2028 Rankings Sneak Peak: New Additions

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Simply head to our subscription page</a> and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.   Beginning August 12, we'll roll out the first portion of our summer rankings cycle when we unveil the new-look Class of 2027.    Two weeks after that, we'll be on to 2028.   It won't be our biggest rankings for the class to date, but it will be just as vital as the rising juniors being the second half of their high school careers. We've scoured (and continue to scour) every program in the state for players who have already done enough to warrant a place in our charts.   The new-look list will include guys at every position, and in some cases, a large number of players who check multiple boxes for their respective teams. And by the time August 26 rolls around, we'll be more than 300-deep.   Here's a look at 10 of the additions who will be leading the charge.    [player_tooltip player_id='1816519' first='Shaq' last='Aghenebit'] OL, Northwestern    Aghenebit is one of those massive human beings that don't come around every day. He's 6-foot-3 and while we verified him at 370 pounds during the combines in April, he's going to enter his junior year lighter probably in the 340-350 range. As an interior lineman last fall, he put his massive, 86.5-inch wing span to good use, especially when he was pulling or motoring downfield. We could tell you what happens when someone like that gets moving, but you can probably guess.   [player_tooltip player_id='2249219' first='ZaMari' last='Brabham'] WR, Bamberg-Ehrhardt    The Red Raiders lost a couple massive pieces in the receiving game, and Brabham is one of the reasons why few folks will even notice. He's 6-foot-3, has an 80-inch wing span and can either 1. Draw defenders away from more established stars or 2. Make the most of his own targets against smaller players. From jump balls to sideline throws, one of the best quarterbacks in the state has yet another standout receiver as a weapon.   [player_tooltip player_id='951250' first='Caleb' last='Foley'] LB, Indian Land   The West Stanly (N.C.) transfer saw his first “action” for Indian Land during one of Shane Beamer's USC 7-on-7s about two days after he enrolled at his new school. All he did was pick off Dutch Fork during that event. Now, more than a month later, he's secured his spot as a starting middle linebacker on a defensive unit that is full of potential. He was climbing North Carolina's rankings before making the move south, and now he's going to appear in ours.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817032' first='Laurez' last='Matthews'] WR/DB, Fort Dorchester   Matthew is already an established standout for Fort Dorchester, and after another offseason, we think his name is about to spread quickly. As a sophomore, his 21 receptions for 436 yards and five touchdowns were all team leads. The fact that he used that as a spring board into his offseason can't be discounted, either. He's a dangerous returner and is also going to help out in the secondary, at least to start the season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1823876' first='Lavar' last='Mills'] TE, Darlington    In a lot of programs, Mills' 6-foot-1, 240-pound frame and the blocking acumen that accompanies it would probably have him playing one of the offensive line spots. That ignores how much of an impact he can make catching the ball. As Darlington prepares to breaking in a new quarterback - one who is going to move around the pocket and often be running while he throws, Mills is looking even more like a great safety valve for the Falcons' offense.    [player_tooltip player_id='1821553' first='Calvin' last='Rocheleau'] WR, Catawba Ridge   Don't say we didn't warn you if Rocheleau goes out and has a big year for the Copperheads. After hauling in some steady targets as a sophomore and then using the offseason to become not only a bigger target, but capable of doing more with them. Rocheleau is a yards-after-catch/contact type of receiver. He has legit sub-4.6 speed that should help him make more of the 381 yards he had on his 40 receptions last fall.    [player_tooltip player_id='2242794' first='Ted' last='Rowe'] K/ATH, American Leadership   Rowe is one of the smallest players we've ever ranked, and that should tell you something about his abilities. In addition his role as the Pats' top specialist, he's also going to play tailback, receiver and defensive back for the Patriots. He is going to probably need to put on some size for some of those other positions to make a noticeable difference, but on his specialist skills alone, he's ready for a number next to his name.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820252' first='Malik' last='Stevens'] DL, Greenwood (pictured)   Stevens is a compact defensive lineman at 5-foot-10 and 240 pounds. But as a sophomore, he earned a starting job at defensive end by letting his burst and quick feet start the conversation and then his upper body strength finishing it. Because of his lack of height, he's probably not going to be considered a true pass rusher at the next level. However, how he reacts as quick as he does makes him excellent at contain. He's also a pretty damn good tackler.    [player_tooltip player_id='1840061' first='Gage' last='Watkins'] QB, JL Mann    For a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback, Watkins isn't what you'd expect. While most quarterbacks of his age and size are grip-it-and-rip-it types, Watkins has an extremely nice touch that allows him to take advantage of tight windows or over-the-top throws to a streaking receiver. And while he's yet to secure the starting job, we have few doubts he's going to get a lot of field time one way or the other during his junior season after throwing for 678 yards and four touchdowns last year.   [player_tooltip player_id='2235553' first='Carder' last='Young'] DL/TE, Swansea    Young is one of those guys who is expected to make a massive individual jump this fall, and Swansea will gain from it. Young was able to see significant snaps on offense and defense a year ago, playing both offensive and defensive line. This time around, he's going to make the move to tight end, where he can continue to assist as a blocker but should be able to give a pretty established offense another pass catcher when the Tigers do elect to throw the ball.

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. Simply head to our subscription page and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.

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2028 Rankings Sneak Peak: New Additions

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