Nothing crazy tonight, but got to watch the first three games of the Wake Forest (N.C.) High scrimmage tonight that HighSchoolOT.com puts on.
Wake Forest senior linebacker Zane Williams, a NC State commit, didn't play tonight, so it took a little luster away from the evening. It was good to get a handle on where senior wide receiver Franklin Baret is though. Baret has impressive combine numbers, but not a lot of on-field resume, so at the moment, he has Group of Five offers. NC State has brought him to camp the last two years, a follow-up unofficial visit last June and then Alpha Wolf on July 28, so there is interest.
Baret ended up getting targeted four times, catching three short passes, but missing out on a touchdown grab in the end zone. I think it would have been a hard grab, but catchable, but I'll get another look when editing the video. In portal era, it's good to recruit players like Baret, even if you don't ultimately offer him. He could go to a smaller school, put it together one day and then enter the portal.
The gist of the scrimmage tonight was about 25 minutes or so of running clock each half. So, with Wake Forest running three, four yards a play, the clock ticks down pretty fast and possessions for both teams shrink. Wake Forest's defense, even without Williams, was pretty stout. It's going to be hard to score on them this season.
It was interesting seeing New Bern with a new coach, and then Durham Hillside earlier with the former New Bern coach, who used the triple option to win the NCHSAA 4A state title last year. Offense was hard to come by in all three games, but Hillside ended up shutting down Raleigh Millbrook in the first down. No Wesley Grimes or Nathan Leacock on this year's Millbrook squad.
Apex has a solid junior tight end in Kaleb Morrow, who has been by NC State last spring and a game during the 2022 season. He has a Charlotte offer and is in the beginning stages, but he's 6-6 and 235 pounds, and is a fluid athlete. I believe he also plays hoops. It's been a hot minute since Apex High has had a Division I football prospect. Maybe Ian Boyd, who ended up picking George Mason in hoops.
Apex really stymied Southern Durham High pretty good. Junior Isaiah Campbell looks like a million dollars, and probably could be a defensive end in a 3-man line, or a defensive tackle in a four-man line. He's around 265 pounds now, but it's easy to think he'll be in the 285-290 range by the time he arrives at a college. I'd have to watch the video, but I know he had one nice place, but it wasn't easy for him against Apex. Scrimmages can be hard to gauge defensive lineman at times. I went to see Clinton defensive end Amaris Williams at this time last year, and he went against a huge 315-pound tackle from Maxton Purnell Swett High, and was completely neutralized, so I've learned to not assume too much at times with defensive lineman. Georgia-bound Nnamdi Ogboko also got little done in South Garner HIgh's scrimmage.
Wake Forest senior linebacker Zane Williams, a NC State commit, didn't play tonight, so it took a little luster away from the evening. It was good to get a handle on where senior wide receiver Franklin Baret is though. Baret has impressive combine numbers, but not a lot of on-field resume, so at the moment, he has Group of Five offers. NC State has brought him to camp the last two years, a follow-up unofficial visit last June and then Alpha Wolf on July 28, so there is interest.
Baret ended up getting targeted four times, catching three short passes, but missing out on a touchdown grab in the end zone. I think it would have been a hard grab, but catchable, but I'll get another look when editing the video. In portal era, it's good to recruit players like Baret, even if you don't ultimately offer him. He could go to a smaller school, put it together one day and then enter the portal.
The gist of the scrimmage tonight was about 25 minutes or so of running clock each half. So, with Wake Forest running three, four yards a play, the clock ticks down pretty fast and possessions for both teams shrink. Wake Forest's defense, even without Williams, was pretty stout. It's going to be hard to score on them this season.
It was interesting seeing New Bern with a new coach, and then Durham Hillside earlier with the former New Bern coach, who used the triple option to win the NCHSAA 4A state title last year. Offense was hard to come by in all three games, but Hillside ended up shutting down Raleigh Millbrook in the first down. No Wesley Grimes or Nathan Leacock on this year's Millbrook squad.
Apex has a solid junior tight end in Kaleb Morrow, who has been by NC State last spring and a game during the 2022 season. He has a Charlotte offer and is in the beginning stages, but he's 6-6 and 235 pounds, and is a fluid athlete. I believe he also plays hoops. It's been a hot minute since Apex High has had a Division I football prospect. Maybe Ian Boyd, who ended up picking George Mason in hoops.
Apex really stymied Southern Durham High pretty good. Junior Isaiah Campbell looks like a million dollars, and probably could be a defensive end in a 3-man line, or a defensive tackle in a four-man line. He's around 265 pounds now, but it's easy to think he'll be in the 285-290 range by the time he arrives at a college. I'd have to watch the video, but I know he had one nice place, but it wasn't easy for him against Apex. Scrimmages can be hard to gauge defensive lineman at times. I went to see Clinton defensive end Amaris Williams at this time last year, and he went against a huge 315-pound tackle from Maxton Purnell Swett High, and was completely neutralized, so I've learned to not assume too much at times with defensive lineman. Georgia-bound Nnamdi Ogboko also got little done in South Garner HIgh's scrimmage.
