CSRA's Best: The Unsung Players

In our previous two breakdowns of the Central Savannah River Area this summer, we took a look at dozens of players whose names are familiar ones both within the zone and around the state.   To put it simply, those who are considered "the guys" for their respective programs.   They're the ones who are well known and talked about beyond their team's facilities and huddles. whether it's for <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/07/csras-best-zones-top-10-must-watch-players/">their must-watch game-changing abilities</a> or their presence at the forefront of the area's <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/07/csras-best-zones-top-storylines-for-2026/">most interesting storylines for the 2026 season</a>.   This list, though, is not about those guys. This is about the guys behind the guys, the players who may not get all of the buzz on social media or outside of the gates but are ones whose importance is well understood by their teammates and coaches.   Here are five of those guys, unsung standouts from the CSRA who are primed to have a big year and very much look ready to shed that "unsung" label.   Justus Daly K, Strom Thurmond - Let's kick off this list of unsung players with a kicker who last year as a freshman attempted exactly one field goal. But it was a big one - a 28-yarder on the final play of the first half that Daly banged through the uprights for a 9-7 lead over Fairfield Central in the Class 2A Upper State championship, a game which Strom Thurmond won 15-13 on its way to a state title. It wasn't just Daly's first attempt of the season, either. According to head coach Andrew Webb, it was the first field goal Daly had ever kicked.   Having a reliable kicker is a huge weapon at every level of football, but especially at the smaller classifications of the high school level where the pressure stays on the offense to go for it on fourth down and go for two after every touchdown. Having someone like Daly on the roster means that "within field goal range" is a real thing for the Rebels, and not everything has to be four-down territory.   Webb praised Daly's work ethic and the way he loves both his craft and the Strom Thurmond program, adding that he's been grinding away both in the weight room and away from campus to continue to improve. Now, a player who tried one field goal, split time kicking extra points and rotated in on kickoffs last year is ready to take the leap from pleasant surprise to legitimate threat.   Strom Thurmond coach Andrew Webb: "There's a lot of people in our program that get recognition, and rightfully so, but our kicker kind of gets left out sometimes. ... His confidence grew drastically when that clock hit zero at halftime versus Fairfield. To be able to make a kick in a game of that magnitude, that helps you gain some confidence pretty quick. It certainly boosted him into the offseason knowing that he's got a chance to be the guy. He has just really worked hard. I'm proud of him, and I can't wait to see him go perform this fall."   [player_tooltip player_id='1822589' first='Connor' last='Hamilton'] LB, South Aiken (pictured) - Hamilton can be called an unsung player by design, as his head coach - who's also his dad - has been extra careful not to sing his praises too loudly to where it would sound like favoritism. But now, as he enters his senior season, it's time to call him what he is, and that's the heartbeat of a South Aiken defense that's making strides to get back to the style of play employed by some of the best groups in program history.   No other T-Bred averaged more tackles per game last year than Hamilton, and a tackler is exactly what defensive coordinator Heath Corley was looking for at linebacker last season after taking the job. He moved Hamilton, then a 170-pound strong safety, to a position of dire need, and he made that position and defense as a whole make sense to Hamilton in a way that truly clicked with him. He's thrived in that role, and he's continued to work in the weight room to pack on muscle without losing any speed.   And it's not just at linebacker where he's impactful. He gets onto the field in a tight end/H-back role as a blocker, like in the T-Breds' heavy set they employ in short yardage situations, and can sneak out from the backfield as a receiver. His relentless pursuit of the football also makes him a kick-blocking threat on special teams. But, most importantly, he's a leader by example for his teammates.   South Aiken coach Chris Hamilton: "Very proud of him and the years that he's been in this program. He does things the right way, and he's become a leader. He's not a vocal guy. He just does things the right way and expects guys to do it. I think he's learned that I've been really hard on him because I thought I needed to as far as making sure that I didn't want anybody to think I just gave him favoritism because he was my son, and maybe some times I didn't always do that the right way. But he has not only thrived through that, he's a really good player. He's a good ball player. ... He just understands football. It's nothing flashy. He just loves the game. I never pushed him for that, either. I never pushed him to be a football guy, but he is. He loves it."   [player_tooltip player_id='1822357' first='Torye' last='Pickens'] RB/LB, Barnwell - It's been a busy offseason for Pickens, a multi-year starter at Barnwell who's been hard at work making sure he's ready for whenever the Warhorses call upon him to make a play. And, in this case, that practically means every single snap.   That's how valuable Pickens is to this program, and he doesn't mind it one bit if he has to miss out on a water break or two because his team needs him. And that's how effective he is, because Barnwell's opponents are going to hope he takes every breather the coaching staff can find for him when he's out there as a linebacker, or running back, or in whichever role he can take on special teams to give his team the best chance to be successful.   This Barnwell program will again be relying on a host of younger contributors, and in Pickens the Warhorses have an extension of the coaching staff on the field. Those youngsters follow whenever he speaks, and they know to pay attention every time he clocks in for another hard day's work.   Barnwell coach Brian Smith: "I think he understands he's driving the bus right now. Everybody kind of follows him because he does everything right. He out-works everybody. He doesn't miss in the weight room. He's not late. He's always on time. He practices hard. He does everything the right way. Makes good grades. Everything. Just an all-around good kid who we've got to figure out how to get him a break but also how to make sure everything's taken care of so he's in good shape. He's going to be a good one for us. I'm glad he's on our football team, I can promise you that."   [player_tooltip player_id='1824057' first='Terrance' last='Smith'] RB/WR, Midland Valley - Smith is a player who has mostly flown under the radar because the high-flyer was grounded five games into his sophomore season due to a broken collarbone. Still, in just five games played, he finished the season as the team's third-leading rusher and is one of the Mustangs' top returning receivers.   Head coach Brent Dorn said Smith is probably in the top five of pure athletes he's ever coached. The speed, strength and explosiveness are all there, and we saw a glimmer of those gifts last season before he got hurt. That was a turning point for Smith, who used that time to act as an extra assistant coach, refusing to miss a practice or meeting and gaining a deeper understanding of the game by viewing it from a different perspective. Now he sees the big picture of every play call and not just his specific role in it, which has him ready to pick up where he left off last season.   Or, actually, he's ready to do more. He'll have the opportunity to play some defensive back, too, in addition to putting a lot of stress on opposing defenses as yet another big-play threat on offense for Midland Valley.   Midland Valley coach Brent Dorn: "He's a natural athlete. Strong in the weight room. He can do it all. ... He's attacked it hard. He's gone hard this summer. He's just a pure athlete. He's doing everything the right way, so I'm excited to see him out there."   [player_tooltip player_id='1822105' first='Akeam' last='Williams'] DB, North Augusta - Williams came into last season as a little bit of an unknown by no fault of his own, as North Augusta had a pair of four-year starters manning the safety positions. That left Williams with limited opportunities to make an impact, but he understood his role and made sure to stay ready any time his number was called.   Opposing offenses may have looked at him as a weak point in the secondary just because they hadn't seen much of him, but that certainly won't be the case this year. Not after a seven-interception season while playing maybe half of the snaps. Williams cashed in on the opportunities when they were presented to him, and by doing so he earned more of them. Now he's someone offenses would be wise to avoid, and it will be a decision that will have to made very quickly against North Augusta's ferocious pass rush.   Williams has been doing that since he stepped onto campus as a freshman, albeit in small quantities when available as he patiently waited for his chances to get onto the field. Now those chances will be plentiful, and the Jackets will continue to like their chances any time he has a chance to make a play.   North Augusta coach Richard Bush: "Any time's the ball in the air defensively, we feel like he's got a chance to make a play. ... We're looking for a bigger role from him this year, and I think teams will know where he is on the back half of the defense. We're expecting big things out of him."

In our previous two breakdowns of the Central Savannah River Area this summer, we took a look at dozens of players whose names are familiar ones both within the zone and around the state.