Gulf Coast Players: Offensive Names to Know

Although the public perception is often based on beaches and casinos, there are a lot of good ball players on the coast of Mississippi. For what ever reason, the coast can sometimes be ignored in recruiting circles. Over the past few years, some exceptional players have come out of the Mississippi coast such as Mississippi State’s freshman phenom Justin Walley and Gulfport’s powerful outside backer Derrick Hall. It took some time for these players to come onto the scene, but their schools that got them sure were lucky. Let’s check out some coast ballers who are set to rise over the next few months. [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"] 2023 QB, Gautier Already an Ole Miss baseball commit, [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"] threw for 2,400 yards and 15 TDs in 7 games last season. Irving is one of the most exciting players in the state. He has a backyard gunslinger mentality and is capable of using his athleticism to extend plays. At 6’2" 215, Irving has a compact frame and already looks the part of a QB at the next level. You can see his baseball background show in the passing game. Irving has a quick release and is capable of throwing off multiple arm angles. He throws with excellent zip on the ball and is able to thread the needle on a lot of passes. With the change of staff at Gautier, it will be exciting to see Irving play in a pass happy offense, allowing him to take over games. Although he does not have any football offers right now, they will come soon. Irving will have to make the decision of playing college baseball or football at the next level, and if he’s lucky, he may find a school that lets him do both similar to Ole Miss QB John Rhys Plumlee. [player_tooltip player_id="108969" first="Chandler" last="Chapman"] 2023 RB, St Stanislaus An all purpose player who had over 900 yards and 9 TDs last year as a sophomore, it is hard to believe that [player_tooltip player_id="108969" first="Chandler" last="Chapman"] is still an unknown commodity. Chapman is a do it all player. He returns kicks, catches passes, and can tote the rock too. He has great size at 6’0" 190 and claims 100m times of 10.80. On tape, Chapman is an excellent runner between the tackles with enough hip wiggle to make defenders miss in space or find cutback lanes quickly. With his long speed, he can out run secondary players for big gains or touchdowns. In addition to being fast, Chapman plays well through contact and can bust through arm tackles. With continued physical development and speed improvement, Chapman has a chance to be a big time prospect in Mississippi. [player_tooltip player_id="104212" first="Deon" last="Hardin"] 2022 WR, Biloxi While Hardin had a modest season last year at Biloxi, he has started to turn it up in the 7v7 circuits this spring. Receiving high praise from those in attendance this past weekend, it is easy to see why [player_tooltip player_id="104212" first="Deon" last="Hardin"] could be entering his prime. While not the largest, Hardin plays the game fast. He has legit speed capable of forcing defenses to line up in deeper zones. Hardin is a technician of a route runner and makes good, clean cuts in and out of breaks. His best attribute is his hands. If the ball is near, he will track it and pull it in. Often times, receivers who run over the middle will catch with their body in fear of contact. Hardin does a great job catching the ball away from his chest, tucking it in, and taking care of the football. He plays the game with swagger and is productive after the catch. Look for [player_tooltip player_id="104212" first="Deon" last="Hardin"] to have a big time senior year and pick up some college interest on the way.