Zone Reads: Top 15 2023s From Grand Strand/Pee Dee

The Pee Dee/Grand Strand has been known to prove its worth on the state’s scene. Not surprisingly, it’s because of its athletes. Up and down the recently released Class of 2023 rankings, players from this zone have made it known that they’re not just products of their competitive programs. They help craft them, too. Here are the top 15 players from the northeastern portion of the state in those rankings. [player_tooltip player_id="202744" first="Randall" last="Bellamy"], WR, Loris (No. 107 overall) The speedster excels at both receiver and running back, and year three of Greg Mance’s program should play right into Bellamy’s strengths. [player_tooltip player_id="146377" first="Chance" last="Cummings"], DL, Wilson (No. 103 overall) Earning top defensive lineman honors at the Palmetto Combine Lower State event only boosted Cummings’ stock heading into his senior year. [player_tooltip player_id="202742" first="Avery" last="Duncan"], DB, North Myrtle Beach (No. 102 overall) His defensive coordinator getting the top job means he’s going to have every chance to moving into the hybrid linebacker/defensive back position the Chiefs use oh so well. [player_tooltip player_id="202730" first="Cameron" last="Faircloth"], LB, Loris (No. 84 overall) Among the best pound-for-pound athletes in Horry County, Faircloth should rack up tackles galore and prove he’s not just a cog in the Lions’ system. [player_tooltip player_id="146376" first="Wade" last="White"], OL, Myrtle Beach (No. 83 overall) If White continues to put on weight, he’s already got the height to bloom into a college tackle. In the meantime, he works perfectly in the Seahawks scheme. [player_tooltip player_id="263155" first="Jaylin" last="Davis"], LB, South Florence (No. 78 overall) Tough as nails and strong as all get up, Davis might be the second-best player on a roster full of future college athletes. [player_tooltip player_id="146368" first="Donnell" last="Williamson"], WR, Wilson (No. 71 overall) The cousin of a former SEC receiver, Williamson is going to get plenty of opportunities to do his thing thanks to so much focus being put on another guy later in the list. [player_tooltip player_id="146360" first="Cam" last="Ward"], LB, Myrtle Beach (No. 69 overall) Ward is short. He’s 5-foot-7. Get that out of your head and now remember how many tackles Octavius Thomas put up in this defensive scheme and wonder if Ward will break that record. [player_tooltip player_id="91146" first="Roshad" last="McAllister"], LB, Lamar (No. 64 overall) McAllister will be working under a new head coach who will be looking to maximize the returning pieces. McAllister is tops on the list. That means production.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> [player_tooltip player_id="336114" first="Zandae" last="Butler"], WR, Wilson (No. 63 overall) Butler might be the best overall receiver in a region that promotes competition from week to week. Don’t be surprised if he’s the first in the region to hit 1,000 yards. [player_tooltip player_id="91156" first="Joshua" last="McPherson"], LB, Wilson (No. 57 overall) Wilson is coming up the charts, little by little. McPherson is a big reason why. He’s a textbook tackler with a nose for the ball. He’ll have chances to stand out regularly. [player_tooltip player_id="202738" first="J’Shawn" last="Anderson"], RB, Hartsville (No. 56 overall) The wing system at Hartsville is tailor-made for Anderson, and vice versa. He’ll be healthy and ready to notch another 1,000-yard season come fall. [player_tooltip player_id="89346" first="Hudson" last="Spivey"], QB, Pee Dee Academy (No. 43 overall) Among the biggest quarterbacks in the state, Spivey (pictured) has already thrown for a ton of yards and will do so again in this spread attack that features him in virtually every down. [player_tooltip player_id="89347" first="Nic" last="Brown"], TE, Kingstree (No. 18 overall) The college interest over the spring isn’t a surprise. Brown is an elite athlete that is being talked about in at least four different positions in the college ranks. [player_tooltip player_id="146356" first="LaNorris" last="Sellers"], QB, South Florence (No. 14 overall) Sellers is committed to Syracuse, yes. But he’s also still getting regularly watched by even bigger programs. There’s a ceiling here that we’re still not sure others will pass on.