Vote: Who has been the best freshman football player in North Carolina so far in 2024?

We’ve picked out 12 freshmen football players in North Carolina that have stood out this season

Lake Norman quarterback Kaden Craft / Lake Norman quarterback Kaden Craft/X

We are just past the mid-point part of the 2024 high school football season here in North Carolina and there’s no shortage of underclassmen performing at a high level. It’s no surprise that freshmen are showing out in Tar Heel State as that’s been the case in the past many times over. This list of underclassmen features some of the top freshmen football players we’ve seen or have been on the rise in North Carolina. Take a look at our list and vote for who you feel has been the top performing freshman high school football player in North Carolina. 

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes on October 31st, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

Lucas Lopez, QB, Cannon Concord Academy

Lopez has been stellar this season under center for Cannon Concord Academy, completing 46-of-68 passes for 880 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three picks.

Draeton Nance, QB, Davie

Another freshman that’s flourishing under center in the Tar Heel State is Nance, who has completed nearly 68 percent of his passes for 1,069 yards and nine touchdowns.

Kaleb Robinson, QB, Northside Jacksonville

Though Robinson may have the most interceptions of the freshmen quarterbacks, he’s been producing almost as much. The freshman has thrown for 977 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Kaden Craft, QB, Lake Norman

Craft has been a pleasant surprise this season for Lake Norman at quarterback. The signal caller has thrown for 642 yards, nine touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Teo Mcphatter, RB, Princeton

The running back has been a dynamic athlete out of the backfield for Princeton, rushing for 1,031 yards (147.3 yards per game) on 163 carries and has scored 17 touchdowns.

Connor Brinton, RB, Asheboro

Playing for one of the top programs in the state, Brinton has been a solid contributor out of the backfield for Asheboro. The tailback has rushed for 607 yards on 123 touches and scored three touchdowns.

John Evans Jr., RB, Reagan

Coming out of the backfield for Reagan, Evans Jr. has been terrific. Evans Jr. has rushed for 564 yards on 106 carries and scored four touchdowns.

Braylon Clark, WR, Charlotte Country Day

Clark has been arguably the top wide receiver in North Carolina this season, hauling in 24 passes for 452 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

Blake Pennington, LB, North Moore

Playing outside linebacker primarily, Pennington has been a tackling machine as a freshman, notching 66 takedowns, eight of them have gone for a loss and four sacks.

Lej'end Lockwood, LB, Butler

Another one of the state's top freshman at the linebacker position has been Lockwood, who has racked up 61 tackles, 10 going for a loss and seven sacks.

Skyler Potts, LB, Albemarle

The Albemarle linebacker has come onto the scene as a freshman and produced some solid numbers. Potts tallied 62 tackles, five for a loss and one sack.

Oliver Alexander, Edge, North Raleigh Christian Academy

One of the top freshmen pass rushers in the state is NRCA's Alexander. The edge rusher has totaled 29 tackles and five sacks.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivenc