Unsung Heroes: Iredell County

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 Iredell County in North Carolina. Let's get started.   Maddox Blackburn - LB - Mooresville - Maddox, I think, fits this category perfectly. Not many people would know he was the Blue Devils' leading tackler last season, with several seniors moving on from this squad going to play college football. Maddox has nice size for an inside linebacker and does a really good job in run fits and playing off blocks in the interior running game. At 6'0 and 215 pounds, Maddox also boasts a 4.3 GPA, which is a major plus to help in college football recruiting.   K'jaceon Mcinnis - DB - Statesville - Mcinnis was definitely a key player to the success the Greyhounds defense had this past season. Though his Twitter profile lists him as a free safety, Mcinnis played a lot of cornerback and totaled 5 interceptions on the season. I like the range he shows on his safety snaps, and he's always managed to find a way to be around the ball at the corner spot. He's good in man or zone coverage and has some good speed to stay with receivers all over the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='612107' first='Jayden' last='Nordtveit'] - RB - Lake Norman - Jayden had a strong senior season for the Wildcats, being named All-Conference and stepping into a starring role in helping lead Lake Norman to the state playoffs. Jayden has a nice combination of speed & power with the football in his hands, and he has some excellent receiving skills out of the backfield as well. Jayden also has a 4.2 GPA and an offer from Oberlin College - I think as time moves forward, he will have some more opportunities come his way to play college football.   Devon Reddy - OL - South Iredell - Playing in a pretty good conference, Devon was named Offensive Lineman of the Year, which is an impressive accolade for a team that had its share of struggles this past season. At 6'3 and 275 pounds, Devon plays a physical brand of football on film. I like his aggressive hands in pass protection - I've never seen so many defensive ends on the ground from hand punches in one film before. I think his best football is in front of him if he gets the opportunity to play college football.   [player_tooltip player_id='1333070' first='Kaleb' last='Sales'] - QB - North Iredell - At 6'0 and 160 pounds, Kaleb was a big part of the North Iredell offensive attack for the past several years. Kaleb is a dual-threat quarterback who did a lot of his work on the ground overall. The highlight of his career has to be getting North Iredell to the state playoffs in his junior season, breaking a long streak of years where the program wasn't close to postseason play. I think if he does choose to play college football, he's probably playing another position, but Kaleb is a good athlete who did a really good job of making North Iredell a team you had to prepare for and play hard against in his career.   Ex-avier Peet - ATH - West Iredell - Exavier is a talented player who's shown throughout his career that he can play just about anywhere on defense - from the secondary to the defensive line and in between. Exavier developed into a dynamic threat off the edge this past season with 9 sacks to go along with 55 total tackles, and 19 of them for loss. The West Iredell program became a lot better as Exavier developed as a player, and at 6'2 and 220 pounds, I think he's a legitimate college football prospect. That being said, Exavier has offers from Concord, UVA-Wise, Emory & Henry, & Fairmont State.   Reid Tammaro - ATH - Pine Lake - At 6'2 and 180 pounds, Reid played all over the field for the Pride this past season. Reid was a force off the edge as a pass rusher, using speed he developed as a standout track athlete in the offseason. Reid played as a hybrid outside linebacker/strong safety on defense, and as a wide receiver on offense, showing some playmaking ability with the football in his hands in space. With his size and speed combination, Reid could be a player who makes an impact on the college football level if he decides to pursue the game further.

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 Iredell County in North Carolina. Let's get started.