Lake Norman Wildcats 2026 Season Preview

My colleagues have done a great job in previewing schools across North Carolina, and I will start previews with key players on schools within the Charlotte Metro Area. Previewing schools in the Charlotte Area can always be tricky in the new transfer era that we are in now, so if we preview a player who may have switched schools after a preview is completed, please forgive us.   The Lake Norman Wildcats have become known as a consistent winning program under the leadership of Head Coach Jonathan Oliphant, and they are looking to take another step this year toward being a contender for a state championship. Last season, they made the 2nd round of the state playoffs, and they have a good number of returning players on both sides of the ball that make them a contender in my honest opinion. They have some players that we will feature in this article that are legitimate college football prospects, and if people take them lightly, I think they have learned from some playoff losses and are ready to show they are more than that overall as a program.    Kaden is poised to have an absolutely huge season in my opinion. I think offensively he's got a really good group of receivers to get the ball to in the air, and he's got a good offensive line in front of him that should give him time to get the ball out on the vast majority of Friday Nights this season. This doesn't even get into the exponential improvement I've heard about this offseason in about every area you can measure as a quarterback. On top of that, Kaden's dual-threat ability will keep defenses honest, so it's going to be apparent real soon to those that don't already know why we have Kaden as the #1 2028 quarterback in North Carolina.     Speaking of huge seasons, Doc showed us last season as a sophomore that he's a bona fide threat on the outside. And all he has done this season is get much better - seeing him at the CFI Carolinas MEGA Showcase in May, he showed enough to be named the Wide Receiver MVP, and shortly after that, college football programs started catching on, and now he's got several offers. Samford, Liberty, Wake Forest, and Colgate are the first four, and there will be more coming Doc's way. Doc's combination of height, speed, catch radius, and route running makes him an excellent prospect.     Noah is another really good receiver, as well as a good defensive back for this Lake Norman squad. Last season, Noah had 36 catches for 600 yards and 6 touchdowns, while contributing 3 interceptions on defense. He's a really good athlete, runs excellent routes, and has very reliable hands. On top of those stats, he was an All-Conference selection with a 4.5 GPA - some impressive accolades that should make any college football program interested in his skills. With a PWO from Duke and an offer from Davidson, I think more recruiting interest is going to be coming Noah's way sooner rather than later.     To tell you how good Sammy is, he's committed to play at Appalachian State, and he got to that level just based on steady hard work and really good film. Sammy shows he can do it all on film with excellent footwork and a nasty disposition. If you love good OL play, put on his tape and just get comfortable. When you have a talented QB, you want a talented tackle protecting him, and that's what they have here. I'm excited to see Sammy show his leadership skills with a talented offensive line this upcoming season.     Memphys has been one of my favorite players to cover because I love his versatility. He can play on the ball as an EDGE and rush the passer - he showed that last season with 8 sacks - or he can play off-ball and shed blocks, getting to the ball carrier efficiently and getting them to the ground, tackling well in space. He totaled 92 tackles with 18 tackles for loss, and I'd expect he's going to be just as productive a player going into his senior year. He has offers from Brevard, Hampden-Sydney, Concord, and Cumberland Universities, respectively, and I think he'll get more opportunities from college football programs before he selects one to play at on the next level.     Versatility continues to be a theme here, and Mason fits the modern defensive schemes very well. He can play as a safety in the secondary, but has the physicality to come down into the box to play as a rover/outside linebacker, and he shows that he can bring the wood when he plays in the box, especially filling against the run. I love to see that on his highlight tape - Mason isn't afraid one bit. But he also has the athleticism and speed to cover in the open field, and this kind of skill set is highly coveted by college football programs. Mason committed to play college football at East Carolina, and I'm happy to see it - he deserves it for sure.     An All-Conference selection last season, you don't hear as much about Reed, but you absolutely should. He's a tackling machine on defense, totaling 107 tackles last season and 6 tackles for loss. Any great defense has to have someone in the middle calling the shots, getting everyone aligned properly, then being the enforcer that is the heartbeat of the unit. Reed shows those traits on his film, and it wouldn't surprise me if he hits triple digits again in tackles in what should be a long and productive season for the Wildcats. Reed shows good instincts in stopping the running game, and tackles extremely well in traffic and in the open field.

My colleagues have done a great job in previewing schools across North Carolina, and I will start previews with key players on schools within the Charlotte Metro Area. Previewing schools in the Charlotte Area can always be tricky in the new transfer era that we are in now, so if we preview a player who may have switched schools after a preview is completed, please forgive us.