Top prep football players showcase talents to college recruiters: ‘A great opportunity’

High schools are still a major part of the recruiting process.

It doesn’t matter how often college football coaches find themselves studying the transfer portal to replace their top athletes, or the ways social media has simplified introductions.

There are still benefits to going out and getting to know recruits before they reach the collegiate level.

In an effort to increase exposure of Cabarrus County’s best football players, Hickory Ridge coach Jupiter Wilson welcomed more than 25 college coaches to the Bulls’ turf on Tuesday afternoon.

Each high school team in the county took the field behind Harrisburg high school for roughly an hour, running through different drills before the eyes, clipboards and cell phones of potential future coaches.

“We absolutely want to evaluate kids,” said Greg Harris, defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Kennesaw State University. “You obviously want to see the film, you want to see transcripts, but any opportunity to get a live evaluation is beneficial.

“You get to see how they handle and respond to coaching. How they practice. How hard they practice. Kids could make a highlight film, show all the good plays, but sometimes you get to see some of the work out here. It’s always good to get a complete evaluation.”

Willie Simmons, a new assistant at Duke who will primarily work with running backs, was among Harris and the other college coaches on hand at the event.

Simmons also emphasized the importance of seeing high school athletes on the field. While coaches learn about students in the classroom and how their football looks on tape, there’s nothing that replicates seeing recruits in action.

A chance for local recruits to be seen

The turf field at Hickory Ridge is partitioned into halves, with one Cabarrus County squad taking each side during their session.

Quarterbacks wear designated red jerseys and gather around the 20-yard line, heaving pigskins to receivers dashing up the sidelines. Offensive and defensive linemen meet each other at the goal line.

College coaches roam the sidelines, representing schools such as UNC, Virginia Tech, UConn, William & Mary, Liberty, Charlotte, East Carolina and App State. Players not in uniform maneuver around the Hickory Ridge track and field practice to shake their hands.

“I knew that I just had to come out here and show them what I could do,” said sophomore Joell Wooten , a Hickory Ridge wide receiver already receiving at least one Division I offer . “It’s really big. I feel like Cabarrus County is a pretty slept-on area, so I’m glad we’re showing what we can do.”

A.L. Brown offensive lineman Tai Buster , a junior committed to Auburn , led the local standout participants.

’What can you do to get your guys exposed?’

From the athletes’ perspective, there are many kids who play sports in high school and feel they never have a chance to get noticed. Then, there are certain talents who will be sniffed out by recruiters without doing much on their own.

An event like Tuesday’s provides a chance for the coaches to come to the athletes.

“I’m happy my coach put this together, it’s something special,” said sophomore Jace McCallum , a defensive lineman who also plays basketball at Hickory Ridge. “Just kids displaying their talents. I think it’s super important, because a lot of kids want to play in college at the next level, and they don’t always get the chance.

“They look forward to going to a camp, or something like this, where the college coaches can go to them. I just feel like this is a great opportunity.”

Additionally, there’s a new rule, for college coaches, that they can only have one high school contact during the spring and attend just eight practices. The ones at Hickory Ridge on Tuesday afternoon were able to get significantly more “bang for their buck,” as Wilson put it.

“As a coach, you gotta go with the times,” Wilson said. “And the times now say: ‘What can you do to get your guys exposed?’”