Biggest Offseason Storylines In Class 3A

It didn't take long for Class 3A to be highly affected by the transfer market.    On one hand, you had one of the biggest stars in the class leave when [player_tooltip player_id='779428' first='Tajeh' last='Watson-Martin'] - the Overall No. 2 player in the Class of 2027 - elected to make the short move from Belton-Honea Path to Class 4A Westside. But when [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray'] decided to head to Oceanside Collegiate from Summerville, it meant the No. 1 overall player in the 2027 rankings was moving into Class 3A.    We're not under any illusions that those two will be the only impact players to come or go before games commence in the fall. However, player movement is also only one storyline we're watching closely between now and August.   The offseason will be chock full of player news and development that we'll track. Here are some additional storylines we can't ignore.    QUARTERBACKS NAVIGATING REALIGNMENT    One of the bigger impacts of realignment will be a new-look grouping that includes 18 teams that were Class 4A in the last cycle dropping down a division this time around. That's more than half of the 34 football-playing teams currently set to re-form Class 3A.   And that means a bevy of talent in a new division and ready to stand out. The list of quarterbacks dropping down by itself is extensive.    Quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1581467' first='Brooks' last='Dow'] (Pickens), [player_tooltip player_id='1354590' first='Greyson' last='Rimpf'] (Camden), [player_tooltip player_id='1094520' first='Jace' last='Grass'] (Daniel), [player_tooltip player_id='1615056' first='Ford' last='Wallace'] (Hartsville), [player_tooltip player_id='1467847' first='Beau' last='Hite'] (Emerald), [player_tooltip player_id='1790580' first='Jacob' last='Owings'] (Wren), [player_tooltip player_id='1816457' first='Andrew' last='Frick'] (Brookland-Cayce), [player_tooltip player_id='1816441' first='Marek' last='Yates'] (Crestwood) are all ranked in our system and are going to be among an experienced collection of signal callers playing down a class compared to the last two-year cycle.    Not surprisingly, those players all put up some pretty good numbers in 2025 as juniors or sophomores, respectively.    We think, in turn, it gives the next six months a great lightning rod of intrigue. Starting with the Carolinas Coaches Combines in March and April, we're going to see some big arms not only on display via offseason events, but also a likely competition forming between them. There's no reason to believe we won't see a bunch of matchups between some of them during some 7-on-7s before we get to the 2026 season.   And the remaining Class 3A teams aren't exactly lacking in some quarterback star power as it is. Oceanside Collegiate's [player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian'] will be going after his fourth state championship ring. Christ Church's [player_tooltip player_id='1199124' first='Judd' last='Windham'] will be back after throwing for 2,160 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hanahan's [player_tooltip player_id='1615084' first='Tripp' last='Gallus'] threw for 1,500 and 14. Swansea's [player_tooltip player_id='1672924' first='Kendall' last='Wright'] (pictured) exceeded 1,100 total rushing/passing yards and 10 total touchdowns against just one interception.   Needless to say, getting a bunch of them on a field simultaneously for various events this spring and summer should be a fun watch.    CAN OCEANSIDE CONTINUE ITS DOMINANCE?    Manavian is going to get all sorts of attention. He's been shoving off rumors of his own transfer for the better part of the last two years, and the chance to go after that ultra-elusive fourth state championship might have been his ultimate deciding factor for not following suit.    His list of targets sure doesn't hurt, either.   Oceanside heads into the bulk of the offseason with four receivers having already notched a 500-yard campaign or better. Kelly-Murray went for 1,200 as a sophomore at Summerville before loading up another 950 as a junior. The Landsharks will also bring back [player_tooltip player_id='1823853' first='Anthony' last='Williams'] (61 receptions, 1,061 yards in 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1165105' first='Trent' last='Garner'] (36, 589) and [player_tooltip player_id='1674386' first='Cooper' last='Webb'] (37, 533) should put on some shows during the 7-on-7 schedule and then right on into 2026.   Not enough?   Tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1664501' first='James' last='O'Connor'] will be back after missing most of his junior season with an injury but with memories of his productive sophomore year still fresh.   Defensively, hybrid [player_tooltip player_id='1824235' first='Michael' last='Strickler'] (81 tackles, two interceptions) and defensive back Cole Gaspar (55 tackles, five interceptions) are both back. And let's not forget the late-season surge we saw out of [player_tooltip player_id='2098783' first='Tyler' last='Stafford'] after getting onto the field for the first time at the end of October. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker piled up 40 tackles, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in just six games.   Kelly-Murray will likely see defensive snaps again, so he'll only continue to bolster what Oceanside is bringing to the table on that side of the ball. Corner [player_tooltip player_id='1155334' first='Damonte' last='Green'] is another. And on and on.   Oceanside's starting point at this stage of the calendar is better than most, and it's got the confidence to roll through the offseason the right way.    DARK HORSE ROSTERS TO WATCH CLOSELY   No one is going to simply given another trophy to the Landsharks, but before we get to a point where we can determine any of that, we've got plenty of high hopes for Class 3A as a whole starting to excel away from the perceived top of the division. The likes of Daniel, Powdersville, Wren, Christ Church, Camden, Bishop England and Hartsville will have challengers pushing them.   We've got four in particular - two in the Upper State and two in the Lower - who could make some significant progress this spring.   Over at Pickens, Dow is the star after throwing for 1,500 yards, rushing for another 900 and putting up 22 combined touchdowns. But he's not alone. Tailbacks [player_tooltip player_id='1619372' first='Will' last='Stone'] (491 yards touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1708840' first='David' last='Bolden'] (463, two touchdowns) and receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1823740' first='Cam' last='Wilson'] (550 yards, three touchdowns) are all back and could turn into an explosive four-pronged attack in a hurry.   Broome will be replacing it's top passer and rusher, but [player_tooltip player_id='1453176' first='Brayden' last='Simpson'] can play quarterback or receiver for this team and is coming off a year in which he tallied more than 1,000 total passing/rushing/receiving yards. Defensive standouts [player_tooltip player_id='1819503' first='Nick' last='Morgan'] (66 tackles, eight tackles for loss) and Aayden Hemphill (47, seven) can also make major strides over the coming weeks and months. Simpson and Hemphill put up seven total interceptions, while Hemphill and Morgan tallied three sacks. The Centurions will be working toward maximizing those impact figures.    In the Midlands, Brookland-Cayce's muddled 3-7 2025 season and some SCHSL-induced coaching suspensions took a lot of the luster of what was supposed to be Lewis Clyburn's first year at the school. During his absence, though, the Bearcats showed us this team could make some noise real soon.    [player_tooltip player_id='1816457' first='Andrew' last='Frick'] (quarterback), [player_tooltip player_id='1816469' first='Avery' last='King'] (tailback), [player_tooltip player_id='1360306' first='Bennett' last='Plane'] (receiver/tailback) and [player_tooltip player_id='1816473' first='Evan' last='Simmons'] (linebacker) are all coming back and already have a number next to their name in our system. Budding receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1816471' first='Mekhi' last='Pringle'] is also a contributor on special teams. Linebacker Antwoine Lawson started to take off at the end of the year, putting up 11 tackles for loss in his final four games of his junior year.    And over at Crestwood, the Knights have a large number of reasons to be optimistic for offseason workouts and events. Despite star youngster [player_tooltip player_id='1823496' first='Jayden' last='Martin'] accompanying his dad to Georgia, Crestwood has a pair of top-end tailbacks who could both easily surpass 1,000 yards this fall. [player_tooltip player_id='1664643' first='Calvin' last='Wofford'] already did it last fall when he finished with 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns. And 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='437772' first='Brayden' last='Boults'] wasn't far off, using his elite speed to go for 743 and nine. Combine them with Yates at quarterback and [player_tooltip player_id='1664498' first='Yachin' last='Gamble'] - one of the Midland's most dynamic rising seniors at linebacker - and the Knights shouldn't be an afterthought to anyone after winning six games in Class 4A last fall.    NEXT WAVE OF RECEIVERS?    Existing Class 3A programs sticking around for another cycle are going to be losing some significant talent. Seven Top-100 players in particular from the Class of 2026 will leave noticeable holes to fill, with the three receivers in the group all finishing their careers inside our Overall Top 15.   Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='816751' first='Jude' last='Hall'] is done at Christ Church. So are fellow receivers [player_tooltip player_id='1592182' first='Terence' last='Johnson'] (Oceanside Collegiate) and [player_tooltip player_id='1165092' first='Tylin' last='Drakeford'] (Camden). What it's going to do is create some interesting offseasons while returning players to those rosters or (in the case of Kelly-Murray at Oceanside) a new face appears. In most cases, it almost assuredly won't be a single player taking up that production.   At Christ Church, [player_tooltip player_id='1823701' first='Hayes' last='Lyman'] (35 receptions, 481 yards) and [player_tooltip player_id='1821096' first='Hampton' last='Shields'] (27 receptions, 306 yards) will be asked to become even more consistent targets for returning quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1199124' first='Judd' last='Windham'] (2,160 yards, 22 touchdowns). And this is clearly not an offense that minds running the ball, either. Sensation [player_tooltip player_id='293593' first='Michael' last='Martin II'] busted out for 1425 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground. We wouldn't be surprised to see him top his 257 carries from his sophomore season. But the next few months will determine the flow of this offense.   Camden will turn even more to [player_tooltip player_id='1734538' first='Isaiah' last='Smith'] (27 catches, 468 yards) and tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1302875' first='Will' last='Haunert'] (23, 434), two players the returning quarterback (Rimpf) was clearly comfortable with throughout 2025. That bond should be evident well in advance of spring ball.

It didn't take long for Class 3A to be highly affected by the transfer market.