One area that most prep teams struggle to find a capable leader at is quarterback. The Tigers offense does not have that problem as their offensive hopes rest in the capable hands of Olive Branch, Miss., gunslinger Cannon Smith. The 5-foot-11, 180 pound, Olive Branch, Miss., prospect has put his off-the-field issues behind him and is looking for a new lease on life. He was very sharp in practice and hitting most of his
Terence Kerns
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passes. After originally committing to Ole Miss, Smith has now opened things up and is looking at a number off options including the Miami Hurricanes. The Rebels are still in the mix.
Last season, Milford Academy boasted the top two post-grad running backs in the same backfield. Don’t be surprised if Hargrave pulls off that feat this season. Leading the way is Lynn Haven, Fla., tailback Enrique Davis. Davis, an Auburn commit is the early leader to be the No. 1 post-grad player in the country. Not far behind Davis is Frederick, Md., bruiser Terence Kerns a West Virginia commit. Kerns, at 6-1, 230 pounds of chiseled muscle should form an incredible one-two punch with Noel Devine when he arrives in Morgantown. These two will split carries and provide the Tigers with a dangerous combo and two contrasting styles.
Hargrave never lacks playmakers at the wide receiver position and this season is no exception. Burlington, N.C., standout Dwight Jones leads the way. At, 6-4 and 200 pounds, Jones just glides so effortlessly and presents match-up problems for most defensive backs. The North Carolina commit should be a great one. Kendrick Pressley a
Andrew Harris
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Virginia Tech pledge is making the adjustment from quarterback to wide receiver. The Sumter, S.C., star should that he is more than capable with blistering speed. Another future West Virginia Mountaineer Andrew Harris showed flashes of brilliance at times. The St. Petersburg, Fla., athlete will have to thicken up and become more consistent, but he should improve with repetitions. LSU commit DeAngelo Benton, 6-4, 195 pounds, has all the skill in the world. He now has to adjust his game to facing a little bit stiffer competition and take it to the next level. Silver Spring, Md., wide receiver Dayon Arrington has really bulked up since we saw him last spring. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, we expect the former Paint Branch High star to garner a lot of looks this fall.
J.T. Dixon made the trip clear from Chandler, Arizona to play at Hargrave. After fielding one offer from Northern Arizona it looks like the 6-4, 220 pound tight end made the right choice. Wilson looked very good in practice and should pick up his share of offers. Jeremy Jester, a talented 6-4, 240-pound, tight end prospect from Sevierville, Tenn., also showed that he will be a force for the Tigers.
It would be tough to top last years offensive line, but the cupboard is not bare at Hargrave. Leading the charge is Holly Springs, N.C., tackle Sam Jones. At 6-5, 300 pounds, Jones showed incredible feet and took us all by surprise much the way Craig Wilson did last year. He has improved a great deal and if he gets his academics in order he should be able to choose any school he wants to attend. It did not take long for 6-5, 300-pound, Jermaine Johnson to catch our attention. It is not often that a man can carry 300 pounds and look good doing it, but Johnson pulls it off. Former N.C. State commit Kyle Linney from Hiddenite, N.C. will bolster the interior of the Tigers offensive front.
Leon Mackey
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The stalwarts of the defensive front may be a pair of high school senior transfers Leon Mackey and Quinton Coples. Mackey, 6-4, 275 pounds, was the No. 1 ranked prospect in Delaware and a four-star prospect. Coples, 6-7, 235 pounds, from Kinston, N.C. is also a four-star prospect and one of the hottest prospects in the Southeast. Mackey also took reps on offense and may end up playing both ways. Hoover, Ala., star Kerry Murphy is another player who tooks reps on both sides of the ball. Murphy admitted that he was disappointed with his senior season after he gained 30-40 pounds. He is anxious to get back down under 300 pounds and show everyone that his junior season was no fluke. Tallahassee, Fla., defensive tackle Tim Lamb struggled with conditioning and will have to quickly work his way in to shape to be ready for the Tigers opener.
Coach Prunty always likes having athletic linebackers who can fly to the football and he has a few on this squad as well. Virginia Tech commit Quillie Odom has the size and speed to play any of the three linebacker positions. The Manassas, Va., prospect may end up in the middle. Columbia, Md., linebacker Zach Brown has quite the athletic resume. The Maryland commit could eventually end up as a safety at the next level due to his speed and athleticism. The surprise among the linebackers was the unheralded Kent Walker from Kittanning, Pa., at 6-0, 215 pounds, Walker may not have ideal size but he has heart and flies to the ball as well as anyone on the team. While doing one-on-one’s Walker against any tight end was a mismatch.
The best defensive back we watched at practice was also a player who made one of the longest trips to get to Hargrave. Duke commit Randez James was easily the best cover corner we saw at practice. The San Antonio, Texas prospect is a lockdown cover corner with outstanding speed. Linden, N.J. safety Jerry Jones also continued to look impressive. Jones had an outstanding camp a few weeks ago at the X-treme X-posure Camp in New Jersey and he continued that impressive streak at Hargrave. Germantown, Md., cornerback Josh Pleasant showed some flashes and should be a player to keep an eye on this fall.