It's not easy trying to sort through prospects who have three more years of high school to go, but we have had plenty of success in the past identifying rising 10th graders as legitimate blue-chip talent.
Andrew Ivins
College football programs around the country might be busy trying to fine-tune gameplans and figure depth charts at the halfway point of preseason camps, but at 247Sports we have spent the past few weeks looking towards the future. And we're not talking about fall of 2025. No, we're peeking ahead to four and five years from now.
With high school football set to kick into full swing in the coming weeks, and the offseason firmly in the rearview mirror, the scouting department at 247Sports is ready to roll out the initial Top 100 rankings for the class of 2027. This is the pool of prospects set to embark on their sophom*ore seasons of high school football.
It's not easy trying to sort through prospects who have three more years of high school to go, but we have had plenty of success in the past identifying rising 10th graders as legitimate blue-chip talent.
INITIAL TOP 100 FOR THE 2027 CLASS
Back in the 2021 cycle, it was J.T. Tuimoloau, who debuted at No. 1 overall in the rankings – rankings we made in the fall of 2018. He elected to return to school for one more year with the Buckeyes and is a staple in mock drafts for the 2025 NFL Draft. In 2020, it was future first-round pick Bryan Bresee, who sat atop the rankings. The year before that, there was another Day 1 selection in the pole position, Kayvon Thibodeaux. He was joined in the 100 by a half-dozen more now-pros: Derek Stingley, Nolan Smith, Kenyon Green, Bo Nix, and Owen Pappoe.
The initial 100 for the class of 2022 looks like it will be just as fruitful with Michigan cornerback Will Johnson (No. 11, initially) Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (No. 12) and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III (No. 13) on the CBS Sports/247Sports Preseason All-American team and expected to eventually play on Sundays.
Given the difficulty that comes with trying to identify future difference-makers at such a young age, we have placed a major emphasis on projectable traits and leaned heavily on verified data points. Over 60 percent of the prospects in the initial 100 are multi-sport athletes. More notably, 19 of them have speed scores of 90 or higher according to our partners at NextGen with five more holding explosion scores north of 90. The group is so athletic you could even build out a starting five for a college basketball team with five players reporting early Division 1 hoops offers.
The Alpha Dog: QB Elijah Haven
There were a handful of prospects we considered for the No. 1 ranking, but the player card that we kept coming back to was Elijah Haven.
A supersized dual-threat talent with a powerful arm and above-the-rim athleticism, Haven had in our opinion one of the best freshman seasons in America. He posted an 8-3 record as a first-year starter at Baton Rouge (La.) The Dunham School, accounting for 2,846 yards of offense and 47 total touchdowns.
Haven is far from a complete product, but he has the clay to be molded into a potential franchise signal caller. We love his ability to not only avoid pressure and buy himself chances, but also make a variety of different throws from a variety of different angles. He's also extremely efficient for a natural playmaker with his completion percentage (67.7), yards per attempt (12.25) and turnover rate (one interception every 60 throws) all ranking near the top of the class.
What has us even more excited about Haven, who is age appropriate, is the competitive temperament. Haven is also a talented basketball player that earned second-team all-state honors as a 9th grader after helping his team make a deep playoff run. He spent part of the summer driving the lane on the Nike EYBL circuit with LiVOn, which is the same organization that NFL wide receiver Keon Coleman played with before he shifted his focus to football.
It's often hard to find a player comp for a prospect this young, but Haven's build and movement patterns do remind us a little bit of former Tennessee/Michigan quarterback Joe Milton III as he's got a 6-foot-4 frame that's pushing 210 pounds and should only get bigger in the coming years. Jacoby Brissett, who was also a talented basketball player in high school, is another quarterback that comes to mind.
When it comes to the recruitment, Haven holds early offers from Florida, Miami, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Baylor. He also has Cornell on the tender sheet and has thrown for the coaching staffs at both LSU and FSU.
To learn more about Elijah Haven, check out this interview with 247Sports' Mike Roach.
INTRODUCING MORE EARLY 5-STAR CONTENDERS
It will be a while before 247Sports stamps anyone in the class of 2027 as a five-star prospect. Haven, who holds the highest grade in the class with a 92, will certainly be in the conversation when the time comes, assuming of course that he keeps progressing, but he isn't the only soon-to-be sophom*ore we're pushing the chips towards as four other prospects debuted with a grade of 91.
Check out this article from 247Sports' Tom Loy to get the scoop on the early top recruits in the 2027 Class.
No. 2: EDGE Richard Wesley
A polished front-line defender with a 12-cylinder engine, Richard Wesley racked up 11.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a freshman at Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon. He's the type of pass rusher that can win with both speed and power. He also has a knack for creating negative plays as he's quick to get to the secondary moves. Wesley ran track for the first time this spring and posted a respectable 11.67-second effort in the 100-meter dash for someone that's over 6-foot-5 and hovering right around 255 pounds.
"Relentless motor," 247Sports national analyst Greg Biggins said. "Makes plays outside of his area and has a physical edge in his game. He loves the weight room and has a strong off-field work ethic."
No. 3: EDGE D.J. Jacobs
There might not be a more violent defender in the class than DJ Jacobs, who almost always finishes with authority. The UGA legacy was named Georgia 7-AAAAAA Rookie of the Year after totaling 81 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles for Blessed Trinity Catholic. The scary thing? Jacobs should only become more of a pest upfront as his body continues to mature and he grows into a 6-foot-5 frame. His up-field burst jumps out as does his ability to charge the cleat line and make stops in backside pursuit.
"Has some Dallas Turner to him in terms of how he punishes quarterbacks," 247Sports national analyst Clint Brewster said. "Constantly makes it look easy on the field."
No. 4: EDGE Ladamion Guyton
Anyone that has studied 2025 five-star Elijah Griffin has noticed No. 15 for Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian Prep. That's Ladamion Guyton, who has an exceptional blend of get-off and fluidity. Last fall, the Gutyon gave opposing offensive tackles fits, finishing the year with 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Guyton is on the lighter side now, but he has already started to undergo a physical transformation and provides some scheme versatility as he could fit into different roles in both odd and even fronts.
"Probably the most twitched-up and bendy edge rusher we have come across so far," Brewster said. "He's got the athleticism and movement skills to play off the ball."
No. 5: TE Mark Bowman
Some will roll their eyes, but there's a reason why Mark Bowman is already being labeled the next Brock Bowers and that's because he has a chance to be another cheatcode in the passing game. Bowman got his feet wet as a freshman on a deep Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei squad, showcasing the ability to create separation out of a variety of different alignments: attached, unattached, in the wing, or out wide. Bowman has also tested in the upper percentile for a tight end with a 4.43-second shuttle and a 35.9-inch broad jump.
"He adds a ton of value as a receiver," 247Sports national analyst Hudson Standish noted. "He can essentially turn 11 personnel into 10.5 personnel and 12 personnel into 11.5 personnel."
DISHING OUT SOME SUPERLATIVES
With only six recruits publicly committed right now in the 2027 cycle, there aren't many, if any, known commodities. We figured why not get a little creative with the release?
Fastest prospect: WR Jamier Brown
The early returns suggest that this will be a very fast class and Jamier Brown (No. 7 overall) might be the biggest burner of the bunch. He clocked the fastest 60-meter dash time and the second-fastest 100-meter dash for any high school freshman this past year. Brown, who self-reports a 4.31-second time in the 40-yard dash, has some Ted Ginn Jr. to his game as he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns during his first season at Dayton (Ohio) Wayne.
Most notable bloodline: QB Gunner Rivers
Move over, Arch Manning. We're kidding, but we do have another quarterback with a promising NFL pedigree as Gunner Rivers (No. 64 overall) is the son of Philip Rivers. He had an impressive freshman campaign at Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael Catholic, throwing for 3,077 yards with 29 touchdowns to go against just four interceptions. Like Manning, the younger Rivers doesn't have social media and he hasn't done many camps.
Offer me: ATH Sequel Patterson
A throwback do-it-all skill player, Sequel Patterson could project to a magnitude of different roles at the next level. He was featured primarily as a run-first quarterback this past fall at Fort Mill (S.C.) Indiana Land, but also made plays at wide receiver, running back and safety. Not many in the class are as explosive as Patterson (No. 13 overall), who owns a 6-foot-4 high jump and scores in double figures regularly on the hardwood. It shouldn't be long before the College Football Playoff regulars are calling.
Mr. International: DL Valdin Sone
We believe Valdin Sone is the first international prospect to ever be included in the initial top 100. After getting a chance to scout Sone last year at Road2D1 Combine in Germany, he picked up offers in recent months from Georgia, Alabama, Miami, LSU, Florida and Oklahoma. A former soccer player in Sweden that dabbled in taekwondo, Sone (No. 96 overall) is a verified 6-foot-4, 280 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan to boost. He doesn't have much experience playing football, but has plenty of developmental upside.
Best nickname: Fa'alave-Johnson
"Ghost." That's what they call Honor Fa'alave-Johnson (No. 17 overall). The two-way standout at San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic has one of the more electric highlight tapes in the class. As Greg Biggins puts it, "he's here, he's there." Fa'alave-Johnson ripped off a 4.56-second time in the 40-yard dash at National Preps combine back in May and followed it up with a 124-inch broad jump back. He could be a running back, wide receiver or safety in college.
The human joystick: RB Landen Williams-Callis
Ezavier Crowell checks in as the No. 1-ranked running back, and for good reason, but if you're looking for someone that can escape trouble and juke defenders in whatever they call EA Sports College Football in 2028, file the name Landen Williams-Callis (No. 23 overall) away for another day. Williams-Callis is a low-to-the ground slasher with the wiggle and foot quickness to make defenders miss in the hole. He averaged 9.4 yards per carry as a freshman at Richmond (Texas) Randle.
Deepest state: California
Texas and Georgia lead the way with 13 prospects apiece in the initial top 100, but it's shaping up to be a banner year in California. Of the 12 prospects from the Golden State that now hold four-star status, eight of them rank inside the top 50.
Gabe Brooks,Hudson Standish,Greg Biggins,Cooper Petagna, Clint Brewster, Tom Loy and plenty of others from the 247Sports network all helped contribute to the rankings and this article.
