Top new Forwards from 2028 Rankings Update

Our 2028 rankings update saw almost 30 prospects making their debut in the 2028 rankings and in this article we'll break down the eight forwards who got added during this rankings update.    Maybe the highest upside prospect to debut in this rankings update, Johnson has the positional size and frame to make a big impact for a Toledo St Francis squad that has as much size and athleticism than almost any team in Ohio. While Johnson has that upside, talent and frame, he is less proven production wise than almost everybody in our 2028 rankings but I think over the next two seasons that Johnson will become a household name in Toledo and beyond. Johnson's athleticism and fluid movement ability at his size is rare to find and when the switch flips for him he has the potential to be one of the most productive bigs in northwest Ohio. Name to closely monitor this winter!     Another prospect with a lot of natural talent just waiting to break out, Makovtis isn't the most productive player for a strong Gilmour Academy squad right now but he has the best long-term potential on the team. Playing with a program like the Lancers should allow Makovtis to help out his talented guards defensively and on the glass while they use his screen setting to get open and give Makovtis easy looks in the paint or baseline jumpers. Makovtis has flashed the ability to play above the rim and finish from the dunker spot.     Another northeast Ohio prospect, Davis stood out at midwest live for a young Brush Arcs squad that has a lot of size and athleticism. Davis was mostly working around the rim and showed the ability to finish with either hand in the paint. Davis is also an explosive athlete who likes to play above the rim and sky in the air for rebounds. With Davis size, athleticism and motor, he looks like a potential scholarship target in the future as Brush has a history of sending players to all levels of college basketball.     A second team all-OHSAA mention as a sophomore, Peters averaged over 16 PPG for a strong Grandview Heights program. Peters moved this summer to northwest Ohio and will attend Liberty Benton High School as a junior, another top program for both football and basketball at the small school public level. Peters should provide instant impact for both teams due to his size, athleticism and skill level in each sport. A name to watch in northwest Ohio this fall and winter!     Shepherd is one of the more athletic forwards in the 2028 class from central Ohio as he has a deep highlight tape filled with plays from above the rim. Making an impact for Nova Village's 16 U UAA team, Shepherd mostly did his damage as a play finisher and attacking closeouts, showing his length, interior finishing and strength. Groveport-Madison has been a program on the rise in the past couple of seasons and with their strong 2028 class, they should be one of the top teams in the central district from Division I for the next two seasons.     Toledo St John's has a handful of forwards to replace from last season who graduated and Weilacher could be the main name to replace some of that production. A prospect who has improved year over year, this seems to be the season where he could breakout at the varsity level. I caught Weilacher at midwest live and was impressed by his hands and interior scoring ability. Weilacher played with other talent from northwest Ohio with Rice Basketball Academy at the grassroots level this summer.     Another prospect I first discovered at midwest live, Elerick fit in well on a Nordonia team with a lot of size and athleticism to make them a defensive minded team. Elerick's athleticism pops as he had some monster highlight dunks from the Ashland team camp as one play where he drove with his left hand and went up off his right ended with a poster dunk. Elerick was also active on the offensive glass when I watched him play as his length and athleticism stood out. If Elerick can put on some weight and strength I could see him being one of the surprise late bloomers from northeast Ohio's 2028 class.     Westerville North has been one of the top programs in Ohio the past few seasons with a lot of studs coming through their program. They've been so successful because of their ability to get role players to play their role and play with toughness and Nye could be the next forward to become a valuable piece of their state title push this season. Nye played for Nova Village's UA Grind 16 U team this spring and got quality reps as a scorer that will be useful when his name is called for the Warriors this spring. With his size and length, Nye could be useful to match-up against other bigs or be a mismatch against smaller teams this winter.

Our 2028 rankings update saw almost 30 prospects making their debut in the 2028 rankings and in this article we'll break down the eight forwards who got added during this rankings update.