An SEC school plucked another top-10 talent from North Carolina’s high school football ranks. Rising senior defensive lineman Noah Clark from Durham’s Jordan High made his college choice official this past week, committing to coach Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Meanwhile over the holiday week, accomplished Fayetteville Seventy-First running back Jayson Franklin pledged for South Florida, Myers Park receiver Chaz Portis picked Delaware State and Charlotte Christian wideout Vincent Rosen chose Air Force.
Here are more details on all four 2026 players in our latest NC Recruiting Buzz:
Noah Clark rewards South Carolina’s persistence, early interest
South Carolina was the first school to offer Clark back in October 2023, and that gesture held weight — the offer announcement remains pinned to the top of his X profile.
The four-star prospect is ranked No. 8 in North Carolina for the Class of 2026 and No. 126 nationally by 247Sports. His commitment announcement last week featured Clark putting on an oversized South Carolina cap.
Over the past two seasons, Clark has racked up 138 tackles (30.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He’s a two-time HighSchoolOT all-state selection and carries a 3.3 GPA.
Clark held more than 40 offers and chose the Gamecocks over NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech among his finalists.
South Carolina seems to be building out its future defense by tapping into North Carolina prep talent.
Clark joins fellow four-star defensive lineman Aiden Harris and three-star linebacker Andrew Harris – both from Weddington High in Matthews – in the Gamecocks’ 2026 class. Aiden Harris is the No. 6 player in North Carolina, according to 247Sports, while Andrew Harris is ranked No. 20.
A BIG 😁. A BIG 🧢. For a BIG #Gamecock commit 🏈@CoachSBeamer & @ROBERTSON_9TWO pickup a major win on the trail in 2026 4⭐️️DL Noah Clark (@NoahClark_90).
Even more special? Clark made his commitment on his birthday 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Sh7MZoe79e — Chaz R Frazier (@Chazf_tv) July 2, 2025
Seventy-First’s Jayson Franklin averages a first down with every carry
One of the most productive backs in North Carolina — and arguably one of the most overlooked — is headed to Tampa in 2026. Jayson Franklin, who helped lead Seventy-First to back-to-back 3A title game appearances, committed to South Florida on July 4.
Franklin has averaged more than 10 yards per carry over the past two seasons, totaling 2,667 rushing yards and 28 TDs on just 244 attempts. He also boasts a 3.7 GPA and 4.47 speed.
Franklin held offers from Duke, South Carolina, Virginia and several Ivy League schools. But overall, he received only light attention from in-state programs. Only Duke offered, and not until this past June.
That may prove to be a miss from our state’s FBS contingent. As HighSchoolOT noted: “He has the chance to make them all look silly if he can have a nice career at USF.”
Charlotte pair find college homese
Delaware State Picks Up Myers Park WR Chaz Portis
Portis, who broke out with a 150-yard, two-touchdown performance at Bank of America Stadium to open the 2024 season, is the son of former Miami Hurricanes and NFL star Clinton Portis.
He finished the 2024 campaign with 19 catches for 376 yards and four touchdowns and was ranked the No. 9 WR in Mecklenburg County for 2026 by Charlotte Football Insiders.
Delaware State is coached by former Philadelphia Eagles great DeSean Jackson.
Im Home‼️ 1000% COMITTED @myersparkfball @TheRealC_Portis @DelSt_Football @DeSeanJackson10 @coachjames29 @mauriceharris03 @CoachMcCannERT @djackson_legacy @TheUCReport @MohrRecruiting @RivalsFriedman @NcScProspects @pepman704 pic.twitter.com/2EyBzwjoXB — Chaz Portis (@PortisChazz) July 1, 2025
Charlotte Christian WR/DB Vincent Rosen Commits to Air Force
A two-way star, Rosen totaled 450 receiving yards and five TDs last fall while also making 30 tackles and one interception on defense.
At 6-1, 190, Rosen pairs size and speed in a way that has drawn praise from analysts: “He excels in making big catches down the field,” noted Prep RedZone NC. His film includes an 80-yard score and several acrobatic camp grabs.
Rosen carries a 3.52 GPA and also held offers from Princeton, Colgate and Cornell. His teammate, safety Henry Hulbert, committed to Army earlier this summer — giving Charlotte Christian commitments to two service academies.
Just throw the ball up. pic.twitter.com/FNoLyetD0G — Vincent Rosen (@VincentRosen17) June 23, 2025
With players now pledged to Army, Navy, and Air Force, North Carolina’s Class of 2026 is well-represented across the service academies — and making noise from the SEC to the Sun Belt and many points in between.To find out where more than 80 of our state’s 2026 high school prospects have committed, visit our NC High School Commitment Tracker.
