CFI Carolinas MEGA Showcase Additional Defensive Standouts

The Charlotte Football Insiders (CFI) Carolinas MEGA Showcase brought over 270 athletes from all over the Carolinas and put them in front of over 25 colleges in order to be recruited and possibly offered college scholarships. CFI in the last 5 years has had over 100 players gain offers through exposure from their showcases and events. This analysis will focus on some of the additional defensive standouts I noticed throughout the showcase.    Chima was VERY impressive to me, both watching live and going back and watching the film we collected from the showcase. His size allows him to play both defensive tackle and EDGE in some looks, and he showed good power-based rush moves from both spots during 1 on 1's versus offensive linemen. The showcase had a lot of very good defensive linemen, and Chima was definitely one of them. Chima picked up an offer from Concord University after the showcase and has since picked up another offer from UNC Pembroke.     Antonio was another impressive defensive lineman, and this was my first time ever seeing him live. With his size, he should definitely garner some early interest if he continues to perform like he did here at other camps and showcases this summer. Antonio had an excellent first step and used his hands well to shed blocks during the 1 on 1 period against offensive linemen. He figures to have a chance to contribute on varsity for the Hawks this upcoming season.     Another strong performance from a versatile defensive lineman who has been a top performer at previous CFI showcases. Kenyan showed some really good pass rush moves throughout the 1 on 1 period against offensive linemen. On film, Kenyan has shown the ability to slow the running game down as well with penetration in the backfield and disrupting gaps with consistency. It's only a matter of time before a college gives him an opportunity with an offer.     Caleb is one of our top linebackers ranked in the 2028 class, and he showed well here when I went back and watched some video. Caleb moved well throughout the individual position portion of the showcase, and held his own during the pass game 1 on 1's against running backs. In his sophomore year, I expect Caleb to take a jump both instinctually on the field and in his physicality on the defensive side of the football.     Ricky informed me he was battling a minor injury coming into the showcase, and the fact that he played through it told me all I needed to know from his mindset as a player. Everything I've seen from Ricky last season - from being named All-Conference, the speed and agility, and his work ethic - those things were on display once again here at this showcase. We moved him up a good bit in our state rankings update as a result of those things. Ricky earned an offer from Concord University after his showcase performance.     Elijah had a strong showcase overall in my opinion. Elijah showed some good technique with his footwork during the individual positional work in the showcase. As a safety, the 1 on 1 period can be a challenge, but Elijah showed some good patience on his reps and the skill to stay with slot receivers was impressive - I think he can slide outside and cover in some situations as well. Elijah's performance earned him an offer from Concord University after the showcase.

The Charlotte Football Insiders (CFI) Carolinas MEGA Showcase brought over 270 athletes from all over the Carolinas and put them in front of over 25 colleges in order to be recruited and possibly offered college scholarships. CFI in the last 5 years has had over 100 players gain offers through exposure from their showcases and events. This analysis will focus on some of the additional defensive standouts I noticed throughout the showcase.