2025 Preview: Spartanburg Vikings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Spartanburg has traditionally been at their best, the Vikings have had a QB who takes care of the ball, a difference-maker at RB, and some key pieces up front on both sides.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Don't look now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings are coming into 2025 with heavy losses on defense, but with a wealth of offensive talent back and a ton of high expectations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"One of the good things about this year is the number of offensive guys we've got returning," Spartanburg assistant coach Nate Harris said. "We've got a quarterback who's an ECU commit. We've got a running back who's up-and-coming. We're replacing a lot of receivers, but it's fun to coach these guys. Defensively, we've got some folks to plug in."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's all going to start with that QB Harris mentioned. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592374' first='Trey' last='Burke']</strong> was kind of shoved into the spotlight last season after an injury gave him the job. He embraced the opportunity, and he's only getting better</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Trey's the ultimate competitor," Harris said. "He's been put in some situations he probably didn't deserve, but that's made him the player he is now. This is the first time he's going into the season as our full-time quarterback, and I can't wait to watch him throw it around."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The RB, meanwhile, is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172345' first='Trenton' last='Lynch']</strong>. Harris said he looks like some of the storied backs from Spartanburg's past.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which one? Well, a bunch of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"He's a combination of a lot of the great guys who have come through here, and he's just a baby," Harris said. "He's still figuring it out. Once he sees what he can do, he's going to be pretty good."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's pretty good already, as more than 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns last year showed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They'll be looking at some young faces on the outside, but there's some experience there, as well. <strong>Keyvion Ferguson</strong> is a big target, while <strong>Kendrion Keenan</strong> and <strong>Zeke Bell-Boyd</strong> both return. The Vikings also return talent on the line, despite replacing a couple of key starters. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1172345' first='Trenton' last='Lynch']</strong> RB, 2027 - Pure speed, balance, power, and vision: Lynch has all the tools that truly great RBs possess. He looks like the latest in a long line of fantastic Spartanburg backs, and with two successful years under his belt already, he's just scratching the surface of what he's capable of.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592374' first='Trey' last='Burke']</strong> QB, 2026 - The keys to the Vikings' offense belong to Burke, and now he's going to have a full offseason as QB1 under his belt. Burke has good vision and great pocket presence, can make every throw, and improves with every rep. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jordan Atkins</strong> DE, 2026 - Atkins had a good year, and he's looking for an even better one. He's a standout lacrosse player as well, and he uses that athleticism to make himself better on the football field. Atkins is athletic and tough to block he pursues plays well, and he'll absolutely wreck you when he gets to the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816752' first='Will' last='Love'] </strong>K, 2026 - Ok, we get it. This might be the first time we've put a kicker in this spot. But [player_tooltip player_id='816752' first='Will' last='Love'] is DIFFERENT. Harris said that every day he pulls onto campus via Plainview Drive, a football sails over his car, courtesy of Love. He also said the Vikings feel very good lining up a field goal from the opponent's 30, and reasonably good much further than that. That's a game-changer in high school. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16977122/670c6029b452005df8b79906' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6872a9c31dd52"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cam'rich Smith</strong> LB - Smith was a force for the Vikings on the defensive side of the ball, and did a lot of things that just can't be replaced. He was a leader both on and off the field, and the heartbeat of the Vikings' defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>John Hammond</strong> C - Hammond was the anchor of a very good offensive line, effective against the rush and great at run-blocking. The learning curve to replace him is a steep one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734457' first='Brendon' last='Carson']</strong> OL, 2026 - Carson is stepping into an even bigger role on the Vikings' OL and it's his time to shine. He's a physical guy who can take on defenders at the line and finishes his blocks well into the second level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1663749"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6872a9c320cca"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grayson is one of those rare dudes who can play at DB as well as at LB, and be excellent at both. He's also an insanely talented return man, and will be counted on to do a little bit of everything for the Vikings. With Spartanburg replacing a bunch of pieces on defense, Grayson is the type of player who can immediately make his mark.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19677112/66e0caa81679ec1fd4645135' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6872a9c320d15"} /-->