CCC: 2028 Defensive Standouts

DORCHESTER | The third and final session of Sunday's Carolinas Coaches Combine stop at Woodland was jam-packed with talent from the 2028 and 2029 classes, meaning there were a lot more players and moving parts on the field as afternoon turned into evening.   That meant more athletes in each position group, more measurements to be recorded and more repetitions to squeeze into the same timeframe as before.   More chaos? Maybe if you asked the coaches running the combine - or the guys on the offensive side of the ball once the session closed with one-on-one drills.   Defensive standouts had strong showings in both sessions I and II, and that didn't change once the youngsters took the field. A pair of Summerville stars stole the show, with [player_tooltip player_id='1816961' first='Demarcus' last='King'] (pictured) bringing home top defensive lineman honors and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1061094' first='Jaylen' last='Pryor'] earning the top defensive combo award.   "I would say it feels amazing, but we come into these type of things knowing that we're the best at everything we do, so yeah, it's good to leave with it, but it's the expectation," said King, who joked after his 4.7 40-yard dash time that he would've been happy with just that, then showed explosive power and a quick spin move to stand above a loaded class of defensive linemen.   Here's a look at some more defenders from the Class of 2028 that caught our attention.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820344' first='Jayson' last='Arrieta'] DL, Hilton Head Island   Arrieta kept the offensive linemen across from him on their heels on each snap with a quick first step, and he made sure to punish them for retreating.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820220' first='Hayne' last='Burden'] DL, Hilton Head Christian   Burden showed a few different moves to get past his man on the way into the backfield, but the most successful one was a sharp spin move to the inside that the offensive lineman simply couldn't stop.   [player_tooltip player_id='1615021' first='Dexter' last='Chavous'] DL, Summerville   Power was the name of the game for Chavous, who at 316 pounds and a good haircut short of 6-2 looked every bit like a guy who can get interior offensive linemen moving backward in a hurry. Impressive hands.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823864' first='Jace' last='Coleman'] DL, Lugoff-Elgin   Coleman looked the part of the hole-clogging lineman who doesn't get fooled by anything flashy, displaying great awareness, a good burst and a nice spin move to the inside for good measure.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824297' first='Angelo' last='Crescenzi'] DB, Atlantic Collegiate   Crescenzi showed great awareness of exactly where he was on the field, and he did a good job of tracking the ball in the air and getting in front of receivers to break up passes while avoiding contact.   Jamison Edwards DL, Lucy Beckham   It may not have mattered who - or what - was in front of the 274-pounder on Sunday. He was crashing through, regardless, in order to get where he wanted to go. We loved seeing that fire.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821711' first='Jayden' last='Frazier'] DL, Hampton County   The reigning 2A Lower State champions should feel assured they have a key piece up front for the next couple of years in Frazier, who showed impressive footwork and balance that only enhance the power he has to drive back opposing linemen and ball carriers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821367' first='Triston' last='Garrett'] DB, Midland Valley   A top skilled defensive player award says plenty, and it's a continuation of what Garrett showed during his sophomore season. He showed a lot of fast-twitch athleticism, vision and awareness that make him a nightmare in the defensive backfield.   [player_tooltip player_id='1818651' first='Willie' last='Hudson'] DB, North Charleston   Quarterbacks, don't try to float anything over the top of Hudson. He showed great leaping ability and hangtime to snag a couple of balls in individual drills, and he didn't let anything get past him during one-on-ones.   [player_tooltip player_id='1827469' first='DJ' last='Johnson'] DB, North Augusta   Johnson displayed a clear knack for tracking the ball well in the air and putting two sure hands on it once it was within range. No shocker from a guy who fought through the trees for rebound after rebound for the 4A basketball state champions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1819053' first='Tyler' last='Murray'] DB, South Florence   Murray did a nice job in pass coverage of reading the quarterback and anticipating the throw, with a couple of undercut routes and an easy interception on an underthrown pass in a small timeframe.   [player_tooltip player_id='1817693' first='Barnabas' last='Paye'] DL, West Florence   We loved seeing the way Paye tiptoed the line between over-eager and just eager enough to both start and finish every rep. He kept the pedal on the floor from whistle to whistle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1467819' first='Brandon' last='Poston'] DL, Aiken   We're not sure who Poston punished more, whichever offensive lineman was across from him or the tackling dummy in the backfield once he inevitably burst through the line. He attacked each rep with aggression.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821369' first='James-JJ' last='Shephard'] DL, Midland Valley   The first step is a killer from Shephard, who repeatedly got the best of his man from the word "go" during one-on-ones. He repeatedly left his man grabbing at his shirt as he blew past.   [player_tooltip player_id='1467808' first='Anthony' last='Simmons'] DL, North Charleston   Simmons drew praise during one-on-ones for playing with strong, violent hands, which he utilized to rip through attempted blocks on his way into the backfield.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821454' first='Landon' last='Simmons'] DL, Stratford   Outside, inside, it didn't matter for the 6-1, 272-pounder during one-on-ones against offensive linemen. His inside move from his end position stood out to us the most, though, as there was simply no stopping it.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816431' first='Damajah' last='Smith'] DL, Georgetown   Smith sought out contact during one-on-ones, perhaps just to show how easily he could get through it. We were impressed with both his rip technique and swim move, and beyond bullying his man we saw the speed that will still keep him in plays that go the other way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824325' first='Mason' last='Sumners'] DL, Pinewood Prep   Sumners absolutely attacked each rep in individual drills and one-on-ones, treating each one as if it may be the only one anyone saw. Maybe the only thing we liked more than that was how strong he finished each of those reps.

DORCHESTER | The third and final session of Sunday's Carolinas Coaches Combine stop at Woodland was jam-packed with talent from the 2028 and 2029 classes, meaning there were a lot more players and moving parts on the field as afternoon turned into evening.