CCC: 2027 Lower State Sleepers

When the Fort Dorchester site of the Carolinas Coaches Combines opens for business on March 29, there will be no question about where most of the star power lies.   There are invited players with scores with huge production value, size, speed and major college offers set to attend.    But the beauty of the combine is how the event can be a catalyst for the next wave of standouts across South Carolina. Guys who maybe haven't had their shot, others who have struggled with injuries, still more who simply haven't fully progressed to the point of leading for their respective teams via points or tackles or any other metric.   Here are 10 Lower State players we believe can use the CCC to their full advantage to create their own jump start to bigger and better things in the 2026 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1644939' first='Keandre' last='Allen'] ATH, Colleton County   A year ago, Allen measured in at 6-foot and 179 pounds before running a highly respectable 4.73 in the 40-yard dash and nearly hitting 30 inches with his vertical. By all accounts he's put on some size since then, and if he's kept his relative speed, he could turn some heads at receiver (he also plays linebacker and in the defensive backfield). He'll have plenty of open-field chances.    [player_tooltip player_id='1822960' first='Reilly' last='Sumner'] OL, St. James (pictured)   Sumner won't be the tallest offensive lineman to participate at Fort Dorchester, and he might not even be in the top five of those who attend. But what Sumner does have is two seasons of on-the-job training in a program that hasn't exactly done so hot. He's been in a lot of uncomfortable situations and has reacted to them better than expected. We'll be interested to not only see how he performs, but if he's grown from the 6-foot-3 and 78.5-inch wing span we measured him at last spring.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821266' first='Meleak' last='Duncan'] RB, Darlington    Duncan is one of two tailbacks on this list who missed time as a junior with an knee injury. It slowed his progression and probably didn't do many favors for the Falcons as a whole. But with star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1395094' first='Jaylen' last='Augustus'] out of eligibility, Darlington's offense is going to look a lot different from here on out. Duncan is part of the solution He's got very little tread off his tires and has already showed what he could do in small doses.   Jhustyn Funnye DB, Waccamaw    Funnye was on the brink of turning a lot of heads a year ago at West Florence, when he ran a 4.79 40-yard dash and put up quality broad jump and vertical jump numbers. A modicum of improvement in all three will do the trick this time around. Because at the end of all the number crunching from last spring, it was evident that he didn't have his best day. Funnye is a strong athlete who will have a chance to mirror his game film with a strong effort at Fort Dorchester.   [player_tooltip player_id='1675500' first='Roman' last='Hood'] DL, Philip Simmons   As we tipped to back in January, Hood is ranked in our system, and he's absolutely worthy of that spot even though he missed three games last fall. But here's why he could be a monster at Fort Dorchester: Despite missing that time, he had 28 tackles for loss. You don't do that without a great first step and some power. His speed should help him stand out against the offensive linemen he'll be going against during the one-one-ones.    [player_tooltip player_id='1763191' first='Tony' last='Cooper'] RB, May River   Cooper gets lost in the crowd … until he makes something happen. We get both sides of it. He was a shade under 5-foot-6 and a whopping 149 pounds at last year's combines. He's a touch bigger now, but that's not really the point. Cooper is in line to take over the Sharks' more prominent tailback roles and he's got the goods to make it count for a first-year head coach. He averaged 6 yards per carry in the phone booth of an offense May River ran, and it didn't happen by accident.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664620' first='Gavin' last='Elliott'] DB, Gilbert   Calling a player we have ranked in the top 250 of the 2027 rankings a sleeper might be a bit of a stretch. But in these terms, we see big things coming down the pipe for a defensive back who finished his junior season with 95 total tackles and plenty of range to do enough to take care of business everywhere else. Elliott can cover receivers one-on-one, and his showing at Fort D should provide him the chance to show he's got next.    [player_tooltip player_id='1819311' first='Connor' last='McGovern'] RB, Bishop England   Similar to Duncan at Darlington, McGovern never really got his momentum going after suffering what equated to a knee bruise during the preseason. The Bishops were a pass-first offense, but it still changed some of the dynamic of the scheme with him out. It just so happens that his appearance at the combine will mark what is expected to be a much more increased workload. He's healthy again finally and at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds should get high-quality reps.   Jordan Tyrek Davis LB, Wilson   Davis' best skill set is how good of a tackler he is, especially after having to fight through a block to make the stop. Of course, that won't come into the equation during the combines, but his ability to get from Point A to Point B translates nicely to an event where taking guys to the ground is heavily discouraged. The 6-foot, 185-pound outside linebacker moves extremely well in all four directions, something that will boost his individual stock if he puts it on display.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816291' first='Trace' last='Selfridge'] ATH, Swansea   Selfridge was initially listed as a tailback for combine purposes, but that's sort of like saying duct tape is only for HVAC work. He's one part running back, one part receiver, one part defensive back and can also be effective in special teams. He's spread out so much he doesn't often have the numbers of some of the players across the state only focusing on one job, but Selfridge does it all on an above-average clip. He's a ball player, no question about it.

When the Fort Dorchester site of the Carolinas Coaches Combines opens for business on March 29, there will be no question about where most of the star power lies.