HighSchoolOT is previewing the upcoming football season with its annual watch list across the state’s six area codes.

First up is the players from the 252 area code that fans need to know about.

Our 252 area code consists of these counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington, and Wilson.

Here’s what you need to know about HSOT Watch Lists:

• Unlike previous years, there was no set number of athletes on each one.
• The Watch List organizes athletes by county and then lists them alphabetically.
• Being on the HSOT Watch List does NOT factor into future awards, like HSOT All-State and HSOT Honors.
• Last year’s all-state team and final rankings are listed at the bottom of this story, as is this year’s preseason rankings.
• Each player has a quick list of accomplishments from this past season. Accomplishments from previous seasons are noted by what year they occurred in.
• Sometimes transfers happen in the offseason and we are unaware. If that’s the case with any athlete below, please notify us at [email protected]

Tyrrell, Hyde, Washington, Camden, Perquimans, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, and Pasquotank counties

• Devin Duke, Currituck County (senior QB)
  • 1,343 passing yards, 19 TDs, 3 INTs
• Jyveon Harris, Camden County (senior DT)
  • 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
• Trevaris Jones, Northeastern (senior QB)
  • 3,359 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, 9 INTs
• Braylon Knapp, Perquimans (senior QB)
  • 2,703 passing yards, 24 TDs, 12 INTs
• Jalynn Nelson, Perquimans (senior LB)
  • 72 solo tackles, 2 INTs
• Chandler Powell, Northeastern (senior OL)
• Tyell Saunders, Northeastern (senior WR)
  • 42 receptions, 863 yards, 10 TDs
• Ty’Jae Simpson, Northeastern (senior CB)
  • 3 INTs, 3 forced fumbles
• Xzavior Wiggins, Camden County (senior WR)
  • 39 receptions, 509 yards, 4 TDs

Gates, Northampton, Bertie, Warren, Hertford, Vance and Halifax counties

• Taeshawn Alston, Vance County (senior EDGE)
  • South Carolina commit
  • 27 total tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
• Za’Maury Buffaloe, Northampton County (senior QB)
  • Returning from torn ACL that prevented him from starting at QB as a junior
• Zymiere Dempsey, Bertie (senior ATH)
  • 34 receptions, 701 yards, 12 TDs
  • 33 tackles, 4 INTs
• Antoine Doyle Jr., Vance County (senior SS)
  • 72 total tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF
• Arthur Joseph, Southeast Halifax (senior DB)
  • 46 total tackles, 7 INTs
• Javion Vines-Holder, Vance County (senior QB)
  • 1,434 passing yards, 23 TDs, 2 INTs
• Tyler Wharton, Warren County (senior DL)
  • 3 sacks, 1 INT, 3 forced fumbles
• Rimiez Williams , Hertford County (senior WR)
  • 37 receptions, 871 yards, 14 TDs

Edgecombe, Wilson and Nash counties

• Ny’Gir Alston, Hunt (senior WR)
  • 38 receptions, 449 yards, 7 TDs
• Quay Darden, SouthWest Edgecombe (junior DE)
  • 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
• Michael Dickens, North Edgecombe (senior OLB)
  • 4 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, 1 INTs
• Myles Eatmon, Wilson Prep (sophomore RB/LB)
  • 590 rushing yards, 8 TDs
  • 79 total tackles
• Caiden Everette, Tarboro (junior RB)
  • 1,021 rushing yards, 13 TDs
• Luke Faulkner, Southern Nash (junior FB/LB)
  • 532 rushing yards, 9 TDs
  • 64 total tackles, 13 tackles for a loss
• Samuel Finch, Beddingfield (sophomore QB)
  • 827 passing yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs
• Jordan Hamm, Wilson Prep (sophomore DE)
  • 108 total tackles, 25 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks
• Jamari Hill, Fike (senior SB)
  • 120 total tackles, 17 TFLs, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 1 forced fumble
• Jamauris Howard, Beddingfield (junior ATH)
  • 1,159 all-purpose yards, 9 TDs
• Micah Jones, Hunt (junior QB)
  • 1,544 passing yards, 14 TDs, 7 INTs
• Winston Lee, Nash Central (junior QB)
  • 1,026 passing yards, 15 TDs, 7 INTs
• Jhakari Lovely, SouthWest Edgecombe (senior RB)
  • 1,211 rushing yards, 14 TDs
• Kamerin McDowell-Moore, Tarboro (junior RB)
  • 1,146 rushing yards, 23 rushing TDs, 3 receiving TDs
  • 85 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 INTs
• Tylik Mitchell, Southern Nash (senior RB)
  • 1,783 rushing yards, 23 TDs
• Julian Newkirk, Wilson Prep (junior OL/DL)
  • 140 total tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks
• James Rodgers, Nash Central (senior RB)
  • 1,654 rushing yards, 27 TDs
• Mason Satterfield, Tarboro (senior RB)
  • 1,058 rushing yards, 18 TDs
• Isaiah Silver, Rocky Mount (senior RB)
  • 857 rushing yards, 8 TDs
• Barian Strickland, Northern Nash (senior RB/LB)
  • 522 rushing yards, 6 TDs
  • 45 total tackles, 5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles
• Jayden Whitaker, Nash Central (junior OL)

Jones, Pamlico, Carteret, and Craven counties

• Tariq Barber, Pamlico County
• Christopher Bispham, Havelock (junior DL)
  • 106 total tackles, 36 TFLs, 15 sacks
• Sean Cartwright, West Carteret (senior WR)
  • 57 receptions, 924 yards, 7 TDs
• Donovan Darden, Havelock (senior OLB)
  • South Carolina commit
  • 46 total tackles, 9 TFLs, 2 INTs
• DJ Davis, West Craven (junior QB)
  • 1,688 passing yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs
  • 779 rushing yards, 11 TDs
• Currine Henry, New Bern (senior DB)
  • 17 total tackles, 8 INTs
• Jaylen Hewitt, Havelock (senior QB)
  • 3,236 passing yards, 35 TDs, 19 INTs as a junior at West Carteret
• Wyatt Jackson, senior K, New Bern
  • 44/46 PATs, 6/9 FGs
• Jasiah Jones, West Carteret (senior WR)
  • 63 receptions, 978 yards, 11 TDs
• Reginald Lancaster, West Craven (senior WR)
  • 49 receptions, 815 yards, 8 TDs
• Karvin Magwood, New Bern (sophomore RB)
  • 948 rushing yards, 12 TDs
• Khimani Nolan, Havelock (junior DB)
  • 78 total tackles, 9 INTs
• Kadyn Seamster, West Craven (junior OL)
• LeBron Sharpe, Havelock (senior RB)
  • 1,486 rushing yards, 18 TDs
• Ivion Smith, New Bern (senior ATH)
  • 43 receptions, 709 yards, 5 TDs
• Jonathan Williams, Havelock (senior WR)
  • East Carolina commit
  • 1,333 rushing yards, 16 TDs

Greene, Martin, Beaufort, Lenoir, and Pitt counties

• Juhron Clemmons, North Pitt (junior RB)
  • 1,314 rushing yards, 5 TDs
• Tyreek Copper, Kinston (senior WR)
  • 60 receptions, 918 yards, 13 TDs
• Jack Ewell, Ayden-Grifton (senior TE)
  • 21 receptions, 292 yards, 4 TDs
• Malik Fuller, North Lenoir (senior RB)
  • 1,609 rushing yards, 15 TDs
• Derrion Geddis, J.H. Rose (senior OL)
• Da’vius Johnson, South Central (senior WR)
  • 58 receptions, 702 yards, 7 TDs
• Jaidon Lovett, J.H. Rose (senior WR)
  • 1,288 passing yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs
  • 412 rushing yards, 8 TDs
  • 243 receiving yards, 4 TDs
• Jimmy Martin, J.H. Rose (junior QB)
  • 1,606 yards, 19 TDs, 10 INTs as a sophomore at South Central
• Jordan Matthewson, Martin County (sophomore LB)
  • Expected to have a big year on varsity football after dominating as a varsity basketball with 16.1 PPG
• Quin McCaffrey, J.H. Rose (senior DB)
  • 44 total tackles, 3 INTs
• Zanek McCloud, Northside-Pinetown (senior QB)
• O’Maurie Phillips, Farmville Central (senior OLB)
  • 108 total tackles, 17 TFLs, 12.5 sacks
• Jysen Shepherd, Martin County (junior QB)
  • 1,080 passing yards, 11 TDs as a sophomore at J.H. Rose
• M.J. Williams, Farmville Central (senior DB)
  • 3 INTs, 2 FFs

Source: highschoolot.com