Every football team has players everybody knows.
Then there are the guys who may not get as much attention but still show up every Friday night and do their job.
Maybe they're waiting for a bigger role. Maybe they play on a team with several other playmakers. Maybe an injury kept them off the field. Or maybe they're already putting up numbers and people just haven't noticed yet.
That's what this list is about.
28 Suspence/912 Suspence has picked its Top 10 Most Underrated Players in the 912 heading into the 2026 season.
Here are 10 names worth knowing.
1. William Bucey – Savannah Christian
William Bucey didn't get the season he was hoping for last year.
A season-ending injury kept the Savannah Christian athlete off the field for most of 2025. That also means there aren't a lot of statistics or highlights from last season to look at.
Bucey has varsity experience and now gets another opportunity to get back on the field in 2026.
28 Suspence/912 Suspence put him No. 1 on this list.
After spending last season watching from the sideline, Bucey finally gets his chance to play football again.
2. CJ Menzie – Richmond Hill
CJ Menzie didn't get a lot of carries last season, but he made the most of the ones he got.
The Richmond Hill running back carried the ball 33 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the games reported to MaxPreps.
His best numbers came against Tift County, when he rushed for 64 yards on seven carries. That's better than nine yards every time he touched the football.
Menzie heads into his senior season looking for a bigger role in the Wildcats' offense.
3. Cole Henderson – Benedictine
Cole Henderson has been around Benedictine varsity football for multiple seasons.
The senior has played both wide receiver and safety for the Cadets, giving Benedictine another player who can help on either side of the football.
There aren't a lot of individual statistics available for Henderson from last season.
But anyone who follows Benedictine football knows there are only so many footballs and so many tackles to go around on a roster filled with talented players.
Henderson enters 2026 with experience and a chance to take on a bigger role for the Cadets.
4. Torean Wilson – Jenkins
Torean Wilson gives Jenkins another athlete who can be used in different ways.
The senior is listed as an athlete on the Warriors' roster and enters 2026 with an opportunity to make his senior season his best one.
There aren't enough individual statistics available from last season to tell Wilson's story with numbers.
That's also part of what makes an underrated list interesting.
Not every good football player has a big stat line beside their name.
5. Jayvion Williams – Beach
Beach quarterback Jayvion Williams may have the most surprising numbers on this list.
Williams threw for 1,367 yards and 19 touchdowns in eight games reported to MaxPreps last season.
He passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns against Long County. He threw four touchdown passes against Windsor Forest and four more against Groves.
That's 11 touchdown passes in those three games alone.
Williams already showed what he can do with the football in his hands.
Heading into his senior season, the question isn't whether he can put up numbers.
He already has.
6. Malik Letman – Effingham County
Malik Letman didn't need a lot of catches to make a difference for Effingham County.
The 6-foot-2 receiver caught 17 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns in the games reported to MaxPreps last season.
That's more than 19 yards per catch.
Letman also plays cornerback, giving the Rebels a senior who can contribute on both sides of the football.
When he caught the ball last season, he usually went somewhere with it.
7. Jonathan Perry – Calvary Day
Jonathan Perry has been around Calvary Day varsity football for a long time.
Perry has appeared on the Cavaliers' varsity roster going back to 2023 and has contributed on both sides of the football.
His numbers from last season include 42 receiving yards and eight tackles in five games reported to MaxPreps, including five tackles against Jenkins.
Perry has spent his high school career around a Calvary program that has won a lot of football games.
Now the senior gets one more season to help the Cavaliers do it again.
8. Jayden Martin – Windsor Forest
Jayden Martin isn't even a senior yet.
The Class of 2028 athlete enters his junior season at Windsor Forest and is already listed by MaxPreps as a team captain.
That gets your attention.
Coaches don't hand out captain titles just because somebody can run fast or make plays.
Martin still has two seasons of high school football ahead of him, starting with a chance to take another step this fall.
9. LaVon Owens II – Calvary Day
LaVon Owens II has already been getting varsity snaps for Calvary Day, and he's only entering his junior season.
Owens contributed as a freshman before seeing his role grow last season.
He had 97 receiving yards against Long County, 67 against Beach and another 67 yards with a touchdown against Johnson.
Calvary has plenty of players who can make plays with the football.
Owens has shown he's one of them.
10. Caden Thomas – Benedictine
Caden Thomas is another player on this list who still has plenty of high school football ahead of him.
The Class of 2028 linebacker/tight end was already part of Benedictine's varsity team as a sophomore last season.
There isn't a big individual stat line available for Thomas yet.
He's heading into his junior season with two more years to change that.
For now, 28 Suspence/912 Suspence believes he's a player football fans in the 912 should start watching.
Final Whistle
Being underrated can mean a lot of things.
Some players haven't gotten their opportunity yet. Some are coming back from an injury. Some play on teams loaded with talent, while others are already putting up good numbers without getting much attention.
These are the 10 players 28 Suspence/912 Suspence believes deserve a little more attention heading into the 2026 season.
Now they get the chance to show everyone why.
Photos courtesy of proshot_sports and the players' social media accounts.
Follow Prep Sports Report on X @PrepSav and Instagram @savannahsportsreport.
To share scores, story ideas, or corrections, email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com or text 912.507.9158.
Prep Sports Report Football Coverage Presented by Optim Orthopedics
Optim Orthopedics wants you in the game.
Keeping Savannah-area athletes healthy and ready for gameday all season long.
Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
