South Carolina’s Most Talented: No. 6 Byrnes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Byrnes was loaded with talent last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, the Rebels had six players in the Class of 2023 rankings, and that translated to a playoff run, as Byrnes won two 5A playoff games on the road before falling in the third round at Gaffney.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That sheer number of graduation losses could stagger any program. Instead, the Rebels look ready to reload. They're doing it with experience, talent, and most importantly, leadership.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Chris (Foster) will be a four-year starter this season and is expected to take on a major leadership role," Byrnes coach Reggie Shaw said. "Knai (Cook) will be a three year starter and we have the same expectations for him. I told them both in January when we got back that they are seniors now and this is their team. Both are members of our leadership council, which meets once a week early before school to take the group through a leadership curriculum to learn how to lead. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"There are 16 leaders - 8 linemen and 8 skill players - and they draft platoons each January. The two platoon leaders are responsible for the 13 guys in their platoon, for monitoring grades, behavior, attendance, attitude, and effort. The goal is to develop more of a player-led team. Chris and Knai have embraced that role in leading by example in those areas. Knai is also excelling in track, and we hope Chris will be able to play lacrosse soon."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the Rebels' ranked players from the classes of 2023-2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='204428' first='Miquel' last='Dingle'] LB, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With track-champion speed, Dingle makes spectacular plays look ordinary. The Texas Tech signee played in just one game for the Rebels in his senior season, but off-season work leaves no doubt that Dingle was one of the best LBs in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='262636' first='Kyai' last='Cook'] WR, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A North All-Star, Cook was a standout at WR for the Rebels. He had 63 catches for 913 yards, with 1,138 all-purpose yards and 11 total touchdown. He's quick off the line, runs good routes, and isn't shy to make plays in traffic. He's also the definition of a student-athlete: he's signed with Ivy League program Brown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443509' first='Rashard' last='Wright'] DB, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wright was one of the Rebels' best cover guys, and had a nose for the football, picking off a couple of passes and generally creating havoc. He's a sure tackler who uses his speed to his advantage, both making plays in space and chasing the ball down from behind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='262702' first='Elijah' last='Barnes'] ATH, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barnes did a bunch of things, and did a bunch of things really well, for the Rebels in 2022. He played some offense, something that he had to do out of necessity in previous seasons, but he largely returned to the defensive side of the ball, where he looked right at home. Barnes is a big-hitter, appears to love contact, and flies to the ball, dishing out punishment when he gets there. He's great in coverage, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15192087/634386101761e6091800f500' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e7bf9075589"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='336151' first='CJ' last='Proctor'] OL, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A converted defensive lineman, Proctor adjusted well to OL. He more than held his own in the middle for the Rebels, against some of the top DL competition in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='262613' first='Mack' last='Long'] RB, 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long missed the entire season with an injury. When he's healthy, though, he's more than a handful. Long has the Byrnes single-game rushing mark, and is a physical, punishing runner with plenty of speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267452' first='Kade' last='Caton'] TE, 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caton is a throwback. He's a big, strong, hand-in-the-dirt TE who blocks well and plays an integral part in the Rebels' offense as well. He's got good hands, finishes blocks way downfield, and is agile enough to line up as an extra blocker in the backfield. He's an athlete, playing for the Rebels basketball team and long-snapping as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14480562/6380f8d07bd38404bce5b171' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e7bf90755ba"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267454' first='Chris' last='Foster'] DL 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster was a wrecking crew up front for Byrnes. He was second on the team in tackles, second in tackles for loss with 12, and led the Rebels with 12.5 sacks and 7 QB hurries last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267455' first='Knai' last='Cook'] RB, 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked as an RB, Cook saw time both there and at DB for the Rebels in 2022. He had a big impact on the defensive side of the ball, with 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a pass break-up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272705' first='Armoni' last='Weaver'] ATH 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weaver played a ton at receiver for the Rebels in 2022 after transferring, but he's a great DB as well. He also returns kicks for the Rebels, and might be their most dangerous offensive weapon returning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272708' first='Chamarryus' last='Bomar'] ATH 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bomar played some short-yardage QB, some DB, and some WR for Byrnes last season. He's got fantastic speed, great athleticism, and his ability to make people miss in the open field is jaw-dropping.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15356494/6313a9de2347530c547abee7' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e7bf90755d8"} /-->