Recruiting Risers: June 21

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As scouts here at Prep Redzone, we trust our eyes, but that doesn't mean we ignore the feedback we get from schools recruiting the players we cover. Summer, or camp season as it's affectionately called, provides a great opportunity to see which players are picking up momentum on the recruiting trail in the form of offers and official visits. Some are guys we've long been higher on than colleges, while others start to receive interest and offers from schools above where we've had them pegged, causing us to take a second look at the film. Here are a few guys that have seen their recruiting stock soar in recent weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Charlotte Area Players With Recruiting Momentum</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Independence High School experienced a return to former glory last season and several players are reaping the benefits this offseason on the recruiting trail. 2026 receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402300' first='Prince' last='Young']</strong> impressed everybody at Garner Webb's camp, immediately earning an offer and turning the heads of a few coaches at FBS schools as well. 2025 edge rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1283725' first='Camden' last='Martin']</strong> also earned his first offer from Charleston, then earned another from Winston Salem State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similarly, talented 2026 corner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1309069' first='Camden' last='Portis']</strong> has seen his recruitment take off in the last three months. Portis earned his first offer last summer, but played at an undersized 135 last year at Indian Land High School in South Carolina. Once he hit the camp circuit this spring, his recruitment took off. In particular, his performance at the Rivals Camp turned heads and he will enter the 2024 season as one of the top recruits in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weddington's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='396922' first='Braeden' last='Barger']</strong> switched from running back to linebacker last season and all he did was put up All-Conference numbers. After an early Eastern Kentucky offer (Usually a good sign from prospects in the Carolinas) Barger has picked up offers from East Carolina and Wofford in the last week. He's tearing it up during camp season and it's likely that the offers will keep coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">More Players Picking Up Steam on the Recruiting Trail</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1309079' first='Donovan' last='Johnson']</strong> is a name that is newer to us, but he's been tearing it up during camp season and has earned four Division 1 offers since the middle of May. He's enormous and a pretty good technician, despite his 6-foot-4, 325-pound stature.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Havelock edge rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1158344' first='Donovan' last='Darden']</strong> had a solid junior season, but didn't really see a ton of movement in his recruitment until late in the spring. Then, he began to visit some Power Four programs and earned multiple offers. This weekend's visit to South Carolina marks his third of three official visits, with NC State and Illinois receiving the other two. The feedback I've gotten from coaches at college camps is that his length and burst have been extremely impressive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Stokes interior offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='286180' first='Luke' last='Whitt']</strong> is on fire on the recruiting trail, picking up offers from Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate, Hampton-Sydney and others in the last few weeks. A grinder, Whitt didn't give up a single sack as a junior and is going to make an FCS of Group of Five program very happy in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Final Notes</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone covers players of all skill levels from all corners of the state. If you or a player you know is camping somewhere this summer, let us know. Reach out to Will Helms (@whelms21) and Matt Morrow (@pepman704) and keep us updated on your training, play and recruitment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->