Two drafts out · published July 2026
The 2028 way-too-early board.
Two Augusts from now, most of this list will be wrong. We publish it anyway, because the way-too-early board is where every draft argument starts — and nobody else shows you the uncertainty. No analyst has ranked this class. No one has run a 40. Most of these players have not taken a college snap. What honestly exists is the high school recruiting composite, the strength of the program each player signed with, and — for a handful — a freshman season. So that is the whole board: those signals, in the open, with the range each rank swings across defensible weightings printed next to it.
This is not the Draftanomics model. Our model needs consensus boards, measurements, and college production to say anything worth trusting — for 2028 it has none of the three, and we checked: its output on this class is noise. Ranking by noise and calling it a model would be fake precision. The composite is the honest signal, so the composite gets the byline.
What drives every rank
- Recruiting composite — the 247-style national recruiting rating, printed on a 0-100 scale in the table; it sets the order. Present for all 1,866 players.
- Program talent — the school's roster-talent index (2025 season). It breaks composite ties and drives the rank range.
- Early production — freshman-season per-play impact, when a played season is on file. Currently on file for 243 of 1,866.
What's missing — and why the ranges are wide
- Analyst consensus: zero boards cover this class yet.
- Measurements: nobody has run a 40 for scouts yet — the composite is carrying that weight.
- Film that matters: the class is the high school class of 2025 — true sophomores this fall. Their draft-relevant seasons have not been played.
- Declarations: anyone in the 2027 pool belongs to the 2027 conversation and is excluded here; if they stay in school, they join this board next spring.
Read the rank range first. It is the span of ranks a player takes when program strength is allowed 10–40% of the weight instead of only breaking ties. A tight range means every reasonable weighting agrees on him; a wide one means the argument is real.
| # | Player | Rank range | Recruit grade | Program | Yr-1 impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Fasusi★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.8 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| David Sanders Jr.★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.7 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Andrew Babalola★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.1 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Michael Carroll★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.1 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Will Black★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.7 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Lamont Rogers★★★★ | #undefined | 98.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Ty Haywood★★★★ | #undefined | 98.1 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Solomon Thomas★★★★ | #undefined | 98.0 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jackson Lloyd★★★★ | #undefined | 97.8 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Juan Gaston★★★★ | #undefined | 97.4 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Malachi Goodman★★★★ | #undefined | 97.0 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Carius Curne★★★★ | #undefined | 96.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Josh Petty★★★★ | #undefined | 96.4 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Carter Lowe★★★★ | #undefined | 96.3 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Dramodd Odoms★★★★ | #undefined | 95.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Douglas Utu★★★★ | #undefined | 95.5 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Alai Kalaniuvalu★★★★ | #undefined | 94.7 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Ziyare Addison★★★★ | #undefined | 94.7 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jaylen Gilchrist★★★★ | #undefined | 94.7 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Ryan Fodje★★★★ | #undefined | 94.6 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Seuseu Alofaituli★★★★ | #undefined | 94.4 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Carde Smith★★★★ | #undefined | 94.0 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jack Lange★★★★ | #undefined | 94.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Cortez Smith★★★★ | #undefined | 93.3 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Aaron Dunn★★★★ | #undefined | 93.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Zac Stascausky★★★★ | #undefined | 93.1 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Brayden Jacobs★★★★ | #undefined | 92.9 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Alex Payne★★★★ | #undefined | 92.8 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Tyler Miller★★★★ | #undefined | 92.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Spike Sowells★★★★ | #undefined | 92.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Micah DeBose★★★★ | #undefined | 92.3 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Broderick Shull★★★★ | #undefined | 92.3 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Owen Strebig★★★★ | #undefined | 92.1 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| TJ Dice Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 91.7 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Nick Brooks★★★★ | #undefined | 91.6 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Peyton Joseph★★★★ | #undefined | 91.4 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Mason Short★★★★ | #undefined | 91.4 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Damola Ajidahun★★★★ | #undefined | 91.3 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Nic Moore★★★★ | #undefined | 91.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Marcus Garcia★★★★ | #undefined | 91.0 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Avery Gach★★★★ | #undefined | 90.9 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Nelson McGuire★★★★ | #undefined | 90.8 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Dennis Uzochukwu★★★★ | #undefined | 90.6 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Dontrell Glover★★★★ | #undefined | 90.3 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Cam Herron★★★★ | #undefined | 90.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Champ Taulealea★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jonte Newman★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Max Buchanan★★★★ | #undefined | 89.9 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Mal Waldrep★★★★ | #undefined | 89.8 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Hardy Watts★★★★ | #undefined | 89.8 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jake Cook★★★★ | #undefined | 89.7 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Logan Powell★★★★ | #undefined | 89.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jayvon McFadden★★★★ | #undefined | 89.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Owen Aliciene★★★★ | #undefined | 89.6 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Demetris Dean II★★★★ | #undefined | 89.5 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Easton Ware★★★★ | #undefined | 89.5 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Tai Buster★★★★ | #undefined | 89.5 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Mario Nash Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 89.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Henry Fenuku★★★★ | #undefined | 89.3 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Shedrick Sarratt Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 89.3 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Darrin Strey★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Matty Augustine★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Chauncey Gooden★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Justin Hasenhuetl★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Chastan Brown★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Juju Marks★★★★ | #undefined | 89.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Kilian Registe★★★★ | #undefined | 89.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Ta'Khyian Whitset★★★★ | #undefined | 89.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| John Mills★★★★ | #undefined | 89.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Connor Carty★★★★ | #undefined | 89.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Logan Schram★★★ | #undefined | 88.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Demetri Manning★★★ | #undefined | 88.9 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Kaden Strayhorn★★★ | #undefined | 88.8 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Keiton Jones★★★ | #undefined | 88.7 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Darius Afalava★★★ | #undefined | 88.6 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Ja'Elyne Matthews★★★ | #undefined | 88.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Michael Roeske★★★ | #undefined | 88.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Connor Howes★★★ | #undefined | 88.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jackson Christian★★★ | #undefined | 88.2 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Lucas Allgeyer★★★ | #undefined | 88.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Josh Williams★★★ | #undefined | 88.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Garrison Blank★★★ | #undefined | 88.1 | — | hasn’t played yet | |
| Houston Kaahaaina-Torres★★★ | #undefined | 88.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Daniel Pierre Louis★★★ | #undefined | 87.3 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| LJ Prudhomme★★★ | #undefined | 87.3 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jaylan Beckley★★★ | #undefined | 87.3 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Zach Taylor★★★ | #undefined | 87.3 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Will Saba★★★ | #undefined | 87.2 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Kuol Kuol II★★★ | #undefined | 87.2 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jack Shaffer★★★ | #undefined | 87.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jayden Elijah★★★ | #undefined | 87.2 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Juelz Baptiste★★★ | #undefined | 87.0 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Danilo Guberinich★★★ | #undefined | 87.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Gavin Blanchard★★★ | #undefined | 86.9 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Spencer Dowland★★★ | #undefined | 86.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jayden Clark★★★ | #undefined | 86.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Bryan J. Auguste★★★ | #undefined | 86.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Carter Stallard★★★ | #undefined | 86.6 | — | hasn’t played yet | |
| Soren Shinofield★★★ | #undefined | 86.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Shep Turk★★★ | #undefined | 86.6 | Building | hasn’t played yet |
How the order is set: recruiting composite, descending. Where composites tie — and below the five-star line they tie constantly — the program-talent index, then freshman production, breaks the tie. The rank range is not a confidence interval; it is the span of ranks a player takes when program strength is allowed 10-40% of the weight instead of only breaking ties. A tight range means every reasonable weighting agrees; a wide one means the argument is real.
Who is in the pool: the 1,866 players who are first draft-eligible in 2028 — the high school class of 2025. Anyone already in the 2027 candidate pool is excluded, because a 2028 board headlined by this cycle's stars would be a 2027 board wearing a costume.
Once the fall season is in the books, freshman production joins the board automatically; when the first 2028 analyst boards appear (late next summer), this page retires in favor of a real 2028 class hub — the way /year/2027 covers the live cycle today. Until then: arguments, honestly labeled. See methodology for what the model does once real signals exist.