15 All Stars Capable of Re-Shaping Their Futures This Weekend

Between the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl, Saturday's two primary all-star evens in the Palmetto State will be one last chances for a few uncommitted seniors to impress would-be college scouts.   And while many of the players in Spartanburg and a few of the ones in Myrtle Beach have already signed, a few more good days in a high school uniform won't hurt anyone's chances.   These uncommitted players are ones we'll be keeping a close eye on between now and Saturday.    SHRINE BOWL OF THE CAROLINAS (Spartanburg High School)   [player_tooltip player_id='1012620' first='Web' last='Barnes'] LB, Hartsville (pictured) | Barnes has made an incredible comeback from a leg injury that sidelined him for his entire junior year. He finished his senior season with 121 total tackles, producing not only on defense but also in kickoff coverage in key matchups of the year. He also took on a new role in wildcat sets and scored touchdowns on all four carries he had in 2024. Barnes has been steadily rising up our rankings since returning from the injury and a solid week in Spartanburg should complete his progress toward the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='624354' first='Cam'Rich' last='Smith'] LB, Spartanburg | The hometown hero gets to double up this week as not only a football player, but also the proverbial host for the rest of his South Carolina teammates. Smith has been dinged a little for being 5-foot-9, but as Vikings coach Mark Hodge says, the senior is one of the best defenders the coach has ever had. Smith hasn't shied away from big plays against Spartanburg's impressive schedule, and the Shrine Bowl rosters should be no different.    [player_tooltip player_id='1158005' first='Mycheal' last='Wallace'] DL, Kingstree | The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman has two things going for him this week that should more than compensate for his small-school standing. First, he might be among the biggest unknowns on the roster, so he's got the element of surprise. Second, his comfort level should be just fine going through the practice week and game with Kingstree coach Brian Smith on the Shrine staff. Wallace is a playmaker who should do well against the North Carolina offensive line.   [player_tooltip player_id='1012718' first='TyDarion' last='Grier'] RB, Fairfield Central | This time last year, Grier was known as a part-time tailback just as likely to be targeted as a receiver as he was to carry the football. Make no mistake now, though. Grier is an electric running back who just finished a senior season that included 2,184 yards and 37 touchdowns. Most of that change happened after some player movement between his junior and senior seasons. Clearly, he's no stranger to some of the effects of an unfamiliar roster.    [player_tooltip player_id='1181027' first='Jaiden' last='Deweese'] WR, Ashley Ridge | The one-year wonder at Ashley Ridge exploded for 1,347 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 15.1 yards per catch. He can be a deep threat or go underneath, work the sideline or make the most out of a receiver screen. The Swamp Foxes' offense is similar to what's run in the all-star games, so we expect Deweese to feel right at home in Spartanburg.    TOUCHSTONE ENERGY COOPERATIVES BOWL (Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, Myrtle Beach)   [player_tooltip player_id='1360319' first='Deric' last='Brown'] OL, Hartsville & [player_tooltip player_id='1253946' first='Jerius' last='Williams'] OL, Sumter   Brown and Williams have each flown a little under the radar because they're 5-foot-11 and 5-foot-10, respectively. Luckily for them, the clientele this week in Myrtle Beach is going to be mostly NCAA Division II and III coaches (DI coaches aren't allowed via NCAA rules). Both Brown and Williams have proved they're much better than the measurables might suggest, and a solid few days in front of some college recruiters puts both of them in front of the people they're most likely to play for one day.   [player_tooltip player_id='1157733' first='Abijah' last='Webb'] WR, Pendleton   Webb spent half of the season on the bench in street clothes while recovering from an injury. It prevented us from seeing him develop a real rapport with freshman sensation [player_tooltip player_id='1094520' first='Jace' last='Grass'] - but we'd seen first-hand how dynamic he can be. He caught 80 passes as a junior and racked up nearly 2,700 receiving yards over the course of the last three seasons (18 games).    [player_tooltip player_id='809743' first='Mandrell' last='Sanders'] LB, Hampton County | Sanders put up 14.5 tackles for loss in 11 games this year, and his ability to come off the edge has already proved to be a game changer throughout his time at Hampton County. He's got quick-read capability that should be helped by playing on an artificial surface that tends to run fast anyway.    [player_tooltip player_id='272709' first='Malachi' last='Jefferson'] DL, James Island | An all-state performer at Indian Land as a sophomore, Jefferson moved to the Lowcountry prior to his junior season and all but dominated for the next two years. He can play multiple positions up front and is adept at shedding would-be blockers. He's maximized his 5-foot-11 frame and is one of the highest-ranked uncommitted players in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='272715' first='Brady' last='Albro'] QB, Chapin & [player_tooltip player_id='1012707' first='Lincoln' last='Huskey'] QB, Boiling Springs | Between the crafty Chapin senior and the gritty left-handed Bulldog, Albro and Huskey are going to give the South defense plenty to worry about. They have two very different skill sets with one thing in common; they have strong arms and don't turn the ball over very often. Consider this: in 541 pass attempts between the two of them (347 for Albro, 194 for Huskey), they've thrown only 11 interceptions.    [player_tooltip player_id='1255330' first='Noah' last='Lucas'] TE, Lower Richland | Lucas can catch the ball out of multiple pre-snap sets, even though he maybe wasn't used in that capacity as much as we thought he might be. Where he can make a difference Saturday in Myrtle Beach, though, is with his run blocking. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end is bigger than many high school offensive lineman and he's got a huge reach that allows him to engage better than most. Especially in some of the short-yardage situations that arise, Lucas can be largely effective.    [player_tooltip player_id='1360145' first='Aaron' last='Griffin'] WR, River Bluff | If a couple decades of watching all-star games has told us anything, it's that the best-laid offensive plans break down quickly, often in the milliseconds after the snap. Griffin can make something happen out of chaos. His hands in traffic will give South quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='346199' first='Landon' last='Sharpe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby'] a quick release option. And when Griffin hauls in anything, he's a threat to take it the distance.    [player_tooltip player_id='1360221' first='Cal' last='Pitts'] OL, Clinton | Pitts was largely overshadowed by Clinton teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1165753' first='Tre' last='Aiken'] all season during the Red Devils' Class 2A title run. And while the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder won't be the biggest guy for the North squad this week, we already know what he brings to the table. And since he's one of just two players in the trenches for either squad who was playing in Weekend of Champions, he might just still be riding a high from that.

Between the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl, Saturday's two primary all-star evens in the Palmetto State will be one last chances for a few uncommitted seniors to impress would-be college scouts.