Who are the top 50 high school football players in and around Charlotte?

Two years ago, Independence safety Nick Reddish learned how to disrupt an opposing team’s offense.

Last year’s lesson was tougher. Reddish had to learn patience.

Two weeks into the 2024 season, Reddish — named as one of the Charlotte region’s top 50 high school football players — sustained a leg injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

“I knew it was a non-surgical injury and that it would heal,” Reddish said earlier this week. “But it was difficult to wait.”

The injury, a broken bone, is healed now, and Reddish is expected to be a key part of an Independence team that figures to challenge for the Charlotte Metro Six 7A/8A state championship.

The 5-10 senior Patriot standout recently committed to Notre Dame and said he is ready to go.

“I feel great,” said Reddish, who is also a standout outfielder on the Patriots’ baseball team. “The fact that I can put my cleats on again, that I can play again — it’s great.”

Reddish burst onto the scene two years ago, with a sophomore season that attracted the interest of college programs across the nation. He had 95 tackles, 10 pass break-ups, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries. He was eagerly anticipating his junior season.

“During the healing process, Ieaned on God,” he said. “There were nights when I laid awake, wondering if I could come back.”

He stayed close to the Independence football team, becoming an assistant coach of sorts to head coach D.J. McFadden.

“I figured I could help the team from the sideline,” he said. “I did what I could.”

Now the injury is healed, and Reddish is eager to pick up where he left off.

“This team is capable of a very big season,” he said of the Patriots. “There’s a great football history here, and we want to get back to the championship mindset.”

Reddish said that in recent seasons, the Patriots were a coach-led team.

“This year, we are player-led,” he said. “The coach was our motivator the last few seasons. This year, we have a group of players who have stepped forward. There’s a lot of leadership on this team.”

Reddish has an advantage as a safety. Through his middle school and freshman seasons, he was a quarterback.

“I was always a quarterback,” he said of his early seasons. “A lot of people were surprised to hear that I was switching to DB as a sophomore.”

He said he understands what quarterbacks are thinking, and that helps give him an edge.

The Reddish name should be familiar to football fans. His oldest brother, Joe, played for Independence and then Wingate University, before transferring to Virginia Tech. And another brother, Quentin, played in the secondary with Nick two years ago before moving on to Virginia Tech.

Nick Reddish got offers from numerous FBS programs, including Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Ole Miss, Southern Cal, Tennessee, Wisconsin ... and Virginia Tech.

“I thought about it,” Reddish said of the Virginia Tech offer, which would allow him to join his older brothers. “But at the end of the day, I knew the Notre Dame education was important.”

“I won’t play football all my life,” he said. “That Notre Dame education will help set me up for life.”

The Observer’s top 50

Meet the Charlotte region’s top 50 high school football players as the season kicks off this week.

This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.