PRZ Showcase Preview: Offensive Players I’m Excited to See

The Prep Redzone Carolinas Showcase is nearly upon us and I’m excited to see some of the talent from North and South Carolina. As of this writing, we have over 100 players signed up, many of whom I consider top prospects. The best thing about these showcases is they bring a mix of known and unknown players. It’s highly likely that a few of Saturday’s top performers won’t be on our radar before the event. After the event, we’ll have full coverage of top performers, combine numbers and the like. For now, let’s take a look at some of the offensive players I’m most excited to see, as well as what I’m looking for from them. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="260716" first="Brooks" last="Mauk"], 6’3 215, TE- Weddington</strong> We have Mauk ranked as the second-best tight end in the 2024 class, despite modest numbers as a sophomore. Part of this is due to his immense upside and I’ll be absolutely shocked if he’s not at or near the top in the testing portion of the camp on Saturday. The question mark on Mauk is how he’ll look as a pure tight end. Because of that, I’ll be watching closely during his drills and 1-on-1s. If he can impress as a route runner and a blocker, it’ll prove that the athleticism actually translates to exceling at the position. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="121181" first="Jayden" last="Shotwell"], 5’9 215, RB- Seventy First</strong> Shotwell checks just about every box as a running back, and has some of the best vision you’ll see from a high school back. He’s a load to bring down and never goes down on first contact. On film he displays enough speed to get to the edge and to break long runs, but it’s not the trait that jumps off the page. I’m looking for two things from the power back that plays in a predominantly Wing T offense: Agility and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. If he impresses with good shuttle and 40 times, there are a few FBS offensive coordinators that will be receiving a text or two about Shotwell. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="203888" first="Mason" last="Fortune"], 6’2 185, QB- Millbrook</strong> I actually don’t know much about Fortune, but Ed Brooks has seen him in person and raves about his arm. On film, he displays a quick release and delivers the ball accurately. A lot of times, quarterbacks can roll into these types of camps and try to do too much. If Fortune comes in and delivers accurate passes in drills and 1-on-1s, I’ll leave impressed. Add in a difficult throw or two and he could leave as one of the camp’s top performers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="126536" first="Javon" last="Cowan"], 5’10 185, Ath.- Triton</strong> Cowan is one of the premier young athletes in the state, putting up great numbers on both sides of the ball as a freshman and a sophomore. I can’t decided when watching his film if I prefer him as a running back or free safety, so I’m looking forward to his testing numbers and drills for more clarity there. I lean towards running back right now because of his vision and speed to the edge there. Still, I feel like I don’t know much about Cowan, only that I really like his film and I’m excited to watch him compete in person. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="191322" first="Cadyn" last="Graves"], 6’1 180, Ath.- Scotland</strong> As the college and NFL games evolve, so too do high school prospects. Graves is an athlete, but I love him as a bigger slot receiver, where he can use his size and speed to create mismatches with defenders. On film, he’s long and athletic, but I really want to see the numbers testing explosion. I’ll probably time his first 10 on the 40, and I’ll be watching closely on his shuttle and L-drill. This guy is really underrated and I think that will become obvious when he excels Saturday. It doesn’t hurt that he’ll have his talented quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118810" first="Carter" last="Revelle"] </strong>with him. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144709" first="JyMikaah" last="Wells"], 5’10 215, RB- Salisbury</strong> Wells is a big dude who displays great burst on film. I want to see if that translates to the drill portion on Saturday. Wells is a 2023 back and might be more in focus for some of the college scouts in attendance. If he really is as big as his listing and he runs like I expect, he could be a candidate for top performer. I expect him to test well and I’m curious to see how he performs as a pass catcher, but I really like his game.