Potential Breakout Stars At Palmetto Combine East
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Continue ReadingPotential New Subscribers: Take advantage of our 40% off special by using the coupon code Guerin40 at checkout. In addition to our 365-day-a-year football approach, Prep Red Zone South Carolina is the official media partner of the 2023 Palmetto Combine Series, meaning subscribers will get first-hand information on many of the 1,200 athletes in attendance at all four sites.
The Palmetto Combine Series East event, to be held April 16 at West Florence High School, will feature upwards of 300 rising seniors and current underclassmen looking to show off their skills in the state’s largest offseason event.
With all those players to choose from, we had no issue finding a few who could wow the crowd.
These seven players each bring a high athleticism, great size, a strong football IQ or at least bits of all three to the table.
Mac Burch Mac Burch 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Trinity Collegiate | 2026 State SC LB, Trinity Collegiate
Burch has spent most of his time abusing B-Team players. Now, at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the linebacker is gearing up for his first varsity action. First, he’s going to bring his size to the Palmetto Combine and very well could be one of the biggest players at the underclassmen tally at West Florence. Burch has above-average speed and a naturally long stride that helps him get from Point A to Point B. If the expectations of him hold, he could be a dynamic-looking combine player, too.
Jyron Waiters Jyron Waiters 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Wilson | 2024 State SC WR, Wilson
During the first Palmetto Combine series in 2022, Wilson receiver Zandae Butler Zandae Butler 6'1" | 195 lbs | WR Wilson | 2023 State SC showed up and showed out. We expect Waiters (pictured) to follow in those same footsteps. Yes, we recognize that a guy of his ranking caliber being named as a potential breakout start might not make sense. But he’s spent a good chunk of this spring on college campuses and picking up some offers along the way. With a taste of what could come, the receiver who last year caught 40 passes for 652 yards and 10 scores might just shoot way up our board.
Ricky Escobar Ricky Escobar 5'10" | 200 lbs | LB Myrtle Beach | 2024 State SC LB, Myrtle Beach
A year ago this time, nobody would have been surprised if Escobar showed up to a combine and did extremely well. However, he missed all of 2022 after suffering an ACL tear in spring ball and has been in the rehab process since. Now, he’s looking just fine and ready to compete in a football setting again. His bar is still relatively low, but plenty of eyes will be on him to gauge his return.
Alex Sandt QB, St. James
Sandt attempted four varsity passes last fall. And there’s a good chance he sees little playing time this year, too, as rising senior Connor Schwalm Connor Schwalm 5'11" | 205 lbs | QB St. James | 2024 State SC is coming off one of the best seasons at the position in school history. That doesn’t take away from the fact that Sandt looks pretty good throwing a football. The team’s frontrunner to take over the reins in 2024 and 2025, Sandt has some zip on his passes, especially across the middle or getting it out to the edges.
Hakeem Watters Hakeem Watters 5'6" | 170 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2025 State SC RB, Hartsville
We don’t want to surprise you, but Hartsville has yet another tailback ready to go. Watters, who is a 5-foot-7 and in the 165-pound range, had 24 carries last fall, playing way behind established starters and multi-year 1,000-yard guys J’Shawn Anderson J’Shawn Anderson 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2023 State SC and Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC . But what we got from Watters in his 24 carries is that he’s quick as all get up and able to make the cuts necessary in the Red Foxes’ Wing T offense. We think that translates to a combine setting pretty well.
Gabe Cusack Gabe Cusack 6'1" | 190 lbs | QB Marion | 2024 State SC QB, Marion
We’ll likely be moving Cusack from the athlete category to the quarterback one in our next rankings update for a reason. Cusack, who is 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, though, is every bit of a weight room junky with some serious moves for a kid with his size. His lateral steps have led to a few defensive players attempting to tackle him eating some grass. All the while, he’s got a better arm than he did even last fall when he spent the season as Marion’s starting quarterback.
Jayden Little Jayden Little 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Chesterfield | 2024 State SC RB, Chesterfield
The Class 2A All-State selection was slowed somewhat toward the end of 2022 when his carried decreased as the Rams needed to go pass-heavy to try to keep up with some of its opponents. But let’s not forget that Little had a three-game stretch in September that netted 655 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Little has some flash to him, and the 5-foot-8, 170-pounder is going to be among a relatively small number of tailbacks in the East rising senior combine that day.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Members of the Prep Red Zone team will be on site for each of the four Palmetto Combine Series events in April, covering all the players and storylines. This year’s series will be held April 1 at Summerville, April 2 at York, April 15 at Westside and April 16 at West Florence. Prep Red Zone staff members were not responsible for the nomination or selection of participants in this year’s event.