NC high school football recruiting ladder: Weddington, Independence stars shine in debuts

Welcome to the USA TODAY Network’s recruiting ladder, a statewide feature from reporter Joe Hughes highlighting 10 prospects on the rise each week of the 2024 high school football season.

Anyone is eligible for consideration, whether it be an unranked player who had a career game, a recruit with mid-level offers, or four- and five-star standouts adding to their personal highlight reel.

Have a player to recommend? Feel free to submit their name, position and graduation class, in addition to other relevant information, statistics or scholarship offers via email to jhughes@gastongazette.com or Twitter (@JoeLHughesII) by each Tuesday morning.

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Braden Atkinson

Rolesville | Sr., QB

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback completed 22 of 31 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns as part of a sterling performance in a 64-14 win over Butler (Matthews). The Mercer football recruit led Rolesville to touchdowns on their first eight possessions (six touchdowns, two field goals).

Bryce Baker

East Forsyth | Sr., QB

Baker started his senior season on a high note, completing 18-of-22 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-0 victory over Heritage. A North Carolina football recruit, he’s thrown for 3,374 career yards and 42 touchdowns in 13 career games, along with 233 rushing yards and three more TDs.

Dallas Brannon

Independence (Charlotte) | Jr., LB

Brannon tallied 13 tackles against Myers Park, including four on a solo basis in a 24-21 win. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker, he led the Patriots last fall with 147 tackles to go with a sack, interception and a forced fumble. He currently holds 22 offers from schools such as Duke, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Shawn Davis

East Duplin | Jr., RB

Rushed for 265 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries, helping the Panthers to a 49-23 win over Dixon. East Duplin rushed for 449 yards in the game. Davis is coming off a 2023 season in which he rushed for 1,144 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Josh Ellis

Asheville | Sr., RB

Ellis ran roughshod over Tuscola, tallying 195 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries, along with a 14-yard touchdown reception in a 42-6 win. In his second season at Asheville following two years playing for McDowell, Ellis has rushed for 2,631 career yards and 27 TDs.

Aiden Harris

Weddington | Jr., DL

Harris spent much of Thursday night in the Providence Day backfield, part of a stifling Weddington defense which limited a 132 yards in a 13-7 win. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive lineman is a rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, holding offers from schools including Ohio State, Auburn, Boston College, Charlotte, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Michigan, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Grayson Harvey

Mountain Island Charter | Sr., QB

Harvey was almost perfect in a 55-6 win over Cabarrus Stallions, completing 21-of-25 passes for 419 yards and seven touchdowns. In his third year as a full-time starter, he’s thrown for 5,275 career yards, well within striking distance of the Gaston County all-time record held by Stuart Cramer’s Justin Rocquemore (6,652 yards). Harvey also has 43 touchdown passes.

Jeremiah Johnson

Pender | Sr., FB

Pender’s 5-foot-7, 225-pound “bowling ball of nails” ran roughshod Friday night, rushing for 206 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns in a 74-7 win over Lejeune. Last October, he set an NCHSAA scoring record by rushing for 377 yards on 44 carries and six touchdowns in a 106-83 win over Hobbton.

DeAndre Nance

Seventy-First | Sr., QB

Nance completed 9-of-12 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, in addition to 87 yards on 24 carries and two TDs in the Falcons’ 35-28 win over Richmond Senior. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback holds seven offers from schools including Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Army, Charlotte, Maine, Navy and North Carolina A&T.

Brian Rowe

Jay M. Robinson | Sr. WR

Rowe needed only five receptions to earn 115 yards and a touchdown in Robinson’s 40-6 win over Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg). With his Week 1 output, the South Carolina football recruit surpassed 1,500 career receiving yards to go with 21 touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Recruiting ladder: Weddington, Independence stars shine in debuts