2029 Rankings Debut: The Top 30

Get 30% Off Your Subscription with Code PRZWV30 at Checkout!   The release of our inaugural 2029 Top 100 rankings provides an early look at some of the top young talent across West Virginia. With most of these prospects just beginning their high school careers, evaluations are based on a combination of freshman film, camp performances, live exposures, athletic traits, and long-term upside. At this stage, projection plays a large role, but there is already plenty of talent emerging throughout the state. These rankings are far from final and will continue to evolve as players gain experience, develop physically, and put more film out for evaluation. For now, this serves as our first look at the names we believe have positioned themselves among the top prospects in the Class of 2029.    2029 Riverside TE Camden Bulger is a player whose combination of size and athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect heading into his sophomore season. Bulger already has a strong 6'3 215 frame and brings the added benefit of being a multi-sport athlete. After spending his freshman season at Capital, he now joins Riverside and should have an opportunity to make an immediate impact for a program that lost significant talent through transfers out. Bulger gained both JV and varsity experience as a freshman, giving him a valuable foundation to build upon moving forward. His physical tools and athletic upside are what stand out most at this stage, and there is still plenty of room for growth as he continues to develop. With increased opportunities likely ahead, Bulger is a player we expect to hear much more about over the next three years.      2029 Bluefield OL/DL Zion Pitts has already proven he can contribute at the varsity level after seeing significant action on both sides of the ball as a freshman at Capital. Pitts now heads to Bluefield, where he should have an opportunity to compete for an immediate starting role in the trenches. Ranked as the #3 DL in the class, Pitts did a nice job plugging the interior last season and consistently embraced the physical nature of the position. At 6'0 300, he brings the size and strength needed to anchor against the run and occupy blockers inside. For a young player, Pitts executes his responsibilities well and understands how to play within the structure of the defense. His combination of experience, physicality, and proven production should make him an important piece for the Beavers moving forward.      This is a projection-based evaluation for 2029 Martinsburg OL/DL Messiah Yancey due to the limited amount of freshman film available for review. Despite the smaller sample size, there was enough to suggest Yancey has the potential to develop into a top trench player in the class as he gains experience. He is currently ranked as a defensive lineman, but his versatility allows him to contribute on either side of the ball. Once he puts more film together and begins carving out a role on varsity, he has a chance to make a significant move up the rankings.      Few offensive linemen in the class can match the experience that 2029 Spring Mills OL Mateo Swayne already brings to the table. Swayne earned a varsity starting role as a freshman, and those early reps against high-level competition give him an advantage over many of his peers at the position. He possesses quality size and athleticism for his age, traits that allowed him to hold down a tackle spot early in his high school career. Beyond the physical tools, his experience should accelerate his development as he continues to refine his game over the next few seasons. Swayne has already established himself as one of the top young offensive linemen to know, and there is little reason to think he will be leaving the upper tier of the OL rankings anytime soon. His combination of early production, physical traits, and long-term upside makes him a player to watch closely moving forward.      Size alone will put 2029 Winfield OL Jacob Warner on the radar of college coaches, as few players in the class can match his 6'5 330 frame. Warner saw varsity action in year one, giving him valuable experience as a freshman. His size makes him one of the more notable offensive line prospects in the state and provides a strong foundation to build from over the next three seasons. The biggest area for growth will be his athletic development, as improvements there could significantly raise his long-term ceiling. If Warner continues to improve his athleticism and overall comfort within his body, he has the type of size that can attract serious attention from college programs. The tools are there for him to develop into a potential D1 prospect as the rest of his game catches up to his frame.      Physicality is one of the first things that stands out about 2029 Chapmanville TE/LB Jaxon Lusk. Lusk contributed more as a tight end and H-back during his freshman season, embracing the dirty work that helped Chapmanville reach the state semifinals, and was a physical blocker who consistently did his job within the structure of the offense. While his varsity impact came primarily on offense, we like his long-term outlook as a linebacker and believe that may ultimately be where his highest ceiling lies. His 6'2 210 build translates well to either side of the ball and gives him plenty to work with as he continues developing. With an expanded role likely ahead, Lusk has the potential to become a much bigger factor for the Tigers over the next few seasons.      A strong freshman season helped 2029 Fairmont Senior DL Issac Elliott establish himself as one of the more promising young defensive linemen in the state. Elliott made his impact at Robert C. Byrd before transferring to Fairmont Senior, where he will continue his development over the next three seasons. He already has great DL size at 6'1 300 that he needs to be a factor along the interior, and showed he could use that frame effectively as a productive freshman. Elliott also showed better athleticism than many players his size, helping him make plays beyond occupying space inside. With a productive first year already behind him, he has a head start on many of the defensive linemen in the class and should continue building on that foundation moving forward.      2029 Morgantown LB Gabe Law is a player worth keeping on the radar as he begins carving out a varsity role. While there is currently no game film available for evaluation, we did get a chance to see Law compete at our Exposure Series and came away encouraged by what he showed. His 6'0 230 build gives him an excellent foundation to develop from over the next few seasons. His coaches are high on his future and expect him to begin making appearances on the varsity field this year. With Morgantown coming off a state championship, Law will have the opportunity to develop within a program that consistently produces quality players. He may not have the film like some others in the rankings, but he is a name worth tucking away for the future.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/gabelaww/status/2056332882214313996 </div></figure>     2029 Spring Mills LB Noah Reed is one of the more exciting young athletes to watch in the class after a strong freshman campaign on the Cardinals' younger squad. Reed brings legitimate two-way upside as both a running back and linebacker, giving him multiple ways to impact the game as he continues to develop. His burst stood out on film, and he showed the speed to create winning plays on both sides of the ball. Those athletic traits should allow him to begin emerging on the varsity level sooner rather than later on a rebuilding team. Reed plays with confidence and has the type of natural playmaking ability that is difficult to teach. His athleticism and long-term upside make him one of the top young names to know moving forward.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/NoahReedwv/status/1995480317818257479 </div></figure>     Versatility is a big reason 2029 Independence ATH Paxton Myers earned a spot among the top young prospects to know. Myers made his biggest impact as a running back last season, providing a spark for the Patriots whenever his number was called, but his background as a quarterback gives him added value. His size and athletic profile project well to several positions, whether that's in the slot, at running back, or even in the secondary. Myers is a plus athlete for his age and showed natural playmaking ability that allows him to create explosive plays when the ball is in his hands. As he continues earning more varsity snaps and develops physically, his role should only continue to grow. The flexibility he brings to a roster, combined with his athletic upside, makes him a player we expect to become a key playmaker for Independence in the coming years.

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