50 Fayetteville high school football players to watch, 50 days before 2023 season
High school football kicks off in 50 days for Fayetteville’s teams in the N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association.
With just under two months until kickoff, The Fayetteville Observer takes a look at 50 players to watch before the opening Friday night of the season Aug. 18.
Here’s a look at 50 of the top returning high school football players in Fayetteville ahead of the 2023 season.
David Adams, E.E. Smith
A 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior linebacker, Adams had 76 tackles and two forced fumbles last season.
Dontario Austin, South View
The junior linebacker had 65 tackles, including six for loss, last season.
Brandon Avery, Westover
The senior running back had 99 carries for 666 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games last season.
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Hector Bautista, Seventy-First
The reigning Best of 910Preps Defensive Player of the Year had 168 tackles, including 59 for loss, and nine sacks last season.
Bryce Bennett, Jack Britt
The senior linebacker had 92 tackles, including 21 for loss, and eight sacks last season.
Timothy Blue, Pine Forest
The 6-foot-4, 225 pound defensive lineman had 44 tackles, including 10 for loss, and three forced fumbles as a junior.
Nyzir Bostick, Pine Forest
The senior cornerback had 49 tackles and four pass breakups last season.
Kaleb Caraway, Gray’s Creek
The junior linebacker had 88 tackles, including nine for loss, last season.
Latrell Carter, Pine Forest
A wide receiver and returner, Carter had 29 catches for 412 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games as a sophomore.
Tariq Clarida, South View
The junior quarterback settled into a starting role last season with 1,513 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Mekhai Coleman, Cape Fear
A Division I prospect, Coleman has become one of the top cornerbacks in the region. He had two interceptions and 25 tackles as a junior.
Zachary Colon, Douglas Byrd
Colon anchors the Eagles’ offensive line as a 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior leader.
Tyler Davis, Gray’s Creek
A wide receiver and dual-threat quarterback, Davis accounted for 1,003 all-purpose yards, 12 touchdowns in his junior season.
Rashad Dockery, South View
The junior running back had 488 yards and nine touchdowns last season as a backup.
Ziare Ealy, Seventy-First
After losing several starters on the offensive line, the Falcons will look to Ealy to help fill the gap.
Cashyon Foster, Westover
The senior linebacker had 43 tackles last season. Foster is expected to take on a bigger role after graduation losses.
Donavan Frederick, Seventy-First
The junior linebacker and running back had 182 tackles, including 31 for loss, and 22 two-point conversions last season.
Adom Hembrick, E.E. Smith
A junior defensive back, Hembrick had 22 tackles, four interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a sophomore.
Johnathan Higgins-Simmons, Terry Sanford
The senior running back powered through injuries to finish with 822 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Higgins-Simmons also had four receiving touchdowns.
Zayvion Hill, Seventy-First
The senior linebacker had 137 tackles – including 33 for loss – 11 sacks, three interceptions and three pass breakups last season.
Jakori Hood, South View
The senior linebacker had 40 tackles and anchored the offensive line as a tight end. Hood had 117 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Cameron Hunt, Westover
The senior defensive end had 85 tackles, including 10 for loss, last season.
James Hunt, Pine Forest
The junior linebacker had 67 tackles, including 20 for loss, and nine sacks last season.
Donovan Johnson, Pine Forest
The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman is picking up interest from Division I programs ahead of his sophomore season.
Rashid Jones, Terry Sanford
The senior running back and receiver accounted for six touchdowns last season and 533 receiving yards on 36 catches.
Jabari Lee, Jack Britt
A senior two-way player, Lee had 70 tackles and seven punt returns for an average of 22.6 yards.
Fredrick Logan, Pine Forest
A Division I recruit as a cornerback, Logan had eight interceptions and seven pass deflections last season. He also had 60 tackles.
Ricardo McDonald, Cape Fear
The senior cornerback and wide receiver had 32 catches for 526 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Zymeir McPhaul, Seventy-First
McPhaul is a returning starter on the offensive line as a junior.
Jeremiah Melvin, Cape Fear
A Wake Forest commit, the 6-foot-6 senior wide receiver was injured for most of the 2022 season. Melvin has 654 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
Robert Moore, Cape Fear
The senior linebacker had 81 tackles – including 10 for loss – four sacks, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles last season.
Favour Murtala, Cape Fear
The senior running back had a breakout season in 2022 with 782 yards and eight touchdowns on 139 carries.
DeAndre Nance, Seventy-First
The junior quarterback accounted for 1,680 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had three games with 100 or more rushing yards.
Donavan Pauling-Outlaw, South View
A two-way player as a junior, Pauling-Outlaw had four interceptions and 35 tackles as a defensive back. He also accounted for six touchdowns, including four as a receiver.
Zach Pickel, Jack Britt
The senior linebacker had 94 tackles and two forced fumbles last season.
Jackson Powell, Jack Britt
A senior quarterback, Powell completed 65% of his passes for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He also ran for seven touchdowns.
Wyatt Rodgers, Douglas Byrd
The senior two-way player had 35 tackles, including two sacks, and two interceptions last season.
Terence Rogers, E.E. Smith
The senior running back had 376 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 carries last season. He also had 55 tackles.
Michael Ross, Trinity Christian
The senior running back had 505 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. He also caught 12 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
Jadon Rourk, Westover
The sophomore wideout had 68 catches for 842 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season.
Christian Rutledge, South View
The senior running back racked up 1,134 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Rutledge also had three kickoff returns for touchdowns
Landon Sargent, Cape Fear
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior linebacker had 79 tackles – including 11 for loss – two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception last season.
Kenyon Slaughter-Keen, Terry Sanford
The senior running back and hybrid defender had nine rushing touchdowns and 115 tackles, including 13 for loss, last season.
Fonzy Smith, Trinity Christian
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound wideout, Smith has received interest from UNC. Smith had seven touchdowns as a sophomore.
Bobby Soles, South View
The junior linebacker had a team-best 81 tackles as a sophomore, including 12 for loss.
Kamal Thames, Terry Sanford
The senior all-purpose player accounted for eight offensive touchdowns and 60 tackles last season.
Melik Thomas, Seventy-First
The senior linebacker had 11 tackles, including 28 for loss, and five sacks last season.
Xayden Watson, Trinity Christian
The senior quarterback accounted for 1,925 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. He had 14 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Javon Webb, Gray’s Creek
The senior running back had 945 yards and 11 touchdowns on 165 carries last season.
Jonathan Williams, E.E. Smith
The senior defensive lineman had 48 tackles, including 16 for loss, and five sacks last season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 50 Fayetteville football players to watch, 50 days before 2023 season
