Rankings Stars Bolster Palmetto Combine East
In this article:
Potential 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…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
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.
While each of the four events in this year’s Palmetto Combine Series will be jammed with talent, the East combine on April 16 at West Florence might have claim to the best of the bunch.
Overall, 13 top-50 players in Prep Red Zone’s Class of 2024 rankings, 11 of the top 25 in Class of 2025 and four top-25 guys from the Class of 2026 have all be invited. That’s 28 percent of the top of our rankings in those three classes.
There’s no guarantee the entire group will be in attendance with spring sports conflicts possibly arising. But we’d be willing to bet that the stars will be out in force that day.
2024 OFFENSIVE STARS SET TO SHINE
With respect to West Florence’s Franklin Emerson Franklin Emerson 6'0" | 220 lbs | ATH West Florence | 2024 State SC and Silver Bluff edge Jordan Boyd Jordan Boyd 6'3" | 215 lbs | DL Silver Bluff | 2024 State SC , the West Florence Combine – especially the morning sessions with the rising seniors – will be a boon to offensive stars.
Three of the top nine players in the class and eight of the top 24 will be the talk of this event for the next few weeks. All-everything Dillon offensive tackle Josiah Thompson Josiah Thompson 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Dillon | 2024 State SC and fellow lineman Slayton Stokes Slayton Stokes 6'5" | 325 lbs | OL Hartsville | 2024 State SC (Hartsville’s center) are among the very best in the entire state at their positions. We’re also super high on Hartsville tailback Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC , who just rushed for 1,814 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore while averaging 10.7 yards per carry. Jamarious Lockett Jamarious Lockett 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC (and teammate Zai Offord Zai Offord 5'11" | 160 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC – just outside our top 50 at No. 54) might pair up to be the best one-two punch at any position in the entire combine.
That brings us to the quarterbacks who were invited to East.
The distinguished list includes five different signal callers inside our top 41 overall. Javion Martin Javion Martin 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Crestwood | 2024 State SC (Crestwood, pictured), Devin Grainger Devin Grainger 6'1" | 170 lbs | QB Conway | 2024 State SC (Conway), Terrence Smith Terrence Smith 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB South Aiken | 2024 State SC (South Aiken), Grayson White Grayson White 6'0" | 240 lbs | QB Camden | 2024 State SC (Camden) and Taiden Mines Taiden Mines 5'11" | 180 lbs | QB Lexington | 2024 State SC (Lexington) are all within the top seven of our players at the position in the Class of 2024.
Josiah Thompson Josiah Thompson 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Dillon | 2024 State SC OL, Dillon (No. 3, 2024)
Jordan Boyd Jordan Boyd 6'3" | 215 lbs | DL Silver Bluff | 2024 State SC DL, Silver Bluff (No. 6, 2024)
Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC RB, Hartsville (No. 9)
Slayton Stokes Slayton Stokes 6'5" | 325 lbs | OL Hartsville | 2024 State SC OL, Hartsville (No. 14)
Javion Martin Javion Martin 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Crestwood | 2024 State SC QB, Crestwood (No. 17)
Devin Grainger Devin Grainger 6'1" | 170 lbs | QB Conway | 2024 State SC QB, Conway (No. 18)
Jamarious Lockett Jamarious Lockett 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC WR, Gray Collegiate (No. 21)
Terrence Smith Terrence Smith 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB South Aiken | 2024 State SC QB, South Aiken (No. 22)
Jyron Waiters Jyron Waiters 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Wilson | 2024 State SC WR, Wilson (No. 31)
Jaden Allen-Hendrix Jaden Allen-Hendrix 6'2" | 230 lbs | RB Irmo | 2024 State SC RB, Gilbert (No. 32)
Grayson White Grayson White 6'0" | 240 lbs | QB Camden | 2024 State SC QB, Camden (No. 38)
Taiden Mines Taiden Mines 5'11" | 180 lbs | QB Lexington | 2024 State SC QB, Lexington (No. 41)
Franklin Emerson Franklin Emerson 6'0" | 220 lbs | ATH West Florence | 2024 State SC LB, West Florence (No. 46)
DON’T BLINK ON THE 2025 STANDOUTS
Speed and explosiveness are the names of the game when it comes to the Class of 2025 guys from inside our top 25 to get an invite to West Florence.
This crop includes our No. 1 overall player in the class – South Aiken tailback Jevon Edwards Jevon Edwards 5'9" | 195 lbs | RB South Aiken | 2025 State SC – as well as 2,000-yard rusher Jamarcus Williams Jamarcus Williams 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Hannah-Pamplico | 2025 State SC from Hannah-Pamplico. Hartsville’s electric defensive back and return man Da’Marion Coe Da’Marion Coe 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Hartsville | 2025 State SC and South Florence receiver Jayden Sellers Jayden Sellers 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR South Florence | 2025 State SC are also both up near the top of our rankings.
Mix in the likes of our top linebacker ( James Herbert James Herbert 6'4" | 215 lbs | LB Trinity Collegiate | 2025 State SC from Trinity Collegiate), our top defensive lineman ( Dekontee Mack Dekontee Mack 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Westwood | 2025 State SC , Westwood) and our top offensive lineman (Silver Bluff’s Garris Chambers Garris Chambers 5'11" | 260 lbs | OL Silver Bluff | 2025 State SC ), and the combine’s specific events could see some dynamic performances.
Jevon Edwards Jevon Edwards 5'9" | 195 lbs | RB South Aiken | 2025 State SC RB, South Aiken (No. 1, 2025)
Da’Marion Coe Da’Marion Coe 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Hartsville | 2025 State SC DB, Hartsville (No. 4, 2025)
James Herbert James Herbert 6'4" | 215 lbs | LB Trinity Collegiate | 2025 State SC LB, Trinity Collegiate (No. 6, 2025)
Jayden Sellers Jayden Sellers 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR South Florence | 2025 State SC WR, South Florence (No. 7, 2025)
Dekontee Mack Dekontee Mack 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Westwood | 2025 State SC DL, Westwood (No. 9, 2025)
Jamarcus Williams Jamarcus Williams 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Hannah-Pamplico | 2025 State SC RB, Hannah-Pamplico (No. 10, 2025)
John Simmons John Simmons 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC WR, Myrtle Beach (No. 12, 2025)
Garris Chambers Garris Chambers 5'11" | 260 lbs | OL Silver Bluff | 2025 State SC OL, Silver Bluff (No. 14, 2025)
Kaegan Chambers Kaegan Chambers 6'2" | 170 lbs | QB Chesterfield | 2025 NC QB, Chesterfield (No. 16, 2025)
Javon Johnson Javon Johnson 6'0" | 235 lbs | DL Loris | 2025 State SC , DL, Loris (No. 18, 2025)
Carlos Miller Carlos Miller 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL Dillon | 2025 State SC OL, Dillon (No. 21, 2025)
2026 ATHLETES READY TO TAKE NEXT STEPS
We’re expecting a nice quarterback battle between Kaegan Chambers Kaegan Chambers 6'2" | 170 lbs | QB Chesterfield | 2025 NC (listed above) and Dillon’s Josiah Oxendine Josiah Oxendine 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Dillon | 2026 State SC , the No. 23 player in the Class of 2026. Oxendine has been taking advantage of his offseason, even picking up a couple of Power 5 offers over the past few months.
While the other three players currently ranked in the top 25 of our Class of 2026 might not have Oxendine’s offer sheet, the afternoon sessions at West Florence could be just as vital for Trinity Collegiate offensive lineman Kyler Johnson Kyler Johnson 6'4" | 300 lbs | DL Trinity Collegiate | 2026 State SC , West Florence defensive lineman Jamie Williamson Jamie Williamson 6'1" | 290 lbs | DL West Florence | 2026 State SC and Gray Collegiate defensive back JP Sweatt JP Sweatt 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2026 State SC .
Kyler Johnson Kyler Johnson 6'4" | 300 lbs | DL Trinity Collegiate | 2026 State SC OL, Trinity Collegiate (No. 14)
Jamie Williamson Jamie Williamson 6'1" | 290 lbs | DL West Florence | 2026 State SC DL West Florence (No. 15)
JP Sweatt JP Sweatt 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2026 State SC ATH, Gray Collegiate (No. 16)
Josiah Oxendine Josiah Oxendine 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Dillon | 2026 State SC QB, Dillon (No. 23)
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.