Team Preview: Chambers Cougars

The Chambers Cougars have become synonymous with winning over the past few years, and while they had a good year last year, they are hungry to get back to the State Championship Game, which they frequented for a 4-year straight stretch from 2018 to 2021, with two championships in 2019 and 2020. Head Coach Brandon Wiggins enters his 2nd year in charge of the program, and there is still a lot of talent that has the championship experience to push the program back to another title game appearance.   While there is still some question as to who the starting quarterback will be when the season starts, he will have a lot of support on both sides of the ball. Let's take a look at some of these talented young men:   OFFENSE   RB Braylon Vinson   An all-conference selection last year, this Class of 2024 prospect holds an offer from Charlotte currently. At 5'11 and 180 pounds, he is a strong ball carrier that has some very good vision to get into and out of the hole quickly. He can run with some power behind his pads and has good speed once he gets into the open field. He is going to be an important player in the Cougars' offense as a new quarterback gets acclimated early in the season.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='659048' first='Arrion' last='Concepcion']   The younger brother of former Cougar and NC State commit Kevin Concepcion, he is just as talented and exciting to watch on a football field. The Class of 2025 prospect is dynamic with the football in his hands, and he is a threat in the quick screen game, the quick passing game on slants and hitches, and he can go and get the deep ball very well versus 1 on 1 pass coverage. He currently holds offers from Charlotte, Virginia Tech, and NC State. I expect more recruiting attention and offers to come his way once he puts more big plays on film to start the season.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='760045' first='Armon' last='Wright']   Armon has been one of my favorite players to cover, mainly because he works so hard at his craft, and he does a lot of talking through the performances he puts on film. I have seen him up close at camps and showcases, and his consistency shines through time and again. He has committed to playing football at William & Mary in college. I have him listed as a receiver, but he has the ability to play both running back and defensive back if necessary. As a receiver, he is best out of the slot, but he can play outside and make big plays also. He has strong hands and excellent route-running skills as his main strengths as a receiver.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='945238' first='Tyran' last='Evans']   Coaches and fans are always looking for the next big thing, well Tyran could be that literally AND figuratively. Tyran is a Class of 2026 prospect who stands at 6'3 and 170 pounds and is already showing some excellent ability to high-point the football in 1 on 1 situations. He has strong hands and long arms to make a big catch radius for a quarterback to place the football for him. He holds offers already early in his career from Charlotte, James Madison, Florida, and Virginia Tech. He has the ability to be a big-time player before it's all over.   OL Jeremiah Blaylock   Blaylock is an important piece of the Chambers offensive line that has traditionally been a big and powerful unit that controls the line of scrimmage. At 6'2 and 340 pounds he can play center and guard and move the interior of the defense with considerable strength and leg drive. He shows an ability to long pull and lead for a running back on power or counter plays as well. Blaylock currently holds an offer from Charlotte.   DEFENSE   DB [player_tooltip player_id='876397' first='Rondell' last='Carter']   Rondell is simply an impressive player. He has committed to playing football at Coastal Carolina, and I think they really got a steal. Carter at 6'0 and 180 pounds, can play outside corner, slot corner, and free/strong safety all at a very high level. He shows good speed and technique playing man coverage at corner, good discipline in zone coverage at corner and safety, and supports very well in the run game from both the safety and corner positions. He also comes on blitzes and times them well, often making sacks or tackles for losses in the backfield. He also makes strong open-field tackles as well. I am excited to see him in a leadership role this season.   DB [player_tooltip player_id='664440' first='Dontrae' last='Henderson']   I've written about Dontrae before and nothing has changed - he is one of the best cornerbacks in the state in the Class of 2024. He really excels in man coverage and plays with excellent technique and shows good closing speed in zone coverage and great long speed in covering deep passes downfield. He has good ball skills at the point of attack and plays with intelligence in coming up and supporting the run. He has committed to play at James Madison University at the next level.   DB [player_tooltip player_id='690879' first='Keelan' last='Flowe']   Keelan is another very impressive Class of 2024 DB prospect for the Cougars. At 6'0 and 160 pounds, he is similar to Carter who can play both safety and corner at a high level. At the corner position, he excels in press-man coverage and uses his hands well to disrupt a receiver's release off of the line of scrimmage. At safety though, I really enjoy watching him excel. He can come down and man cover versus slot receivers, he can read and react in deep zone coverages and break up passes at an elite level. But the most fun is seeing Keelan in run-support situations, he is fearless in making open-field tackles on receivers or running backs. A very good player who has committed to West Virginia University to play football at the next level.   DE/LB King Caldwell   At 6'0 and 190 pounds, King is a Class of 2024 prospect that will be an important piece of the Cougars' defensive line. He primarily lines up at the defensive end position in a 2 point stance, but he does a great job of keeping outside leverage at runs straight at him. He shows a good ability to shed blocks and get in on tackles in the run game. In the passing game, he has an explosive first step to beat offensive tackles around the edge for sacks and tackles for loss. A good player who should see some recruiting interest increase after he puts some good things on tape to start the season.   DL [player_tooltip player_id='792416' first='Jaden' last='Meeks']   At 6'2 and 230 pounds, Jaden has impressed me on multiple occasions in camp and showcase settings. He has an excellent ability to shed blocks in the interior of the defense at the defensive tackle position for tackles for loss in the run game. In the passing game, he has a couple of quick moves to disengage from a center or guard and get quick penetration in the quarterback's face for sacks or flushing the quarterback out for incomplete passes or interceptions. He is a Class of 2024 prospect who holds an offer currently from Northwestern Oklahoma State.

The Chambers Cougars have become synonymous with winning over the past few years, and while they had a good year last year, they are hungry to get back to the State Championship Game, which they frequented for a 4-year straight stretch from 2018 to 2021, with two championships in 2019 and 2020. Head Coach Brandon Wiggins enters his 2nd year in charge of the program, and there is still a lot of talent that has the championship experience to push the program back to another title game appearance.