CCC Hickory: Defensive Primer

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Carolinas Coaches Combine is coming to Hickory a week after over 200 athletes competed at <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/ccc-recap-winners-from-clayton/">Clayton last Saturday</a>. In addition to primers for all three sessions, we'll have recap content with all the day's <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/ccc-clayton-recap-award-winners/">winners and top players</a>. Earlier this week, I wrote about more than 50 invited <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/ccc-hickory-offensive-primer/">offensive prospects</a>. Now, let's shift to the defensive side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Players To Watch at CCC- Hickory</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The CCC is unique in that every player was nominated by his head coach. There are three sessions, two for rising seniors and one for the 2028 and 2029 classes. Let's jump right in. Here, I'm looking at the defensive players in the first two sessions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: These primers are based on the latest expected rosters. Final participation rosters will not be finalized until after each session gets underway. Accordingly, a few of these players may, unfortunately, miss the CCC.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Line</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some intriguing defensive line names, and I'll start with some guys located outside of the Charlotte area. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first thing I noticed was that Lake Norman's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='379024' first='Memphys' last='Barb']</strong>, a linebacker in our rankings, is listed with the defensive linemen. He's a bigger guy with movement skills, and he's played both positions, though we prefer him off the ball. Could a full-time position change be coming? Or is Barb just working out with the group this weekend?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crest's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607884' first='Paxton' last='Dobbins']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1668282' first='Christian' last='Stowe']</strong> are both highly-ranked defensive linemen with proven production at the high school level, but their recruitments haven't really paid off yet. Fellow Cleveland County athlete <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2162078' first='Malachi' last='Hopper']</strong> is a two-way guy, and I think it's enlightening that he's invited as a defensive lineman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm intrigued by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678685' first='Braylon' last='Arnold']</strong> out of Davie County. I can't really tell on film what kind of athlete he is, so I'll be interested to see how he moves, especially laterally and with his explosive metrics. Versatile Central Cabarrus defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788150' first='Infinite' last='Morrow']</strong> has some excellent athletic upside and has the speed to potentially break the 5-second mark in the 40 at 270 pounds. Finally, Statesville's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='415653' first='Jaiden' last='Gilbert']</strong> is ranked inside the top 90. What can he do on Saturday?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are several guys in the Greensboro area that we've covered in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/top-6-interior-defensive-linemen-in-guilford-county/">County Deep Dives</a> who could have big days on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reagan edge rusher duo <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1617737' first='King' last='Kalama']</strong> and <strong>Alonzo McCoy</strong> each had strong 2025 seasons. Kalama, a Duke commit, has a rare blend of size and speed. McCoy plays with plenty of raw power off the edge, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him put up a strong broad jump.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Stokes' <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2141098' first='Wyatt' last='Collins']</strong>, RJ Reynolds' <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2171825' first='Tim' last='Martin']</strong>, and Eastern Alamance's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2152337' first='Trint' last='Totten']</strong> are three talented newer names to our database, so I'm looking forward to getting some more data on them. I'm also excited to get a verified height and weight on Thomasville's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2144439' first='Keshon' last='Sanders']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some other names of note in a loaded defensive line group:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1670826' first='Jaden' last='Little']</strong> (North Stanly)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623018' first='Kai' last='Phinazee']</strong> (Forest Hills)<br><strong>Kenneth Best</strong> (Atkins)<br><strong>Chosen Hymn</strong> (East Forsyth)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134073' first='Jaud' last='Goosby']</strong> (Southeast Alamance)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Linebacker</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Session 1 has a few linebackers in two groups. In one, you have a group of guys who I've seen enough of on film to expect some elite testing numbers. In the other, I'm not sure what to expect, as I've seen more of them on spreadsheets and leaderboards than film.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Piedmont's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1957195' first='Davis' last='Weycker']</strong> and Davie County's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='918776' first='Elijah' last='Chaffin']</strong> are two guys who could elicit some "wows," from players and coaches in attendance. They're built like old-school run-stuffers, but both are fast, explosive, and nuanced in their movements. I'd expect both to weight in the 215-220 range and be among the fastest and most explosive in the group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Rowan's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678647' first='Owen' last='Smith']</strong> and West Davidson's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1429539' first='Cooper' last='Moore']</strong> are both undersized by highly productive players. I'll be intersted in seeing them from the moment they walk in. How do they measure? What can they do in the testing portion? How do they move when changing direction?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Session 2 linebacker group is a bit smaller, but loaded with talent, with nearly 35% of the invited athletes ranked in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2027-rankings/">2027 rankings</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Starmount linebackers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451403' first='Cody' last='Hernandez']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2104490' first='Keyvon' last='Propst']</strong> are among the best duos you'll ever find at a 2A school, as both are true college prospects with excellent size, speed, and instincts. If they put up solid testing numbers, expect offers to come by the time the season starts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the topic of small-school backers who can play, Forest Hills linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788239' first='Chris' last='Baker']</strong> won MVP last year at the CCC and should put up some great testing numbers at nearly 220 pounds. Pine Lake Prep's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398025' first='Thomas' last='Kieffer']</strong> is a bit on the smaller side, but he's a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker and should run well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a few <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/03/top-6-alamance-chatham-lee-county-lbs/">Alamance County linebackers</a> in attendance that I'll be interested to track. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2079092' first='Dawson' last='Boysel']</strong> is a heady player, always seeming to be in the right place at the right time. If he runs well and flashes some explosion in testing, I'll feel comfortable pushing him up the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some other names of note:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2104509' first='Brayden' last='Fortenberry']</strong> (Stuart Cramer)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='736711' first='Tanner' last='Finnerty']</strong> (Mooresville)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2084495' first='Tony' last='King']</strong> (Hickory)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1318478' first='Mason' last='Hefner']</strong> (Lake Norman- ranked as defensive back)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2078249' first='Landon' last='Hollifield']</strong> (Shelby)I </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Back</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a few guys we haven't seen in person before whom we're excited to see. We'll get a more in-depth look at new Southeast Alamance transfer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2100553' first='Brandon' last='Lindsey']</strong> later this spring at our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2214/register/exposure-series-north-carolina">Prep Redzone Showcase</a>, but we get a sneak peek on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I know less about this group than any other position in attendance. There are some newer names that intrigue me, even if I haven't gotten to see much film.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincolnton duo <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1690851' first='Messiah' last='Thompson']</strong> and <strong>Nehemiah Thompson</strong> broke out last season, but I haven't taken a deep dive into their film. Similarly, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1653671' first='Maurice' last='Howell Jr'].</strong> has been ranked for a while, but I haven't seen recent film.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple of guys bring momentum into the weekend, at least behind the scenes in our rankings. Stuart Cramer's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1666255' first='Landon' last='Lee']</strong> and Hibriten's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623147' first='Grady' last='Beam']</strong> are both slated for massive rankings jumps already, and if they impress Saturday, it will only strengthen our confidence in them as players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some other names of note:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='668586' first='Antonio' last='Kelly Jr.']</strong> (Reagan)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1727067' first='Nathan' last='Helms']</strong> (North Stanly)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1721126' first='Aayden' last='Williams']</strong> (Murphy)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2110745' first='EJ' last='Davis']</strong> (Grimsley)<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2126976' first='Sam' last='Phillips']</strong> (East Forsyth)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>It's camp season, and we're coming to Charlotte on May 1 for our PRZ Exposure Camp under the lights on a Friday night. <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2214/register/exposure-series-north-carolina">Secure your spot</a> and use promo code WillHelms10 at checkout for $10 off. Think we missed someone? DM me on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with film.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->