Prep Redzone Preseason 5A All State Team

So far, you have seen our first 4 All-State Teams in the new classification breakdown in North Carolina. This process has not been easy, and there are a lot of deserving players who may not necessarily be named to these teams, but the ones that are absolutely deserve it. So, let’s get comfortable and take a look at the 5A Classification All-State Team by Prep Redzone North Carolina.

Offense

QB – Ely Hamrick Ely Hamrick 6'4" | 210 lbs | QB Crest | 2026 State NC – Crest

RB – Jaden Hartsfield Jaden Hartsfield 5'8" | 200 lbs | RB/LB Southern Nash | 2027 State NC – Southern Nash

RB – Yoshua Mcbryde – St Pauls

WR – Namajay Thompson Namajay Thompson 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR Crest | 2027 State NC – Crest

WR – Aaryn Tate – NE Guilford

WR – Bryson Simpkins Bryson Simpkins 6'3" | 210 lbs | ATH Monroe | 2026 State NC – Monroe

TE – Jaxon Dollar Jaxon Dollar 6'5" | 210 lbs | ATH East Lincoln | 2027 State NC – East Lincoln

OL – Andrew Wright Andrew Wright 6'2" | 290 lbs | OL/DL South Point | 2026 State NC – South Point

OL – Rahshad Swinton Rahshad Swinton 6'3" | 300 lbs | DL Hickory | 2026 State NC – Hickory

OL – Elijah Shoe Elijah Shoe 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL JM Robinson | 2026 State NC – JM Robinson

OL – Riley Boswell Riley Boswell 6'5" | 270 lbs | OL/DL Fike | 2026 State NC – Fike

OL – Desmond Simmons Desmond Simmons 6'2" | 280 lbs | OL North Gaston | 2026 State NC – North Gaston

All Purpose – Lawson Reynolds – Erwin

Flex – Grant Lawless Grant Lawless 6'4" | 200 lbs | QB East Lincoln | 2026 State NC – East Lincoln

Analysis – This was tough, especially at the quarterback spot, where there are several strong candidates for consideration. Ultimately, in Hamrick and Lawless, we have two strong-armed and accurate players who are committed to Virginia and Wake Forest, respectively. I have seen Hartsfield a number of times this offseason, and he’s ready to have an even bigger season, along with McBryde. Our receivers are big-time playmakers in Thompson and Tate, and I think Simpkins will really play a big role in the defending champion Redhawks’ offense. Jaxon Dollar Jaxon Dollar 6'5" | 210 lbs | ATH East Lincoln | 2027 State NC was a no-brainer at Tight End, as he’s a matchup nightmare – too fast for linebackers, and too big for defensive backs. Our offensive line has great size and technique, with college commits and prospects. The key is the All Purpose role in Lawson Reynolds – he was the conference player of the year who had 70 catches for over 1100 yards, 23 touchdowns, AND 110 tackles and 5 interceptions on defense. Wow!

Defense

EDGE – Christopher Bispham Christopher Bispham 6'2" | 270 lbs | DL Havelock | 2026 State NC – Havelock

EDGE – Landen Harding Landen Harding 6'3" | 240 lbs | EDGE/TE Jay M. Robinson | 2028 State NC – JM Robinson

DL – Ben Boulware Ben Boulware 6'5" | 305 lbs | DL Oak Grove | 2026 State NC – Oak Grove

DL – Antwan McKoy Antwan McKoy 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL St. Pauls | 2027 State NC – St Pauls

LB – Luke Faulkner Luke Faulkner 5'11" | 220 lbs | LB/RB Southern Nash | 2026 State NC – Southern Nash

LB – Jeremy Johnson Jeremy Johnson 5'8" | 165 lbs | RB/ATH C.B Aycock > Wilson Prep Academy | 2026 NC – CB Aycock

LB – Dorrian Medley Dorrian Medley 6'3" | 170 lbs | DB Hickory | 2026 State NC – Hickory

DB – D’various Surratt D’various Surratt 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB Crest | 2026 State NC – Crest

DB – Lyrik Pettis Lyrik Pettis 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Crest | 2026 State NC – Crest

DB – Jeremiah Deese Jeremiah Deese 6'3" | 200 lbs | DB Northeast Guilford | 2026 State NC – NE Guilford

DB – Brett Rowland Brett Rowland 6'3" | 175 lbs | DB/WR Hickory | 2026 State NC – Hickory

Flex – Caniyus Rushing Caniyus Rushing 6'4" | 260 lbs | DL Monroe | 2027 State NC – Monroe

Analysis – Man, what a group! Starting off with the two edges, Bispham and Harding give us two guys who can get after the quarterback with power and speed, but they also can anchor the edge down in the running game. The middle of the defensive line is super strong with Boulware and McCoy, who can push the pocket very well. Our linebackers are a nice mix of speed and power – Faulkner is a great plugger and tackler in the middle, while Johnson and Medley have great speed on the outside, and have excellent versatility where they can drop in coverage or rush the passer off the edge. The Crest duo of Surratt and Pettis are two of the best in the state in the back end with their elite combo of coverage and tackling in space. Deese at NE Guilford has excellent size and speed and can intimidate physically. And, we couldn’t leave off a player who had an incredible 11 interceptions last season in Rowland from Hickory! The flex role in Caniyus Rushing Caniyus Rushing 6'4" | 260 lbs | DL Monroe | 2027 State NC , he is the next dominant defensive lineman in the state, and I can’t wait to see what he does this season.

Honorable Mention

QB Caden Ingle Caden Ingle 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Erwin | 2027 State NC – Erwin

QB Jaquez Crawford – NE Guilford

RB LJ Watson LJ Watson 5'7" | 165 lbs JM Robinson | 2026 State NC – JM Robinson

WR Mike Edwards – Crest

TE Drew Easter Drew Easter 6'4" | 223 lbs | TE/EDGE Southeast Alamance | 2027 State NC – Southeast Alamance

LB Carter Toney Carter Toney NC – Hickory

DB Gavin Smith – South Point

ATH Zane McCraw – West Henderson

Top Projected 5A Teams (In No Order)

Crest

East Lincoln

Erwin

Hickory

Monroe

JM Robinson

South Point

Northeast Guilford

Southern Nash

Havelock

West Carteret