(Offense)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network Throughout the 2023 football season, the North Carolina Sports Network tracked the careers of more than 1,000 college players who were products of the North Carolina high school ranks.
Below are NCSN’s 2023 “All-North Carolina” college football team honorees on offense, divided among our first-, second- and third-team selections, plus honorable mentions.
(For NCSN’s 2023 honorees on defense, please click HERE.)
Players from all NCAA conferences and divisions were eligible for this team, although there was a heavy focus on those competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) or the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), where programs offer more scholarships and, generally speaking, play against much higher-caliber competition than those in Division Two and especially Division Three (where athletic scholarships aren’t offered).
Each player is listed with his position, 2023 eligibility status (mostly seniors and juniors, with those who took a redshirt year also indicated as such), college team(s), athletic-based honors and North Carolina high school affiliation.
Reminder: Many in-state college stars attended out-of-state high schools. They are not eligible for this team, which is designed to both celebrate North Carolina’s high school football products and explore which college programs are doing the best jobs of signing and developing those in-state stars.
This 2023 “All-North Carolina” college football team was selected after consultation with college coaches, NFL scouts, media members and university media relations representatives.
2023 “All-North Carolina” College Football Team*
First-Team Offense
QB: Drake Maye, r-So., North Carolina (2024 NFL draft)
2022 All-American, 2x All-ACC, 2-year starter, Charlotte Myers Park
RB: Omarion Hampton, So., North Carolina
2023 All-American, 1st-team All-ACC, Clayton Cleveland
RB: Will Shipley, Jr., Clemson (2024 NFL draft)
2022 1st-team All-ACC, 2-year starter, Matthews Weddington
WR: KC Concepcion, Fr., NC State
2023 2nd-team All-ACC, Charlotte Chambers
WR: Tez Walker, r-Jr., North Carolina (Kent State 2021-22)
2023 3rd-team All-ACC, 2022 All-MAC, 2-year starter, West Charlotte
TE: Bryson Nesbit, Jr., North Carolina
2023 1st-team All-ACC, Charlotte South Mecklenburg
OT: Delmar Glaze, r-Jr., Maryland
2023 3rd-team All-Big Ten, 3-year starter, Charlotte West Mecklenburg
OG: D’Mitri Emmanuel, r-Sr., Florida State (Charlotte 2017-22)
2023 1st-team All-ACC, 5-year starter, Waxhaw Marvin Ridge
OC: Isaiah Helms, r-Sr., Appalachian State (Western Carolina 2019-20)
2023 1st-team All-Sun Belt, 5-year starter, Lenoir West Caldwell
OG: Jacob Monk, r-Sr., Duke
2023 2nd-team All-ACC, 5-year starter, Wendell Corinth Holders
OT: Mike Edwards, r-Sr., Campbell (Wake Forest 2018-19)
FCS All-American, 1st-team All-CAA, 4-year starter, Hope Mills South View
PK: Joshua Karty, r-Jr., Stanford
All-American. 2x 1st-team All-Pac-12, 3-year starter, Elon Western Alamance
SP: Tucker Holloway, So., Virginia Tech
2023 3rd-team All-ACC, High Point Andrews
Second-Team Offense
QB: Sam Hartman, r-Sr., Notre Dame (Wake Forest 2018-22)
2x All-ACC, 5-year starter, Davidson Day (through junior year)
RB: Jordan Waters, r-Sr., Duke (NC State in 2024)
2023 3rd-team All-ACC, 2-year starter, Fairmont High
RB: Jaylen Wright, Jr., Tennessee
2023 2nd-team All-SEC, 2-year starter, Southern Durham
WR: Donavon Greene, r-Sr., Wake Forest
2022 HM All-ACC, injured 2023, 2-year starter, Mount Airy High
WR: Devin Carter, r-Sr., West Virginia (NC State 2018-22)
5-year starter, Clayton High
TE: Johncarlos Miller II, r-So., Elon (Texas Tech in 2024)
2023 1st-team All CAA, 2-year starter, Greensboro Dudley
OT: Tyler Smith, r-Sr., Western Carolina
2023 1st-team All-SoCon, 5-year starter, Laurinburg Scotland
OG: Michael Gonzalez, Jr., Louisville
2023 3rd-team All-ACC, Monroe Sun Valley
OC: Torricelli Simpkins III, Jr., NC Central (South Carolina in 2024)
2023 1st-team All-MEAC, top MEAC OL, 3-year starter, Charlotte Olympic
OG: Timothy McKay, r-Sr., NC State
2023 HM All-ACC, 2-year starter, Raleigh Wakefield
OT: Keydrell Lewis, r-Jr., Louisiana-Monroe (San Jose State 2020)
3-year starter, Charlotte Mallard Creek
PK: Camden Lewis, r-Sr., Oregon
2x All-Pac-12, 4-year starter, Cornelius Hough
SP: Brandon Codrington, r-Sr., NC Central
2023 FCS All-American, 1st-team All-MEAC, Raleigh Broughton
QB: Grayson McCall, r-Sr., Coastal Carolina (NC State in 2024)
3x Sun Belt POY, 4-year starter, Indian Trail Porter Ridge
RB: Quinton Cooley, r-Jr., Liberty (Wake Forest 2020-22)
2023 1st-team All-CUSA, Bailey Southern Nash
RB: Kanye Roberts, r-Fr., Appalachian State
2023 HM All-Sun Belt, Teachey Wallace-Rose Hill
WR: Kaedin Robinson, r-Jr., Appalachian State (UCF 2021)
2x HM All-Sun Belt, 3-year starter, Asheville Christ
WR: Jasaiah Gathings, r-So., Akron (UConn in 2024)
2023 2nd-team All-MAC, Statesville High
TE: Aidan Twombly, Sr., VMI
2023 1st-team All-SoCon, Waxhaw Marvin Ridge
OT: Jaylen Nichols, r-Sr., South Carolina
2-year starter, injured 2023, Charlotte Myers Park
OG: Will McDonald, r-Sr., Coastal Carolina
2023 3rd-team All-Sun Belt, 2-year starter, Indian Trail Porter Ridge
OC: Avery Jones, r-Sr., Auburn (UNC/ECU 2018-22)
3-year starter, Havelock High
OG: Maurice McIntyre, r-Sr., Duke
3-year starter, Jacksonville Northside
OT: Diego Pounds, r-So., North Carolina (Ole Miss in 2024)
2023 starter, Raleigh Millbrook
PK: Noah Burnette, r-Jr., North Carolina
2023 2nd-team All-ACC, 2-year starter, Raleigh Leesville Road
SP: Julian Gray, r-So., NC State
2023 starter, Huntersville Hopewell
*—must have played for North Carolina-based high school(s) to be eligible
NOTE: Some “seniors” have another year of eligibility remaining because of COVID-related rules.
Honorable Mention
Quarterbacks: Garrett Shrader, Syracuse/Mississippi State (3-year starter), Charlotte Christian; Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State (2023 Sun Belt FOY), Kernersville East Forsyth; Byrum Brown, South Florida (starter), Rolesville High.
Running Backs: Elijah Burris, Hampton (3rd-team All-CAA, All-Big South, 2-year starter), Mt Holly Mountain Island; Jordan Terrell, Barton (D2 All-American, 3-year starter), Ramseur Eastern Randolph; Tre Stewart, Limestone (D2 All-American, 2-year starter), Winston-Salem Prep.
Wide Receivers: Elijah Metcalf, Middle Tennessee (2nd-team All-CUSA), Charlotte Mallard Creek; Devin Smith, NC Central (1st-team All-MEAC, 2-year starter), Durham Riverside; John Jiles, West Florida/Virginia Union/Fort Scott CC (D2 All-American, 4-year starter), Wake Forest High.
Tight Ends: TE: Trent Pennix, r-Sr., NC State (2-year starter), Raleigh Sanderson.
Offensive Linemen: Nishad Strother, East Carolina/Oregon (3-year starter), Havelock High; Jonny King, Charlotte (2-year starter), Greensboro Southeast Guilford.
Kickers: Caden Bonoffski, William & Mary/Davidson (FCS All-American, 1st-team All-CAA; 5-year starter), Davidson Community; Richard McCollum, Western Carolina (FCS All-American, 1st-team All-SoCon, 3-year starter), Sanford Southern Lee; Mitch Jeter, South Carolina (2-year starter), Concord Cannon; Todd Pelino, Duke (2-year starter), Concord Cannon; Matthew Dennis, Wake Forest (2-year starter), Charlotte Myers Park; Ian Williams, Furman/NC State (2-year starter), Matthews Weddington; Owen Zalc, Dartmouth (1st-team All-Ivy), Cary Green Hope; Lucas Carneiro, Western Kentucky (HM All-CUSA), Davidson Community.