The Prospect Picture - 2024 Class - March Edition

We continue to see incredible talent in the Charlotte Metro Area pick up multiple offers and major Division 1 interest as the spring season gets started. Let's take a look at a few hot players right here:   DE Curtis Simpson - Kings Mountain   Offers - Charlotte, Cincinnati, UAB, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, James Madison, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, East Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Liberty, App State   Curtis had an incredible junior season with 23 sacks, bursting on the scene and starting to realize his enormous potential as a pass rusher and dominant defensive end/EDGE player. At 6'4 and 200 pounds, he has the frame to play an outside pass-rushing linebacker or to bulk up and play a weakside defensive end in a 4-3 that can wreak havoc on offensive tackles game in and game out. Looking at the film, he has an explosive first step that helps him get around the edge very quickly against offensive tackles. He then uses his hands well and gets them on an offensive lineman first, disengaging their attempt to fit hands on his inside frame. Then, the best part is he has exceptional short-range closing speed in getting to the quarterback and making a sack. He should be getting more offers from in-state schools and I'm sure they will come, but I'm a little surprised some are late to the party.   OL/DL Hayes Galloway - Cannon   Offers - Middle Tennessee, Catawba   Hayes is a 6'4 310 pound Offensive Line prospect who can really move in space. It is impressive when you take a look at his film and see how well he can get out and long pull in front of running backs on counters and sweep/power plays. He is nasty once he gets to those 2nd and 3rd level defenders, having several knockdown blocks and setting a tone for his team. He can also do an excellent job in straight-ahead drive blocking and is stout in the pass protection game against big defensive tackles. I think he is definitely an interior power-blocking offensive lineman, and those are always in demand from colleges on the next level. His recruiting will continue to pick up as offensive linemen are always a little later to the party in offers.   QB [player_tooltip player_id='167343' first='Malachi' last='Marshall'] - South Pointe (SC)   Offers - Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Marshall, James Madison, Charlotte, Miami (Ohio)   Marshall has developed nicely throughout his career and had a strong junior season with 2140 passing yards and 20 touchdowns playing against top-level competition in the upstate of South Carolina, a strong football region. At 6'2 and 170 pounds, he has definitely hit a growth spurt and I think he's going to continue to grow physically and with his performance on the field as well. Looking at the film, two main things stand out to me. First, he has an excellent ability to throw on the run - most young quarterbacks when moving around are moving to run, and that's it. Marshall does an excellent job of moving around the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field. That led to some big completions and touchdowns for his team. The second thing I love is his accuracy and ball placement - he put some balls in some incredible locations deep down the field in the mid-range and deep ball passing game. That is some impressive stuff, which also speaks to his arm strength. I'm excited to see his senior year for sure.   QB [player_tooltip player_id='396921' first='Tyler' last='Budge'] - Weddington   Offers - Charleston Southern, Western Michigan, James Madison, Connecticut   I'm very impressed with Tyler's game. I'm very shocked that only one of his offers is from a school in the Carolinas, maybe they are waiting to see if what he put on tape can be validated in camps, but it's a bit of a mystery right now. Either way, I've seen Tyler up close and I think he's absolutely the real deal. At 6'3 and 210 pounds, he is a strong presence in the pocket and can deliver the football all over the field. Last season he had over 3200 passing yards and 34 touchdowns in leading his team to the state semifinals. When you look at the film, I love his rhythm throws off of play-action fakes from the pocket. Great balance and a smooth over-the-top delivery after executing the fakes well. He has great touch on the deep ball down the sideline, and he has nice arm strength on the post and crossing routes downfield over the middle. He also displays some ability in the quarterback run game - I wouldn't say he's a dual-threat, but he has enough ability to keep a defense honest in the QB run game. I expect him to pick up more in-state attention going forward from a recruiting perspective.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='279885' first='Keenan' last='Jackson'] - Cuthbertson   Offers - East Carolina, Duke, West Virginia, NC State, Liberty, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Old Dominion, Coastal, Appalachian State, Charlotte, North Carolina, A&T, Campbell, Connecticut   Keenan has been one of the most decorated receivers in the Metro Area for the last couple of years. At 6'3 and 190 pounds he can be physically dominant against defensive backs who play him in 1 on 1 coverage. He has strong hands and an elite ability to win in jump ball situations, especially on fade routes in the end zone. He can execute in the screen game and shows the talent to make defenders miss after the catch. Keenan can run a wide variety of routes and is not afraid to go over the middle and make tough catches to move the chains. I think he projects as a dominant "X" receiver in his future on the outside - he catches the ball well and runs routes with good precision. He has a lot of recruiting attention for all the right reasons, and a school will get very lucky once he commits to them for sure.

We continue to see incredible talent in the Charlotte Metro Area pick up multiple offers and major Division 1 interest as the spring season gets started. Let's take a look at a few hot players right here: