Lester Ricard Jr. had done his homework before becoming head football coach at Scotlandville Magnet School in the fall of 2019. Even before his first day on campus, Ricard believed he had something special in sophomore running back Marlon Gunn Jr. "I knew his ceiling was high,'' Ricard said. Gunn proved Ricard's projection correct immediately, racking up 104 yards and a … [Read more...]

Jacob Sacra was ready for a new challenge after two years as a dominant performer on the wrestling mat and football field at Madison County High School in Virginia. Sacra found what he was looking for at national prep football powerhouse St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, where he transferred prior to his junior year. The move increased the competition and exposure for the … [Read more...]

When it comes to developing Football Bowl Subdivision defensive backs, few in the entire nation have produced more than William Amos Hough High School just North of Charlotte in Cornelius, NC. Since 2018, 12 Hough defensive backs have earned scholarships to FBS programs, including Tyus Fields (Tennessee), Jalen Frazier and Mario Love (N.C. State), Braylyn Oliver (Louisville) … [Read more...]

Michael Twichell believes C.J. Mims is one of the best, if not the best defensive line prospect among North Carolina's senior high school football players. There is certainly significant evidence to back up that assertion by Twichell, who is Mims' head coach at West Craven High School in the Eastern North Carolina town of Vanceboro. Over the last two seasons, the 6-foot-2, … [Read more...]

Tyler Leinberger was angry and frustrated like many when COVID-19 forced the postponement of Virginia's 2020 high school football season until the spring. But the unplanned hiatus led to a breakthrough for the Thomas Dale High School offensive lineman that turned him into a major college prospect. "I think that time, honestly, was a blessing for me,'' said Leinberger, who … [Read more...]