CCC 2026 Invite Only: Thirty Names You Need To Know

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.   The All-Star game coaches have a tough task of picking the teams. Here are 30 names of players that we feel should be included among that group.     DEFENSIVE LINE   [player_tooltip player_id='797155' first='Justice' last='Hopkins'] (Byrnes) blew away the competition in the 60-yard sprint for the guys dressed in the blue t-shirts. He started fast and built on his lead. He had an overall great day as he flashed well in several of the drills. [player_tooltip player_id='1463245' first='Luciano' last='Cesario'] (Dutch Fork) continued to show what we've seen on film. He might be a little undersized but he's difficult to block and has a relentless motor.   [player_tooltip player_id='367827' first='Bristol' last='Biegenzahn'] (West Ashley) moved well and handled blocks well in the trenches. [player_tooltip player_id='1669645' first='Jamie' last='Williamson'] (West Florence) was one of the bigger defensive linemen on site and he proved to be hard to move and made it difficult to create running lanes.   LINEBACKER   Pound-for-pound, this might have been the most talented position group on the day. [player_tooltip player_id='1639678' first='Gehad' last='Sneed'] (Berkeley) continues to impress us the more we see him. He's physical and gets to the point of attack in a hurry. [player_tooltip player_id='1025776' first='Raleigh' last='Salters'] (Dutch Fork) has been a mainstay on one of the best defenses in the state the past two seasons. He makes sure everyone is in the right position and is quick to the ball-carrier.   [player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon'] (South Florence) is everything we've seen on film from the last two seasons. He's solid and doesn't have much wasted effort in shedding blocks. He's able to read and react quickly to the direction of the play. [player_tooltip player_id='1592362' first='Josue' last='Esiki'] (White Knoll) is built like a tank with a solid lower body that will bode well for him. He moves well and his lower body strength will give him an advantage in most situations. [player_tooltip player_id='1372151' first='Jakyri' last='Anderson'] (Belton-Honea Path) might have had one of the most productive days. He had a hand in several plays and showed a great change of direction when needed.   DEFENSIVE BACK   [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] (Lamar) made several plays in defending receivers. His biggest attribute was he was able to turn and run with guys and kept them within range. He plays a lot of quarterback now but he proved his position in college will be defensive back. Another player that was able to do that was [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] (Waccamaw). He plays a lot of different roles for Warriors but he more than held his own against a talented bunch of receivers. [player_tooltip player_id='1267265' first='Amare' last='Reaves'] (South Florence) flashed in several of the individual drills and then made a couple of plays while the ball was in the air to leave a solid impression.   A lot of the defensive backs play several positions for their respective high school teams but then focused on one thing Sunday and it paid off. [player_tooltip player_id='1515761' first='Jalin' last='Collins'] (Strom Thurmond) moved well and was able to guard some of the taller receivers. [player_tooltip player_id='1165165' first='Jaylen' last='Singletary'] (Hampton County) was fluid in his movements and kept receivers in front of him. [player_tooltip player_id='1732610' first='Julius' last='McCrea'] (Carvers Bay) shined as well and showed he could be an elite defender in college.   QUARTERBACK   [player_tooltip player_id='1592374' first='Trey' last='Burke'] (Spartanburg) delivered a lot of nice soft touch passes that receivers were able to handle with ease. [player_tooltip player_id='1395094' first='Jaylen' last='Augustus'] (Darlington) stood tall and displayed an extremely strong arm. He was able to throw passes into tight windows. [player_tooltip player_id='1592310' first='Quinn' last='Mahoney'] (Bishop England) made all the correct reads and threw to the open receivers. He also showed the ability to move away from the rush and deliver the ball on the move.   RUNNING BACK   [player_tooltip player_id='1161156' first='Javen' last='Cook'] (Clinton) showed a burst with the ball that made him hard to keep up with. He also made precise cuts and was able to make them quickly and without hesitation. [player_tooltip player_id='1395098' first='AJ' last='Lee'] (Andrews) was one of the quicker backs and showed great acceleration when needed.   Nehemias Fernandez (Laurens) showed excellent hands coming out of the backfield and he made the right cuts when he needed to. [player_tooltip player_id='1592250' first='Hayden' last='Myers'] (River Bluff) was playing on his home turf, and he wasn't disappointed. He held his own and showed the ability in both the receiving game and finding holes to hit with the ball in his hands.   WIDE RECEIVER   Caiden Cole (Carolina Forest) played in a run-heavy offense, but he could be a breakout candidate this season. He showcased great speed and perfect hands when passes were within reach. [player_tooltip player_id='1592034' first='Kori' last='Moates'] (Woodruff) was another player that excelled due to great route running and good hands. [player_tooltip player_id='1327713' first='Matthew' last='Hillstock'] (Easley) moved quickly and was able to find open spots continuously during the drills. He gave the quarterbacks a good target to find.   TIGHT END   Wesley Gorsage (Lexington) not only caught our eyes but also the eyes of the coaches on hand. Speaking to one coach, he said Gorsage would be a beast in the Wildcats offense as both a pass catcher and blocker. He has the size to block Edge players and soft hands in making catches. Jessup Boulware (Chapin) also fits the mold of Gorsage. He is going to be an asset to the Eagles attack in both the running and passing game.   OFFENSIVE LINE   Aidan Mack (Crestwood) displayed great feet and the ability to pull and get out on the edge. He plays with a bullish attitude and that should help him transition to the college game. [player_tooltip player_id='1394980' first='Chris' last='Coleman'] (Northwestern) is physical and used his arms and hands well in one-on-one matchups.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267220' first='Zion' last='Britt'] (Berkeley) is powerful and is strong in a straight-ahead attack. He also can pass protect and once he solidifies his base, he's difficult to move. [player_tooltip player_id='1592667' first='Cooper' last='Sanders'] (Wren) showed his versatility by long snapping as well as holding his own against a talented defensive front that knew what was coming most of the time.

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.