Blowing Up Together: Positional Groupings Who Could Dominate 2025

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The microcosms of this sport make it even more interesting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And you don't have to be a stats nerd like us to appreciate it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How teammates respond to each other, how they drive each other, how they then take their collective talents and make everyone around them better, it's all vital to a team's success.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It also elevates their respective individual prospects for playing beyond high school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In most circumstance, these subsets have already worked together. In others, we've got a few changes brought about by the high school transfer portal that we can't wait to see in action.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Either way, these guys feed off each other and give their teams something special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267285' first='JT' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639684' first='Tyree' last='Patton']</strong> LB, Summerville&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of 21 mile-per-hour linebackers playing for one of the state's best big-class squads? Yes, please. Last fall, Williams and Patton combined for 230 tackles and 35 tackles for loss, Between the two of them, they took turns blitzing the quarterback, breaking up passes and forcing five fumbles. Summerville has a hole or two to fill on the defensive line, but the potential for the middle of the Green Wave defensive unit is undeniably strong.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756223' first='Nate' last='Carson']</strong> (LT), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209335' first='Kieron' last='Vauls']</strong> (LG), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165106' first='Bryson' last='Moore']</strong> (C), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267313' first='Vernen' last='Hairens']</strong> (RG) and <strong>Grayson Kohler </strong>(RT) OL, Irmo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All State center <strong>Ryan Love</strong> graduating this spring would have changed the entire feel of most offensive lines. Yet, looking at what returns is the driving talking point about an Irmo offense that also lost a star quarterback and star receiver to the P4 level. Carson and Kohler give the Yellow Jackets some big bookends, while Vauls, Hairens and Moore are all battle tested as prior starters. Between the five of them, they have the technique and power to humble some pretty good front sevens in the Midlands.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594865' first='Brysen' last='Ginn']</strong> (OLB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592625' first='Dequan' last='Evans']</strong> (MLB) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271263' first='KJ' last='Burg']</strong> (OLB), South Pointe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Evans holding down the fort in the middle of the Stallions' base defensive packages, Ginn and Burg can stretch their legs a bit and give South Pointe's staff all the flexibility it could possible need. The latter two can push up to the line or drop back in coverage. It makes this unit one of the very best statewide in terms of production. After all, this group put up 316 total tackles last season. This time around, they're somehow capable of even more.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard']</strong> QB and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172363' first='Khristian' last='Jackson']</strong> WR, Ridge View</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When two receivers transferred out of the program in recent weeks, it opened the door for guys like <strong>Omari Johnson</strong> and <strong>Jourdin Mack</strong> to go from effective reserves to starting. But the main event with the Blazers' passing game is the continued connection between Howard and Jackson (pictured). That duo linked up 49 times for 737 yards last fall, when they were both sophomores. And best part is that new focal point happened on the fly after Jordon Gidron was injured early in the year. Howard and Jackson are both expected to be in the DI ranks down the line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422524' first='Josh' last='Dobson']</strong> (CB), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608770' first='Tyler' last='Robinson']</strong> (CB), <strong>Ian Babcock</strong> (S) and <strong>Xavier Gilmore </strong>(S) DBs, Catawba Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1283361' first='Jaylon' last='Richardson']</strong> transferring to nearby Northwestern, the Copperheads' defensive backfield is among the unit rolling into 2025 with the most clout. Robinson, a transfer himself (from Nation Ford) will likely start at corner opposite Dobson, while Babcock and Gilmore - who started a combined 18 games last fall - will return at safety. The recruiting attention Dobson is getting will only aid the others in their own pursuits.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson'] </strong>(S), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639678' first='Gehad' last='Sneed']</strong> (M) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267216' first='Kevin' last='Rivers']</strong> (W), Berkeley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To have three linebackers from the same school all ranked inside the top 150 overall in the Class of 2026 should tell you plenty about what we think of the Stags' linebacking corps. Henderson has a leg up on his teammates in that he's been such a big part of this defense for longer, but all three of them gelled last fall during their first big run together. They combined for 263 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks as juniors.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->