Is Providence Day the Most Talented Team in the State?
We’ve arrived at perhaps the slowest month in the recruiting calendar. A frenetic June has given way to the doldrums of July. Don’t fret though, as this month is the perfect opportunity to preview some of the top teams in…
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Continue ReadingWe’ve arrived at perhaps the slowest month in the recruiting calendar. A frenetic June has given way to the doldrums of July. Don’t fret though, as this month is the perfect opportunity to preview some of the top teams in the state. Here at Prep Redzone, we’re built around a player-focused scouting approach. But the fact that we primarily project a player’s future as a college athlete doesn’t prevent us from caring about high school production.
That being said, we start our previews with the consensus top private school in the state, powerhouse charter Providence Day.
The Stars
We’ve written extensively about the Chargers’ dynamic junior class and it’s impossible to preview them without starting with the class of 2024. The Chargers are led by No. 1 overall Jadyn Davis Jadyn Davis 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Providence Day | 2024 State NC at quarterback. What impresses me most is how slow the game looks to the rising junior. His processing speed and understanding of defenses is better than most college freshmen and he has athleticism and accuracy to boot.
Davis will be throwing to a pair of future Power Five receivers in Jordan Shipp Jordan Shipp 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Providence Day | 2024 State NC and Channing Goodwin Channing Goodwin 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Providence Day | 2024 State NC . What makes the duo so threatening is how they complement each other. Shipp has some of the best body control and hands you’ll ever see from a high schooler, which gives him a distinct advantage with the ball in the air. Goodwin balances that out with his route running. He simply knows how to get open and is dangerous after the catch as well.
The Chargers are loaded at premium positions and have perhaps the best young offensive tackle in the country in rising sophomore David Sanders Jr. His get off is elite and once he’s latched, defenders aren’t getting past him.
The Chargers have a pair of elite defensive backs in Braxton Winston Braxton Winston 6'0" | 165 lbs | DB Providence Day | 2025 State NC (2025) and Brody Barnhardt (2024), both of whom possess above average size and display excellent technique. Both have early Power Five offers and should produce great tape this fall. Joining that duo is senior 2-way player Chris Peal Chris Peal 6'2" | 170 lbs | DB Providence Day | 2023 State NC , a guy Power Five schools could see being used on either side of the ball.
The Role Players
Every elite football team needs production from more than just its top players and part of what makes Providence Day so scary to other teams is its depth.
Keyaan Abdul-Rahim Keyaan Abdul-Rahim 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Providence Day | 2023 State NC plays downhill from his linebacker position, excelling in his run fits and providing good size at the second level. On the defensive line, Carson Parker has good size and quickness from his defensive tackle position.
The Chargers’ biggest strength is perhaps their offensive line. Tyson Moorer Tyson Moorer 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL Providence Day | 2023 State NC and Joshua Holl Joshua Holl 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Providence Day | 2023 State NC , both seniors, are experienced and provide great size up front. There aren’t a lot of holes on the team and there are a couple of talented 2-way players that fill needed roles on both sides of the ball. Liam Groulx was an All-State selection last season as a linebacker and is a great safety blanket for Davis as an H-back on offense.
Providence Day likes to use a two kicker system and will get long-range kicker Jake Porter back after labrum surgery derailed his junior season. Fellow senior Sydney McCorkle Sydney McCorkle 5'6" | 150 lbs | K Providence Day | 2023 State NC , the first woman to score in NCISA history, handled most of the short-range kicking as an underclassman, but did all the kicking and punting last year. She’s been on fire this summer, winning back-to-back kicking competitions at Furman and Marshall, one with a 50-yard competition-winner.
Breakout Candidates
Most teams have few players that take a big leap forward each season. Here are a few I think could take that next step for the Chargers in 2022.
Senior receiver Jayden Hollar has ideal size, speed and quickness. He just hasn’t had an abundance of opportunities on the field. This season, he’s the likely No. 3 receiver in an offense that likes to play out of 10 and 11 personnel. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where he doesn’t perform if given the opportunities and I think he should have some opportunities this season.
Lukas Santwier (2024) should provide some depth and sure tackling at linebacker. he’s added some weight and could see his playing time increase this season.
Bottom Line
Expectations are sky-high for the Chargers and anything less than another state championship would likely be a disappointment. That being said, I have their Week 1 game against Weddington circled as one of my games of the year. The Chargers go from the Warriors straight into an away game against Charlotte Catholic. We’ll have a good idea of how talented the Chargers really are by the first week of September.