Who Are The Breakout Players In The 2024 Class?

Matt Morrow February 4, 2023 @ 11:01 PM

Every year we have players that seemingly come out of nowhere to be recruited by several schools as they go into their senior year - if they had a strong offseason, a great performance at a camp, or simply were discovered late in the evaluation process - these players are very important to their respective teams and colleges will get into recruiting battles trying to get them to commit to their school. We will take a look at a few breakout candidates from a recruiting perspective in the 2024 class.   Corban Hall - Tight End - Cuthbertson - Hall really came on strong as the season went along last year, recording multiple games of over 100 yards receiving and multiple touchdowns. At 6'3 and 210 pounds, he has very good speed and catches the ball well and away from his body. He can also mix it up well in the blocking game, either at tight end or as a move/h-back type of player that is so popular now in today's hybrid offenses. He has had interest from both Coastal Carolina and Penn, and should get his fair share of targets this upcoming season for sure.   Braylon Baker - Linebacker - JM Robinson - I've written about Braylon before as he performed well at the CFI Winter Showcase I covered back in December. At 6'3 and 225 pounds, he is very physical at the linebacker spot, displays a great burst coming off the edge when rushing the passer, and shows coverage ability when not rushing the passer. A true 3-down linebacker prospect. It appears his recruiting is starting to heat up as he has gone on visits to both Tennessee and South Carolina. It is a bit surprising that his only offer currently is Johnson C. Smith University, but as the camp circuit heats up I'm sure that will go up exponentially.   Will McGraw - OL - Hickory Grove Christian - When you think about the perennial talent-producing programs in the 704, Hickory Grove isn't usually on your list, but this big OL is a real true talent. At 6'3 and 315 pounds, the first thing that stands out to me is just his pure physicality. Whether it is run blocking or pass protection, it is done physically and to the echo of the whistle. In the run game, he excels on down blocks and straight-ahead drive blocks especially. He can get out and pull also on power plays and form fits well at the 2nd level on linebackers and defensive backs. In pass protection, he mirrors his defender well and fits his hands inside the frame consistently with a strong initial punch to stunt a defender's charge. Surprisingly, he has only visited North Carolina, so I think he's under the radar for now.   [player_tooltip player_id='126931' first='Billy' last='Wilkes'] - LB - Providence - If you have heard the name before, Jack Wilkes was a tackling machine who ended up going to Campbell to play a few years ago from Providence. This is Jack's younger brother, and he is a tackling machine just like his brother! This past season he had 128 total tackles on the season for a defense where he was asked to do a lot. At 6'1 and 190 pounds, he could play weakside linebacker immediately or bulk up and play the Mike position on the next level - he has the ability for either spot. I like how well he tackles in space, and how fearless he is. He also has a 4.25 GPA, so he will save colleges on the scholarship money - they love those kinds of players!   [player_tooltip player_id='1092828' first='Chancellor' last='Bryant'] - DB - Ardrey Kell - First off, everything I've heard about this young man has been exceedingly positive. He won the Defensive Back of the year award for his team, he has an incredible work ethic, and he wants to be great. At 5'11 and 175 pounds, I think he has a chance to definitely play on the next level. He has very good speed in coverage and plays with good technique no matter what his assignment may be. He does not mind getting physical and I think he tackles well from his DB position. He also is a threat in the kick return/punt return game on Special Teams, and I think he would contribute immediately on the next level on all Special Teams to get on the field early. He also has a knack for making plays in big-game situations. I'm excited for his senior year.

Every year we have players that seemingly come out of nowhere to be recruited by several schools as they go into their senior year - if they had a strong offseason, a great performance at a camp, or simply were discovered late in the evaluation process - these players are very important to their respective teams and colleges will get into recruiting battles trying to get them to commit to their school. We will take a look at a few breakout candidates from a recruiting perspective in the 2024 class.