Unsung Heroes: Cabarrus County

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are doing some work on the Class of 2026, and my colleague Will Helms is focusing on some unsigned talents and our rankings update, both of which you can check out on our homepage! I started to sit down and think about how to highlight the 2026 class, and I got the idea to highlight some players who do the dirty work but don't get a ton of recognition. In this edition, we will focus on select players from Cabarrus County in North Carolina. Let's get started.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>**Note</strong> - Players from AL Brown, West Cabarrus, Cox Mill, Hickory Ridge, and Central Cabarrus were highlighted in a previous Unsung Heroes article covering the Greater Metro Conference**</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578351' first='Antonio' last='Howie']</strong> - WR - JM Robinson - Antonio led the Bulldogs in catches in his senior year, and in watching him live and up close, he's a playmaker who can make tough contested catches down the field. He finished the year with 24 catches for 455 yards and 7 touchdowns overall. Antonio helped the Bulldogs make a nice run to the 4th round of the state playoffs this past season. Antonio has some nice speed and can separate well against man coverage, especially. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1692877' first='Justin' last='Smith']</strong> - OL - JM Robinson - A 6'3 285-pound offensive line prospect, Justin has started to gain some recruiting interest over the past few weeks. Currently, he has offers from Brevard, Ottawa, Chowan &amp; Dean College, among others, and has some visits lined up to some local college football programs as well. I like Justin's power and agility combination that could make him a guard or tackle prospect on the next level. I think he's one of those players where the upside is really high, and a smart college football program will get a steal with him. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keyshaun Barnette</strong> - DB - NW Cabarrus - A 2-time All-Conference selection, Keyshaun was a star on both sides of the ball for the Trojans this past season. 365 Receiving Yards and 5 touchdowns on offense, and then 47 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 4 tackles for loss as a defensive back. At 6'2 and 180 pounds, Keyshaun's overall athleticism and speed in the open field are major pluses for him. I think Keyshaun could have some opportunities on the next level as long as he remains patient through the recruiting process. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Terren Miranda</strong> - OL/DL - NW Cabarrus - Terren was selected as an All-Conference defensive lineman, and he played on both sides of the ball for the Trojans this past season. He was a team captain, and I was impressed with him seeing him live. He plays well off of blocks in the interior of the defensive line, and he can stop the run well. His overall strength, combined with his hand usage to disengage, are his strengths as a defensive lineman. Terren has been offered by Brevard and Hampden-Sydney College previously. The other thing about Terren is that he plays hard for 4 quarters, no matter what the situation is. Awesome from that perspective. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Harrison Grant</strong> - EDGE - Concord - I didn't know much about Harrison, honestly, before doing research for this particular series. But this young man is a player. As an EDGE prospect, he explodes out of his stance in pass-rushing situations and gets speed to power very quickly. He uses his hands well to shed blocks in the running game, and he's got nice closing speed to make tackles and sacks in the backfield. Harrison picked up an offer from Emory &amp; Henry University back in December. He stands at 6'2 and 225 pounds, a nice physical frame to keep building from in a college football program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ayden Smith</strong> - LB/RB - Mount Pleasant - Ayden was a big-time producer in his career at Mount Pleasant, and as a linebacker, he embodied what it was to be a middle linebacker for sure. At 6'1 and 220 pounds, he makes sense for a program that wants a tackling machine in the middle of their defense. Ayden was named All-Conference and also stars on the wrestling mat, showing his overall physicality as a player. Ayden was also a team captain and helped lead Mount Pleasant to some successful playoff seasons throughout his career as a Tiger. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1024870' first='Brady' last='Ravin'] </strong>- LB - Cannon School - Committed to play college football at Washington &amp; Lee, Brady was also selected as a 1st Team All-Conference linebacker this past season. He's been a tackling machine the past couple of years for the Cougars, and also shows the speed and athleticism to play well in the passing game, a true 3-down linebacker for sure. Brady has been a captain for the past three years, and a major reason for the success Cannon has had on the field in recent years as well. Brady finished his senior year with 118 tackles, which led the NCISAA Division in the state of North Carolina. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->