CSRA’s Offseason Watch List

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the best players in the CSRA from last fall are moving on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading the list of some 15 athletes from the Class of 2023, [player_tooltip player_id='262552' first='Tyler' last='J Smith'], who darn near rushed for 3,000 yards for Barnwell, is done putting up enormous numbers. Ridge Spring-Monetta's [player_tooltip player_id='91139' first='Kanaan' last='Ligons'] will be blocking in college next year after wrapping up his career at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those departures and plenty more mean it is time for others to kick it into high gear.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like the rest of the state, the CSRA will have a full-month open season in March and then spring drills in May, complete with as many as 10 padded practices.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, what will these guys do with it?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OUT OF THE SHADOWS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of players have suited up for their teams in the past, but the development of [player_tooltip player_id='272721' first='DaRon' last='Dunbar'] at North Augusta and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142590' first='Ashton' last='Mozone'] </strong>at Midland Valley might just play a bigger role for their teams than they even realize.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Mozone, the Mustangs have a 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle who coach Earl Chaptman says might ultimately be better than fellow 2024 tackle Bradyn Kesselring; that's saying something, considering Kesselring is a top-50 overall player in the class. The difference for now is a complete understanding of the system, one that Chaptman believes is not all that far of for Mozone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Size is also what Dunbar is bringing to the Yellow Jackets. The last time he played for North Augusta - during his freshman season - he wasn't even 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds. Now, getting ready to start his junior season, he's 6-foot-4 and pushing 200 pounds. Dunbar has a learning curve to navigate, of course, but with that type of frame, he is instantly a dangerous re-addition to Matt Quinn's squad.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CALLING THE SHOTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three quarterbacks in particular have our attention in the coming months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At Ridge Spring-Monetta, <strong>James Bosket</strong> was thrust into the job and did pretty well all things considered. By the time the season was done, he'd throw for 669 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for another 503 yards and seven more scores. Entering the offseason as the team's starter will allow coach Brian Smith to fit the pieces around him, and with some high-level departures, any solidarity will be a welcome sight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By the end of May, Midland Valley might just have its quarterback spot locked down, too. With [player_tooltip player_id='262690' first='TJ' last='McElmurray Jr'] off to Kennesaw State, the signal caller position is one of the few unknowns the Mustangs are really dealing with this offseason. That's where <strong>Preston Butler</strong> comes in to the conversation. The team's back-up only got one real game's worth of action, a lopsided loss to Westwood. However, he threw for 200 yards in that one and at has a slight edge of his JV counterpart. With so many weapons around him and some comfort at this level, Butler might just run with the opportunity.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And at Barnwell, [player_tooltip player_id='272720' first='Cameron' last='Austin'] is no longer going to be considered a game manager. With [player_tooltip player_id='262552' first='Tyler' last='J Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='124455' first='Clay' last='Pender'] set to graduate, Austin's time to shine is now. He threw for 878 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for another 214 and two. Clearly a ton of the offense ran through Smith last season. But Austin is going to have to be ready to spread it around so much more in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>READY TO LIGHT IT UP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We already knew about [player_tooltip player_id='346194' first='Jack' last='Stevens'] (pictured) when his junior season began. We didn't care much that he was just 5-foot-7 and 126 pounds because he was already knocking the snot out of footballs while kicking for North Augusta.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sure enough, Stevens has started to grow (much like his brother, Drew, did before him). So far, Jack is already 5-foot-11. The hang-up? He fractured a vertebrae in December at a soccer tournament. He needed six weeks of treatment and recovery, and what's already happened in the weeks that followed is nothing short of the beginning of a fantastic comeback story. Stevens has had contact from a number of college programs, including some Power 5s, and his commitment to the return is paying dividends in the form of some high-level camp invites. Come August, he might just be among the best senior kickers in the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->