CFI Winter Showcase MVPs – Running Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Charlotte Football Insiders (CFI) Winter Showcase provides an opportunity for athletes to compete in front of multiple colleges and universities with the chance to earn an offer to play football on the next level. This Winter Showcase featured over 250 athletes in front of over 40 colleges and universities. Many players stood out to the coaches running the showcase - this article will feature the MVPs for the Running Back position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='144924' first='Akil' last='Williams'] - Hough - Akil was definitely one of the players that created a buzz at the showcase. Very fluid movement in running back drills showed good explosive ability in and out of cuts and caught the ball well during 1 on 1 drills. I don't see him signed anywhere as a 2023 prospect at 5'8 and 175 pounds so he may be a steal for a program at this point. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>[player_tooltip player_id='104091' first='Carmelo' last='Bess'] - Ashbrook - Carmelo has been one of my favorite players to cover the past couple of years. He stacks up yards in a run-first offense despite facing 8 man fronts on a consistent basis. He excels at making one cut and getting north and south extremely quickly. He shows good agility and has great hands, with an ability to line up at wide receiver and run routes also. A 2023 prospect at 5'9 and 175 pounds he can contribute on the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>[player_tooltip player_id='582097' first='Cade' last='Eavenson'] - Seneca (SC) - I didn't know much about Cade before this event, but he really had a strong showing. After looking at his film and seeing his accolades, I see why! He was selected as an All-State Running Back and a region Defensive Player of the Year in his senior year as a 2023 prospect. He stands at 5'11 and 175 pounds, and as a running back he is very smooth in everything he does - great agility, excellent hands out of the backfield, and good speed in the open field. He should be getting more recruiting attention than he is currently, in my opinion as a talented ATH. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Keyon Phillips - Concord - A 2024 prospect at 5'9 and 170 pounds, Keyon plays quarterback for his team, but he is a run-first QB in a heavy run offense, so it makes sense that he showed well here as a running back. I loved his agility in open space - he had some nice moves in the cat/mouse 1 on 1's as well as nice speed out of his cuts in some of the running back drills. He should have another 1000+ rushing season coming up in his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Tequon Moore - Southside - A 2024 prospect coming in at 5'8 and 155 pounds, I did not know much about Tequon, but he made a nice statement for himself at this showcase. His film reflects an electric playmaker - he can go the distance at any time in the running game, and he shows a great ability to make plays down the field as a slot receiver. Adding some weight to his frame will help his prospects coming into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Matthew Peterson - Ashe County - Playing for a strong offensive team, I had a feeling Matthew would show well. A 2023 prospect at 5'8 and 165 pounds - he was the Conference Player of the Year who rushed for over 1200 yards and had over 600 receiving yards. He has excellent vision per his film, and he was a big-play threat when the ball was in his hands. He flashed excellent agility during the showcase and ran hard at every opportunity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->