2026 CCC Invite Only Standouts

COLUMBIA | The Carolina Coaches Combine brought together over 130 of the top 2026 prospects in the state to showcase their talents in front of the Shrine Bowl and North-South coaches on a sunny, warm Sunday morning at River Bluff.   Several college coaches were in attendance as well.   The players broke out into position groups and ran more drills than station work but several talents caught the attention of the onlookers.   Here are 18 players, at least one from each position, that stood out the most to us.   DEFENSIVE LINE   The defensive line group was impressive with the eye test and at times more intriguing when you watched them in action. [player_tooltip player_id='1025808' first='Chris' last='Stewart'] (Andrews) was a man on a mission, and he played each rep with a purpose. He was difficult to slow down in work against the offensive line. Then when a 60-yard sprint was put in place, Stewart led his group by a wide margin.   [player_tooltip player_id='816734' first='Terry' last='Radford'] (Chester) is another guy that let his quickness and sudden burst show. He took great angles and was able to use a swim move a couple of times to get around a bigger offensive lineman.   LINEBACKER   We're only going to mention three guys here, but we will have more linebackers in another story tomorrow. First and foremost, [player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware'] (Gray Collegiate) showed by je's the top ranked linebacker for us in the 2026 Clas. He's lean, quick and gets to the ball carrier in a hurry.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson'] (Berkeley) has been a tackling machine, and he showed. He has a quick first step and even though he was a smaller frame, he's proven difficult to block. A guy that's been under the radar somewhat is [player_tooltip player_id='1196428' first='Jalen' last='McGraw'] (Bamberg-Ehrhardt). He's a two-way player for the Red Raiders but he repped with the linebackers and showed that might be his position on the next level.   DEFENSIVE BACK   This was a small but talented group. [player_tooltip player_id='473009' first='Jeremiah' last='Favorite'] (Boiling Springs) is the sixth-ranked player in the state, and he showed great hips and ability to run with receivers in passing drills. His upside is tremendous, and he is only going to get better. [player_tooltip player_id='1025815' first='Caleb' last='Geronomi'] (White Knoll) is as good as any in individual drills. He does a little bit of everything for the Timberwolves, but he locked in on receivers and attacked the ball in drills on Sunday..   SPECIALIST   [player_tooltip player_id='816752' first='Will' last='Love'] (Spartanburg) showcased a booming leg, and his punts and kickoffs were some of the longest and highest hang times of the day.     QUARTERBACK   There were several quarterbacks on hand but the two that seemed to be head and shoulders above the others were [player_tooltip player_id='1165148' first='Jachin' last='Davis'] (Stratford) and [player_tooltip player_id='1639712' first='Triston' last='Lewis'] (Greenwood).   Davis is in the middle of a playoff push as a pitcher for the Knights baseball team that is in the Class 5A, Division I lower state championship series, but he stepped on the football field and looked very comfortable making every throw. His passes were accurate and had a little bit of zip on them. Lewis commanded attention and stood tall in the pocket and threw balls well across the middle as well as deep and outside routes.   RUNNING BACK   The running backs on hand was the smallest group outside of the specialist but there was talent on display. [player_tooltip player_id='473027' first='Meliq' last='McGowan'] (Goose Creek) is our top ranked running back and he showed outstanding cutting ability and vision in finding small creases in running lanes.   [player_tooltip player_id='1148537' first='Jaryn' last='Fox'] (Carolina Forest) and [player_tooltip player_id='402503' first='Michael' last='Doe'] (North Augusta) also gave the coaches a lot to think about. Both are coming off huge rushing seasons and those numbers could increase this season. They're about the same size and almost looked interchangeable in the drills.   WIDE RECEIVER   When [player_tooltip player_id='473013' first='Carter' last='Coleman'] (Blythewood) was coming off to the side one time, one of the coaches said his route running is some of the best he's seen. Coleman is a sure-handed receiver that makes the right cuts and moves when expected.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592447' first='Jacobien' last='Lewis'] (Loris) also ran some great routes and went up and got the ball in a few different drills. He could become a larger factor on the offensive side of things but he will continue to play a lot of different roles for the Lions.   TIGHT END   [player_tooltip player_id='1656624' first='Nick' last='Buggie'] (Lucy Beckham) has been a combine warrior and he transitioned that into individual drills on Sunday. He has a huge frame (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and he blocked well against Edge defenders also showed the ability to catch the ball in traffic.     OFFENSIVE LINE   The offensive line might have been the deepest group on hand. Several players showed great promise, and it was led by [player_tooltip player_id='402516' first='Zyon' last='Guiles'] (Carvers Bay). The South Carolina commit locked in on defenders and didn't give them much wiggle room. Plus, he was well ahead of his group when they ran to 60-yards after doing a short suicide.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592650' first='Ethan' last='Cash'] (South Florence) continues to develop and should handle the left tackle spot for the Bruins this season. He's up to 340 pounds now but moves well and uses his length and leverage well in smaller spaces.

COLUMBIA | The Carolina Coaches Combine brought together over 130 of the top 2026 prospects in the state to showcase their talents in front of the Shrine Bowl and North-South coaches on a sunny, warm Sunday morning at River Bluff.