Ranking Greensboro areas top 2027 football recruiting prospects

Spring football practice is traditionally used by college coaches to watch and recruit top high school talent.

With spring ball starting last week for North Carolina schools, here is a look at the area's top prospects for the 2027 class, based on college interest and evaluations by major recruiting services.

None of the players on this list have announced a verbal commitment.

The returning two-way standout and first team all-area pick is in line to leave Dudley as the program's most-sought-after graduate since four-star defensive tackle Payton Page enrolled early at Clemson in January 2021. The big-play wide receiver and defensive back is ranked lower by 247 that others on this list, but he does have over 35 scholarship offers, with some from blue bloods like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State. Last season, he had 31 catches for 545 yards and seven touchdowns in a run-heavy offense and had 51 tackles and five interceptions on defense.

The defensive end and two-time all-area selection has 21 recorded Division I offers, Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame among them. The three or four-star recruit verbally committed to Virginia Tech on Aug. 22, the same day that he debuted for Grimsley after transferring from Dudley, but announced he was reopening his recruitment on Nov. 9. The 2025 News & Record Preseason Defensive Player of the Year earned first team all-area honors in 2024 after recording 76 tackles and 23 sacks for Dudley but saw numbers drop to 50 tackles and eight sacks for Grimsley in 2025 in one more game played.

The three-star recruit has nine recorded FBS offers, with seven from Power Four programs, three from the SEC in Auburn, Arkansas and Missouri and two from the ACC in Duke and Miami. The versatile safety demonstrated a blend of cover skills and physical play, totaling 54 tackles, 10 sacks and two interceptions last season as the Panthers reached the 6A third round. He was an all-area honorable mention last year.

The Whirlies' left tackle has received 22 Division I offers with his unusual size that can expand given his frame, to go along with an 81-inch wing span. Milton is a consensus three-star prospect, rated the 51st-ranked offensive tackle prospect in the nation and the state's 20th-ranked prospect regardless of position for this class by 247Sports Composite, while being On3's 61st offensive tackle nationally and 30th overall prospect in the state. He has received a mix of FBS and FCS looks, with Power Four offers from North Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and offers from multiple American Conference schools. He was a second team all-area pick last year.

The Whirlies' cornerback has 16 Division I offers, with his first Power Four offer coming this month from Virginia Tech. He has 11 Group of Five offers, including one from 2025 College Football Playoff qualifier James Madison. He was an all-area honorable mention last year for the 15-0 7A state champions, after recording 54 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed.

The 2025 first team all-area selection has 23 recorded offers, with 14 FBS offers between 13 Group of Five programs and independent Connecticut and nine FCS offers. The free safety had 68 tackles, a team-high five interceptions, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks last year. Two of those interceptions came in the regional finals against Weddington.

The Rams' top defensive player last year and first team all-area selection has 11 recorded Division I offers, five from FBS schools, after recording 122 tackles, 25.5 for loss, and a team-high 12.5 sacks for the 4A state champions. He weighed 213 pounds as he placed third in the 4A wrestling state meet but bulked up this spring.

The area's top-rated senior quarterback recruit has Division I offers from Charlotte, Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T. The mobile dual-threat completed 60.9% of his passes for 1,384 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions for Eastern Guilford last year, after completing 54.2% for 1,138 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions the year before, both in 11-game seasons. He has bulked up over 30 pounds since being an all-area honorable mention last season.

The safety and 2025 second team all-area selection has five Division I offers, with FBS offers from Charlotte and Liberty. He had 67 tackles, four interceptions, including a key pick-six in the state championship game, and two forced fumbled last year.

He has received offers from Memphis and Wofford in recent days, after an all-conference 2025 season in which he had 20 tackles and an interception as teams either wouldn't or couldn't throw his way. He was a member of HPCA's 12-0 state champions.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM.