Five of Mississippi’s Freakiest 8th Grade Offensive Prospects

Long overlooked when it comes to football in the south, Mississippi is a state with a lot of very talented football players. The fertile grounds of the Delta are not talked about with the likes of Florida, Georgia, Texas or California, however in the class of 2022, the Magnolia State has three athletes ranked in to the top 100 of the country. While the athletes below are yet to even enter high school, these 2026 prospects are a glimpse into the future of football in the state. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-219680 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/PrestonAshley2026-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150">[player_tooltip player_id="212367" first="Preston" last="Ashley"] | Running Back | Brandon</strong> Fresh off an 8^th grade season that saw him score 23 touchdowns in just seven games, Ashley will be playing in the UA Next All-America game this January in Orlando. A standout at cornerback as well, the young baller has exceptional quickness. He's a smooth strider and can accelerate to top-end speed very quickly. He's most dangerous out in space and has proven good short-area quickness and change-of-direction ability. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-219681 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/SherroidWhitehead-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150">[player_tooltip player_id="212368" first="Sharroid" last="Whitehead"] | Quarterback | Ocean Springs</strong> I came across Whitehead's film as I was looking at another prospect and rewound it at least three times—because of how easy he makes playing quarterback look.&nbsp; At 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds, he has adequate size for right now but what sets him apart is his speed—which is an unverified 4.5 in the forty-yard dash. When drawing comparisons, it's hard not to see Michael Vick in this young man. Aside from being a righty, rather than a southpaw (like Vick), Whitehead has unquestioned speed and a cannon for an arm; with the most simple flick of the wrist can launch the pill 40-50 yards with ease. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-219682 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/CooperCrosby-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150">[player_tooltip player_id='284027' first='Cooper' last='Crosby'] | Running Back | Gulfport</strong> A man playing amongst boys is the best way I can explain what Johnson looks like for Gulfport (Bayou View Middle School).&nbsp; The physically mature back is just bigger, stronger and faster than everybody else on the field with him. Crosby has a strong, muscular build with long arms and a high cut lower half that allows him to glide, dash and cut his way through opposing defenses. Something that doesn't show up in the stat sheet is his instincts to hit the hole when he sees it inside, despite knowing he has the speed to bounce it outside nearly every time. That mindset will help him in high school when the playing field levels up a bit. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="212364" first="Dereon" last="Albert"] | Offensive Line | Jackson Academy</strong> On the middle school level, often times the line with more size will dominate because of sheer size and mass. However, not only is Albert bigger than most lineman he goes up against, but the 6-foot-3, 270-pound two-way lineman is also more athletic than them as well. Albert plays violently, hard and to the whistle. For a big guy this young, he's pretty nimble and can get up into the second level with balance and fluidity.&nbsp; In high school it'll be interesting if he moves inside to guard rather than playing tackle because of his agility, but either way the versatility he brings is a big plus. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='223933' first='Aiden' last='Knox'] | Wide Receiver | Clinton</strong> There is absolutely no substitute when it comes to speed and that's exactly what Knox brings to the table. At 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds he's a dangerous weapon on the outside for Clinton simply because there aren't many in the country that can match up with him. This summer at the AAU Junior Olympics he earned a silver medal in the 100 meter dash and a bronze medal in the 200 meter dash. With speed for days, Knox is a great threat on go routes but also makes life miserable with shovel passes, end arounds and even jet sweeps. &nbsp;