Touchstone Energy Bowl Breakdown: Upstate Defensive Selections

Jed Blackwell October 22, 2023 @ 07:47 PM

The Upstate has more than half the field on the North roster for the 76th Annual Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl, slated for Dec. 9 at Myrtle Beach's Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium. Here's a look at the 15 players from the area selected for the defensive side of the ball.   Defensive Line   It's no secret that the Upstate is absolutely loaded up front, and the selections underscore that. First, we need to fix our attention on a pair of teammates. Greenville's [player_tooltip player_id='209617' first='Jayden' last='Wilson-Abrams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='242787' first='Bruce' last='Knauber'] are absolute terrors. Wilson-Abrams has 59 tackles, Knauber has 56, and both have 11 tackles for loss. Wilson-Abrams has 3.5 sacks and 13 hurries, Knauber has 4.5 and 10. They just generally make life miserable for opposing offenses.   Abbeville's Jae Harris is a guy who basically had a coming out party at last year's state championship game, and he hasn't slowed down yet. His brand of physical play is ideally suited to what the Panthers like to do. [player_tooltip player_id='1142651' first='Caron' last='Foster'] fits right into Gaffney's plan, as well. On a deep and talented defensive line, Foster has 36 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass deflections, an interception, and a fumble recovery.   Jaedyn Young has helped Daniel to an undefeated record through nine games, with 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and a blocked punt. Broome's DT Thompson is another physical stopper on the defensive line whose stats are a little misleading, because the Centurions' starters don't play deep into a bunch of games. He's got 25 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. Finally, JL Mann's Jacari Bennett can stand up at OLB or put his hand in the dirt at DE, and he's shown the ability to stop the run just as well as he gets after the passer.   Linebackers   The Upstate guys at the second level are a deep group as well. Hillcrest's Jy'Savion Leake is a ball-hawk, a turnover machine, and excels at special teams, especially in punt-block situations. TL Hanna's Jake Curtis does an excellent job of diagnosing plays and chasing them down, and has great recognition skills. Abbeville's [player_tooltip player_id='779609' first='Mikhelyn' last='Bowie'] is the Panthers' anchor in the middle, the latest in a long line of talented LBs. He chases down plays from behind, pressures quarterbacks, defends in space, and generally causes havoc.   Byrnes' [player_tooltip player_id='1144103' first='James' last='Oates'] has had a spectacular senior season, putting himself on the map with 91 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six sacks, and an interception return for a touchdown. And Boiling Springs' JoJo Barrett plays like his helmet is on fire. He's everywhere all at once for the Bulldogs, serving as a disruptive force behind a talented defensive line.   Defensive Backs   Rounding out the Upstate selections are three guys in the defensive backfield, and all three have a similar skill set. They're fast, they're able to lock down opponents, and they're physical. Byrnes' [player_tooltip player_id='267455' first='Knai' last='Cook'] has 56 tackles, including two for a loss, and is a big hitter in the secondary for the Rebels. Greer's Anthony Lyons has three interceptions and leads the Yellow Jackets in the secondary. And Dorman's [player_tooltip player_id='1144090' first='Brannon' last='Teamer'] has been perhaps the Cavaliers' steadiest player - he's got 52 total tackles, three interceptions, four pass deflections, and leads the Cavaliers in punt returns.

The Upstate has more than half the field on the North roster for the 76th Annual Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl, slated for Dec. 9 at Myrtle Beach's Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium. Here's a look at the 15 players from the area selected for the defensive side of the ball.