CCC West Florence: 2028s To Know

Ian Guerin April 4, 2025 @ 11:33 AM

Of the 25 players in the Class of 2028 who participated at the West Florence site of the Carolinas Coaches Combines, 12 reached at least 21 miles per hour in the Catapult 1 GPS vests.    And four of those players all finished in the top nine in the category for the site, regardless of class.   So, while the total number of players was relatively small in comparison to the 2027s and 2026s, the production value in the Cat 1's was extremely fruitful. Let's start with a look at every 2028 who topped 21 miles per hour.   [player_tooltip player_id='1615072' first='Levar' last='Gilchrist'] DB, South Aiken - 22.58 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672833' first='Trace' last='Hillian'] RB, Hartsville - 22.53 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672894' first='Brady' last='McDowell'] WR, Carolina Forest - 22.43 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1467828' first='London' last='Wilder'] ATH, Socastee - 22.43 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672851' first='Ziggy' last='Offord'] WR, Lakewood - 21.84 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672848' first='CJ' last='Hickmon'] WR, Hartsville - 21.81 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1467823' first='Jayden' last='Martin'] ATH, Crestwood - 21.49 mph (pictured)   Keenen Cunningham WR, Lugoff-Elgin - 21.41 mph   Marcus Brown WR, Socastee - 21.21 mph   Braden Lawton QB, Spring Valley - 21.18 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672914' first='Carsyn' last='Harris'] ATH, Gray Collegiate - 21.08 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672936' first='Kaleb' last='Brooks'] DB, South Aiken - 21.07 mph   [player_tooltip player_id='1672918' first='Kayden' last='Rogers'] DB, Latta - 21.04 mph   Besides the raw speed, there were plenty of noteworthy Combine stories.   [player_tooltip player_id='1467828' first='London' last='Wilder'] ATH, Socastee   Wilder said idle for most of 2024 after getting injured early in the year. Go ahead and assume he's back to 100%. The only part of Wilder's combine appearance that wasn't well above the norm was his two reps on the 185-pound bench. But we can overlook that since he still only weighed in at 156 pounds and he's got time to develop that strength. He's going to get bigger, and having that 22.43 as a starting spot for his wheels tells us Socastee has an electric playmaker for the foreseeable future.    [player_tooltip player_id='1672833' first='Trace' last='Hillian'] RB, Hartsville   Hillian was nominated as a linebacker, as that's the position he played last fall for the Red Foxes. But coach Jeff Calabrese has known for some time that Hillian was going to be one of Hartsville's top ball carriers for the next three seasons. Everything he did Sunday said that plan will work out just fine. He opted that 22.53 miles per hour (which was the third fastest of any player in the combine, regardless of class), and his 4.37 shuttle tells us his change-of-direction abilities are just fine. After spending last seeing how it looks from the other side, we might have just seen a sneak peek of the Red Foxes' next big ball carrier.    [player_tooltip player_id='1672848' first='CJ' last='Hickmon'] WR, Hartsville   Speaking of Red Foxes, Hickmon was a relative unknown coming into Sunday. He caught a single pass for 22 yards as a freshman while sitting behind a few upperclassmen at the position. The 6-foot, 150-pound receiver, though, gave us every reason to believe he could be a huge weapon very soon. From his 80-inch wingspan to his 21.81 miles per hour to his 37.2 vertical, everything screamed monster catch radius.    [player_tooltip player_id='1672914' first='Carsyn' last='Harris'] WR/LB/DB, Gray Collegiate   In reverse of Hillian, Harris worked out on offense Sunday but probably has another another year before he sees much time on that side of the ball for the Eagles. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver-to-be is likely going to be a hybrid linebacker and safety in 2025 so Gray can keep him on the field. Long term, his number at West Florence tell us quite a bit, too. Not only did he hit 21 miles per hour, his acceleration time was through the roof, and he checked a lot of other boxes.

Of the 25 players in the Class of 2028 who participated at the West Florence site of the Carolinas Coaches Combines, 12 reached at least 21 miles per hour in the Catapult 1 GPS vests.