2025 Prospects New to the Top 175 (Pt. 1)

For a discounted subscription to view all of our content, use Code PRZWV30 at checkout for 30% off!   The 2025 rankings have grown by 50 since our Spring Update as 200 of the best prospects in West Virginia are now represented on our site. Here are the new prospects who made their debut in the 2025 summer rankings update inside of the Top 175.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW TO THE TOP 175</h2>    2025 Oak Hill OL [player_tooltip player_id='907770' first='Brandon' last='Champion'] has been on the cusp of being ranked for a while now and finally has made his debut just outside of the Top 150. We've liked his film for some time but size has been the one factor that has hurt his evaluation a bit. Champion picked up his first offer from D2 WV State last month which has eased our minds on which side of that D2/D3 border he falls on. His play on the field certainly warranted an exception to the rule for scholarship-level offensive linemen and should fit in nicely at guard in college with some center possibility. Champion is a quality athlete for a big man prospect which is apparent with being entrusted to play left tackle at 6'0 265. He has good foot quickness and footwork as a whole, especially in his step blocks. Champion locks onto his defender well with his hands with good leverage and pad level to control his man effectively. He can block in space and would be an effective pulling guard at the next level with the physicality to be a devastating puller.   Champion's talent level likely exceeds his ranking at this time and may cause us to have to overlook his lack of prototypical size to place him higher in the final rankings update.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/bchampion_60/status/1803858416345190532 </div></figure>     We broke down the game of 2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1159732' first='Cam' last='Martin'] in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/06/2024-team-preview-bridgeport-indians/">Bridgeport Team Preview</a> article recently and said that he would place in our upcoming summer rankings update. That statement held true and Martin is now just outside of the Top 150 and a placement inside of the Top 15 defensive backs in the state for the 2025 class. Martin was a WVSWA Class AAA Honorable Mention All-State performer last season as a junior along with All-Big 10 honors. He totaled 83 tackles and 2 interceptions from his safety spot and will be one of many ball carriers on offense in the Indians' single-wing system where he rushed for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns a season ago. While Martin isn't the biggest athlete, he plays with the edge and toughness typical of Bridgeport players whose style of play makes up for his lack of size.   Bridgeport lost some important pieces from their playoff semifinals team in 2023 and rising seniors like Martin should step up big in 2024 as they look for another state championship in the new Class AAA.      Wheeling Park offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='958274' first='Hunter' last='Means'] had a very good performance at our combine event back in May where he earned OL Top Performer honors as one of the five best big men in attendance in a talented group. That's exactly what we wanted to see from him before placing him in our rankings, and Means now ranks among the Top 25 offensive linemen in the state for the 2025 class. He'll have the potential to improve that ranking even further with more available game film from his senior season, but Means looked the part in person at multiple camps we've attended this off-season. He's bordering on that D2/D3 college prospect projection right now with the potential to earn some scholarship offers with a good senior season and film to prove it.   Means will be a steal if he ends up at the D3 level with the possibility of wrestling in college as well which has aided his football development and will benefit him going into his final year.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/H_Means56/status/1786919014951682298 </div></figure>     2025 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1126401' first='Titus' last='Pratt'] will be making the short move from Spring Valley to Huntington for his final high school season which could improve our views of him if he performs at a high level on one of the state's best teams. He'll have to earn a starting spot with the Highlanders who will boast one of the top offensive line groups in the state, but if he does so, Pratt will surely be a stock riser in our final rankings update after the season. His 6'1 265 size puts him on that D2/D3 border like many other offensive line prospects in this 150-200 ranking range. Pratt was an effective puller at left guard for Spring Valley last season with versatility to snap as well. Huntington will be looking for a new center this season, so Pratt could slide right in there or battle for one of the guard spots which will have some tough competition.   Pratt is an under-the-radar OL prospect deserving of more attention heading into his senior year who should earn some opportunities at the next level with a quality senior year.      If we could fast-forward six months into the future, 2025 Hurricane OL [player_tooltip player_id='908160' first='Braylon' last='Brown'] may be one of our highest stock risers in the class with a potential breakout senior season. His role at the varsity level has been limited to date, but Brown should be a full-time starter in 2024 and has impressed at prospect camps this off-season. That has paid off for Brown with offers from WV State and Rio Grande before his senior year has begun as we expect big things from him in 2024. From watching some camp clips on his social media, Brown is progressing well with his footwork and technique while being athletic for his size. While 6'1 265 is still on the smaller side for scholarship-level offensive linemen, Brown clearly has the frame to grow and fill out to get to that level in time as he continues to get stronger and develop his body.   Once we see more varsity game film from him this season, Brown will likely climb higher in our rankings if he puts it all together for his final year.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BraylonBrown_/status/1804924632971034858 </div></figure>     South Charleston offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1126424' first='Braylon' last='McBride'] is a raw prospect with a ton of potential if he can continue to develop over time. His 6'5 frame gives him an edge over most OL prospects in this ranking range and is someone you can be patient with for a few years if you're a college program to develop. When watching his junior tape, you can picture what McBride could one day become if he wants to put the time in to get there and trust the process along the way. He has D2 potential in our eyes and is worth taking a chance on as a developmental prospect from programs at that level. Size and potential alone placed him inside the Top 30 offensive linemen ranking in the 2025 class with the ceiling to improve that greatly if he takes a step in his development his senior year.   We hope to see the South Charleston program as a whole take a step forward in 2024 after a tough 2023 season with a young team that would benefit talented but raw prospects like McBride.      This is purely a projection ranking for Hurricane DB [player_tooltip player_id='1119838' first='Jai'Den' last='Smith'] who doesn't have a ton of film to evaluate but flashed potential with what we could find. Smith totaled 25 tackles and 2 interceptions as a junior in 2023 as a free safety prospect who we hope to see more from in 2024 for his senior year. He has very good length at 6'0 with the frame to add considerably more weight which will greatly benefit his game in the future. Although many clips to evaluate, Smith looks like a very quality athlete who can run and make plays with the ball in his hands or when playing it in the air. Smith has a track background and had a Top 5 finish in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles at the WVSSAC Class AAA State Track & Field Championships as well.   That athletic background will allow him to be just as accomplished on the football field if he wants to as we look forward to more game film from his senior season for a better gauge of his talent level.      Philip Barbour DB [player_tooltip player_id='877281' first='Drew' last='Morral'] is one of the more underrated prospects in the state who has quietly been a very good player for the Colts thus far. He's a highly athletic kid with very good size at 6'1 175 who could play receiver at the next level as well depending on where colleges like him at. Morral is another impressive track athlete who ran an 11.37-second time at the Class AA WVSSAC Track & Field State Championships in the 100m dash with a Top 3 finish. That speed translates well to the football field with legit 4.5 speed that should make defenses worry each time he touches the ball. Morral recently picked up his first offer from D3 Macalester (MN) and will be a steal if he ends up at that level. His athleticism alone should have in-state D2 programs keeping tabs on him this season as he continues to develop as a football athlete. Morral has been one of the busiest prospects we've seen this off-season while attending nearly double-digit camps so far and is putting in the work to put himself on more college radars.   Keep your eyes on Morral this season as he builds on the success he had as a junior for a breakout senior year.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/drew_morral/status/1807217066857963795 </div></figure>     Staying on trend with underrated defensive back prospects, Princeton's [player_tooltip player_id='1099584' first='Garrett' last='Mays'] is another one that you need to know heading into his senior year. Mays was a First Team All-Coalfields performer as a junior and a very athletic DB prospect who plays corner for the Tigers. Although a bit undersized, Mays makes up for his lack of size with speed and quickness while also playing above his weight class. Mays has the speed to stick to his receiver in man coverage and does a nice job of playing the ball in the air and getting his head turned. He's also not afraid to leave his man to play the run and will make open-field tackles. Even as a smaller DB, Mays does a nice job fighting off blockers and playing with high effort to get to ball carriers.   Mays has some of the more underrated film in this class who should have plenty of small college opportunities by Signing Day.      A Top 10 TE prospect in our 2025 rankings to know is Frankort's [player_tooltip player_id='1126310' first='Jett' last='McCullough']. He nearly made his debut in our spring update but is now firmly inside of the Top 175. McCullough has good size in that 6'3 225 range with underrated athleticism from watching his junior highlight tape. Frankfort isn't going to throw the ball around a ton in their Wing-T system, but you got glimpses of McCullough's pass-catching ability last season that lead you to believe he can do so at the college level in a more wide-open system. He has the potential to play DE at the next level as well if colleges prefer him to that side of the ball. Playing in a Wing-T system, you know McCullough is well-developed in the blocking game and a willingly physical blocker who plays with an edge.   McCullough has the potential to creep inside of our Top 150 as a scholarship-graded prospect in the final update after the season depending on his senior film.

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