Vote: Who Was The Top Freshman Football Player In North Carolina Of 2024?

We’ve picked out 16 freshmen football players in North Carolina that have stood out this past 2024 season

Connor Brinton/X

The 2024 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months. 

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where freshmen that saw extensive playing time come into the mix. 

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top freshman football player of 2024? 

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the freshmen that won going head-to-head. 

We’ve selected 16 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

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 January 19th, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

Lucas Lopez, QB, Cannon Concord Academy

Lopez was stellar this past season under center for Cannon Concord Academy, completing 84-of-138 passes for 1,451 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five picks.

Draeton Nance, QB, Davie

Another freshman that flourished under center in the Tar Heel State is Nance, who completed nearly 67 percent of his passes for 1,623 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Kaleb Robinson, QB, Northside Jacksonville

Though Robinson may have the most interceptions of the freshmen quarterbacks, but he’s been producing almost as much when it comes to yardage and touchdowns. The freshman threw for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Kaden Craft, QB, Lake Norman

Craft was a pleasant surprise this past season for Lake Norman at quarterback. The signal caller threw for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Ryan Rizzuti, QB, Myers Park

We keep it going with quarterbacks and bring in Rizzuti, who finished the season throwing for 913 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Teo Mcphatter, RB, Princeton

The running back was the state's most dynamic athlete out of the backfield when it comes to freshmen, rushing for 1,739 yards (144.9 yards per game) on 233 carries and scored 27 touchdowns.

Connor Brinton, RB, Asheboro

Playing for one of the top programs in the state, Brinton was a solid contributor out of the backfield for Asheboro. The tailback rushed for 1,076 yards on 216 touches and scored seven touchdowns.

Tobias Cromartie, RB, Union

Another tailback that proved himself to being one of the best of the 2028 class was Cromartie. The running back rushed for 1,077 and scored seven times.

John Evans Jr., RB, Reagan

Coming out of the backfield for Reagan, Evans Jr. was terrific. Evans Jr. rushed for 922 yards on 166 carries and scored eight touchdowns.

Andre Ramseur, Jr., WR, Mountain Island Charter

Leading the freshmen in the receptions, yardage department was Ramseur Jr., The pass catcher caught 56 passes for 829 yards and seven touchdowns.

Braylon Clark, WR, Charlotte Country Day

Clark was arguably one of the top freshmen wide receivers in North Carolina this season, hauling in 38 passes for 578 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

Blake Pennington, LB, North Moore

Playing outside linebacker primarily, Pennington was a tackling machine as a freshman, notching 110 takedowns, 17 of them have gone for a loss and five sacks.

Lej'end Lockwood, LB, Butler

Another one of the state's top freshman at the linebacker position was Lockwood, who racked up 87 tackles, 16 going for a loss and seven sacks.

Grady Mahaffey, LB, Lejeune

Mahaffey was a can't miss defender for Lejeune, with the linebacker tracking down 101 tackles, 5.5 for loss and a sack.

Skyler Potts, LB, Albemarle

The Albemarle linebacker came onto the scene as a freshman and produced some solid numbers. Potts tallied 73 tackles, six for a loss and one sack.

Landen Harding, DL, Robinson

One of the top freshmen defensive lineman in the state is Robinson's Harding. The defensive stalwart has totaled 47 tackles, 10 for loss and eight sacks.

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