Mid-South Spotlight: Five most impressive performances
Rivals national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson has covered multiple games in Mid-South over the past month, getting extra looks at some of the nation’s best in the 2025 class and beyond to 2026, 2027 and, in some cases, even 2028.
Here is a look at five of the best live evaluations from the early portion of the high school football season so far.
THIS SERIES: Best Southeast performances | Midwest
In my first live evaluation of Tradarian Ball, he did not disappoint. The Oregon commit was gashing defenses from both the running back and wide receiver position. Ball caught five passes at wideout on Friday night for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
His receiving touchdowns came on back-to-back drives via wide receiver screens of 39 yards and 64 yards, respectively. His third touchdown came on a rush out of the backfield of just over 50 yards, which effectively put the game out of reach, making the score 52-35 late in the fourth quarter.
Ball’s ability to navigate traffic and evade tacklers in a short space was impressive and he displayed a second gear with the ball in his hand. His vision and contact balance also allow him to squeeze by defenders and break plays open downfield, even when he gets the ball behind the line of scrimmage.
He is the perfect example of ‘just get your playmakers the ball’. When his number is called, he does damage.
My most intriguing evaluation of the season so far has come with 2027 offensive tackle Donquavieus “Qua” Ford. The sophomore looks like a monster at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds. And not only does he have the size, but Ford displayed athleticism and flexibility, one of the most important factors of young offensive linemen at that size. What I saw from Ford was beyond exciting and impressive. He is no doubt a premier prospect in the 2027 cycle.
A ridiculously strong lower half with an athletic stance and set, he was consistently mauling defenders. He performed well in both the run and pass game, displacing defenders and laying pancake blocks often. Postgame, a Texas high school coach told Ford he had more than 20 recorded pancakes in the game.
Chace Calicut plays not only on a loaded roster, but specifically in a loaded defensive secondary that includes four Power Four talents. The newest star to North Shore, Calicut was playing safety, but was making plays at all three levels of the defense. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he can afford to get physical and pop ball carriers with conviction. Playing an aggressive style of defense, Calicut is often in the midst of a big play. His best play in my live evaluation of him was a clean strip and steal of a football in the middle of the field immediately upon an opposing wide receiver making a reception. He then was able to make a good return in the opposite direction.
His size projects him at safety long term, but he does play cornerback and in certain alignments, will even play low in the box close to the line.
He plays with strong instincts, physicality and a knack for being in the right spot. He has a shot to be a top-100 prospect in the 2026 class.
Recent Baylor commitment Quinn Murphy started his junior season on a high note two weeks ago with a five touchdown performance in a blowout win. He then had a big test in front of him playing a bigger Texas high school program. While Murphy and Liberty Christian finished with a loss, the 6-foot-3 quarterback shined with 336 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers.
His four scores came in a variety of ways, consisting of a back pylon toss in the red zone, a deep crosser from 50-plus yards out, a quick slant on the goal line and a quick-hitting stop route, where his wideout shook a defender and took it roughly 75 yards. Murphy also displayed a strong and natural creativity when plays break down. He is adept at extending plays and maneuvering in short spaces while keeping his eyes downfield and directing traffic. Several drives were saved or extended simply with the athleticism and IQ of Murphy understanding what was happening down the field and around him.
Marcus Garcia plays for a routinely strong Denton Ryan program that is actually currently headlined by his own tackle counterpart, Ty Haywood, who is committed to Alabama. Haywood takes left tackle, leaving right tackle for Garcia. In the live evaluation of the pair, Garcia had a cleaner game and overall performance. He is filling out his frame and certainly is beginning to look the part of an SEC offensive lineman at 6-foot-5 and north of 270 pounds.
He was impressive in both areas of blocking, but his pass blocking is what I want to highlight. He was consistently striking with good hand placement and keeping his feet under him. He was not playing premium talent, but it was still impressive to see the level of dominance he had over defenders. Late in the game, Haywood left with an injury so Garcia jumped over to left tackle, where he was able to show off a bit on the other side.
I was overall very pleased with his performance and feel he may be in line for a rankings bump in the future.
