Program Profile: Providence Panthers

The Providence Panthers have been a program that has consistently made the playoffs the past couple of years, but this year they want to do something in the playoffs. Head Coach Weslee Ward told me as much during a visit I made during Spring Practice back in April. The Panthers do have some talent in a lot of positions on both sides of the ball, and I think they benefit from being under the radar of a lot of the regular contenders in Charlotte. The Panthers could be a team that surprises some people if everything comes together on their end.   Starting at quarterback, they have a legitimate Division 1 recruit in [player_tooltip player_id='620328' first='Jackson' last='Debe']. Debe comes off of a strong sophomore season where he threw for 2170 yards with 26 touchdown passes. Currently, he has offers from Temple, James Madison, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Liberty, Boston College, Charlotte, and East Carolina. The 6'3 185-pound Class of 2026 prospect has a strong arm and also plays baseball, so he has the inherit ability to throw from multiple arm angles. Providence also has a good younger option at quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='1321018' first='Luke' last='Meador'] in the Class of 2027. At 6'0 and 175 pounds, Meador provides someone who can step up if necessary in Debe's absence.   At the running back spot, Class of 2025 prospect Davi Caixeta is expected to return after leading the Panthers in rushing last season. The senior had an 8.2 yards per carry average and 8 rushing touchdowns last season in 9 total games. Davi has a good, complementary style that takes advantage of the Panthers' spread offense. Davi does a good job of getting north & south with no wasted motion, hitting the hole hard and at full speed with consistency. [player_tooltip player_id='1149029' first='Jayden' last='Woodruff'], a talented defensive back, can help Davi carry the load after being the second-leading rusher for the Panthers last season.   For the wide receiver position with the Panthers, the conversation has to start with the electric & lightning-quick Class of 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1106577' first='Otavio' last='Oliveira']. I love how out of the slot, Otavio has no fear. It was impressive seeing him in his freshman season come in and have the production he did. 41 catches for 672 yards and 6 touchdowns in an offense that had multiple reliable targets, ending up being the leading receiver on the team. Because of that talent and production, Otavio earned offers from Houston Christian, Boston College, SMU, East Carolina, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Marshall, & Connecticut. Siriman Conde will be an intriguing player to watch who looked good during spring practice. At 6'5 and 185 pounds, he is a nice compliment to Oliveira's speed in the slot. Not to say Conde is slow - he lists a 4.53 40-yard time on his Twitter profile. The aforementioned Woodruff can help out at receiver, and it will be interesting to see if Class of 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1125763' first='Alex' last='Haywood'] jumps in to help out at wide receiver or tight end. This young man absolutely dominated on JV in his freshman season, and with his size at 6'5 and 205 pounds, he will be a big target for Debe no matter where he lines up. A name to watch is Keland Shelton who came into the program from North Mecklenburg High School. At 6'3 and 190 pounds, he can play at both wide receiver and defensive end. With his athleticism and speed, expect to see him at both spots at some point this season. The Class of 2027 prospect has an offer from Arkansas State currently.   On the offensive line, one of the names to watch for is [player_tooltip player_id='1303224' first='Lucas' last='Tselentis']. The Class of 2026 prospect stands at 6'4 and 265 pounds and can play both the guard and tackle positions. Lucas has hit the camp circuit hard during the summer camp season and looks to continue the tradition of strong, tough, and fundamentally sound Panther linemen from the last few years.   Defensively, there is notable talent for the Panthers at all three levels of the defense. We mentioned Keland Shelton earlier, and as a defensive end, he has a very good burst off of the football. He uses that burst well to work his hands and shed blocks off of offensive linemen to penetrate in the backfield. On the other end, Palmer Stevenson is a strong player at 6'2 and 215 pounds. I was impressed seeing him up close in spring practice. Palmer is a very hard worker in the weight room and a leader who can set the right example for his teammates in the locker room. Palmer has some college interest right now and does a good job in setting the edge in the run game and does not get moved off the scrimmage very easily. The Panthers also have a very intriguing Class of 2028 defensive tackle coming into the program in [player_tooltip player_id='1607430' first='Cory' last='Cunningham']. The 6'4 265 pound prospect has impressed coaches early on, and he will be someone we keep our eyes on as the season goes along.   At the linebacker spot, there will be some big shoes to fill from the graduation of Billy Wilkes who is now at Clemson University continuing to play football. [player_tooltip player_id='1149071' first='Aiden' last='Brooks'] who has an offer from Houston Christian is one of the candidates to fill those shoes. At 6'2 and 190 pounds, Brooks is more of an outside linebacker who has the speed and athleticism to cover tight ends and slot receivers in some instances based on the defensive scheme. As far as the middle linebacker spot goes, [player_tooltip player_id='1600415' first='Colton' last='Bogan'] is a good bet to take on that challenge. The Class of 2026 prospect stands at 5'11 and 185 pounds and was an All-Conference selection as a wrestler, which should tell you what you need to know about his toughness. His 4.18 GPA in the classroom is also an indicator of some strong football intelligence.   In the secondary, the graduation of Spencer Makell and his college football career at Arkansas State leaves another void to be filled. We mentioned [player_tooltip player_id='1149029' first='Jayden' last='Woodruff'] a couple of times before, and I like his talent as a defensive back. I spoke to him during spring practice, and he believes he is a player who can play both man and zone equally well and is confident in his abilities. At 5'9 and 170 pounds, the Class of 2025 prospect has offers currently from Alabama A&M and Florida A&M Universities. [player_tooltip player_id='1310418' first='Austin' last='Roberts'], who I observed stand out at a showcase during the spring, has come into the program from Chambers High School, and the Class of 2027 prospect will definitely compete for some playing time. Spencer Austin, a Class of 2026 prospect, played a big role last season with 55 total tackles and an interception last season. At 5'11 and 175 pounds, expect for him to help give some important leadership to the back end of the defense. [player_tooltip player_id='740869' first='Soto' last='Kelly'] is a Class of 2026 prospect who has a chance to step up and be a contributor this season as well. At 5'11 and 155 pounds, he projects as a safety in the Panthers defense.   The Panthers have a big rivalry game against Ardrey Kell in a showcase game in Memorial Stadium in downtown Charlotte to start the season in Week 1. The Panthers have circled this game on the calendar since losing a tough 3-point loss last season at home. Playing in the tough Southwestern 4A conference with perennial state powers in Butler, Independence, and Charlotte Catholic, it is important for the Panthers to get off to a good start if they want to have any chance of getting into the playoffs and making some noise when they get there this season.

The Providence Panthers have been a program that has consistently made the playoffs the past couple of years, but this year they want to do something in the playoffs. Head Coach Weslee Ward told me as much during a visit I made during Spring Practice back in April. The Panthers do have some talent in a lot of positions on both sides of the ball, and I think they benefit from being under the radar of a lot of the regular contenders in Charlotte. The Panthers could be a team that surprises some people if everything comes together on their end.