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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Williams★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.8 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Dakorien Moore★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.8 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Harlem Berry★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.2 | Loaded | early flashes | |
| Kaliq Lockett★★★★★ | #undefined | 99.1 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Jerome Myles★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.8 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Talyn Taylor★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.8 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Quincy Porter★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.7 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Elyiss Williams★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.5 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Vernell Brown III★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.5 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Caleb Cunningham★★★★★ | #undefined | 98.4 | Solid | already producing | |
| Dallas Wilson★★★★ | #undefined | 98.3 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Linkon Cure★★★★ | #undefined | 98.2 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| Jaime Ffrench★★★★ | #undefined | 97.9 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Akylin Dear★★★★ | #undefined | 97.3 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Andrew Olesh★★★★ | #undefined | 97.0 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| DaSaahn Brame★★★★ | #undefined | 96.8 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Gideon Davidson★★★★ | #undefined | 96.6 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Ousmane Kromah★★★★ | #undefined | 96.2 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Travis Smith Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 95.5 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Nick Townsend★★★★ | #undefined | 95.4 | Powerhouse | quiet debut | |
| CJ Wiley★★★★ | #undefined | 95.3 | Powerhouse | quiet debut | |
| Donovan Olugbode★★★★ | #undefined | 95.2 | Solid | already producing | |
| Anthony Rogers★★★★ | #undefined | 95.0 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Daylan McCutcheon★★★★ | #undefined | 94.9 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Malik Clark★★★★ | #undefined | 94.8 | Solid | already producing | |
| Cortez Mills★★★★ | #undefined | 94.6 | Solid | already producing | |
| Andrew Marsh★★★★ | #undefined | 94.5 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Joshua Moore★★★★ | #undefined | 94.3 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Derek Meadows★★★★ | #undefined | 94.3 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| James Flanigan★★★★ | #undefined | 94.3 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Kiotti Armstrong★★★★ | #undefined | 94.3 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Shekai Mills-Knight★★★★ | #undefined | 93.7 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| Girard Pringle Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 93.6 | Loaded | early flashes | |
| Dierre Hill★★★★ | #undefined | 93.6 | Loaded | already producing | |
| JT Lindsey★★★★ | #undefined | 93.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Jalen Cooper★★★★ | #undefined | 93.5 | Solid | already producing | |
| Cooper Perry★★★★ | #undefined | 93.3 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| TaRon Francis★★★★ | #undefined | 93.3 | Building | hasn’t played yet | |
| Bo Jackson★★★★ | #undefined | 93.2 | Powerhouse | early flashes | |
| Marquise Davis★★★★ | #undefined | 93.2 | Solid | already producing | |
| Kaleb Edwards★★★★ | #undefined | 93.2 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Donovan Murph★★★★ | #undefined | 93.2 | Solid | already producing | |
| Ethan Barbour★★★★ | #undefined | 93.1 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Naeshaun Montgomery★★★★ | #undefined | 93.0 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Jordon Davison★★★★ | #undefined | 93.0 | Loaded | early flashes | |
| James Simon★★★★ | #undefined | 93.0 | Powerhouse | quiet debut | |
| Jayvan Boggs★★★★ | #undefined | 92.9 | Solid | already producing | |
| Marquise Henderson★★★★ | #undefined | 92.8 | — | hasn’t played yet | |
| Lotzeir Brooks★★★★ | #undefined | 92.8 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Kelshaun Johnson★★★★ | #undefined | 92.6 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| JonAnthony Hall★★★★ | #undefined | 92.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Byron Louis★★★★ | #undefined | 92.5 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Jacob Washington★★★★ | #undefined | 92.5 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Nate Roberts★★★★ | #undefined | 92.3 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Vander Ploog★★★★ | #undefined | 92.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Alvin Henderson★★★★ | #undefined | 92.1 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Mikkel Skinner★★★★ | #undefined | 92.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Terry Shelton★★★★ | #undefined | 91.9 | Solid | already producing | |
| Jordon Gidron★★★★ | #undefined | 91.8 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Thomas Blackshear★★★★ | #undefined | 91.4 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Winston Watkins Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Brock Schott★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Building | already producing | |
| Tory Blaylock★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Radarious Jackson★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Thomas Meyer★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Isaiah Mizell★★★★ | #undefined | 91.1 | Building | early flashes | |
| Phillip Bell★★★★ | #undefined | 90.9 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Je'rel Bolder★★★★ | #undefined | 90.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Michael Turner★★★★ | #undefined | 90.8 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Marshall Pritchett★★★★ | #undefined | 90.8 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Jasper Parker★★★★ | #undefined | 90.8 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Karson Cox★★★★ | #undefined | 90.7 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| Jabree Coleman★★★★ | #undefined | 90.6 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Quentin Gibson★★★★ | #undefined | 90.5 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Nolan James Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 90.5 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Shaun Terry II★★★★ | #undefined | 90.5 | Solid | already producing | |
| Landon Roldan★★★★ | #undefined | 90.5 | Powerhouse | already producing | |
| Adrian Wilson★★★★ | #undefined | 90.5 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Taevion Swint★★★★ | #undefined | 90.4 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Duke Clark★★★★ | #undefined | 90.3 | Loaded | early flashes | |
| Manny Choice★★★★ | #undefined | 90.3 | Loaded | hasn’t played yet | |
| Isaiah Mozee★★★★ | #undefined | 90.3 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Matt Henderson★★★★ | #undefined | 90.2 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Bo Walker★★★★ | #undefined | 90.2 | Powerhouse | quiet debut | |
| Brody Lennon★★★★ | #undefined | 90.2 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Hollis Davidson III★★★★ | #undefined | 90.1 | — | hasn’t played yet | |
| Corey Simms★★★★ | #undefined | 90.1 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Shamarius Peterkin★★★★ | #undefined | 90.1 | Solid | already producing | |
| AJ Ia★★★★ | #undefined | 90.1 | Solid | already producing | |
| Brian Rowe Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 90.1 | Solid | early flashes | |
| Jeff Exinor Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Daylon Singleton★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| Luka Gilbert★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Loaded | quiet debut | |
| Tae'shaun Gelsey★★★★ | #undefined | 90.0 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Romero Ison★★★★ | #undefined | 89.9 | Solid | hasn’t played yet | |
| Malachi Toney★★★★ | #undefined | 89.9 | Loaded | already producing | |
| Tristian Gentry★★★★ | #undefined | 89.8 | Solid | already producing | |
| De'Zie Jones★★★★ | #undefined | 89.8 | Powerhouse | hasn’t played yet | |
| Quanell Farrakhan Jr.★★★★ | #undefined | 89.8 | Solid | quiet debut | |
| Chris Lawson★★★★ | #undefined | 89.7 | Solid | early flashes |
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.