Vote: Who has been the best freshman football player in North Carolina in 2023?
We are at the conclusion of the 2023 high school football regular season here in North Carolina and there’s no shortage of underclassmen performing at a high level heading into the postseason.
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 sophomore 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 freshmen high school football player in North Carolina.
Voting closes on November 30th, 11:59pm
Here are the nominations:
JaRon Ward, QB, Hendersonville: Ward has been solid under center this fall for the Bearcats as the quarterback has completed 78-of-136 passes for 1,139 yards and 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Tyson Broadway, QB, Southern Durham: Probably one of the most efficient quarterbacks in North Carolina has been Broadway. The freshman signal caller has completed 64-of-83 (77 percent) for 1,216 yards, 11 touchdowns to a mere one interception.
Karvin Magwood, RB, New Bern: The 5-foot-9, 172-pound freshman tailback has been a hard tackle for opposing defenses. Magwood this season has carried the rock 130 times for 803 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
Calvin Lacewood, RB, Lakewood: One of the state's top freshman backs when it comes to yards per carry and finding the endzone is Lacewood. The running back has rushed for 622 yards on 78 carries (7.9 yards per carry) and has scored 14 touchdowns.
Otavio Oliveira, WR, Providence: The 5-foot-11, 150-pound wide receiver has been towards the top of the leaderboard for freshmen wideouts. Oliveira has caught 39 passes for 674 yards and scored six touchdowns this season.
Talik McCollum, WR, Douglas Byrd: McCollum is another freshman wide receiver that has come onto the scene and performed well this fall campaign. The Eagles' wide receiver has hauled in 22 passes for 481 yards and scored six times.
Bradley Byrd, LB, Oak Grove: If you're looking for a sure tackling freshman linebacker, you don't have to look any further than Byrd. The freshman linebacker has made 125 tackles and seven have gone for a loss.
Quinton Cypher, LB, Millbrook: Another strong tackler on this list is Cypher for the Wildcats. Cypher is the only other freshman linebacker to total 120 or more tackles and 6.5 have gone for a loss along with 2.5 sacks.
Jordan Hamm, LB, Wilson Prep: No freshman in the Tar Heel state can match what Hamm has done so far as a pass rusher. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker has racked up 14 sacks, leading all freshmen.
Judah Harris, DE, Hunt: Harris has helped bolster the Warriors' front seven in his freshman campaign, with the defensive end tallying seven sacks to go along with 46 tackles and 14 going for a loss.
Griff Galloway, DL, Providence Day: With the ability to play inside or out for Providence Day, Galloway's size at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds is impressive for a freshman. For the season, Galloway has tallied 44 tackles, seven for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Zion Ikeme, DB, A.C. Reynolds: Among all the freshmen seeing time on varsity as a defensive back, Ikeme stands out among them all. The Rockets' defensive back has notched five interceptions.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivenc
