Breaking down the initial On3 2027 Top 100

Monday marks On3’s first rankings release for football prospects the 2027 cycle with the initial Top 100. The ranking is comprised of prospects who are entering their sophomore seasons. It will expand to the On300 next spring and be updated on a regular schedule throughout the remainder of the cycle.

The 100 prospects that compose the watch list have an early four-star rating. The majority have a grade of 90 (the lowest four-star grade) with 10 holding a grade of 91.

With that said, this ranking is very much a projection and will certainly change drastically over the next year. Prospects emerge and develop at different rates.

Initial On3 2027 Top 100

Many of the prospects who will end up as the best in the cycle have yet to emerge on the national radar. This is particularly the case with positions that involve physical and skill development, like offensive line and quarterback, among others. In assembling this ranking, we looked to emphasize contributions on the varsity level, with the understanding that some physically-gifted prospects may play at top high school programs where it’s harder to get on the field as a freshman. This is an extremely early snapshot at the 2027 cycle as there are three full seasons of high school football remaining for this group.

Let’s get into some storylines surrounding this initial rankings release.

LaDamion Guyton headlines a deep group on the defensive front

LaDamion Guyton debuts as the No. 1 overall prospect in this initial 2027 Top 100. The EDGE prospect from Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian is an exciting talent who looks like the top pass rusher in what is a deep group at the position early on in 2027. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Guyton shows an advanced pass rush skill set at this stage. He has excellent quickness and bend around the edge. Guyton’s hand usage is well beyond his years, as he already has several moves to disengage from offensive linemen. He’s a plus athlete and makes high effort plays in pursuit and doubles as a strong run defender. Guyton had a big freshman season at Savannah Christian, tallying 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks helping his team to a state title game appearance. He holds early offers from many of the nation’s top programs including in-state Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Tennessee and USC.

Richard Wesley (No. 2 in the Top 100) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Sierra Canyon is the top ranked prospect in what looks to be a strong cycle early on in California. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder plays on the edge at the high school level, but could eventually grow into a defensive lineman. Wesley is a big, athletic pass rusher who is battle-tested against top competition. He plays with advanced strength and has fared well against touted offensive linemen. Wesley notched 11.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a freshman.

Recarder Kitchen (No. 4) out of Muskegon (Mich.) High is a tall, high-cut pass rusher who had a productive freshman season, tallying 19 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder has also shown his overall athleticism and coordination this off-season while working as a tight end.

Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C. Bird’s Chris Whitehead (No. 6) is another pass rusher in the top ten. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder is an explosive presence off the edge. David Jacobs (No. 12) out of Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity is another tall, athletic defender, checking in at 6-foot-5.5, 215 pounds with the ability to run down ball carriers in pursuit.

Bevy of quarterbacks dot the initial 2027 Top 100

Ten signal callers are inside On3’s initial 2027 Top 100. As noted above, this group will see a ton of movement and new names emerge as more varsity experience is gained.

Elijah Haven (No. 11) leads the group. The Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School signal caller had one of the best freshman seasons among 2027 quarterbacks and is a big, physically-gifted athlete. At 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Haven shows a strong downfield arm. He threw for 2,205 yards and 35 touchdowns against three interceptions as a freshman. Haven doubles as a plus rusher, adding 12 touchdowns on the ground. The rising sophomore will need to continue smoothing out his passing mechanics, but the physical upside is apparent and already manifesting in significant ways on Friday nights.

Brady Edmunds (No. 16) is the top pure passer in the 2027 cycle at this early stage. The Huntington Beach (Calif.) High passer has a quick release and showed the ability to make high level throws into tight windows over the middle of the field as a freshman. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Edmunds is a big pocket passer and will need to continue improving his movement skills.

Kavian Bryant (No. 19) is a well-rounded quarterback who is already putting up gaudy numbers at Palestine (Texas) Westwood. The 6-foot-0.5, 180-pounder looks like a true dual threat. He passes for 2,282 yards and 33 touchdowns and added 812 yards and nine more scores on the ground as a true freshman. Bryant has flashed a live arm in camp settings and doubles as a prolific scorer on the hardwood, averaging well over 20 points per game as a freshman.

Three more quarterbacks from the Lone Star State find themselves inside the top 50 of the initial 2027 Top 100. Hank Hendrix (No. 36) was pressed into action as a freshman at Boerne High and showed a live arm, good accuracy and decision-making to go with solid movement skills. Carson White (No. 38) of Iowa Colony High is a twitchy athlete and flashes an explosive downfield arm on film. Colton Nussmeier (No. 43) – the younger brother of LSU starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier – is a live-armed southpaw and showed some intriguing talent in limited time against top competition.

Malachi Zeigler (No. 51), Gunner Rivers (No. 60), Sione Tu’amoheloa-Kaho (No. 68) and Peter Bourque (No. 87) round out quarterbacks inside the Top 100. Zeigler is a high upside prospect who has shown a live arm and athleticism in the camp setting. Rivers is the son of former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers and had a big freshman season playing for his father at Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael Catholic. Tu’amoheloa-Kaho is a smooth passer and Bourque shows one of the strongest arms among the group.

Gifted athletes of note

Prospects from several other positions have separated themselves at this early stage.

Myson Johnson-Cook (No. 3) is a freakish athlete for a rising sophomore. At around 6-foot-1.5, 220 pounds, Johnson-Cook was a standout on both sides of the ball as a freshman, working as running back and linebacker. He’s already an elite athlete in the combine setting and plays like a grown man when the pads come on. Johnson-Cook moved from Illinois to Texas and is set to play his sophomore season at powerhouse DeSoto High.

Duvay Williams (No. 5) leads the way at corner. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder from Gardena (Calif.) Serra is a sticky cover man. Williams’ stature, ball skills as a two-way standout and sub 11.0 second speed are all positive indicators, in addition to his play against strong competition last fall.

Running back is a position that’s generally easier to identify early on and Penn State commit Kemon Spell (No. 7) looks like the top rusher at this juncture. Spell’s burst, smooth movements, field vision and easy stride in the open field stand out. He’s also already a fantastic three-phase playmaker at the high school level, working on offense, defense and special teams.

Mark Bowman (No. 8) headlines what is an uncharacteristically deep tight end group. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is a highly skilled pass catcher with the ability to separate within confined spaces. Bowman is technically advanced and has a skill set that translates well at the position. He was a standout over the summer, earning Top Performer honors at Overtime’s OT7 Championship.

Athlete Xavier Sabb (No. 9) is a talented two-way playmaker at Glassboro (N.J.) High. The younger brother of Alabama safety Keon Sabb, he has the ability to make plays as a defensive back or wide receiver at the next level. Sabb is a plus athlete with 10.97 speed and shows strong overall playmaking skills.

Wide receiver Ethan Feaster (No. 10) is already a well-known name in Texas, starring for powerhouse DeSoto as a freshman. The 6-foot-0.5, 175-pounder racked up 642 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 30 catches last fall. Feaster is a smooth, long-striding athlete with advanced technical skills at this early stage.

Position Breakdown

• Quarterback: 10
• Running Back: 8
• Wide Receiver: 10
• Tight End: 9
• Offensive Tackle: 8
• Interior Offensive Line: 4
• EDGE: 11
• Defensive Line: 3
• Linebacker: 7
• Cornerback: 9
• Safety: 7
• Athlete: 14

Only four prospects are committed to colleges at the moment: running back Kemon Spell (Penn State), EDGE Zane Rowe (Oklahoma), EDGE Ba’Roc Willis (Alabama) and EDGE JaBarrius Garror (Alabama).