2027 Rankings Debut: 21-30 Ranked Prospects

<p><strong><em>For a discounted subscription to view all of our content, use Code PRZWV30 at checkout for 30% off!</em></strong></p>   <p>The 2027 rankings have made their long-awaited debut with an initial list of the Top 60 rising sophomores in West Virginia. While these rankings will greatly change over the next three years as more athletes emerge and more information and film becomes available, these are the 2027 prospects who have proven to be some of the best at this time. Here are the 21-30 ranked prospects in the 2027 class in our eyes at this early stage.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Martinsburg appears to have another strong upcoming class with WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1260058' first='Deonte' last='Humphrey'] being another future Bulldog star in the making. Humphrey earned DB Top Performer honors at our Combine in May and stood out as a young player among talented and older campers. Game film of him is limited right now, but from getting to see Humphrey in person, we're confident he'll develop into a top prospect in the 2027 class in time. </p>   <p>Humphrey will debut as the #3 defensive back in the class, and we are eager to evaluate more game film from him over the next three years. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/deonteh14/status/1786930482606735360 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">This is largely a projection ranking for 2027 South Charleston OL [player_tooltip player_id='1154946' first='Morgan' last='Watts'] even more so than other young prospects without much game film. We got to see just three highlights of Watts from his freshman season with the Black Eagles, but you don't have to be a football expert to know 6'6 linemen don't grow on trees, especially at his age. Watts also appeared to move well in those few clips and looks to have the combination of size and athleticism to develop into a top OL prospect in this class.</p>   <p>Where Watts finishes in the rankings by the time he's a senior will depend on future film, but the odds of him having a high ceiling are good. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">The Washington Patriots have an exciting 2027 class coming up through the ranks and one of their young players standing out the most right now is LB [player_tooltip player_id='895942' first='Kyree' last='Brooks']. Brooks has the size and athleticism to develop into one of the top linebackers in the 2027 class and debuts in the rankings as the #2 LB and Top 25 overall. He was another PRZ WV Combine participant earlier this year and tested well for a young athlete. Brooks was a freshman starter in 2023 and will be a defensive leader for the Patriots while seeing carries on offense as well. He's a rangy linebacker with the speed to cover a lot of ground with pass-rush versatility. Brooks' ceiling is high as an outside linebacker, given how athletic he is and his ability to rush the passer. </p>   <p>Brooks is a very promising young player and a 2027 prospect to monitor closely over the next three years. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">We've yet to see any game film from 2027 Cabell Midland TE [player_tooltip player_id='1185571' first='Keian' last='Shelton'] but know he is going to become a top prospect in this class. Shelton has the frame at 6'4 200 to develop into a high-level TE prospect by the time he's a senior and still has the potential to keep growing. From getting to see some workout film of him this off-season, Shelton is very nimble for his size and appears to have the athleticism to become a D1-level TE in time. He has the frame to add significant size which will be fun to watch over the next three years as he grows into his body.</p>   <p>This is a pure projection ranking right now for Shelton without game film, but we're confident he'll back it up in time with the ceiling to climb much higher. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSS_TRAINING/status/1809196190593892791 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">2027 George Washington DL [player_tooltip player_id='864949' first='Braylon' last='Watts'] was a freshman Top Performer at our Combine in May and impressed among a loaded big-man group in attendance. He'll debut as the #3 defensive lineman in the class and round out our Top 25 at this early stage but will need to have the game film in the future to retain these high honors. Watts has the early 5'11 255 size for a young interior DL and had quality testing numbers at our camp that he can continue to build on as he gets older. </p>   <p>Watts has shown early signs of developing into a high-ceiling player with clear potential to be a top lineman in this class. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneWV/status/1787256121264054549 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Robert C. Byrd ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1154706' first='Junior' last='Smith'] was a First Team All-Big 10 selection as a freshman last season at defensive back with athletic versatility as an offensive playmaker too. Smith saw time at quarterback as well and could play running back and receiver and is just an all-around athlete. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and a natural playmaker regardless of what position he's playing. Smith has very good speed and quickness and is a tough tackle in the open field. His future is bright as an ATH prospect with a ton of upside and potential at several positions. </p>   <p>Smith's athleticism could take him in many directions for where he eventually plays in college and is an exciting prospect to watch. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Junioriswar03/status/1786540665993650452 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Cabell Midland OL [player_tooltip player_id='1154944' first='Braeden' last='Armstead'] has a high ceiling as a baseball prospect but he'll have options as a football player too if he chooses. Armstead is a well-rounded athlete for his size and has some of the best feet for an offensive lineman in the 2027 class. He plays well in space and gets to the second level of the defense quickly on his JV film from last season. Armstead also plays with high physicality and finishes blocks until the whistle. If he keeps getting bigger and putting on more size while maintaining his athleticism, Armstead has one of the high ceilings in the 2027 OL group. </p>   <p>He'll be a fun player to watch develop over the next three years and a talented multi-sport prospect. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">The most productive varsity 2027 prospect last season had to be Mingo Central LB [player_tooltip player_id='907920' first='Taegan' last='Hackney'] who produced a huge freshman campaign for the Miners in 2023. Hackney totaled 106 tackles and 17 TFLs as a first-year player and leader of the defense as a freshman. He's another 2027 prospect that we got to see in person at our Combine event and now debuts as a Top 30 player and #3 LB in the class. Size is the one concern with Hackney that keeps him a bit lower at this point, but if he keeps growing his ceiling is high as a prospect. He's a very smart young player and plays the game like a veteran for his age. Hackney was a confident player as a freshman and led the team in tackles from his middle linebacker spot which not only speaks to his ability but also shows the trust his coaches have in him.</p>   <p>If Hackney can get closer to 6'0 by the time he's a senior, he'll finish as a top prospect in the 2027 class. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Another young promising linebacker to know in the 2027 class is Hurricane's [player_tooltip player_id='864954' first='Devon' last='Short']. We loved the style of play Short plays with and is an aggressive young linebacker for the Redskins. He's a very good downhill tackler and shoots the gaps quickly while making a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. Short has good pursuit speed and can play in the open field combined with his between-the-tackles ability. Short can also rush the passer as an outside linebacker with middle linebacker versatility as well. At 6'0 200, Short has the early size needed for the position and the athleticism to pair with to develop into a high-level LB prospect in time. </p>   <p>The 2027 linebacker class is shaping up to be a very good one with Short being in the early running to finish as one of the best in the class. </p>      <p class="text-gray-700">2027 Spring Mills WR [player_tooltip player_id='1157627' first='Zane' last='Wipf'] was another strong performer at our Combine and has an exciting future for the Cardinals. Wipf had very good testing numbers at our camp in rainy conditions with a 4.75 40, 4.47 pro shuttle, and a 7.44 L Drill with clear early athleticism that gives him a high ceiling as a WR prospect. He was named the Spring Mills Rookie of the Year by his coaches and should be a significant varsity contributor on a talented Cardinals team as a sophomore this season. The early signs show that Wipf is a well-developed route runner for his age with YAC ability that should make him a dangerous slot receiver in time. </p>   <p>Wipf looks like a true gamer who is going to give defenses fits for the next three years and an early top WR prospect to know in the 2027 class. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/WipfZane/status/1807543591813652784 </div></figure>

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