WV Preseason Spotlight: Clay County & Nicholas County

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we reach the under three-week window until the 2023 football season begins, we will spotlight some of West Virginia's prospects to watch for this season. Today we will focus on Clay &amp; Nicholas County HS. Here are some prospects you need to keep an eye on from Clay &amp; Nicholas County HS for the 2023 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["832676"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='832676' first='Noah' last='Collins'] was a young gunslinger a season ago as a sophomore for the Clay County Panthers that saw some highs and lows of being a young QB. However, the highs greatly outweighed the lows and Collins put together a very solid sophomore campaign. From the stats we were able to find, Collins threw for 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns on 64% completion percentage which are very good numbers for a high school sophomore. From watching his highlights, he loves to throw the ball all over the field, especially deep balls. Collins puts a lot of air under the ball albeit a little too much at times but as he keeps developing he will fine-tune that part of his game. Collins was one of the leading passers in Class AA in 2022 and should continue that trend for the next two years. While he's not a dual-threat QB, he certainly has the athleticism to scramble for a first down at times. [player_tooltip player_id='832676' first='Noah' last='Collins'] is a 2025 QB you need to know and follow for the rest of his career and currently ranks as our #10 2025 quarterback.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15016410/Noah-Collinsu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/noahcollins200u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["370425"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_player_featured_image":946677,"_player_evaluations_1_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='832676' first='Noah' last='Collins']' favorite receiver last season was 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='370425' first='BJ' last='Williams']. Williams produced a big season for the Panthers as a junior to the tune of 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns while hauling in 84 passes. Williams also had a very productive year on the ground rushing for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. If you thought he was done there you are very wrong because he also intercepted 8 passes on defense, the leader in the state. At 5'7 160 you might overlook him for his size but Williams is a gamer. He's very athletic and it's no wonder why his coaches got the ball in his hands as much as they did. His versatility in the running and passing game makes him one of the better athletes in Class AA. Williams also showed he has very sure hands and made some impressive acrobatic catches last season. He's very good with the ball in his hands and has the speed and twitch to be very dangerous after the catch and on handoffs. Williams performs well at all levels of the field and in a variety of ways. It will be tough to top his junior season but look for [player_tooltip player_id='370425' first='BJ' last='Williams'] to put up even bigger video game numbers for his senior season.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/14775228/BJ-Williamsu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/bj_wi11iamsu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["946679"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_player_featured_image":946683,"_player_evaluations_2_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The Nicholas County Grizzlies have a nice two-way player in 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='946679' first='Coltin' last='Browning'] who sees time at running back and defensive back. The 5'8 175 rising senior put some good things at both positions on film as a junior and he could likely play either at the next level. On offense, he's a one-cut-and-go running back that can run between the tackles but has enough speed to stretch it outside and create a new running lane if needed. He gets upfield right away and doesn't try to do too much to make defenders miss. On the defensive side of the ball, Browning starts at one of the cornerback spots and is a good tackler for a DB. Browning enjoys making a big hit at times and is physical when he goes for a pass breakup. He also had some good clips on special teams and is a good blocker in that aspect of the game.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/16417855/Coltin-Browningu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/BrowningColtinu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["946680"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_player_featured_image":946686,"_player_evaluations_3_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"For only being listed as 5'8 145, [player_tooltip player_id='946680' first='Grayson' last='Kesterson'] is a very physical defensive back for Nicholas County. Kesterson is a very sure tackler and is good at it in open space. I like his closing speed and he can really turn it on when he wants to. Kesterson also puts some power behind his tackles and you'll know when he hits you. I'd like to see more film of him in pass coverage but I can't stress enough how good of an open-field tackler Kesterson is. He attacks really well and does a great job hitting low and wrapping up ball carriers. Kesterson has the speed to play corner but I could see him playing safety at the next level with his tackling abilities. [player_tooltip player_id='946680' first='Grayson' last='Kesterson'] might just be the best tackler I have evaluated this year, especially at the Class AA level.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/14949771/Grayson-Kestersonu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/g_kesterson_24u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["893400"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":946692,"_player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"A specialist currently on our rankings Watch List is Nicholas County's [player_tooltip player_id='893400' first='Johann' last='Villasenor']. The 2024 kicker/punter will be one of the state's top specialists this season regardless of classification. Villasenor performs well on squib and directional kickoffs but also has the power to get it to the 10-yard line or deeper when asked to. His squib and directional kickoffs are tough to field and can cause potential possession changes. Villasenor gets good lift on his placekicking duties and could certainly hit from beyond 40 yards on field goals if asked. I did not see highlights of his punting abilities but Villasenor is a quality kicker. Look for him to enter our 2024 rankings in the coming updates.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/17716283/Johann-Villasenoru0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/johannvi1lau0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64d6e265278c3"} /-->