Sophomore Spotlight: 5 Overlooked Playmakers in the 2029 Class

<p>It's still incredibly early in the recruiting process for the class of 2029 prospects, but these players deserve to be looked at quite a bit more than they currently are. </p>   <p><strong>Also read</strong> - <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/virginia-risers-2029-recruits-next-in-line-for-big-time-offers/" id="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/virginia-risers-2029-recruits-next-in-line-for-big-time-offers/">Virginia Risers: 2029 Recruits Next In Line For Big-Time Offers</a></p>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1857807' first='Zahir' last='Pierce'] was one of the better freshman running backs in the state last season, and he's a very strong runner for being "only" 175-180 lbs. He shows good step-fakes and vision on counter plays, and does a good job of sticking to the designed gap when running between the tackles.</p>   <p>Seeing a young ball-carrier choosing to run through defenders instead of around them is always a beautiful sight, and that's what Pierce wants to do. As long as he continues to work on his straight-line speed and acceleration, the sky is the limit for the upcoming sophomore.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/00_pierce/status/2005269040118501760?s=20 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1729554' first='Gideon' last='Rosen'] is a powerful back who has excellent footwork for the position. He's very much a one-cut-and-go type of player, but he's very good at what he does. He's not afraid of contact and will continuously accelerate into defenders at the point of attack.</p>   <p>He showed off great footwork and an impressive ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well at Virginia Tech's camp in June. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on in the 2029 class. He's undoubtedly primed to have a big sophomore season in 2026.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GideonRosen29/status/2064880015175475571?s=20 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1683545' first='Micah' last='Gregory'] is an impressive slot receiver for Potomac, showing off some pretty detailed footwork in his route-running. He has a long stride, so he's able to gain lots of ground with each step on fades and deep posts. </p>   <p>He has great hands as well, consistently looking the football in and high-pointing the ball in contested-catch situations. Gregory's going to be a good player for The Potomac School over the next few seasons. It's going to be interesting to see how the coaching staff uses him going forward.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/_micahgregory1/status/2062476702756794854?s=20 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1350391' first='Elijah' last='White'] is very talented on both sides of the ball, as a receiver and defensive back. Though there's a chance he could be recruited as a cornerback, wide receiver has been his most impressive position so far. White's very twitched-up and explosive when it comes to his foot speed, making his route-running ability much better than most.</p>   <p>He consistently catches the ball away from his frame and always seems to have a plan after the reception. White's a dangerous playmaker in the 2029 class, and he'll be an exciting sophomore to watch in 2026.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ElijahLWhite3/status/1990551665569567075?s=20 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1583154' first='Jameer' last='Ross'] is a very talented pass-catcher who also made plays for St. James as a cornerback on defense. On offense, he lined up at both running back and wide receiver as a freshman in 2025, but he's primarily going to be a receiver.</p>   <p>He's got the speed to gain separation early on in the rep, and he's been impressive in the open field. Ross is very agile and can cut on a dime as well, making him incredibly effective on short to intermediate in-breakers.</p>   <p>Ross just received offers from Syracuse and Old Dominion, and he's definitely a player who I'm going to keep a close eye on in 2026.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RossJameer/status/2068432472224739337?s=20 </div></figure>    <p></p>

It's still incredibly early in the recruiting process for the class of 2029 prospects, but these players deserve to be looked at quite a bit more than they currently are.