Unsung Heroes: Southwestern + Greater Metro Athletic Conferences

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 second edition, we will focus on players from the Southwestern Conference and Greater Metro Athletic Conferences. Let's get started.   Southwestern Conference   Providence Panthers - LB [player_tooltip player_id='1600415' first='Colton' last='Bogan'] - Colton was the heart and soul of the Panthers defense for the last couple of years. He was one of the leading tacklers not only in the Charlotte Area, but in the state of North Carolina. He's a tough middle linebacker who deserves a lot of love and recognition for what he gave to the Panthers program, and he's a big reason why they took a step overall as a program this past season.   Palisades Pumas - DL [player_tooltip player_id='1079991' first='Joshua' last='Watts'] - Josh had a great season for the Pumas, and I thought he was a player that you consistently had to account for in your blocking scheme going against Palisades. An All-Conference player who I think has a future in playing college football at some point.   Ardrey Kell Knights - OL [player_tooltip player_id='1689891' first='Moses' last='Harper'] - The Knights literally got started on offense with Moses snapping the ball as their center on every play. An All-Conference player at 6'1 and 280 pounds, I think he has the ability to play on the next level. I like his ability to snap & step to shaded techniques the most when watching film.   East Mecklenburg Eagles - DB [player_tooltip player_id='1416957' first='Tremell' last='Brown'] - I liked Tremell when I saw him in person earlier this year. He was named an All-Conference player as a defensive back, and he has some athletic ability with the football in his hands on offense as well.   Ballantyne Ridge Wolves - RB Ty'Barious Young - Young did a lot of heavy lifting on the ground for the Wolves, whose program took a step in the right direction by getting a couple of wins this past season. Young is a hard runner with good vision who was named an All-Conference player this past season.   Rocky River Ravens - DL [player_tooltip player_id='1278435' first='Daniel' last='Echevarria'] - Daniel received his first offer from Livingstone recently at the CFI Carolinas Winter Showcase. An All-Conference player, Daniel provides a nice combination of speed and power off the edge at a good physical size at 6'3 and 210 pounds.   Greater Metro Athletic Conference   Olympic Trojans - OL Kyshaun Jenkins - With good physical size, standing at 6'5, Kyshaun has room to continue to grow and get bigger for a college football program. He was an All-Conference selection who was named "Offensive Lineman of the Year" by his conference. He's got some high upside, and definitely fits the criteria of this article, and helped Olympic to a conference championship.   AL Brown Wonders - LB/DB Gavin Yow - You may wonder how the conference leader in tackles is unsung. Gavin definitely deserves some recognition for doing a lot of dirty work defensively for the Wonders and getting them back to the state playoffs. Gavin has a nice combo of speed/power in a nice size of 6'2 and 210 pounds. Gavin was also an All-Conference selection.   West Cabarrus Wolverines - WR Camari McCrae - Camari was the leading receiver for the Warriors and showed a nice ability to both line up on the outside and run deep routes, or make tough catches out of the slot receiver position. Camari is a willing blocker and a two-sport player, as he stars on the basketball court as well.   Central Cabarrus Vikings - OL Paul Neal - We all know the super-talented [player_tooltip player_id='1277000' first='Damonte' last='James'], but it takes a good offensive line to make a great back, and Paul helped lead the charge for a strong rushing attack up front. Paul is strong and comes off the ball well with good power and athleticism. Paul was named an All-Conference player this past season.   Harding Rams - DB Antoine Harrington - A team captain, Harrington made some critical interceptions for the Rams that helped keep them competitive in some games. I also like the way Antoine isn't afraid to come up in run support and make tackles in space.   Cox Mill Chargers - LB Adrian Monford - This outside linebacker/strong safety made some impressive plays in space, resulting in a well-deserved All-Conference selection. I liked the way he tackled in space, most notably for a Chargers defense that got better as the season went along.   Hickory Ridge Ragin Bulls - DL Kingston Young - At 6'3 and 200+ pounds, Kingston was named a team captain and found ways to impact the game consistently while facing a lot of attention from the opposing team's offensive line. I think he has a chance to play at the next level as long as he remains patient throughout the recruiting process. Kingston is strong at the point of attack and uses his hands well.   Berry Cardinals - DB [player_tooltip player_id='1939459' first='Winston' last='Gibson'] - Winston has some good size for a defensive back at 6'1 and 170 pounds. I observed him in person earlier this season make some plays in man coverage, including making a nice interception as an outside corner. Winston has some good speed and overall athleticism as well.

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 second edition, we will focus on players from the Southwestern Conference and Greater Metro Athletic Conferences. Let's get started.