Counting down the Top 10 recruits in the initial 2028 Rivals rankings

Football season is here and Rivals has released its initial Rivals300 football prospect rankings for the 2028 cycle. This comes a few months after the release of the 2028 watchlist back in May.

These prospects still have three full seasons of high school football left, but many have flashed early and are already on Rivals’ radar as they enter their sophomore campaigns. To kick off the release, Rivals is counting down the top 10 prospects in the initial rankings for the class of 2028.

10. EDGE Kameron McGee

School: Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice
Scout’s Take: “Kameron McGee is an impressive two-way star that has serious playmaking ability on the offensive side of the ball as a receiver and defensively as an edge rusher. Believe his home will inevitably end up on the defensive side the ball due to his explosiveness and ability to get home as a pass rusher. Plays with his hair on fire and constantly applying pressure to offensive tackles with his burst off the line of scrimmage. Has the change of direction and foot speed in order to function in space and defend the flats as well. He has one of the most encouraging combinations of athletic ability and tenacity off the edge in 2028.” — Cody Bellaire, National Scout

9. EDGE Asher Ghioto

School: Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School
Scout’s Take: “Asher Ghioto had an extremely productive freshman season producing 21 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks. His motor and bend allows him to live in opposing backfields consistently. He has an innate ability to get upfield and fly off the line of scrimmage forcing tackles to panic almost instantly when the ball is snapped. If he can continue to develop his hand usage he has the potential to become one of the most feared pass rushers in the class.” — Bellaire

8. LB Deshawn Simmons

School: Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) Choctawhatchee
Scout’s Take: “One of the most physically gifted and athletic specimens in the 2028 cycle is linebacker Deshawn Simmons. He was a complete freak during his freshman season and during the summer camp circuit going into his sophomore year. He tested off the charts during the summer jumping over 35 inches in the vertical and running nearly 4.70 in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. His athletic ability jumps off the screen as an off-ball linebacker making plays all over the field and as a functional pass rusher as well.” — Bellaire

7. DL Kellan Hall

School: Louisville (Ky.) Christian Academy
Scout’s Take: “Ultra-productive two-way monster along the offensive and defensive fronts. Tallied over 20 tackles-for-loss on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage and has tremendous power at the point of attack. Very smooth mover with excellent get off at the line of scrimmage that plays with low pad level for a prospect standing in at 6-foot-4. Has all the physical tools to excel on either side of the line of scrimmage, but projects to be a dominant interior defensive prospect at the next level.” — Bellaire

6. EDGE Jalanie George

School: Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge
Scout’s Take: “Jalanie George had a productive freshman season collecting 11 tackles-for-loss and five sacks for a state championship winning Desert Edge (AZ) program. He’s an extremely refined pass rusher who has a great understanding of leverage and hand usage as a young edge defender. Also very stout against the run and has immense shock in his hands in order to stun blockers at the point of attack.” — Bellaire

5. DL Marcus Fakatou

School: Fontana (Calif.) Orange Lutheran
Scout’s Take: “Marcus Fakatou is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the 2028 cycle. He’s listed at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds with a versatile frame that could bulk up into an interior defender or stay lean and dominant at the point of attack as a strong-side edge defender. Has a rugby background which flashes in his movement in space on the football field when chasing down ball carriers and rushing the passer.” — Bellaire

4. CB A’mir Sears

School: Pembroke Pines (Fla.) West Broward
Scout’s Take: “A’mir Sears is a technically polished corner prospect who has excellent top-end speed and hip fluidity. He’s an active defender who makes his presence felt at the catch point and down in the box as a run defender. He’s a willing tackler who has great ball production when the ball is thrown his way with tremendous ball skills. And with a build that’s still physically developing, Sears has room to become an even more explosive athlete as he fills out his frame. — Bellaire

3. ATH Gaige Weddle

School: San Diego (Calif.) Rancho Bernardo
Scout’s Take: “One of the most athletically gifted prospects in the country who has genuine positional versatility. His ability as a quarterback and back-half defender makes him the most dominant player on the field every time he steps between the white lines. And with NFL blood running through his veins, Weddle is an instinctive athlete being able to trigger and process at a higher rate than his peers.” — Cody Bellaire

2. QB Champ Monds

School: Port Saint Lucie (Fla.) Vero Beach
Scout’s Take: “One of the more physically and technically advanced passers in the class, Champ Monds has NFL measurables as a sophomore in high school. The nearly 6-foot-3, 220 pound sophomore has 10.5-inch hands and can rip the hell out of the football. He has arm talent to not only push the ball vertically but also layer the football all over the field. Monds will continue to develop consistency as he gains more reps at the high school level, but his ceiling is as high as any player in the country, regardless of position.” — Bellaire

1. WR Brysen Wright

School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin
Scout’s Take: “Brysen Wright is a physically imposing wideout standing in at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with some of the best ball skills we’ve ever seen at this stage in his career. A 50-50 ball machine who can attack the ball above the rim consistently and has circus catch ability. He’s a three-level route runner that can separate in every area of the field and is just scratching the surface of his potential.” — Bellaire