Johnson C. Smith’s recruiting philosophy under coach Maurice Flowers has been to go heavy on talent in the Charlotte metropolitan footprint.
The Golden Bulls picked up a verbal commitment from an offensive lineman/defensive tackle from Mint Hill this week. Sidiq Cabaniss-Ali, who plays for Independence High, announced his pledge to JCSU on social media on Sept. 29.
Cabaniss-Ali (6-1, 280) is a senior with a 3.4 GPA. He camped at several in-state schools over the summer and reported preferred walk-on offers from schools like North Carolina Central and Campbell.
Cabaniss-Ali was featured this past spring as one of the top offensive linemen in a CFI Spring Showcase event. Prep RedZone featured him as one of the top senior returning offensive linemen in the Charlotte metro area. He attended a junior day event at Johnson C. Smith back in April. He was offered by the Bulls this past March.
Indepedence is off to a 4-1 start on the season. Through five games, Cabaniss-Ali is listed with nine pancake blocks on offense and four tackles on the defensive on the Independence MaxPreps.com stats page. Six of the pancake blocks came in a 40-13 win over South Meck on Sept. 13.
Johnson C. Smith (5-0) will host Virginia State in a key CIAA match-up on Saturday at 1 p.m.
