On Campus: Byrnes Rebels

DUNCAN | Even on the first day of April, more than a month away from the official start of Spring Practice, Byrnes was already flying around the football field.   A wealth of returning talent has fueled some high expectations in Duncan, and Byrnes is hoping to turn those expectations into reality come fall.   Some of those expectations are fueled by the two-headed monster that inhabits the RB position for Byrnes. [player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1604062' first='Jacobi' last='Fuller'] aren't your usual "first guy and change-of-pace" two-back situation. Nor are they a typical fast guy/power guy situation. Think of them more like variations on a theme - speed, power, vision, and balance, more of a RB1 and RB1A situation. Segarra got the bulk of the touches, and will likely continue to, but they're both true hold-your-breath guys every time they touch it. And proving that mad scientist offensive thinking is genetic, new Byrnes OC Shuler Bentley has some packages to get them in the backfield together.   "You'll probably see them on the field at the same time," Shaw said. "Shuler's philosophy, and I loved it when he interviewed, it's players. It's getting the ball to our playmakers. We're really embracing that."   The backfield is deeper than just that 1-2 punch, though.   "The RB room is loaded," Shaw said. "Those guys are a great 1-2 punch and they just continue to work and learn. But we've got some young guys there, too. [player_tooltip player_id='1816205' first='Cam' last='Martin'] is very athletic. [player_tooltip player_id='1581471' first='Isaiah' last='Robinson'] is going to be a surprise for a lot of people. He's actually run the fastest of anyone on our team. We can put him a lot of places."   He's actually tied for fastest with WR [player_tooltip player_id='1271241' first='Chanin' last='Harris'], as both have run 23 mph. Harris, as expected, will be Byrnes' top target on the outside. Mason Stephens made a couple of great catches on our visit, Shaw expects a lot from Nick Watson, and [player_tooltip player_id='1816520' first='Adrian' last='Harris'] is going to give the Rebels a weapon at TE. Basketball standout Kellen Leverett gives Byrnes another incredibly athletic target.   The Rebels have a battle at the QB position, with [player_tooltip player_id='1817840' first='Walker' last='Burdette'] and transfer [player_tooltip player_id='463113' first='Gideon' last='Merhib']. Shaw says while they're pushing each other, rising sophomore Andre Sprouse is also making great strides.   Up front, [player_tooltip player_id='1820025' first='Daniel' last='Cornell'] at center and [player_tooltip player_id='1820011' first='Josiah' last='Chambers'] at LT will lead a physical, athletic unit along with [player_tooltip player_id='1773749' first='Xavier' last='Harris'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1816507' first='Parker' last='Bullins'].   The Rebels also have a special teams weapon in [player_tooltip player_id='1820028' first='Crew' last='Coons'], one of the top LS in the country.   Defense will be a strong suit as well, particularly on the back end. As usual, the Rebels are loaded at the second level. Byrnes' linebacker unit is among the Upstate's best, something that Shaw thinks the Rebels can hang their hat on.   "Linebacker-wise, we've got a bunch of good ones," he said. "A lot of them graduated, and we've got one returning starter there in [player_tooltip player_id='1581476' first='Nasir' last='Angram'] at outside linebacker who's had a great offseason for us."   Angram had 46 tackles with four for a loss and three sacks a year ago, and he's capable of leading a good group that includes [player_tooltip player_id='1820009' first='Wyquial' last='Moss'], [player_tooltip player_id='1820024' first='Isaac' last='Pellegrino'], Hayden Cousins, and [player_tooltip player_id='1817852' first='Jeff' last='Bowen']. Rising sophomore Lamire Adams will also be a factor. He's a big kid at 6-foot-3 with plenty of room to pack on weight, and he's already running 21mph.   Moss (pictured) is a particularly interesting player for the Rebels. He showed the ability to take over games for stretches last season, and his style of physical play seems ideally suited for what Byrnes wants to do.   "He loves contact," Shaw said. "As a middle linebacker, where he's going to play this year, that's what you want. He's going to be a great leader for us."   [player_tooltip player_id='1667977' first='Aidyn' last='Wiggins'] anchors a stingy secondary for the Rebels, and has the speed to challenge even the fastest opposing receivers - he's run a 10.8 100 meters on the track for Byrnes this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1817800' first='Abram' last='Burroughs'] is one of several young players who will be counted on to help fill out the defensive backfield.   One area where the Rebels don't return a ton of starting experience thanks to an outstanding senior class is on the defensive line. That's where Shaw sees guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1816195' first='Kenja' last='Richardson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1822530' first='Gabriel' last='Guerrero'], and Aahmad James stepping in to pick up production. He's been happy with the way they've looked so far in workouts.   And while workouts are just that - sessions where you can see flashes but not everything - Shaw saw just what he wanted to see. While he was talking with us, players were stepping in and leading the drills he was responsible for on their own.   "They get it," he said. "They're out there running the drills without me because they know what they're supposed to do and what they need to do. That's the kind of leadership you need."

DUNCAN | Even on the first day of April, more than a month away from the official start of Spring Practice, Byrnes was already flying around the football field.