CFI Carolinas Winter Showcase Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As State Championships are being played this weekend, there is a large number of players looking to get on the radar of college football coaches at the CFI Carolinas Winter Showcase! This showcase is being held at Rocky River High School in Charlotte, NC. CFI (Charlotte Football Insiders) has been hosting showcases since 2020 and has become one of the leaders in putting high school football players in front of college football coaches for exposure and potential offers to play college football. This showcase will host over 170 players from the Carolinas and beyond! We will preview some players to watch at each position below. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Quarterbacks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a number of impressive quarterbacks who will be in attendance here. [player_tooltip player_id='1607782' first='Aury' last='Greenfield'] helped lead the JM Robinson Bulldogs to the 4th round of the playoffs as a junior and is emerging as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='2078902' first='Carter' last='Casteel'] from Cox Mill was an All-Conference player as a sophomore and led his conference in passing yardage. [player_tooltip player_id='1228977' first='Chance' last='Cato'], a Queen City Senior Bowl selection, was a 3-year starter at Olympic and helped them win their conference championship outright this past season. [player_tooltip player_id='1453983' first='Geronimo' last='Sanchez'] from Cape Fear is one of the better quarterbacks from Eastern North Carolina who is making the trip to compete and get in front of some college football programs, as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Running Backs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some impressive playmakers in this group, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1277000' first='Damonte' last='James'], who is getting some offers now, including a PWO offer to Charlotte, along with some Division 2 offers such as Wingate University. Damonte has some electric speed in the open field, and despite being the offensive game plan week in and week out, he put up a ton of yards and touchdowns on the ground this season for Central Cabarrus. [player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk'] is another dynamic player with the ball in his hands, and his speed and agility in the open field, plus his ability to play at receiver just as well as running back, should give him a chance to shine here. Zach Jones had over 200 yards rushing and multiple touchdowns in his last game for Hopewell against Butler in the playoffs, and Kyngston Denson is a big-time player from Western North Carolina making the trip down to Charlotte. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wide Receivers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Starting out, [player_tooltip player_id='1449604' first='Gavin' last='Ramirez'], from Cox Mill, can play some tight end along with receiver, and was a top performer back in the spring at this very showcase. [player_tooltip player_id='1870841' first='Zion' last='Caesar'], a talented freshman from Ballantyne Ridge, is just starting to scratch the surface of how good he can be. [player_tooltip player_id='1668973' first='Sione' last='Latimore'] really broke out in the second half of the season from Cox Mill, and he could have a really special offseason this year. [player_tooltip player_id='1909807' first='Jolani' last='Legette'], a Queen City Senior Bowl selection, I expect to turn some heads, along with [player_tooltip player_id='1616138' first='Xavier' last='Hutchens'], an impressive-looking sophomore from Kings Mountain who looks better and better every time I see him. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offensive Line</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm excited about the 2026 guys in this room; they will have a really good opportunity to shine here. [player_tooltip player_id='1600376' first='Rico' last='Jones'] from Chambers is a big guy, but he moves well and could show off his athleticism during the agility circuits. Cal Cary from North Iredell is a bit of a hidden gem in my opinion - he has excellent size and led them to some success in his career up front. Plus, he can play multiple positions up front. [player_tooltip player_id='2001422' first='Mykie' last='Anderson'] from Rocky River is a player who is getting some recruiting love - he has an excellent physical frame and flashes dominance on film at times, especially in the running game. [player_tooltip player_id='1692877' first='Justin' last='Smith'] from JM Robinson is another strong player who is starting to get some deserved attention from some Division 2 level programs as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defensive Line</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some really, really impressive pass rushers in this group. First, [player_tooltip player_id='1601648' first='Kalum' last='Stewart'] and Zitayvion Rucker - both Queen City Senior Bowl selections - figure to shine well here. They both show strong bursts at the line of scrimmage and tie it together with good hand usage. [player_tooltip player_id='1678685' first='Braylon' last='Arnold'] from Davie County is a returning top performer from the spring, and [player_tooltip player_id='1321140' first='Ja'Shawn' last='Shaw'] is coming off a 9-sack season for a very good West Charlotte football team. [player_tooltip player_id='1616163' first='Makai' last='Henriquez'] figures to be another EDGE prospect to continue to watch as he grows physically, and Braylen Daniels is an impressive interior defensive lineman, another Queen City Senior Bowl selection. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Linebackers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a good group with some nice diversity. I really like [player_tooltip player_id='1321132' first='Dru' last='Drakeford'] from Palisades. He's been a very good inside linebacker who I'm excited to see move and cover in space. Brayden Fortenberry is a big reason why Stuart Cramer had a nice turnaround season and made it to the third round of the state playoffs. He's got good size and physicality at the point of attack. [player_tooltip player_id='1687769' first='Christian' last='Jarrett'] at 6'5 is a hybrid player who can both play in space at depth and come down and rush the passer off the edge for Kings Mountain. Darrell Harrison from Northwestern (SC) is intriguing with his size at 6'3 and 200 pounds. As a senior, he could be a late steal for a college football program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defensive Backs </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is some opportunity out of this group to really step up and shine tomorrow. There is some known talent here, though - [player_tooltip player_id='1671090' first='Miles' last='Smith'] is a physically talented safety who will have a chance to show how well he can cover down in man coverage from Berry High School. Justin Westbrook had a strong season for Myers Park with 7 interceptions and showed up to make big plays at critical times for the Mustangs consistently all season. Chase Spellman was an All-Conference player for Mallard Creek who had a penchant for also making some plays with the ball in his hands on offense and on special teams. Finally, [player_tooltip player_id='1310418' first='Austin' last='Roberts'] is a returning top performer who was a key player in the secondary for Providence who won their conference and made it to the 2nd round of the State Playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->