Freshman Friday: 2026 Ep. 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welcome back to Freshman Friday, a feature started last season and continuing in 2026. We have over 60 players on our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2030-north-carolina-high-school-football-rankings/">2030 watchlist</a>, plus several more slated to join during the next update. Unlike this time last week, plenty of them have varsity experience. This feature isn't anything out of the ordinary, just good, old-fashioned scouting reports on five freshmen every week. Here's our second Freshman Friday episode of the 2026 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Freshman Friday: Five Class of 2030 Players To Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: While I like to organize recurring articles, part of the fun of Freshman Friday is the randomness. I'm not looking at any one position, and I hardly have any method for deciding which players to feature. We have 64 players on our initial watchlist, and that group will only grow throughout the season. Check out <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/freshman-friday-2026-ep-1/">Episode 1</a>.</em> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2212134"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a90aaa3c3550"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I nearly scouted Albert for last week's piece, but waited to see the film before jumping in. Albert looks like a potentially elite running back, a guy with the speed and burst you typically only see from the top guys. He keeps his legs churning through contact and is usually able to pick up a handful of extra yards on every play. The scary thing for opponents is that there's plenty of room for growth. He's not the biggest guy yet, and while he typically shows excellent vision, he'll occasionally put his head down too early and try to run through a tackler when he might simply be able to outrun him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2263926"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a90aaa3c35da"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Howell came into his freshman year with plenty of hype, but we weren't quite sure what to expect from him out of the gate. He racked up two sacks, multiple run stops, and showed the versatility to line up with his hand in the dirt or as a stand-up edge rusher. His first step is fantastic, and he's able to beat tackles with speed and bend around the edge, the latter of which is impressive at his height.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2325766"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a90aaa3c363e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I caught word before the season that the Jack Britt coaching staff was very excited about the Buccaneers' future at quarterback. That said, I wasn't entirely sure he'd even begin the season as the starter. Then he came out and delivered a fantastic performance in the opener against South View, completing 75% of his passes, throwing for nearly 200 yards, and tossing two touchdowns. He has a compact, repeatable throwing motion and is comfortable in the pocket, but still has plenty of athleticism to escape and create plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1843791"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a90aaa3c368b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We caught wind that Roseborough may contribute early, as we <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/07/rj-reynolds-2026-season-preview/">previewed Reynolds</a> earlier this offseason. He's a tough runner who plays bigger than his listed size. He has speed to get to the edge and showed throughout middle school that he has a nose for the end zone. That proved true in his varsity debut, as he took one of his two touches for a touchdown. He's a guy we expect to hear a lot about this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1697809"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a90aaa3c36cf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">If Week 1 was any indication, we're going to see a lot of Pride in 2026. He contributed in all three phases of the game, getting four touches as both a rusher and receiver on offense, making seven tackles on defense, and returning a kickoff. He's electric with the ball in his hands, yet I think I like him best on the defensive side of the ball. The ball skills are excellent, and he's far more physical than you'd expect for a young player his size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Which other freshmen need to be on our radar? Let me know on Twitter (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>). Want to send this to someone who isn't a subscriber? Promo code Helms30 will take 30% off the first billing cycle of any subscription.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->