Unsigned Charlotte Area Seniors – Defense Edition
These players are currently unsigned with a college in the Class of 2024 and have been key contributors to their teams this past season. In my honest assessment, these players deserve some additional consideration for offers to play football at…
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Continue ReadingThese players are currently unsigned with a college in the Class of 2024 and have been key contributors to their teams this past season. In my honest assessment, these players deserve some additional consideration for offers to play football at the next level.
LB Jayden Olden – Monroe
Jayden was named his conference’s defensive player of the year and was selected to play in the Queen City Senior Bowl. At 6’1 and 220 pounds, he had 183 tackles on the season, with 113 of them being solo tackles. He is a definite leader and plays with a tenacity I haven’t seen very often from linebackers in this era of high school football. A well-spoken young man, Jayden does hold a total of five offers right now, so I don’t expect him to be unsigned for much longer. He will be an asset early to a program on the next level.
DL Tavarus Boone – Olympic
I have said consistently that I thought Tavarus was under the radar, and I still feel that way, even though he produced a strong senior season and was selected to the Queen City Senior Bowl along with being selected All-Conference. At 6’4, Tavaus has a couple of offers from Alabama A&M and Fairmont State, but he should certainly have more. He can pass rush effectively off the edge, track plays down from the backside in the run game, and set the edge strongly on plays run right at him. He also shows the ability to play off blocks and make tackles consistently.
LB Nio Espinoza – Butler
At 6’2 and 200 pounds, Nio was a player who had a strong senior season that put him on a lot of radars for recruiting boards. He has picked up an offer from Elon, and as colleges continue to work through their recruiting boards, he needs to be considered further. He had 80 tackles, 7 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 5 blocked kicks this past season. That is a player that can contribute in a multitude of ways – he is primarily a strong safety/outside linebacker hybrid in my opinion, but he played defensive end and defensive back for Butler as well. He will be a steal for a school.
DL Payton Parker – East Gaston
Payton had a good senior season – he was selected All-Conference for the second time in his career and also was selected to play in the Queen City Senior Bowl. Playing in 8 games, Peyton had 9 sacks, 45 tackles, and 18 tackles for loss. At 6’1 and 230 pounds, Peyton projects as an edge player at the next level. I like his first step get off in his pass rush and the way he uses his hands to shed blocks in both the running game and the passing game. He also is a very intelligent young man with a 3.5 GPA.
LB Declan Sullins – Parkwood
A middle linebacker and a team leader, Declan has been a productive player during his time at Parkwood. This past season, he had 123 total tackles, with 60 of them being solo tackles. He lists a 4.0 GPA and being a team captain on his profile, as well as being selected 1st team all defense. He projects as an outside linebacker on the next level, standing at 5’11 and 190 pounds. Declan is a high-effort and energy player that will do anything to help his team. Most programs always need someone like that, and Declan should get some opportunities at the next level.