North Carolina Central football picked up a 2026 commitment from one of Greensboro’s top prep quarterbacks this week. JaQuez Crawford, who will play for Northeast Guilford this fall, locked in his pledge to Trei Oliver and the Eagles on July 15.
Crawford played at Dudley High in 2024 and had one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios in the state – 27 TDs, 2 INTs. He threw for 2,447 yards despite Dudley using a two-quarterback system during the season. He completed 82.7 percent of his passes.
The Panthers won their first 13 games before falling to eventual 3A state champ West Charlotte in the playoffs.
Crawford (6-1, 195) also reported offers from Elon and Memphis. He threw multiple touchdowns in 10 of Dudley’s games a year ago, including a four-TD effort against Ben L. Smith and three each against Page and Rockingham County. He boasts a GPA of 4.0.
I’M LOCKED IN!! 🔒🦅
After deep prayer, hard work, and believing in the process… I’m 10000% COMMITTED to North Carolina Central University ‼️
Can’t wait to rock that maroon and gray ‼️
Let’s get it!! #EaglePride #NCCU #Committed #HBCUProud pic.twitter.com/5buQnBXeER — JaQuez“QUEZ“Crawford (@CrawfordJaquez) July 15, 2025
North Carolina Central also added a high-impact compliment to Crawford with the recent commitment of Middleburg (FL) running back Gino “Turbo” Addison. The 5-9, 200-pounder reported offers from FBS schools Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Old Dominion and UMass, as well as Morgan State and Wofford.
Addison, who played his junior season at Bradford County (FL), rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in Middleburg’s spring game in May. He has 1,300 career rushing yards as a prep player, with 20 touchdowns. He’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
Gardner-Webb beats Charlotte, ECU for SC prep running back
Prolific North Augusta (SC) running back Michael Doe will join Gardner-Webb’s backfield in 2026. Doe picked the Runnin’ Bulldogs ahead of offers from Charlotte and East Carolina.
Last season, Doe (5-10, 190) earned Region 4-AAAA player of the year status on a North Augusta team that made a deep playoff run. Doe galloped for 1,828 yards on 242 carries, scoring 32 touchdowns. He averaged 7.6 yards per attempt and 130.6 yards per game. Doe also caught 32 passes for 405 yards and two more scores. North Augusta finished 12-2.
Doe took an official visit to Gardner-Webb over the weekend of July 12. 247Sports ranked Doe the No. 25 running back in South Carolina in a spring evaluation.
Elon lands second commitment from Charleston (SC) high school
Matthew Atkinson, a 6-4 and 310-pound interior offensive lineman from Charleston, SC, has committed to Elon football.
The rising senior plays for West Ashley High and had offers from multiple North Carolina schools – NC A&T, Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne and UNC Pembroke – as well as Mercer and Cornell among others.
Atkinson joins West Ashley teammate Bristol Biegenzahn as Elon 2026 commits. Atkinson boasts a GPA of 4.4 and recorded 25 pancake blocks in 2024.
Davidson adds post-grad New Jersey offensive lineman
Jack DiFilippo, a three-year offensive line starter who will take a post-graduate year at the Hun School in Princeton, NJ in 2025-26, announced his commitment to Davidson on July 16. He’ll join Davidson’s program in 2026.
DiFilippo (6-3, 280) was offered by the Wildcats in late June. He played at St. John’s Prep in Massachusetts through the 2024 season. He has a 3.89 GPA and reported three Division I offers.
DiFilippo also has standout baseball credentials, pitching and playing first base for St. John’s this past season.
There has been buzz on social media this week that Davidson has picked up multiple commitments in recent days. Stay tuned to NC Football News for continued Davidson and FCS recruiting coverage.
Are We Missing A Commit? Let Us Know
If you or someone you know has committed to a North Carolina FCS college program for 2026, tag us on Twitter/X or email us at eric@ncfootballnews.com with the player’s name, high school, position and commitment details.
📌 More 2026 Recruiting Coverage:
- 🔁 NC High School Commitment Tracker – Where top NC prospects are committing (in-state & out-of-state)
- 🎯 NC College Commitment Tracker – Who’s heading to North Carolina college programs (from NC and beyond)
