     [player_tooltip player_id='2082975' first='Nate' last='Beaver'] K/P, Summerville   Beaver has a huge leg, and he displayed that power on kickoffs and in the punting game. He only missed four extra points in over 70 attempts and has a 45-yard field goal to his credit. He routinely makes teams drive the length of the field because his kickoffs go into the end zone. He's improved his technique and that will help with his already booming kicks.   [player_tooltip player_id='1676296' first='Josh' last='Bradley'] WR/ATH, West Ashley   Bradley (pictured) is a sure-handed target that caught nearly 60 passes for 500 yards. He's 5-foot-11, 170 pounds but plays a lot larger than that. He's also a basketball player and his ability to use his body to shield a defender has translated to the football field. He even took some snaps at quarterback but he's a talented receiver that could see his production increase his senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664573' first='George' last='Perry'] DB, Woodland   Perry is a ball-hawking defender that can run one-on-one with a receiver as well as play in a zone and cover a larger area. He's big enough and aggressive enough to come up and support the run defense as well. But his strength is dropping in coverage and blanketing the other team's best receiver. His ball skills are some of the best in the state. He reacts quickly and can make plays all over the field.

It's hard to believe we're in the middle of March with combines, spring practices and then summer camps and the start of football practice all bundled into the next five and half months.