2024 WV Team Preview: Philip Barbour Colts

For a discounted subscription to view all of our content, use Code PRZWV30 at checkout for 30% off!   The Philip Barbour Colts made history in 2023 winning their first playoff game in their 60 years of playing football. Now, they can make history again in 2024 by winning two playoff games in the same year and making back-to-back playoff appearances for just the second time since the school opened in 1963. The Colts will return the talent to do so and will display one of the top and biggest offensive lines in the state which will give them a chance to win in every game they play in the regular season. Philip Barbour does lose their entire backfield and two very good players in RB Nate Hulver and QB Kaden Humphreys who both had tremendous 2023 seasons and will be tough to replace. The Colts believe they have the pieces to make up for those losses, and if they can, the ceiling for their 2024 season will be sky-high.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 TEAM SCHEDULE</h2>   08/30 (H) Grafton 09/06 (A) Buckhannon-Upshur 09/13 (H) North Marion 09/20 (H) Liberty-Harrison 09/27 (A) Elkins 10/04 (A) Berkeley Springs 10/11 (-)  Open 10/18 (A) Robert C. Byrd 10/25 (H) Lewis County 11/01 (A) Lincoln 11/08 (H) Preston   2024 Record Prediction: 8-2 2023 Record: 9-3   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">PLAYERS TO KNOW</h2>    Philip Barbour returns one of the top big men in the state with 2025 OL [player_tooltip player_id='864851' first='John' last='McGee'] who has seen his stock rise over the off-season. The 6'6 300 300-pounder now holds 5 college offers heading into his senior season with the potential to earn some D1 looks this fall. He's athletic for his size and a multi-sport athlete who also competes as a swimmer and thrower on the track & field team. His combination of size and athleticism makes him a sought-after prospect who has yet to come close to his potential ceiling as a player. He'll thrive in a college strength & conditioning program and will take his game to the next level the more his body develops into his big frame.   McGee is one big ball of moldable clay who can develop into a top-flight college player in the future and one of the top prospects in the 2025 class.      Adding to their already impressive linemen group this season with Buckhannon-Upshur transfer 2025 OL Daren Daughtery will help sure up some graduation losses for the Colts in 2024. He'll fit their offense perfectly as a run-heavy team and will slot in at one of the guard spots. Daugherty is a massive athlete at 6'3 330 and is as strong as an ox who benches well over 400 pounds and over a 500-pound squat. Daugherty also competes as a powerlifter where he broke national records earlier this year for his age group. That kind of strength and power translates to the football field as a mauling blocker whose wide frame makes him very difficult to get around.   Daugherty has the perfect guard frame for a future college player and will further improve his game with a continued increase in flexibility and athleticism.      2025 Philip Barbour DB [player_tooltip player_id='877281' first='Drew' last='Morral'] recently debuted inside of our 2025 Top 200 and has picked up significant D3 interest this summer. He's a talented two-way player for the Colts who could be considered more of an ATH prospect with offensive potential that we should see more of this season. Morral is a very athletic player and has intriguing potential as a future college athlete.   Here's what we recently said about Morral in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/07/2025-prospects-new-to-the-top-175-pt-one/">2025 rankings new Additions article</a>:   "Philip Barbour DB [player_tooltip player_id='877281' first='Drew' last='Morral']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/drew-morral/"></a> is one of the more underrated prospects in the state who has quietly been a very good player for the Colts thus far. He's a highly athletic kid with very good size at 6'1 175 who could play receiver at the next level as well depending on where colleges like him at. Morral is another impressive track athlete who ran an 11.37-second time at the Class AA WVSSAC Track & Field State Championships in the 100m dash with a Top 3 finish. That speed translates well to the football field with legit 4.5 speed that should make defenses worry each time he touches the ball. Morral recently picked up his first offer from D3 Macalester (MN) and will be a steal if he ends up at that level. His athleticism alone should have in-state D2 programs keeping tabs on him this season as he continues to develop as a football athlete. Morral has been one of the busiest prospects we've seen this off-season while attending nearly double-digit camps so far and is putting in the work to put himself on more college radars."      Another very talented and promising Philip Barbour offensive lineman that you need to know this season is 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1138206' first='Malachi' last='Cross']. Cross flashed a ton of upside and potential as a sophomore starter for the Colts in 2023 and will help anchor a very strong Colts offensive line again this season. He has quality 6'3 270 size who will further grow into his frame over the next two years and is developing his body and strength well coming into his junior year. Cross is a good athlete and has agile feet for his size and age that could translate well as a tackle or guard at the next level.   He showed some very good things as a run blocker in 2023 and should show his pass-pro ability more as a junior with the potential to pick up some early college attention.      2026 WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='928036' first='Cameron' last='Bennett'] is the top returning skill player for the Colts this season and is a prospect that we've been high on for a while now in his class. He totaled 800 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore and should improve those numbers as a junior as the Colts will be looking for some skill players to replace their top two statistical players from a year ago this season. Bennett can be utilized in a variety of ways on offense and is a dynamic returner on special teams as well. He's a playmaker with the ball in his hands and a good YAC receiver who can also stretch the field vertically from the slot or at wideout. Bennett has huge big-play threat ability as he averaged an incredible 35 yards per catch as a sophomore and scored 8 times on 15 catches. He's also very good at playing in traffic and going up and making a play in the air.   Bennett should see more touches as a junior and could put up some big numbers this season as their potential go-to playmaker.      2025 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='877123' first='Braylyn' last='Edwards'] will be an interesting prospect to watch this season as he transitions to quarterback for the Colts which we haven't seen from him to date. Edwards played just about everywhere last season as a junior and it's hard to say right now which position is his best as the true definition of an ATH prospect. He has reps as an undersized defensive end, tight end, and receiver on his junior highlight tape but linebacker may be where his future is if he wants to play after high school.   Edwards' arm talent remains to be seen, but we can confidently say he'll be a much different style of quarterback than Humphrey was last season and it'll be interesting to watch this version of the Colts' offense in 2024.      It sounds like the Colts will be relying on 2026 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1153783' first='Logan' last='Beam'] to be their bell-cow running back this season as they try to fill the large void left by Nate Hulver this season. Beam got some good experience as a sophomore in 2023 in spot duty where he rushed for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, but Beam made his mark the most on special teams as a standout kick returner where he housed two kickoffs. We got eyes on Beam this off-season at the PRZ WV Combine where he tested well and showed some of those athletic traits that we saw on film.   Look for Beam to have a breakout junior season for the Colts and could put up some big numbers in his first season as the starter.      Philip Barbour has a promising up-and-comer offensive lineman in 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='862719' first='Ayden' last='Bremigan'] who recently debuted as a Top 60 player in his class. He showed flashes as a freshman in spot duty but should earn a full-time starting spot as a sophomore this season. Bremigan has the potential to develop into one of the top offensive linemen in this class if he dedicates himself to improving each year by his senior season.   Here's what we recently said about Bremigan in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/07/2027-rankings-debut-31-40-ranked-prospects/">2027 rankings Debut article</a>:   "The Philip Barbour Colts have another young and promising offensive lineman coming up through the ranks in 2027 OL [player_tooltip player_id='862719' first='Ayden' last='Bremigan']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/ayden-bremigan/"></a> at a position where they've developed some high-level big men recently. We got to see Bremigan in person at a camp during the winter where he impressed us as a young lineman with obvious future potential to develop into a top OL in this class. He's only starting to scratch the surface of his full potential and should make strides in his game over the next three years as he gets bigger and stronger and develops his body. Bremigan saw varsity action as a freshman on a very talented Colts' offensive line and could be a sophomore starter for them this season. He has quality footwork and athleticism for his size and age which give him something to build on moving forward."     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OTHER PLAYERS TO KNOW</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='894893' first='Patrick' last='Webster'] - ATH | 2026 Watch List   [player_tooltip player_id='1154896' first='Mason' last='Jones'] - RB | 2027 Watch List

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