If we know anything about Donnie Kiefer’s career, it’s that he doesn’t take long to develop a ton of talent.
The West Ashley coach is in his 11th stop across two states, and with his first full offseason in full gear, the man with a pedigree for building programs from the weight room to the field is starting to show itself. His next two classes are already showing serious potential, as upwards of 10 players are on a track to eventually play in the various college ranks.
And one of the biggest reasons the Wildcats went from 2-8 two years ago prior Kiefer’s arrival to 5-2 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 was the emergence of Class of 2022 running back [player_tooltip player_id="89312" first="Jahleel" last="Porter"]. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound back went off last fall, rushing for 1,219 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per carry. He added five receptions for 107 yards and two scores receiving, too.
Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="59491" first="Caleb" last="Edwards"] (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) is a fierce tackler who had 40 solo stops and was in on 63 assisted tackles in just seven games. Even using the college metric where assists count as a half, that’s still north of 10 total per contest.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
Four more classmates are also primed for a big 2021 season. Spelling Porter, <strong>Zayequan Smith</strong> (6-foot, 190 pounds) ran for 393 yards and four touchdowns while starting at corner and leading the team with three interceptions. Fellow defensive back <strong>Brandon Mungin</strong> (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) led the way with 11 pass break-ups to go along with 17 tackles and two picks.
Right tackle <strong>Dravian Blake</strong> (6-foot-3, 265 pounds) was responsible for opening up a bunch of those holes for Porter and Smith, and he chips in along the interior of the defensive line. Defensive lineman <strong>Lebron Anderson</strong> (6-foot-2, 255 pounds) was one of the team’s most exciting players on that side of the ball, where he logged 30.5 tackles, four sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, 5.5 tackles for loss and an interception.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
And while all those rising seniors are logging their share of highlights, it’s important to keep a close eye on a sophomore from last fall who could start to show some serious upside now that he’s moving into the QB1 spot. Class of 2023’s <strong>Khalil Robertson</strong> (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) was able to get his feet wet by throwing for 200-plus yards and three touchdowns in this run-first offense. But with so many opponents focused on the run and some solid blocking in front of him, the dual-threat quarterback could be a name we’re seeing plenty from next fall.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
