North Carolina Announces 2026 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas Roster

North Carolina has selected its roster for one of the South’s longest-running high school football all-star games.

The Tar Heel State will send a collection of standout seniors from across North Carolina to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the 90th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas on Dec. 19.

Grimsley head coach Darryl Brown will lead the North Carolina squad against South Carolina at Spartanburg High School.

The North Carolina roster features players from many of the state’s top programs, including Grimsley, Hough, Cardinal Gibbons, Garner, Southeast Raleigh, Wake Forest, West Forsyth, Southern Durham and Lake Norman.

Grimsley quarterback Ethan Royal and Garner quarterback Christian Ormandy will direct the North Carolina offense. Royal will be joined by Grimsley teammate Gavin Milton on the offensive line and defensive back Evander “EJ” Davis.

Southeast Raleigh placed two running backs on the team with Christian Freeman and James Adams IV, while Wake Forest running back Micah Olu gives North Carolina another option in the backfield.

Here is the complete North Carolina roster for the 2026 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas:

Quarterbacks

Ethan Royal, Hough

Christian Ormandy, Garner

Running backs

Christian Freeman, Southeast Raleigh

Micah Olu, Wake Forest

James Adams IV, Southeast Raleigh

Receivers

Jonathan Dillon, Southern Durham

AJ Roberts, Rolesville

Majay Thompson, Crest

Jailyn Moore, West Forsyth

Gavyn Davis, Northside-Jacksonville

Tight ends

Griffin Cockerham, Cardinal Gibbons

Finn Morgan, Pinecrest

Offensive linemen

Gavin Milton, Grimsley

Malek Griffin, Cardinal Gibbons

Kamel Tillman, Richmond Senior

Omari Graham, West Stokes

Bryce Johnson, Weddington

Gage Camp, Burns

Sammy Wooten, Lake Norman

Charlie Reece, Oak Grove

Athlete

Xzayvion “Mez” Harris, Wilson Hunt

Long snapper

Chip McCracken, St. Stephens

Kicker

Moses Barker, Willow Spring

Defensive linemen

King Kalama, Reagan

Marshall Chalk, Hoggard

Kai Phinazee, Forest Hills

Nate Kamba, Corvian Community

John Archer, Seventy-First

Gio Driggers, Trask

Chosen Hyman, East Forsyth

Linebackers

Xavier Perkins, Jordan

Josiah Sturdivant, Wake Forest

Aroson “AJ” Randle, Garner

Chris Baker, Forest Hills

Keyvon Propst, Starmount

Tyler Goebbel, Apex Friendship

Defensive backs

Evander “EJ” Davis, Grimsley

Jackson Heath, Hough

Mason Hefner, Lake Norman

Lance Henderson, Southern Durham

Dorian “DJ” Dailey, Mallard Creek

Kendrick Raper, Shelby

Darius Smith, Millbrook

Joziah Nicholson, West Forsyth

North Carolina Coaching Staff

Head coach: Darryl Brown, Grimsley

Assistant coaches: Juan Jackson, C.B. Hunt; Tiesuan Brown, Mount Tabor; Steven Wright, Cardinal Gibbons; David Devine, Burns; Battle Holley, East Duplin; Joe Rigsbee, Grimsley

2026 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas

Game: North Carolina vs. South Carolina
Date: Dec. 19, 2026
Location: Spartanburg High School, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Edition: 90th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas

The Shrine Bowl brings together top senior football players from North Carolina and South Carolina for the annual interstate all-star matchup. The 2026 game continues a tradition that has provided generations of players with an opportunity to represent their state before finishing their high school careers.

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