The Charlotte Observer’s 2025 high school football preview
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Four new classifications and realigned conferences reshape the 2025 season.
- Top recruits headline preseason All-Observer team with college commitments.
- Observer previews every team in six counties under expanded 2025 coverage.
The 2025 high school football season kicks off Friday with a lot of changes — four new classifications and lots of new conferences — and we’ve got your complete season preview for Charlotte-area teams.
Scroll down to find feature stories, rankings, previews for every team The Observer covers in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties.
The All-Observer Team
Two players, including a running back who committed to Nebraska and a defensive lineman who’s heading to South Carolina, headline the preseason 2025 All-Observer team.
The team consists of the top players, by position, in the newspaper’s coverage area heading into the season. On Christmas Day, after the season concludes, a final All-Observer team will be released.
The Observer’s coverage area includes N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association teams in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties.
Charlotte Christian’s Jamal Rule is the preseason offensive player of the year. Rule, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior, is one of 13 starters back for a Knights team that finished 7-4 last season, but feels it’s a legitimate private school Division I state championship contender this season.
Rule rushed for 1,236 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
Weddington’s Aiden Harris is the preseason defensive player of the year. The Observer ranked Harris as the No. 1 high school football player in the region heading into the season (Rule was No. 19).
Harris, a 6-4, 265-pound senior, had 82 tackles and 13.5 sacks last season, helping Weddington to a 13-1 record and an appearance in the N.C. 4A Western Regional championship game.
Harris is one of 12 starters back for a Weddington team that is again a state championship contender.
2025 PRESEASON ALL-OBSERVER TEAM
Offense
QB: Zaid Lott, Providence Day, 6-4, 220, Sr. (Syracuse commit)
RB: Jayden Jones, Independence, 5-11, 180, Sr.
RB: Nymir Kendall, Monroe, 5-11, 195, Sr.
RB: Jamal Rule, Charlotte Christian, 6-1, 205, Sr. (Nebraska commit)
WR: Tyran Evans, Hough, 6-3, 200, Sr. (Miami (FL) commit)
WR: Dominic Moran, Mooresville, 6-3, 200, Sr.
WR: Gordon Sellars, Providence Day, 6-3, 195, Sr. (Clemson commit)
TE: Jaxon Dollar, East Lincoln, 6-5, 215, Jr.
OL: Preston Broadway, Metrolina Christian, 6-3, 280, Sr. (East Carolina commit)
OL: Jorquis Broome, West Charlotte, 6-3, 325, Sr.
OL: Leo Dulaney, Providence Day, 6-6, 295, Sr. (Clemson commit)
OL: Jarvis Potts, Hough, 6-4, 300, Sr. (Appalachian State commit)
OL: Elijah Shoe, Jay M. Robinson, 6-5, 285, Sr. (Elon University commit)
OL: Nori White, Independence, 6-6, 320, Jr.
ATH: Ki’Anthony “K.D.” Cotton, West Charlotte, 5-10, 185, Sr. (Duke commit)
Defense
DL: Rodney Dunham, Myers Park, 6-4, 230, Sr. (Notre Dame commit)
DL: K.J. Gillespie, Mooresville, 6-2, 240, Sr. (Virginia Tech commit)
DL: Aiden Harris, Weddington, 6-4, 265, Sr. (South Carolina commit)
DL: Drew Harris, Weddington, 6-3, 240, Sr. (South Carolina commit)
DL: Nate Kamba, Corvian Charter, 6-4, 300, Jr.
LB: Dallas Brannon, Independence, 6-2, 205, Sr. (Virginia commit)
LB: Thomas (T.J.) Davis, Weddington, 6-3, 225, Sr. (Notre Dame commit)
LB: Caleb Gordon, Ashbrook, 6-1, 225, Sr. (Arkansas commit)
LB: Elijah Littlejohn, West Charlotte, 6-3, 220, Sr. (Penn State commit)
LB: Jaylathan “J.J.” Mayfield, Lincolnton, 6-1, 225, Jr.
DB: Tre Geathers, Providence Day, 6-2, 205, Sr.
DB: Samari Matthews, Hough, 6-1, 190, Sr. (Texas commit)
DB: Camdin Portis, Myers Park 6-0, 170, Sr.
DB: Nick Reddish, Independence, 6-0, 190, Sr. (Notre Dame commit)
DB: Gavin Smith, South Point, 6-0, 180, Sr. (George Mason Baseball commit)
ATH: Davion Jones, West Charlotte, 6-0, 175, Sr. (Charlotte 49ers’ commit)
ATH: Cam Tucker, Jay M. Robinson, 6-0, 175, Sr.
Specialists
K: Ford Fehling, Marvin Ridge, 6-1, 180, Jr.
P: Cooper Peterson, Corvian Charter, 6-0, 190, Sr.
LS: Bauer Sodoma, Providence Day, 5-10, 195, Sr.
RET/SPEC: Rai’Shawn Elmore, Porter Ridge, 6-3, 185, Sr. (East Carolina commit)
Conference previews/all-county teams
Mecklenburg County private schools
Mecklenburg County public schools
Feature stories
Once a can’t miss P4 prospect, Hough’s LJ Porter finds his college home, learns recruiting lesson
Sun Valley’s Noah Lineberry was the QB from the very start
New Hopewell High QB was a junior on JV, now plans for ‘movie’ of a senior year
Hough High’s a heavy conference favorite, but Huskies have bigger ambitions
South Mecklenburg’s ‘Anyplace, anywhere, anytime’ 2025 season set to debut
West Charlotte, coming off a state title, not feeling the love in preseason
Mallard Creek QB Perry Justice getting ready for his Travis Hunter season
Process-oriented Mooresville planning deep playoff run
Sun Valley QB Noah Lineberry always knew he’d be QB1. Now he’s playing like it
The ‘convenient world’ ends for Berry, Harding, Olympic in 2025
How Charlotte Latin, Country Day playing catch up in local private school league
Polls, rankings
Providence Day starts No. 1 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll
What are the top teams in North Carolina? Check our preseason polls
The Carolinas Top 25 poll: The best teams in North and South Carolina
Meet the top 50 football players in the greater Charlotte region
Quick links
At SWAC media day, CMS players offer love letter to prep football
New conference brings hope for Greater Charlotte teams outside Hough
Major changes on tap for NC Independent School league football: at least one team leaving
10 Burning Questions about the upcoming season
How good is Carolinas’ football? More than a dozen NC, SC teams ranked nationally
Football finals on Wednesday? Could happen after NCHSAA board vote
Charlotte-area football schedules
