CCC: 2027 Session I Defensive Standouts

DORCHESTER | John Mason made an impression Sunday morning without running a single combine drill or participating in any of the individual or group sessions.   The Bethune-Bowman standout linebacker suffered an arm injury recently and was in a cast from the tip of his fingers to the midway point of his right forearm. Still he made a brief appearance to get his official measurables taken and those figures should turn heads.   The hybrid linebacker will start getting significant traction after he chimed in at just shy of 6-foot-4 and 207.6 pounds. He also had a 78.5-inch wingspan. The more eyes recruiters get on him, and especially as his film from last fall, will help boost his personal stock.    Last fall was his first in South Carolina after moving from New York. Surely, his name will begin to circulate more and more.   But like we said, the high-motor linebacker didn't have a single rep Sunday. The 2027s who did were worthy of all the talking points from the morning session they created.   [player_tooltip player_id='1869156' first='Javion' last='Hall'] DB, Woodland   You knew the host school's athletes were going to be ready for the conditions, and Hall proved it. His testing data was middle-of-the-pack, but his movement as a corner and safety were both evidence of his experience and knowing the task at hand. On one pass, he reached up at the last minute to break a throw that looked behind his reach up before the ball got to the receiver.    [player_tooltip player_id='1581470' first='George' last='Handley'] DL, Carolina Forest (pictured, left)   Handley made waves at the 2025 Carolinas Coaches Combines when he was nearly unblockable and his jersey was ripped to shreds from offensive linemen grabbing him in an effort to slow him down. This time, Handley had clearly added significant power to his quick first step. He routinely won the leverage battle en route to the dummy signifying the quarterback.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820730' first='Daven' last='Brown'] DL, Porter-Gaud (pictured, right)   If you couldn't pick up on it, we like linemen who can move. Count Brown right into the mix. The SCISA standout had 42 tackles and 16 tackles for loss as a junior. He'll almost assuredly top those figures as a senior. This weekend, just about every one of his testing categories fell into the top 10 for the positional group. He's not tall at 5-foot-11 (and some change), but at 232 pounds, he proved he wasn't simply some stocky lineman taking up space by how quickly he navigated the drills.    [player_tooltip player_id='1217173' first='Rakeem' last='Walker'] DB, Bamberg-Ehrhardt   A few months after helping the Raiders win the Class A state title, Walker showed up ready to work Sunday. He was leading the individual drills for the defensive backs and then stood out to the coaches on staff in his coverages. His fluidity from snap to snap was apparent.   Brandon Cawley LB, West Ashley   Whether it was the early more cold or some rust, Cawley didn't test particularly well in some of the events to open the combine (save for his 14 reps on the 185-pound bench), but he has the look of a gamer who can turn it on when its most important. The 5-foot-9, 198-pound linebacker found another gear at the midway point and look stout in the back half.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664217' first='Kiawan' last='Ford'] DL, Battery Creek   Ford is the walking embodiment of why underclassmen are run through the same drills as those being evaluated for a spot in the Shrine Bowl or North-South. A year after he posted respectable numbers, Ford returned and was nearly a full inch taller, 10 pounds heavier and displayed a wingspan that was 2.5 inches longer than 2025. He then went out and shaved .33 of a second off his 40, added nine inches to his broad jump, cut .35 of a second off his pro shuttle time and improved his bench by seven reps.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816968' first='Eli' last='Pressley'] LB, Summerville   Presley was honored for avian the fastest 40 in the morning session (4.6 seconds), but he was so much more than a single quick sprint. Also chiming in at 5-foot-9 (and 187 pounds), Pressley was leading his unit throughout the individual drills. All of that came after he put up respectable testing figures in the pro shuttle (4.44), medicine ball throw (27 feet) and bench (17 reps).   [player_tooltip player_id='1271262' first='Alex' last='Tchoryk'] DL, Philip Simmons    The 6-foot-2, 193-pound edge rusher has mostly played with his hand on the ground, but in a couple reps Sunday showed he can do what he does best standing up, as well. His length caused problems against some even taller tackles, and his 77.5-inch wingspan will be  a continued problem for quarterbacks attempting outlet passes.    Nashaun Kinder DB, Georgetown    Speaking of gamers, Kinder went mostly unnoticed until it was time to compete in multi-player sessions during the combine. The pint-sized defensive back was moving extremely well through the drill sessions. He stepped in and took some reps at receiver, too, but his coverage skills are prevalent and going to pay dividends for the Bulldogs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822839' first='Josh' last='Bigger'] DL, Hilton Head   Bigger was unable to participate in the combines last year while he was recovering from a minor injury. But this spring he showed up and impressed with a verified 6-foot-1, 233-pound frame. He sported a 74-inch wing span and then did well in some of the power figures (91-inch broad jump, 21 bench reps, 29-foot medicine ball throw).   [player_tooltip player_id='1820970' first='Preston' last='Iagulli'] DL, Carolina Forest   Iagulli has the look of a late bloomer who could wreak some havoc over the rest of this calendar year. The Panthers' rising senior is still very raw (he registered nine tackles as a junior in mostly an under-billed role), but he forced folks to take notice when he measured in at 6-foot-3 (and a quarter) and sported a wingspan that was one-quarter inch south of 80. He's got a massive stride that allowed him to glide to an ultra respectable 4.88 40-yard dash in less than stellar conditions.    [player_tooltip player_id='1820994' first='Carter' last='Hawkins'] DB, Timberland   Hawkins was a bit of an under-the-radar guy for most of his high school career. That started to change in January when the likes of Syracuse and Liberty jumped into the mix. On Sunday, we saw a player who can absolutely play DI ball. Also a track standout, Hawkins just missed a 30-inch vertical while hitting 117 inches on the broad jump. Expect him to be a massive part of the Wolves' offense next fall, too.   Melvin Ancrum DL, Colleton County   With his new coaches on site, Ancrum showed how his size is going to be a boon for the interim of the Cougars' defensive line. He moves very well laterally for 5-foot-11 and 287 pounds, and he's got a bit of an extended reach with his 75.5-inch wing span and showed no signs of slowing down despite sporting a thick brace on his right knee.    [player_tooltip player_id='1422535' first='Jayvin' last='Risher'] LB, Hilton Head   Risher came in with a fire and his eyes throughout the session were locked on his target. Risher, who started at Hampton County before making the move to Hilton Head prior to the 2025 season, was giving his fellow linebackers reason to watch intently as he'd get into his crouch pre-snap. After the fact, his first step was drawing some comments from those same one-day teammates.    [player_tooltip player_id='1823810' first='Devin' last='Cobbs'] DL, Cane Bay   We profiled Cobbs earlier in March as an underrated player to watch from the Lowcountry. On Sunday, he made us look like we were on to something. He showed up an inch taller than 10 pounds heavier than we previously had him at. The established run stopper's frame and combine testing then showed he has acclimated to the increases already and is prepared to become a possible force on the line for the Cobras.

DORCHESTER | John Mason made an impression Sunday morning without running a single combine drill or participating in any of the individual or group sessions.