The high school football season kicks off Aug. 18 across the state of South Carolina, and not long after, the college football season follows suit. Football season in the South is special among high school and college ranks. And this year will be no different.

Dutch Fork looks to continue its 5A dominance with another state championship, Irmo brings back an incredibly talented roster and can make a serious push at 4A contention this year and more highlight the season of Friday night lights.

On Saturdays, the University of South Carolina is still riding high off the successful ending of last season with big wins over Tennessee and Clemson and expect to be a more serious contender in the SEC East with all the returning talent. Clemson is the reigning ACC champion and brings back a loaded roster that can push them into the College Football Playoff if all goes right this year. Both teams will be led by former Lexington County high school stars.

There’s going to be a ton to look forward to this fall and the Chronicle will have more than enough info jam-packed into our 2023 football preview that will be released later this month, but for now, we have decided to provide readers with an appetizer of sorts with a list of 10 Lexington County football players at both the high school and college levels to watch for this season.

High School

Tucker Bolen (WR/QB/RB/DB) - Batesburg-Leesville

Tucker Bolen will be asked to wear many hats this season on both offense and defense for the Batesburg-Leesville Panthers. The do-it-all athlete will play all over the field. On offense, he will play some out wide at receiver, he will take some handoffs out of the backfield at running back and will even take some direct snaps at quarterback to keep defenses guessing.

Defensively, Bolen will be one of the more relied upon players in the secondary, playing some at both corner and safety.

While most players at the 2A level play on both sides of the ball, Bolen possesses a rare versatility that will be must-watch this season.

Taiden Mines (QB) - Lexington High

In Region IV-5A, everyone is chasing the Dutch Fork Silver Foxes. Last season, Lexington finished second in the region with a 9-3 overall record and a 3-1 record in the region. If the Wildcats want to challenge the juggernaut in the region, they’ll need exceptional quarterback play from senior Taiden Mines.

Mines is an electric dual threat quarterback who threw for 2,250 yards and 23 touchdowns while also running for 522 yards and six touchdowns. He has great touch on his deep ball and has a magician-like way of keeping plays alive even after the pocket collapses.

Mines has good weapons at receiver and tight end and if the Wildcats can get them all to gel and Mines builds on his junior season, they can be a threat to Dutch Fork’s throne.

JT Sowell (OL) - Gray Collegiate

The War Eagles want to avenge their second-round playoff exit from last season and reclaim the 2A title. One of the more important players for those title aspirations will be offensive lineman and team leader JT Sowell.

An Appalachian State commit, Sowell will play multiple positions on the offensive line. According to head coach Adam Holmes, Sowell will primarily play center but with his versatility, can play other positions if needed.

With a height of 6’4” and a weight of 265 pounds, Sowell has D1 size and, along with Irmo’s Elijah Williams, can be considered one of the best offensive lineman in Lexington County.

Jaiden Kimble (OLB) - White Knoll

Jaiden Kimble is one of many returning three-year starters for a White Knoll Timberwolves team that has been slowly rebuilding since he got there.

According to coach Nicholas Pelham, Kimble is getting some serious interest from division one colleges. At 6’1” and 205 pounds, he’s built like a prototypical college football linebacker. Pelham describes him as a tough and smart linebacker who can cover a wide range defensively.

“He plays the ‘field’ outside linebacker spot,” Pelham said. “We got to have a dude there to cover all the field there and stop the field running game and field screens and it’s just a lot of grass to cover.”

Kimble’s size, athleticism and ability to cover the open field not only make him a valuable player but a fun one to watch. The growth in his game over the last three years is perfectly indicative of what Pelham, a highly touted defensive mind, has tried to build over the years at White Knoll.

Donovan Murph (WR) - Irmo

Irmo returns one of the best quarterbacks in the state in A.J. Brand but what most people have yet to witness is his newest weapon, Donovan Murph.

Murph is not only a transfer receiver from Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland, but he’s the youngest player on the list as a rising sophomore. This offseason, he’s blown coaches away with his route running ability and raw talent during seven-on-sevens.

“Murph’s the real deal,” Irmo head coach Aaron Brand told the Chronicle. “Murph’s got ideal hands, he’s got ideal size, great hand-eye coordination and is getting better every day with his route running.”

Aaron Brand said that Murph and A.J. Brand have already developed great chemistry with one another over the off-season. With both players being underclassmen, we can see the development of one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the state.

College

Nick Emmanwori (Safety) - South Carolina

The first college player on this list is former Irmo great Nick Emmanwori. During his senior season alone at Irmo, he collected 232 tackles with four sacks and eight forced fumbles.

In his first year at South Carolina, he wasn’t initially slated to be a starter until an injury to R.J. Roderick in the season opener forced him to play against Georgia State. It was during that game that he surprised head coach Shane Beamer.

“One of the impact plays from last year was when he got thrown into the battle against Georgia State before anybody thought,” Beamer said. “He made that tackle on fourth down, I think. I remember standing on the sideline like ‘oh crap that’s a heck of a play for a freshman’. And the next week we go out to Arkansas and he’s making a bunch of one-on-one solo tackles against their quarterback and you realize the moment’s not too big for this kid.”

Emmanwori went on to be the team’s leading tackler with 85 on the season and along with NFL draftee Zacch Pickens, was named co-defensive MVP of the team. He earned a plethora of postseason honors including freshman All-America by ESPN.com, On3 and Pro-Football Focus as well as making the SEC’s All-Freshman team.

He’ll once again be one of the best players on the South Carolina defense and is a prime candidate to be an All-American caliber player. If the Gamecocks want to threaten Georgia in the SEC East, he’ll have to help lead them there.

Antonio Williams (WR) - Clemson

Former Dutch Fork receiver Antonio Williams returns for Clemson this season after being the team’s leading receiver last year as a true freshman.

His 604 receiving yards were not only the most on the team but were the most by a Clemson true freshman since Justyn Ross in 2018. He’s got game changing speed and is dangerous on screen passes.

He won three state titles while at Dutch Fork and won an ACC title his first year at Clemson. With a full year under his belt, he looks to be the favorite target of quarterback Cade Klubnik and can help push the Tigers into a College Football Playoff birth.

Aveon Smith (QB) - Miami (OH)

Aveon Smith was not supposed to be the starting quarterback last season but was thrusted into action after Brett Gabbert’s injury in the season opener.

The former White Knoll star stepped into action and steadied the ship for Miami (OH) and led them to six wins and an appearance in the Bahamas Bowl where they lost a tight contest to UAB.

As a dual threat quarterback, Smith became the first player in program history to lead the team in both passing and rushing yards for a full season.

With Gabbert back this season, they’ll be in a tight battle for the starting job. But even if Gabbert is named the starter, watch for Miami (OH) to still find ways to utilize Smith’s athletic ability.

Jarvis Green (RB) - Clemson

The star running back from Dutch Fork’s 5A state championship team took his talents to Clemson this summer and has already impressed some of his teammates like fellow running back Will Shipley.

“The kid is going to be special,” Shipley said in a press conference. “I’m really excited for Jarvis and what he’s been able to do up to this point.”

At Dutch Fork, Green amassed over 6,000 career all-purpose yards and scored an astounding 91 touchdowns in a Silver Fox uniform. Look for him to surpass all expectations at Clemson.

Apollos Cook (WR) - Duke

Former Airport and River Bluff receiver Apollos Cook will start his college career at Duke under on-the-rise head coach Mike Elko, who surprised most with his 9-4 first-year coaching record.

Cook walks into a wide receiver room with plenty of experience, but he will instantly raise the talent level. Last year at Airport, he caught 40 passes for 785 yards and seven touchdowns.