With the South Carolina high school football season nearing its Aug. 23 kickoff of Week Zero, here’s a look at rankings for the Upstate’s best offensive linemen in the SCHSL. The list includes Gaffney’s Shedrick Sarratt and Scottland Dover, arguably the best duo in the state.
Best SC high school football OLs in Upstate for 2024
10. Kaleb Nelson
Greer
Vitals: 6-0, 285, Sr.
College offers: None
Nelson is a leader among four returning starters on a strong offensive line for Greer, which went unbeaten in Region 2-AAAA and had one of the best rushing attacks in the Upstate. He plays on the defensive side as well.
9. Zeke Funke
Eastside
Vitals: 6-5, 295, Sr.
College offers: None
Funke is a three-year starter who has been honorable mention all-state for the past two years. He graded out at 93 percent on his assignments last season with 56 pancake blocks and no sacks allowed.
8. Douglas Hill
Hillcrest
Vitals: 6-3, 295, Sr.
College commitment: North Greenville
Hill is a dominant blocker inside at guard but is light on his feet, especially for his size, and has the ability to get wide and flatten anybody in between. He gives Hillcrest a pair of top-level offensive linemen.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POSITION RANKINGS: Greenville subscribers: | Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Defensive back | Linebackers
7. Rocky Herd
Daniel
Vitals: 6-0, 270, Sr.
College offers: None
Herd is the top returning offensive lineman for Class AAA state champion Daniel, which had an unbeaten season in 2023 and averaged 47.6 points per game. He played mostly right tackle but is certainly capable of filling the left tackle shoes of Watson Young, who was a finalist for South Carolina Mr. Football and is now at Clemson.
6. Kameron Wallace
Woodmont
Vitals: 6-4, 285, Sr.
College commitment: Wofford (with offers from Bryant, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Georgia State, Liberty, The Citadel)
Wallace can play tackle and guard in leading the Woodmont offensive line. He was an all-state honorable mention and committed to Wofford earlier this summer.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POSITION RANKINGS: Spartanburg subscribers: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Defensive back | Linebackers
5. Hunter Taylor
Greenville
Vitals: 6-0, 270, Sr.
College offers: Furman (with offer from Austin Peay, Central Michigan, Cornell, Dartmouth, Elon, The Citadel, Wofford)
Taylor takes over the lead role on an offensive line that lost a pair of Shrine Bowl players, Blake Franks and Julius Tate, who are now at South Carolina and Coastal Carolina. Taylor has that same kind of potential for the Red Raiders (10-4), who made it to the Class AAAA Upper State championship game.
4. Landon Greene
Dorman
Vitals: 6-3, 320, Sr.
College commitment: Furman
Greene is a powerful inside offensive lineman who has started for the past three years. He is perhaps best at center, which is not always the spot for blockers his size. But at that position, he’s the captain of a balanced line. Greene delivers pancake blocks (28) as well as those on the edges.
3. Bryce Rainwater
Hillcrest
Vitals: 6-4, 305, Sr.
College commitment: Furman (with offers from Limestone, The Citadel, Wofford)
Rainwater is an all-state player who anchors the offensive line for Hillcrest, which went 10-3 and made it to the Class AAAAA Upper State semifinals. The Rams had a potent offense that scored more than 50 points four times and averaged 43 in the last five games in the regular season, equally efficient in rushing and passing.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POSITION RANKINGS: Anderson subscribers | Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Defensive back | Linebackers
2. Scottland Dover
Gaffney
Vitals: 6-4, 305, Jr.
College offers: Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Kentucky, Miami (Ohio), North Carolina A&T, Tennessee
Dover is ranked as the state’s No. 7 overall player and the best offensive lineman in the class of 2026 by 247Sports. He is a three-star recruit and the No. 41 inside offensive lineman in the country. He gives Gaffney the top two positions on the list of Upstate’s best offensive linemen.
1. Shedrick Sarratt
Gaffney
Vitals: 6-5, 300, Sr.
College commitment: South Carolina (with offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Colorado, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Marshall, Missouri, N.C. State, North Carolina A&T, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Purdue, Tennessee, Troy, USF, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky)
Sarratt is ranked as the state’s No. 4 overall player and the No. 27 offensive tackle in the country for the 2025 class by 237Sports. He was MVP of the Carolina Coaching Combined held last month in Spartanburg. Sarratt helped Gaffney (9-4, 3-1 Region 2-AAAAA) average 30.1 points per game and reach the Upper State semifinals.
Todd Shanesy is an award-winning senior writer who now covers high school athletics for the Greenville News, Spartanburg Herald-Journal and Anderson Independent Mail in the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at todd.shanesy@shj.com. Follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, at @ToddShanesySHJ.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Top 2024 SCHSL football players? Ranking offensive linemen in Upstate
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