CCC: 2027 Players That Are All-Star Ready

One of the biggest reasons the Carolina Coaches Combine goes across the states of North and South Carolina is to allow coaches from the various All-Star games to watch the prospects in a competitive environment away from the Friday Night Lights.   All the coaches have already watched dozens of hours of film on these guys. The South Carolina coaches for the Shrine Bowl want to put together the best possible team to face their neighbors to the north.   The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl Coaches want to pool the rest of the talent and honor them with a prestigious all-star game invite as well.   While we aren't involved with picking the teams, we were on hand to do our own evaluation. We saw several players that gave coaches reason to dig deeper into a player's background and request more film from his head coach.   Here's a list of 30 players who competed at the Woodland site of the CCC that we feel made a strong case for selection to one of the two more high profile games South Carolina has to offer.   QUARTERBACKS   [player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian'] Oceanside Collegiate   Manavian was a known commodity coming in with three state championship wins under his belt. He won the Session I Top Offensive Skill Award so all he did was enhance his profile to be considered for post season honors.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823525' first='De'Eric' last='Davis'] South Florence   Davis was more of an unknown, but his raw talent was on display. We overheard several of the All-Star coaches mentioning his frame, quick release and ability to throw the ball on a dime.   RUNNING BACKS   [player_tooltip player_id='1820227' first='Mah'Ky' last='Green'] Cross   Green won the Top Offensive Combo Award and looked good while doing it. He's been a multi-year contributor for the Trojans and did everything necessary for the coaches to write his name down on the short list.   [player_tooltip player_id='1603740' first='Thaddeus' last='Czarnecki'] Hilton Head   Coming off a stellar junior season, it might be better to list Czarnecki as an athlete than just a running back. He performed well in individual drills and had solid numbers across the board.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664643' first='Calvin' last='Wofford'] Crestwood   Wofford (pictured) showed off his athleticism with a 119-inch broad jump which tied for the best of the day. He was swift, moved well and made sure the coaches knew who he was by the end of Session II.   WIDE RECEIVERS   [player_tooltip player_id='1036782' first='Jagger' last='Spivey'] Ashley Ridge   Spivey is a tough-nosed receiver that showed he had soft hands and the ability to catch anything that came near him. He had a solid showing on the combine portion of the event before catching the ball well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822035' first='Ashton' last='Kellermann'] Philip Simmons   Kellerman is coming off a season in which he had over 1,300 yards so a lot of eyes were on him to see how he would stack up against his competition. He didn't disappoint and gave the coaches a lot to think about.   [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray'] Oceanside Collegiate   If there was one player that didn't need an introduction to the coaches on hand, it was Kelly-Murray. He's been starting on a high level since his freshman season and then went out and won the MVP of Session I.   [player_tooltip player_id='1811040' first='Leonard' last='Pressley'] American Leadership   Pressley came into the combine as an unknown, but he left with a lot of coaches excited to see what he can do this coming season. He's a big target at 6-foot-2 with incredible athletic ability along with great hands.   [player_tooltip player_id='2163955' first='Kenny' last='King'] Loris   King was limited in his junior season due to a late family-based transfer back to Loris, but he easily could be the top passing catching option for Loris this coming season. All his numbers were in the upper part of the chart and then he toasted defensive backs in the one-on-one drills.   [player_tooltip player_id='1603854' first='Eric' last='Richardson'] Lugoff-Elgin   Richardson was the MVP of Session II, giving the wide receivers both MVP honors of the sessions involving the rising seniors. He did everything well and had college coaches inquiring with combine coaches and scouts about what he did well.   OFFENSIVE LINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1820980' first='Michael' last='Ries'] Carolina Forest   There was a portion of the drills that the combine coaches selected the best five offensive linemen to go against the best five defensive linemen. Ries accounted for himself well in that setting and walked away giving the coaches plenty to evaluate.   [player_tooltip player_id='1271255' first='Hayden' last='Crockett'] Hilton Head   We watched Crockett several times in one-on-one with the defensive linemen and he used great leverage along with great hand placement to hold his own. He's strong and attacks well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821580' first='Jeffery' last='Williams'] Loris   Anytime you can get a huge, athletic player on the offensive front, it usually turns out to be a huge benefit. Williams went through the drills well and then showed a nasty streak in the one-on-one battles.   Fred Turner Hartsville   Turner had good size and push. He had great strength but also had better than average agility and speed. He seemed to play bigger than his 264.4 pounds and did well in battles against larger defensive lineman and the quicker ones.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822691' first='Triston' last='Diggs'] Carvers Bay   Diggs was the Top Offensive Lineman of Session II and left the coaching staff of both games with something to think about. He's strong, physical and can turn a defender in whatever direction he wants him to go.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820912' first='Luke' last='Thayer'] South Florence   Thayer has been in state championship game battles and was able to carry some of that swagger over to the combine. He looked comfortable in a lot of different settings and made a solid impression on the coaches.   DEFENSIVE LINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1172361' first='Matthew' last='Ponkow'] Bishop England   If we had to give out an award to who helped their stock the most, it would have to go to Ponkow. He won the Top Defensive Lineman Award for Session I but you could tell the coaches were instructing him between reps they were excited about what he could do.   [player_tooltip player_id='1675500' first='Roman' last='Hood'] Philip Simmons   Hood was another player that might have seen his stock rise. He was explosive with good speed and solid feet. His first step was quick as any we saw and he used a nice spin move on one drill to get past the offensive lineman.   [player_tooltip player_id='1581470' first='George' last='Handley'] Carolina Forest   If Handley didn't have everyone's attention before getting to the bench press, he certainly captured it there. He powered through 29 reps but also showed some quickness and lateral movement that is difficult to teach.   [player_tooltip player_id='1536398' first='Simeon' last='Jones'] North Augusta   Jones won the Top Defensive Lineman Award from Session II and tied for the best bench press on the day at 38 reps. While that was impressive, he was 332.4 pounds that had speed and toughness. He's going to be an interesting prospect to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822066' first='AJ' last='Veal'] Westwood   Veal was nearly 6-foot-2 and quietly went about making plays nearly every time he joined in a one-on-one opportunity. He was 222.2 pounds with a 79.75-inch wingspan that helped him keep offensive linemen from getting leverage against him.     [player_tooltip player_id='1172366' first='Tyrone' last='Jennings'] Irmo   Jennings is a powerhouse and has dominated on the field and in a combine setting. Many have said if Jennings were a little bit taller, he could manage his way into Power 4 offers. But he's strong, quick and makes plays when needed.   LINEBACKER   [player_tooltip player_id='1816968' first='Eli' last='Pressley'] Summerville   We knew about Pressley coming in and once we got an up close and personal look, we saw the same things we had seen on film with him. He had the fastest 40-time in Session I and parlayed that into the coaches noticing his every move.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823459' first='Jahmauri' last='Davis'] White Knoll   Davis jumped off the page at us being a chiseled 229.3 pounds then went and treated every drill as though it was a stroll through the part. Things came natural to him and his movements and agility looked effortless.     DEFENSIVE BACK   [player_tooltip player_id='651361' first='Jakayden' last='Pendergrass'] James Island   As soon as Pendergrass walked on the field, he had coaches and scouts asking who he was. He earned the Top Defensive Skill Award in Session I and there were plenty of reasons why. The most impressive thing is he was just shy of 6-foot and 190.1 pounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1869156' first='Javion' last='Hall'] Woodland   Hall was on his home turf, and he looked comfortable in being there. He challenged the top receivers and played with confidence and a little bit of swagger. He attacked passes at the highest point and won more battles than he lost.                                                     CJ Currence Irmo   Currence was another athlete that looked like he could create havoc coming from a safety or cornerback position. He was a ripped 179.1 pounds and was in the upper echelon of all the defensive back scores for the day.   SPECIALISTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1821199' first='Aiden' last='Thorn'] Cane Bay   Thorn won the Top Specialist Award from Session I. He nailed a 55-yarder and made 6-of-7 field goals in a brisk breeze. Coaches are always looking for guys that can handle multiple duties in an All-Star game and Thorn added a 61-yard punt and a 68-yard kickoff.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821579' first='Travis' last='Vattelana'] Atlantic Collegiate   Vattelana won the Top Specialist Award from Session II. He showed off a powerful and accurate leg in front of the coaches that were evaluating things. He also could handle a vast array of kicking chores and that always garners more attention.

One of the biggest reasons the Carolina Coaches Combine goes across the states of North and South Carolina is to allow coaches from the various All-Star games to watch the prospects in a competitive environment away from the Friday Night Lights.