SI All-American Football Candidates in North Carolina

SI All-American's watch list of the top seniors (the class of 2021) in the state of North Carolina

Fifty-five high school football players from the state of North Carolina are on the watch list for the Sports Illustrated All-American team for 2020, SI announced today.

With 55 student-athletes on the list of SIAA candidates, North Carolina ranks No. 5 in the nation. Florida (142) and Texas (129) top the state rankings, followed by Georgia (84) and California (79). After North Carolina, the top 10 rounds out with Alabama (44), Ohio (37), Virginia (31), Michigan (30) and Maryland (28).

“North Carolina checking in as a top-five talent-producing state this cycle is significant and has area programs benefiting, but none more so than the University of North Carolina. Mack Brown’s staff has secured the state’s top prospects, headlined by quarterback Drake Maye and defensive end Keeshawn Silver,” said SI director of recruiting John Garcia Jr.

For a breakdown of which of the 1,000 SIAA nominees across the nation have verbally committed to or are considering Power 5 schools in the state of North Carolina, head to:

• North Carolina
• North Carolina State
• Wake Forest
• Duke

The North Carolina high school seniors who are SIAA candidates are:

• Bryson Nesbit - 6-6 / 220 / TE from Charlotte, N.C.
• Coleman Jeffcoat - 6-3 / 205 / WR from Charlotte, N.C.
• Drake Maye - 6-5 / 210 / QB from Charlotte, N.C.
• Jesiah Davis - 6-2 / 170 / WR from Charlotte, N.C.
• Kaci Seegars - 6-2 / 215 / LB/RB from Charlotte, N.C.
• Power Echols - 6-1 / 210 / ILB from Charlotte, N.C.
• Jared Wilson - 6-4 / 325 / OT from Clemmons, N.C.
• DeAndre Bokyins - 5-11 / 185 / S from Concord, N.C.
• Evan Pryor - 5-10 / 190 / RB from Cornelius, N.C.
• Mario Love Jr. - 5-10 / 170 / CB from Cornelius, N.C.
• Bralyn Oliver - 6-2 / 195 / S from Cornelius, N.C.
• Aaron Hall - 6-5 / 210 / ATH from Durham, N.C.
• Anthony Freeman - 5-11 / 211 / OLB from Durham, N.C.
• Jalen Wright - 5-11 / 187 / RB from Durham, N.C.
• Dontavius Nash - 6-2 / 170 / ATH from Gastonia, N.C.
• Nick Sharpe - 6-2 / 297 / DT from Gastonia, N.C.
• Nicholas Barrett - 6-4 / 320 / DT from Goldsboro, N.C.
• Payton Page - 6-4 / 330 / DT from Greensboro, N.C.
• Kamarro Edmonds - 5-11 / 200 / RB from Havelock, N.C.
• Julian Gray - 5-10.5 / 174 / WR from Huntersville, N.C.
• Tymir Brown - 6-1 / 160 / CB from Jacksonville, N.C.
• Jaden Lindsay - 6-3 / 270 / OG from Kernersville, N.C.
• Jahvaree Ritzie - 6-4.5 / 274 / DE from Kernersville, N.C.
• Micah Crowell - 6-2 / 215 / WR from Kernersville, N.C.
• Raneiria Dillworth - 6-2 / 195 / OLB from Kernersville, N.C.
• Zyun Reeves - 6-7 / 245 / DE from Kernersville, N.C.
• Dameon Wilson - 6-1 / 210 / ILB from Kings Mountain, N.C.
• Kobe Paysour - 6-1 / 175 / ATH from Kings Mountain, N.C.
• Trevion Cooley - 5-11 / 208 / RB from Knightdale, N.C.
• Travali Price - 6-4 / 246 / DE from Lincolnton, N.C.
• Nate Hampton - 6-6 / 230 / QB from Mocksville, N.C.
• Gabe Stephens - 6-3 / 205 / ATH from Mount Holly , N.C.
• Will Shipley - 5-11 / 200 / RB from Matthews, N.C.
• Gavin Blackwell - 6-0 / 165 / WR from Monroe, N.C.
• Michael Gonzalez - 6-4 / 280 / OG from Monroe, N.C.
• Yousef Mugharbil - 6-5 / 300 / OG from Murphy, N.C.
• Brandon Johnson - 5-10 / 170 / CB from Newton, N.C.
• Jordan Poole - 6-0 / 225 / ATH from Oakboro, N.C.
• Andrew Jones - 6-4 / 255 / OT from Pfafftown, N.C.
• Issac Washington - 6-3 / 268 / DT from Pilot Mountain, N.C.
• Andrew Canelas - 6-8 / 300 / OT from Raleigh, N.C.
• Jabril McNeill - 6-4 / 225 / OLB from Raleigh, N.C.
• Diego Pounds - 6-6 / 305 / OT from Raleigh, N.C.
• Jacob Gill - 6-0 / 170 / WR from Raleigh, N.C.
• Joshua Sosanya - 6-1.5 / 180 / S from Raleigh, N.C.
• Kaemen Marley - 6-2 / 205 / ATH from Ramseur, N.C.
• Breon Pass - 6-1 / 160 / WR from Reidsville, N.C.
• Caleb Hood - 6-0 / 220 / ATH from Rockingham, N.C.
• Dalton Stroman - 6-3 / 183 / WR from Rockingham, N.C.
• Jakolbe Baldwin - 6-0 / 175 / WR Rockingham, N.C.
• Jaleel Davis - 6-6 / 300 / OT from Rockingham, N.C.
• Keeshawn Silver - 6-5 / 270 / DE from Rocky Mount, N.C.
• Jack Hollifield - 6-3 / 225 / ATH from Shelby, N.C.
• Isaiah Pipkin - 6-6 / 220 / LB from Wake Forest, N.C.
• Colby Smith - 6-7 / 295 / OT from Wentworth, N.C.
• Zaire Patterson - 6-6 / 230 / DE from Winston-Salem, N.C.

Video highlights, scouting analyses and a list of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said Garcia.

Sports Illustrated will narrow the 1,000 All-America candidates to 250 in October, 99 in November and then announce a first-team of 25, second-team of 25 and an honorable mention group in December. The first-team selections will be invited to the SI Sportsperson of the Year banquet.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial preseason top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.