2022 Preview: Greenville Red Raiders

Greg Porter can’t wait to talk about his Greenville High Squad. He just doesn’t want to start where you expect him to. The Red Raiders are coming off a deep playoff run, and have a wealth of players back at the skill positions. But Porter wants to start by telling you about his offensive line. "It all starts up front with those guys," he said. "<strong>Blake Franks</strong> is probably the standout. He’s a 2024 kid with multiple Power 5 offers. He does a tremendous job in the classroom, and he had a great summer on the camp circuit. On top of that, he’s an All-Region football player. <strong>Zane Spence</strong> is another 2024 guy who’s done a tremendous job for us, and he’s gotten a lot stronger in the weight room, and [player_tooltip player_id="274871" first="Julius" last="Tate"] in the same class already has an offer from Miami of Ohio." One of the younger guys, though, is turning heads. "The biggest surprise is probably <strong>Hunter Taylor</strong>," Porter said. "He’s just a sophomore, but he’s already 6-5 and around 280. He’s a really smart kid, he takes a ton of AP and honors classes, and he’s a really good player." They’ll be paving the way for a ton of talent on offense. [player_tooltip player_id="163871" first="Mazeo" last="Bennett Jr"]. has multiple Power 5 offers, including Alabama. [player_tooltip player_id="91149" first="Tyler" last="Brown"] has verbally committed to Minnesota. Along with <strong>Luke Krall</strong>, they’ll make up a group of fast, talented receivers. [player_tooltip player_id="209382" first="Jayden" last="Pepper"] returns at running back, with Southside Christian transfer <strong>Jayvion Sherman</strong> in the mix, along with <strong>Alvin Martin</strong> and <strong>Miguel Kilgore</strong>. "They’re all working extremely hard," Porter said. "That competition has been a lot of fun." There’s another competition at QB, where three players are vying to replace Pro Franklin. "That’s our biggest question," Porter said. "<strong>Jordan Sink</strong>,<strong> Bryce Drummond</strong>, and <strong>Ramon Whitner</strong> are all competing. We’ve used our 7-on-7s to bring them along and help them catch up to varsity speed. It’s been a tight battle, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses." Defensively, Greenville returns an absolute tackle machine in LB [player_tooltip player_id="89334" first="Luke" last="Schuller"], who accounted for 142 tackles a year ago, including 98 solo stops. "He might be one of the most underrated guys around," Porter said. "He’s just a leader. I coach defense, and he’s just a guy I’ve got to have." <strong>Thomas Edmondson</strong> adds experience for Greenville at LB, and he’ll be joined by St. Joseph’s transfer <strong>KJ Haynes</strong>, a 6-3, 230 pound OLB who can play DE as well. <strong>Elijah Jones</strong>, a transfer from Riverside, will also see time at OLB. <strong>Keyshawn Robinson</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="276660" first="Christian" last="Henderson"] will help anchor the defensive secondary. <strong>KD Mosley</strong> and <strong>William Bouton</strong> will be expected to contribute defensively as well. The strength of the team, though, might be up front. [player_tooltip player_id="209617" first="Jayden" last="Wilson-Abrams"], who transferred from Wren, is a 6-2, 260-pound DL who Porter said "plays like a linebacker." <strong>Malaki Smith</strong>, [player_tooltip player_id="242787" first="Bruce" last="Knauber"], and <strong>Jamarion Jefferies</strong> will lead the Red Raiders. Special teams is solid as well, with K [player_tooltip player_id="208343" first="Thomas" last="Guererro"] returning. <strong>Lang Steck</strong> will handle kickoff duties, and long-snapper <strong>Andy Young</strong> is back as well.