Rivals Recap: Three days in N.C.

VIDEO INTERVIEWS: Tre Turner | Trajan McQueen | Dyami Brown

From visits to schools in Charlotte and Greensboro on Thursday and Friday to a number of high school football games on Friday and Saturday, Adam Friedman had a busy three days in North Carolina. He recaps what he saw and learned below.

Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth and Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth were tied at halftime but Wake Forest running back commit Christian Beal helped East Forsyth pull away in the second half. It was good to see that Beal had added some solid weight. He needed to do that so he could stand up to the hits at the next level. Wisconsin defensive back commit Madison Cone sealed the 23-10 win with an interception. Schools like Penn State and Wisconsin have already offered East Forsyth sophomore defensive back Khalid Martin. Watch him become one of the most highly sought after prospects in the state.

West Forsyth was led by 2018 Rivals100 defensive end K.J. Henry. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect did a great job setting the edge of the defense, making multiple tackles against sweeps to his side and chasing down plays that went away from him. East Forsyth used a lot of quick passes to try to minimize the impact on Henry's pass rush but he did a very good job of getting his hands up to bat down a couple of passes. Junior Marcus Caldwell handled the ball for the majority of the night, taking handoffs and catching passes. Schools are looking at him as a slot receiver more than a running back now. Keep an eye on JaQuan McMillian. The sophomore is very athletic and made some nice plays in all three phases of the game.

There is a lot to like about the young talent at Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian. Junior running back Justus Woods is a tough runner with good size but is also a big time receiving threat. Sophomore quarterback Garrett Shrader has a chance to be a big-time prospect. The 6-foot-5 signal caller with a very strong arm threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in a 49-19 win.

Waxhaw (N.C.) Cuthbertson turned the ball over a lot but North Carolina commit JT Cauthen is an impressive prospect. He has strong hands and did a good job making some contested catches. Charlotte Christian double-teamed Cauthen for much of the game so it was tough for him to get the ball a ton.

When talking about the “haves and have-nots,” Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek should be considered not only one of the “haves” but also part of the "1-percent." The Mavericks are stacked with Div. I talent on both sides of the ball and it showed in their 21-14 win over Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes on Saturday night. North Carolina Central quarterback commit Chauncey Caldwell accounted for two touchdowns but Mallard Creek's success starts up front with South Carolina commits TJ Moore and Eric Douglas. Moore says he is going to take official visits to Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Florida State, N.C. State and maybe Georgia. He will definitely be visiting South Carolina for a few games as well. Moore still talks to the staff at Tennessee everyday.

North Carolina wide receiver commit Ryan Jones is very gifted and but couldn't get on the same page with Caldwell. He had a couple of catches and was open a number of times but the ball either didn't come to him or it was thrown to a spot that made it very difficult to haul in. Jones has been committed to the Tar Heels for a long time but is planning on taking official visits to Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Georgia. He is going to get back to Chapel Hill for the games against James Madison and Virginia Tech.

The linebackers are the heart and soul of Mallard Creek's defense. They laid some big hits and set the tone early and often. Colorado State commit Larry Matkins under cut a screen pass to grab an interception and returned it for a touchdown late in the game. Fellow linebackers Gerald Bass, Kalen Allen and Cameren Lowery had big games as well.

The defensive line was led by N.C. State commit Grant Gibson and sophomore Jordan Davis. Gibson's quickness at the snap and Davis' size and strength gave Byrnes' offensive line problems all night. At 6-foot-6, 295-pounds, Davis has the look of a major college prospect, already holding offers from N.C. State and North Carolina.

Byrnes' best player was 2018 Rivals250 wide receiver Demarcus Gregory and he lived up to the hype. He was targeted many times during the game but it seemed like he woke up after he exchanged some words with Mallard Creek defensive back Jacobe Clement, a N.C. State commit. A few plays later Gregory came up with an outstanding touchdown catch to cut the Mallard Creek lead to 14-7. Gregory has offers from schools like South Carolina, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and a few others. It seems like the Gamecocks are in very good position right now but a commitment does not seem imminent.

Charlotte (N.C.) West Mecklenburg has a really good group of wide receivers led by 2018 Rivals250 prospect Dyami Brown. North Carolina and Virginia Tech have his attention so far. Brown's younger brother, Khafre Brown, is a 2019 track star that will likely be a scholarship football player as well. Talented linebacker Trajan McQueen likes Missouri, Louisville, and Miami (OH) a lot right now but the senior will take some official visits before deciding anything.

Charlotte (N.C.) Latin's explosive athlete Melvin Rouse appears headed to Duke. The Blue Devils could end up using him at running back or at cornerback. Keep an eye on 2019 lineman Kevens Grammont. He is listed as a defensive end but also plays offensive tackle. Grammont's father went to Maryland and they visited College Park twice this offseason. His dream school is Stanford but most of the in-state schools have already expressed interest.

Charlotte (N.C.) Vance is loaded with athletes but the best of the bunch is Oklahoma commit Jeremiah Hall. He is listed as a tight end but is more of a H-back and can be used in a number of ways. East Carolina quarterback commit Kingsley Ifedi has had a great start to the season and Pirates fans should be excited about what they're getting next year. Junior Gerald Nathan Jr. has a chance to be special. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker has great speed and is generating some buzz.

Sophomores Tyus Fields, Deangelo Smith, Kevon Hilliard and senior Jackson Gibbs have been getting the most attention from college coaches at Cornelius (N.C.) Hough. Fields and Smith have brothers that play for Clemson but Smith has yet to receive an offer. Fields has offers from Clemson, Tennessee, and N.C. State. Gibbs claims an offer from Michigan and Hilliard has intrigued a lot of schools so far.

Greensboro (N.C.) Northwest Guilford has a plethora of offensive playmakers. Appalachian State wide receiver commit Thomas Hennigan plays quarterback and makes the offense go. Their big-time target on the outside is 2018 Rivals100 receiver Tre Turner. Ole Miss recently offered and he has visits to Miami and Tennessee in the works. Sophomore running back Cameron Cloud is dangerous in the open field and already has the attention of many schools in the region.

Virginia Tech quarterback commit Hendon Hooker is Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley's best player. He will be at Bristol for the Hokies' game against Tennessee but will also be taking official visits to Oregon, Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Dates for those visits have not been set yet. Junior defensive back D.J. Crossen is already committed to North Carolina but many more offers are coming for him.

Junior Nolan Johnson is the headliner at High Point (N.C.) Southwest Guilford. The 6-foot-2 defensive back has offers from Maryland and East Carolina but he has the build and skill set to attract many more. Junior Jaren Rainey is a very good athlete. He starts at quarterback but schools like Duke, Wake Forest, and a few others are looking at him as a safety prospect.