CCC Hickory: Offensive Primer

Last week, the Carolinas Coaches Combine came to Eastern North Carolina, where more than 200 athletes competed in combine testing and drills. On Saturday, the western part of the state gets its turn, as Hickory hosts hundreds of players. Like <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/carolinas-coaches-combine-clayton-primer-offense/">we did last week</a>, we're breaking down all the names to know this weekend on both sides of the ball, as well as what we hope to see from some of the top players in the state. First up, the offensive players.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Players To Watch at CCC- Hickory</h2>   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 offensive players in the first two sessions.   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.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback</h3>   This is a good group, depending on who makes it out. Perhaps most interestingly, there aren't a lot of big-school passers in the group. Instead, it's littered with guys from the middle classes.   There are a couple of guys who could really impress in the testing portion here. Hendersonville quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1106521' first='JaRon' last='Ward'] has excellent speed and short-area quickness, and could impress in the 40 and pro shuttle.   I was excited to see Northwest Cabarrus quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1301805' first='Hudson' last='Irwin'] last week in Clayton, but he ended up moving to the western combine in Hickory. He can really spin it, and I'm interested to see what his measurables are.   There are several guys in our rankings that I haven't gotten to deeply scout yet. Erwin's [player_tooltip player_id='1607074' first='Caden' last='Ingle'] has excellent size and a good arm on film, and I'm interested to see how that translates to a camp setting. Forest Hills quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1678614' first='Noah' last='Furr'] also checks plenty of boxes, and he has some rushing upside, despite not being a high volume guy in that department. Western Alamance's [player_tooltip player_id='2142789' first='Ethan' last='Oakley'] is a more recent addition to our database, and I hope to get a better idea of his athletic upside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1050807' first='Tyson' last='Broadway'] is our highest-ranked quarterback who is invited, as he's battling for the top quarterback spot in the 2027 class. He wasn't a full-time starter last year, but should be one of the top players in the state as a senior.   There are a couple of other guys from the mountains and foothills who I don't often get to see: [player_tooltip player_id='1788111' first='Avery' last='Hollifield'] (A.C. Reynolds), AJ McLain (Ashbrook), [player_tooltip player_id='1607912' first='Elan' last='Lipford'] (Hibriten), and [player_tooltip player_id='1678610' first='Rashad' last='Lynch'] (Lincolnton).   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Back</h3>   There's a strong contingent of running backs invited to Saturday's combine.   Ashbrook's [player_tooltip player_id='378966' first='Savion' last='Lindsay'] and Burns' [player_tooltip player_id='1608319' first='Max' last='Davis'] are two of the top guys in terms of both production and college potential. A dynamic receiver, Lindsay put up over 1,000 scrimmage yards as a junior while Davis broke out with 1,100 yards on nearly 10 per carry.   Perhaps nobody in the group had a better season than Hickory's [player_tooltip player_id='2074450' first='Jaheem' last='Jenkins'], who rank for over 1,600 yards and 36 touchdowns. He has good contact balance and speed, and I'm interested in his explosive metrics from the broad jump and vertical.   There are some Greensboro-area running backs who have popped up in my recent <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/top-6-rbs-in-guilford-county/">Deep Dives</a> and could have big days. Glenn RB [player_tooltip player_id='2166183' first='Ty'sire' last='McQueen-Johnson'] and RJ Reynolds' [player_tooltip player_id='2166195' first='Ziaer' last='Bennett'] both flashed in limited reps, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either have a big day.   There are some Piedmont area guys that I haven't seen as much. [player_tooltip player_id='1348404' first='Landen' last='Agee'] is plenty familiar to us, and he could shine in a combine setting. North Davidson's [player_tooltip player_id='1892496' first='Dominik' last='Stamatien'] and South Rowan's Nicholas Woolf both put up excellent numbers, but I haven't seen a ton of film on either. Stamatien got hurt in the middle of the year, so I hope to see him healthy soon.   I want to see what small-school product [player_tooltip player_id='1290996' first='Cameron' last='Clem'], one of our top backs in the state, can do against some of these bigger school guys.   Other RBs To Know:   DJ Callis | Southeast Alamance [player_tooltip player_id='2144172' first='Sammy' last='Raphael'] | Eastern Alamance [player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk'] | Forest Hills Juice Hall | Cox Mill   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receivers</h3>   This is a loaded receiver group, and assuming everyone can make it out, the WR MVP will earn my respect.   Let's start in Cleveland County, where two of our top 10 receivers reside. Crest's [player_tooltip player_id='1154024' first='Namajay' last='Thompson'] is soaring on the recruiting trail, and with his athleticism, he could put up some massive testing numbers. Shelby's receiver duo of [player_tooltip player_id='2044437' first='JJ' last='Williams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='483642' first='Immanuel' last='Collins'] are both undersized, but have some serious burst and wiggle, and could shine in the explosive tests.   Almost without meaning to, I put a lot the receivers into two categories: Polished guys who need to test well and athletic freaks who need to show positional nuances.   That's not a knock on anybody, but rather an opportunity. If an "athletic guy" really shows up in drills, I move him up my mental board.   On the other hand, if a guy I already know to be a great route-runner and technician also puts up excellent testing numbers, it moves me.   All of that to say, I'm very interested in what Southeast Alamance's [player_tooltip player_id='1213741' first='Logan' last='Luang-Sy'] and Cox Mill's [player_tooltip player_id='1276945' first='Sione' last='Latimore'] can do in the testing portion. Both have advanced footwork, great hips, and polished route-running, so the raw athleticism is the last box to check.   Then you have great raw athletes. Guys like Brevard's [player_tooltip player_id='1953538' first='Tristan' last='Thompson-Wynn'], Bandys wideout [player_tooltip player_id='1596853' first='Ryder' last='McClure'], and East Forsyth's [player_tooltip player_id='2111283' first='Christian' last='Cepeda'] have the athleticism. I want to see what sort of nuance and technical ability they can display when in one-on-ones and group drills.   A few other guys of note, some who I don't know much about: [player_tooltip player_id='366302' first='Tristian' last='Turner'] (Northern Guilford), [player_tooltip player_id='867300' first='Dereon' last='Garner'] (Eastern Alamance), [player_tooltip player_id='2138346' first='Lance' last='Parker'] (Ranked as a defensive back, Franklinton), and [player_tooltip player_id='2167326' first='Anthoney' last='Washington'] (Ragsdale).   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line</h2>   I'll start with a few intriguing prospects in a position to raise their stock with a strong performance. [player_tooltip player_id='1678628' first='Mason' last='Holt'] (Mooresville), [player_tooltip player_id='2117497' first='Gage' last='Camp'] (Burns), [player_tooltip player_id='1706360' first='Colby' last='Pack'] (East Rutherford), and [player_tooltip player_id='1078495' first='Amari' last='Broome'] (Stuart Cramer) all sit in the fringe-FCS range in our rankings. One combine performance isn't likely to have a drastic effect on their recruitments, but it could certainly bump them in the rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id='1198259' first='Omari' last='Graham'] has been ranked for a while, but I haven't seen much of his junior tape at West Stokes. He's a powerful people-mover with the frame to add more weight and move well in a combine setting.   Crest's [player_tooltip player_id='1607907' first='Nick' last='Albright'] is another proven guy who had a strong junior season and could help set the tone along with those other guys in Session 1.   In Session 2, there are a bunch of guys who just recently hit our radar. [player_tooltip player_id='2149073' first='Hasan' last='Miller'] (Southern Alamance), [player_tooltip player_id='2167982' first='Cason' last='Holder'] (East Forsyth), [player_tooltip player_id='1582076' first='Jabril' last='Byrd-Marshall'] (Southeast Alamance), [player_tooltip player_id='2167992' first='Thomas' last='Caldwell'] (Reagan), and [player_tooltip player_id='2168308' first='Brian' last='Bellerand'] (Southeast Guilford) were all unranked and added to our database during county deep dives. Still, we haven't finalized their actual rankings for the May update. How they perform on Saturday could impact their potential ranking.   Add Mount Pleasant's Cooper Mullus, Ragsdale's [player_tooltip player_id='1618275' first='Asante' last='Muhammad'], and Swain County's [player_tooltip player_id='2148894' first='Ayden' last='Smiley'] to the list of guys we have on the radar, but haven't play. I'm interested in how Reidsville's [player_tooltip player_id='1675016' first='Christen' last='Kelly'] holds his own against some bigger linemen, both in drills and one-on-ones. Saturday's CCC could definitely play a role in this next rankings update, especially on the offensive line.   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.

Last week, the Carolinas Coaches Combine came to Eastern North Carolina, where more than 200 athletes competed in combine testing and drills. On Saturday, the western part of the state gets its turn, as Hickory hosts hundreds of players. Like we did last week, we're breaking down all the names to know this weekend on both sides of the ball, as well as what we hope to see from some of the top players in the state. First up, the offensive players.