ESPN Junior 300: Comparisons for top 2027 prospects

The ESPN Junior 300 rankings are here, mounting the signifier for a pivotal adjacent respective months for the apical rising juniors crossed the country.

This people already has respective five-stars who drawback attraction close away, including a backmost perpetrate who reminds america of 1 of the apical backmost prospects successful the country, arsenic good arsenic yet different elite Ohio State wide receiver commit.

Here's however the apical players astatine each presumption stack up, with a absorption connected five-stars who could proceed to impressment successful the months ahead.

QB Peyton Houston

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 53

Reminds america of: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

When it comes to axenic passing acumen, Houston has everything evaluators look for. He has 1 of the smoothest, cleanest releases successful caller classes with highly accordant mechanics. Houston throws with powerfulness and velocity, and the shot jumps disconnected his hand. Defenses person a hard clip rushing him due to the fact that helium gets the shot retired of his manus truthful quickly. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder mightiness not person elite size, but helium makes each propulsion and looks beauteous bully doing it.

QB Elijah Haven

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 42

Reminds america of: Austin Simmons, Ole Miss

Haven has been an unthinkable two-sport jock and, aft playing respective positions successful precocious school, his champion shot mightiness inactive beryllium up of him erstwhile helium settles successful astatine quarterback. He's big, diversion and earthy with carnal tools that can't beryllium coached. Although he's a precise bully runner for his size, helium is not needfully a dynamic dual threat. At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Haven is akin to Joe Milton coming retired of precocious school. Like Milton, Hazen should robust retired immoderate method quirks to maximize his limb spot and accuracy implicit time.

RB Kemon Spell

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 10

Committed to: Penn State Nittany Lions

Reminds america of: Makhi Hughes, Oregon

Spell is simply a spot abbreviated astatine 5-foot-10, but he's not small. He's built likewise to erstwhile Boise State moving backmost Ashton Jeanty, adjacent if helium doesn't measurement arsenic overmuch yet. Spell is simply a low-to-the-ground scatback who plays successful a azygous wing/wing-T discourtesy arsenic some a tailback and helping back. He gets mislaid down the enactment of scrimmage, past fits done tiny creases and is into the 2nd level, winning ft races successful nary time. Spell has the burst to marque defenders miss successful the hole, which makes up for his deficiency of stature oregon power. He's a truly bully perimeter runner due to the fact that helium tin get to the borderline and crook the corner.

WR Jamier Brown

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 2

Committed to: Ohio State Buckeyes

Reminds america of: Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn

Brown is simply a handful. The Ohio State perpetrate has Ja'Marr Chase-like burst, acceleration and the quality to instrumentality the apical disconnected the defense. Even though Brown has the carnal tools to overwhelm precocious schoolhouse defenders, his polished route-running shows helium already understands immoderate of the nuances of the position. He ran a 4.49-second laser-timed 40-yard dash successful April 2025, a 10.5-second 100-meter dash successful 2024 and has a Max Speed connected movie of 21.3 mph.

ATH Xavier Sabb

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 16

Reminds america of: Antonio Williams, Clemson

Sabb could task astatine information but volition apt statesman his vocation astatine wide receiver. His interaction and worth arsenic a peculiar teams returner should get him connected the tract quickly. Sabb is highly hard to tackle successful the unfastened field, and contempt a slim 6-1, 185-pound frame, helium breaks tackles routinely and extends plays. Sabb is simply a location tally menace arsenic a instrumentality specializer who tin flip tract presumption and supply points. His shot skills are arsenic bully arsenic immoderate receiver successful this class, and helium consistently makes hard catches look routine.

TE Ahmad Hudson

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 25

Reminds america of: Colston Loveland, Michigan

Hudson headlines respective big-play weapons astatine choky extremity successful the 2027 class. Historically, there's a beardown correlation betwixt hoops inheritance and choky extremity success. Hudson fits the bill. The 6-foot-6 standout has offers successful some sports and a desirable operation of height, magnitude and drawback radius. He does a large occupation high-pointing the shot arsenic a unsafe reddish portion threat. Hudson is simply a matchup occupation who tin enactment from some the in-line presumption and flexed out. He needs to enactment much blocking connected tape, but he's proving to beryllium a versatile player.

OT Kennedy Brown

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 1

Reminds america of: Armand Membou, Missouri

Brown has the tools to go a coveted elite assemblage tackle. Based connected his movie and an fantabulous April show astatine the Houston Under Armour camp, stamping five-star presumption connected him was an casual decision. Brown doesn't person eye-popping tallness astatine 6-foot-4, but helium has an unbelievable wingspan and large hands. He's besides apt not done growing, which would code his request to adhd much mass. Brown's athleticism stands retired astatine this stage. He's airy connected his feet with bully assemblage quickness, earthy crook and, astatine times, effortless walk protection. His areas of maturation are correctable and volition travel with much carnal maturation.

S Chance Gilbert

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 13

Remind america of: Daylen Everette, Georgia

Gilbert's 22.2 mph Max Speed connected portion is elite, and helium has besides posted a 10.57-second 100-meter dash. He needs to get stronger and capable retired his thin 6-foot, 170-pound frame, but that hasn't affected his willingness to beryllium a stout tally supporter. Gilbert plays bigger than his listed measurables, is highly competitive, likes to premix it up and tin truly run.

CB John Meredith

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 3

Reminds america of: Jermaine Mathews Jr., Ohio State

Meredith's champion shot is up of him arsenic helium settles into a full-time cornerback role. He has played each implicit the tract and is simply a dynamic jock with instincts and a large consciousness for the game. At 6-foot-2, Meredith has large magnitude and tallness for the position, and helium ran a blazing 4.42-second laser-timed 40-yard dash. He has besides posted a 21.2 mph Max Speed connected tape. His precocious ceiling is breathtaking considering he's conscionable getting started arsenic a defender.

DT Jalen Brewster

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 7

Reminds america of: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

Brewster is 6-3, 305 pounds, but he's a versatile jock who carries his value good and moves similar a overmuch smaller man. He posted beardown investigating numbers, and his versatility showed up connected film, wherever helium has played moving back, wildcat backmost and besides arsenic a stand-up borderline connected defense. Defensive enactment is the semipermanent absorption and helium has the tools to make into a disruptive 3-technique matchup problem. Brewster regularly won 1-on-1 reps successful campy settings this spring, utilizing his quickness to summation leverage on with his progressive hands. He's a antiaircraft tackle who makes plays against the tally and arsenic an interior walk rusher, but his versatility volition let a assemblage programme to deploy him on its beforehand to exploit matchups and get the champion antiaircraft linemen connected the tract astatine the aforesaid time.

DE Zyron Forstall

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 4

Reminds america of: T.J. Parker, Clemson

This is simply a beardown people for antiaircraft enactment and borderline prospects. Forstall is simply a large crushed why. He needs to proceed processing his 6-4 frame, which is important, but helium already looks similar a overmuch older player. Forstall tests well, explodes disconnected the shot with bully crook and pad level, and helium redirects well. His effort allows him to origin into pursuit. Beyond his fantabulous tools, Forstall has the acumen of a subordinate who could marque the leap now. He uses his hands well, shows bully consciousness and rapidly locates the ball. Forstall is ever successful the close position, and with continued improvement could go a three-down interaction defender. With an violative tackle ranked No. 1 connected our board, it's lone fitting a antiaircraft extremity could propulsion him hardest for that apical ranking.

OLB LaDamion Guyton

ESPN Junior 300 rank: 5

Reminds america of: David Bailey, Texas Tech

While he's listed arsenic an extracurricular linebacker, Guyton fits much arsenic an borderline and tin beryllium a fistful getting up the field. His beardown and speedy hands are among the archetypal traits that leap retired connected film. He's an progressive beingness who delivers a speedy jolt with bully power. Guyton isn't a walk rusher who tries to get to the country and simply tally astir tackles. Instead, helium wants to punish them connected his way to the quarterback. The explosive jock reportedly notched 16 sacks during his archetypal 2 precocious schoolhouse seasons and should make into a physical, relentless borderline presence.