2029 Rankings: Meet the Class Nos. 1-7

Potential might be off the charts.   The production value will increase.    And the needs of each team will get all of these players more and more involved.   But as we run through a proper introduction to each of the selections for the inaugural unveiling of the Prep RedZone Class of 2029 rankings, it's also important to highlight the present. That's exactly what we're doing.    Each of the 27 athletes named to the list have shown potential, sure, but also an ability to work their way onto the fields across the state now. Let's wrap up the breakdowns with those holding down spot Nos. 1-7 in our initial 2029 rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id='1595016' first='Emari' last='Jones'] DL, Seneca    When you take one look at Jones, you start wondering where his full-time job is. At 6-foot-6 and a hair under 350 pounds, he doesn't look like a high school kid, let alone one who just turned 14 years old in August. Jones is raw, and he's only been in a high school weight room for a matter of months. So clearly so much of what he's working with is natural ability. Given his size, there's no telling what may come of it throughout his freshman year and in the years to come. But Seneca is super high on his prospects knowing this type of human being doesn't typically walk into a school every summer.    Seneca coach David Crane: “Emari is a legit 6-foot-6 and 350-pound freshman. He can bend and move for his size and youth. He has flashed early and already shown the ability to get push in the middle and be disruptive. He should only get better as he continues to improve his overall strength and conditioning.”    [player_tooltip player_id='1881741' first='Bear' last='Woods'] QB, Westside   Woods was the heir apparent to the Rams' offense, and his education in the process involved shadowing the dude he replaced every day for the last 14 years. Expectations of replicating Cutter's success aside, Bear has the physical chops to play this position for a long time, starting with his Day 1 starting nod as the Westside quarterback. Woods throws well on the run and has clearly soaked up years of training. As such, the game already looks slower to him than most freshmen signal callers.    Westside coach Brian Lane: “Bear has a super-high football IQ with the arm to go along with it. A couple of his best traits are his leadership and his command of the offense.”    [player_tooltip player_id='1301740' first='Ra'Sean' last='Brown'] RB, South Pointe    There is absolutely no reason to think that Brown won't be one of the most recruited tailbacks in the state within the next 12-18 months. In limited reps on one of the state's most loaded rosters, he's already displayed an explosiveness that can't be taught. He's shown he can catch the ball. He can play some defense (linebacker). And he can do all that while every opponent has too much else to focus on to put a spy on him when he's on the field. Brown's future is extremely bright, thanks to those physical gifts and what he does with them.    South Pointe coach Bobby Collins: “Ra'Sean is a Power 4 running back. He works hard in the weight room and works hard in the classroom. He's the first guy to get to practice and the last guy to leave. We're excited to have him in our program.”    [player_tooltip player_id='1590515' first='Josiah' last='Singleton'] LB, Fort Dorchester   What Singleton has already done in a very short amount of time is add to the hopeful rejuvenation of Fort D football. The middle linebacker put up five tackles and a forced fumble (first highlight below) in his first game and then followed it up three more stops and an interception in game two. Yes, it was an eye-opening first few weeks, and one that didn't go unnoticed in the Lowcountry. After watching him every day for the last two months, the Patriots' coaching staff isn't mincing words when speaking of their young linebacker.    Fort Dorchester coach Shaun Lorenzano: “Josiah's gonna be the future of this program on defense. He's gonna anchor for four years. He's gonna be a four-year starter. He should break every record as a linebacker.”    [player_tooltip player_id='437772' first='Brayden' last='Boults'] RB, Crestwood   Last January, an eighth grader showed up at the PRZ combine in North Carolina and ripped off a 4.56 laser-timed 40 and a 4.23 shuttle time. It was enough to get our national and regional scouts talking. It didn't take much from there to realize Boults was an oft-dominating JV back as an eighth grader. Now in high school, he's parlayed his 2024-2025 school year experiences into a steady diet of varsity carries while playing behind a pair of upperclassmen. Boults needed one game to surpass the 100-yard mark in a game - something he did by going for 106 and two scores against Manning in Week 0. We're going to see plenty of that before he's done at Crestwood.   Crestwood coach Roosevelt Nelson: Brayden is an outstanding young man - hard worker along with high character. He has a unique skill set with the ability to run and catch with the best of them. Brayden has the ability to score every time he touches the ball.     [player_tooltip player_id='1595010' first='Taddrick' last='Gibson'] DB, Dutch Fork   The well-oiled machine that is the Silver Foxes' defense has star power for days. Gibson (pictured) has made sure the coaches' decision to include a freshman in that mix was warranted, and the defensive back isn't messing around with the opportunity. The corner recorded his first varsity interception in the team's second game of the year (a 28-21 win against Ridge View). It won't be his last. Enveloped by all that talent that already has grown stronger in the early going, opponents are going to have little choice but to test Gibson. We're not recommending it.    Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts: “TJ is a great player and has been a great addition to our defense. He has great length and can run and cover. He has big shoes to fill but has already made an impact on our defense this fall.”    [player_tooltip player_id='1595007' first='Khayel' last='Sam Fong-Talia'] QB, Dillon    Fong-Talia owns the top overall spot in our rankings, and while we're not going to promise it'll always be that way during his career, what he's done over the course of the matter of weeks of his time as the Wildcats' starting quarterback tells us we've made the right call. During his first four games, he completed north of 70 percent of his passes for nearly 800 yards and eight touchdowns. He also only threw one pick in his first 61 attempts. His build and arm strength also have delivered his first Division-I offer and who knows how many more will join it before he finishes his freshman season.    Dillon coach Kelvin Roller: “Khayel brings a skill set that is rare for a player his age. He already has prototypical size at quarterback at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, but his arm talent and ability to process things and throw people open are uncanny. He also possesses amazing athleticism to go along with his arm accuracy. Khayel has a chance to be one of the best in the country at quarterback.

Potential might be off the charts.