Grading the 2029 Offensive Position Groups

The 2029 class is in the spotlight, and after we've wrapped up <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/2029-stock-risers-back-seven-defenders/">stock-risers</a> and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/newly-ranked-2029-wrs/">newly-ranked players</a>, we wanted to approach the class from a big-picture view. After going <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/behind-the-scenes-of-the-2029-rankings-spring/">behind the scenes</a> of the update, I'm grading each position group for top talent, depth, and potential.   It can be helpful to look at the class as a whole—where its strengths, weaknesses, and depth lie—to get an idea of where schools might have the best chance to focus their recruiting efforts. After looking at the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/grading-the-2029-defensive-position-groups/">defense</a>, we'll look at the offense.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grading the 2028 Offensive Position Groups</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterbacks: C</h3>   The Numbers: 11 ranked, two Top 25, four Top 50   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='1048930' first='Brody' last='Lowe'] (No. 3 overall), Grimsley   Strongest Level: TBD   Thanks to deeper classes ahead of them, North Carolina had the fewest number of freshman quarterback starters I've seen since covering the state a decade and a half ago.   The 2029 class also lost its top passer, as he reclassified to the 2028 class. There are still several highly-touted passers, but we haven't done complete evaluations yet, and it's too early to tell ultimately who ends up atop the class.   That said, two guys in particular have the early lead. Lowe is a lefty from Grimsley who took over when our top 2026 passer went down with an injury. He actually outplayed the Power Four recruit, throwing for 2,200 yards and 23 touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='2003772' first='Tyson' last='Douglas-Brown'] is a dual-threat passer out of Corvian Community, and I'm intrigued by his upside, especially as a runner.   Further down the list, West Forsyth's [player_tooltip player_id='1151256' first='Levi' last='Morales'] and new East Forsyth passer [player_tooltip player_id='2123450' first='Ahmad' last='Francis'] have both impressed us at times this offseason with strong arms and good movement skills.   Perhaps most intriguing is Parkland passer [player_tooltip player_id='2126984' first='Marsaun' last='Byrd-McCoy'], who at 6-foot-6, 185 has a rocket for an arm, but is raw. The upside of this class could very well be determined by how he develops from a mechanical perspective.   There are several guys with FBS upside, but it all comes down to development.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Backs: B+</h3>   The Numbers: 18 ranked, four Top 25, seven Top 50   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='1858055' first='Mike' last='McLean'] (No. 1 overall), Scotland County   Strongest Level: FCS/Group of Five   It's not at all uncommon to see a strong running back class early, as that's a position where we typically see plenty of talent thrive early.   It helps to have the top player in the class, and McLean already boasts several FBS offers. He's already a star, and he could have a massive sophomore year. I don't see a world in which McLean slips far, and he has a chance to be a wire-to-wire No. 1 player.   Because of that, I'm just as intrigued by some of the names further down the list, and I think we'll have lots of movement in the coming rankings cycles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods'] (Shelby) and [player_tooltip player_id='2003814' first='Haze' last='Dodson'] (Lake Norman Charter) played a ton as freshmen, and depending on how they grow, they could be top backs. North Stanly's [player_tooltip player_id='1969750' first='RJ' last='Brooks'] joined those three at the top of the freshman yardage ranks, and he already has an FBS offer to his name.   I'm interested to see if three smaller guys grow, and if so, how much. [player_tooltip player_id='1905582' first='Khalin' last='Rogers'] (Clayton), [player_tooltip player_id='1868522' first='Xavier' last='Frazier'] (Salisbury), and [player_tooltip player_id='2155410' first='Liam' last='Watson'] (Robinson) have all impressed us with their movement. How they develop physically will go a long way towards determining their respective ceilings.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receivers: B-</h3>   The Numbers: 16 ranked, three Top 25, six Top 50   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='2072205' first='Mason' last='Pearsall-Brown'] (No. 18 overall), Hough   Strongest Level: DII/FCS   The wide receiver class is hurt by a lack of elite, top-end prospects. However, there are several exciting prospects in the group, slightly further down the rankings. While Pearsall-Brown was behind several talented guys on Hough's depth chart, he has Power Four offers to his name.   If you include Green Level's [player_tooltip player_id='1853129' first='Derek' last='Monroe'], ranked as an athlete, the picture looks a bit better. We've picked up some Power Four chatter for the versatile receiver and return man.   There's some intriguing size in this class, with GRACE Christian's [player_tooltip player_id='1857981' first='Christopher' last='White'] standing at 6-foot-4 and guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2129288' first='Luke' last='Untereker'] (Hickory Ridge), [player_tooltip player_id='2220450' first='Jamere' last='Little'] (Jay M. Robinson), and [player_tooltip player_id='1870841' first='Zion' last='Caesar'] (Ballantyne Ridge) measuring over six feet tall.   We also have some electric smaller guys, much like the 2027 class. [player_tooltip player_id='2005242' first='Jordan' last='Davis'] (Grimsley), [player_tooltip player_id='2003826' first='Cainin' last='Glover'] (Eastern Randolph), and [player_tooltip player_id='1631111' first='Amari' last='Sumner'] (West Craven), in particular, are top-50 prospects in our rankings. Davis and Glover were among the state's leading receivers, while Sumner played all over the field and is thriving in 7-on-7 this offseason.   Overall, it's a really good class, even if there isn't one individual superstar. Of course, new guys will pop up at the position over the next two and a half years, as well.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line: A</h3>   The Numbers: 18 ranked, four Top 25, five Top 50   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='2072220' first='Amir' last='Daniels'] (No. 2 overall), Millbrook   Strongest Level: High-FCS/FBS   In recent years, there's been one position per class that is obviously elite from the start. For the 2029 class, it's the offensive line.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/whelms21/status/2061462714103345192?s=20 </div></figure>   This class actually lost two of its previous top four to out-of-state transfers, and it's still excellent. The most impressive thing to me is the number of height-weight-speed guys there are. Typically, most young offensive line prospects are undersized, slow, or lack basic fundamentals, meaning we have to look far in the future.   This class is full of maulers—not just guys who are "good for their age," but guys who are flat-out good.   We saw [player_tooltip player_id='865972' first='Jackson' last='Jenkins'] before his freshman year and were impressed. Then his freshman film dropped, and we immediately knew we had a Power Four guy. [player_tooltip player_id='2072220' first='Amir' last='Daniels'] (Millbrook) went from "high-upside prospect" to elite player in about six games.   This class has several true center prospects, which is nice to see. In addition to Jenkins, Christ School's [player_tooltip player_id='1925988' first='Scotty' last='Hicks'] started the entire season at center.   There are also some true "high-upside guys," several of whom have early varsity experience. [player_tooltip player_id='1301382' first='Landon' last='Delk'] has put on a lot of good weight after playing some early. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1993558' first='Gabriel' last='Hubbard'] (Wake Prep) and [player_tooltip player_id='1677157' first='Quentin' last='Miller'] (Union Academy) played early and flashed.   High-upside tackles [player_tooltip player_id='2147726' first='Immanuel' last='Miller'] (Rolesville) and [player_tooltip player_id='2209990' first='Walter' last='Patrick'] (Jay M. Robinson) are intriguing prospects who could rise later.   Top-to-bottom, it's a great class, and I'm excited to see it develop.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tight End: TBD</h3>   The Numbers: Three Ranked   Highest Ranked: [player_tooltip player_id='2099358' first='Nate' last='Harrison'] (No. 87 overall), North Stokes   Strongest Level: TBD   The tight end class, unsurprisingly, is an incomplete evaluation right now. It always is for early classes. When I graded the 2028 class <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/grading-the-2028-offensive-position-groups/">at this time last year</a>, I didn't even include the tight ends. Now, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/grading-the-2028-offensive-position-groups-2/">that class</a> has four Top 150 prospects.   There are three ranked tight ends, two of whom were recently added. Harrison has some early production, while Grimley's [player_tooltip player_id='2220823' first='Ty' last='Pugh'] and Stuart Cramer's [player_tooltip player_id='2220829' first='Kelly' last='Bridges Jr']. are high-upside prospects playing for coaches who know how to utilize athletic in-line tight ends.   Not only will more tight ends join this class, but I expect an offensive lineman or two and a couple of receivers to eventually switch positions. Stay tuned!   Disagree with my grades? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>).

The 2029 class is in the spotlight, and after we've wrapped up stock-risers and newly-ranked players, we wanted to approach the class from a big-picture view. After going behind the scenes of the update, I'm grading each position group for top talent, depth, and potential.