CCC West Florence: Previewing the 2026s

West Florence is trending as a springtime proving ground for the Carolinas Coaches Combines.   A multi-year site for the event, players from GSPD and Midlands all show up with a shot to prove themselves against other top-notch talent. On March 30, we're seeing the trend continue.   Of the nearly 200 players selected for the site, every positional group has a few standouts, along with other who are ready to cut their teeth. As such, we're attacking our preview of the 2026s heading to West Florence with a player who has already earned lofty expectations as well as another who you might not know but has all the ingredients for a standout performance.   Let's get to it.    Defensive Back    [player_tooltip player_id='816754' first='Tyree' last='Cauthen'] DB, Myrtle Beach (pictured)   Speed. Cauthen's already proved he's got it. Don't believe us? In December of 2023 at the now-defunct Joanne Langfitt Challenge, Cauthen popped 22.07 miles per hour. Four months later at last year's Carolinas Coaches Combines, he hit 21.80. Then, during a game in October, he reached 21.85, a figure seldom reached by players in game wearing full pads.    [player_tooltip player_id='861530' first='Ryan' last='Small'] Pee Dee Academy   Every year at one of these, a SCISA player turns heads after coming into the event with very little fanfare. The reason why is clear: Small-school guys tend to play a bunch of different positions and have the muscle memory to compete in various positional groups. Small, who plays tailback and a hybrid defensive back spot normally, checks those boxes.     Linebacker    [player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware'] Gray Collegiate    While Boulware has yet to suit up in a Carolinas Coaches Combines, he's our top-ranked linebacker in the Class of 2026 because of the ways he stands out in game action. He's got enough burst to be a next-level middle linebacker, and he's also active enough with his feet to do well in the passing game. Without pads on, we expect Boulware to shine at West Florence.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639819' first='Michael' last='Cavallini'] North Myrtle Beach   Cavallini was on track for a pretty good junior season when he suffered a fractured leg and missed the last two months of the regular season. He returned for the Chiefs' two playoff games and then spent the winter wrestling, where he worked his way up to the state's top 10 in Class 5A in the 150-pound weight class. Cavallini is clearly back to 100 percent and then some.   Defensive Line   [player_tooltip player_id='1267206' first='Dontrell' last='Wilson'] DL, Camden    A year ago at West Florence, Wilson started to give us an indication of what type of junior season he was about to have when he performed well in the one-on-ones, ripped off a highly respectable 19 reps on the bench and even ran a faster 40 than we were expecting. He's stronger now than he was, and the return trip should help him fulfill even more expectations.    [player_tooltip player_id='1592054' first='Tyson' last='Braxton'] South Aiken    At 5-foot-11 and 280 pounds, we liked what we saw off Braxton's junior film enough to move him into our rankings in January. But we simultaneously think the interior defensive lineman has only scratched the surface. He can shed blocks and is used to multiple players trying to block him. As such, we'll be paying close attention to him in person.   Offensive Line   [player_tooltip player_id='402516' first='Zyon' last='Guiles'] OL, Carvers Bay    This will be Guiles' third appearance in the Carolinas Coaches Combines, and while some believe he has nothing left to prove, there are still a few recruiting stones he's left unturned. He's got legit size that doesn't come around often, and he's got plenty of reason to keep showing everyone that he's capable to taking over regardless of who's lined up against him.   [player_tooltip player_id='1551561' first='Aaden' last='Starnes'] OL, Hartsville   Starnes was a bit of a late bloomer, and until the beginning of his junior year, it wasn't even clear if he'd be a starter for the Red Foxes. When he got his opportunity, he never let up. We know he's big, but we'll be interested to see where his verified numbers stack up. Chances are, he might very well be the tallest player at the combine.    Tight End   [player_tooltip player_id='1576586' first='River' last='Thayne'] Carolina Forest   Thane has earned the right to be considered among the top tight ends in the class - be it 2026 or Class 5A. And we don't say that lightly. While he only caught three passes last fall, his blocking skills are as clean as they come for the position. He's strong (20 reps on the bench last year) and only getting stronger.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267320' first='Jon' last='Kelly'] Myrtle Beach   Just up the road from Carolina Forest, Kelly is on the other end of the tight end spectrum from Thayne. He's a receiver first, and had he not missed the majority of the 2024 season, he would have probably been targeted 25-30 times. He's 6-foot-2 and just shy of 200 pounds and has the hands capable of taking over a combine session.    Running Back   [player_tooltip player_id='1592250' first='Hayden' last='Myers'] River Bluff   In his second appearance in the series (Myers participated in York a year ago), he's coming in with the confidence of a 1,360-yard rushing campaign that also included 12 touchdowns runs. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield. Considering he's already got a 20.65 time in a Catapult vest, any increase there could be a boost to his recruitment.    [player_tooltip player_id='1639822' first='MyQuan' last='McWhite'] Wilson    McWhite appears to be one of the concentration points for new coach Brian Wilson. He's got sneaky speed and at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds is strong enough to break tackles. At West Florence, McWhite's ace up his sleeve is that he's got great lower-body strength that should help him in the open-field drills while sharing the field with some big-time ball carriers.    Receiver   [player_tooltip player_id='1165163' first='Zamaurious' last='Robertson'] Dillon    Robertson missed time as a junior due to an injury, and then came back a couple weeks later and was a game changer in the Wildcats' passing game. He's going to be grouped with a strong receiving corps during this session. That won't stop him. Robertson thrives on competition and now that he's got a couple decent offers under his belt, it should only continue.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639826' first='JayAun' last='Perkins'] South Florence    Perkins is going to be competing on his former home turf after transferring from West Florence last month. And while he played on a team that didn't throw a ton, we've got plenty of in-game data on him that shows he's got an extra gear when given the opportunity. Perkins looks like a Division-I receiver in the making, and a strong combine performance could be key.   Quarterback   [player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky'] AC Flora    With regular teammates [player_tooltip player_id='1165081' first='Kendall' last='Byrd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1592441' first='Charlie' last='Scott'] both on site, Wentzky could light up West Florence. We already saw him throw for many of his 2,600 yards and 28 touchdowns last season, so we know how accurate he is. If he catches a rhythm during the competition portion of the event, all bets are off.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267347' first='Alex' last='Sandt'] St. James   Sandt is one of those players who had to not only follow up a multi-year established starter, but had to do so while the rest of the roster was also being replace. None of the Sharks' issues take away from his big right arm and what it can do. He'll be among a small number of three-year combine selections, and his final shot at this could be his ticket.

West Florence is trending as a springtime proving ground for the Carolinas Coaches Combines.