Wilmington's Division I Football Standouts Navigate a Tight Path to the Top
The road to NCAA Division I football is famously narrow, especially for athletes from the Wilmington region who must compete against a deep pool of talent for a limited number of scholarships.
What makes the journey even more demanding is the combination of academic rigor, physical readiness and the sheer unpredictability of roster spots, which often hinge on a single injury or a coaching decision.
In recent years, fifteen players who honed their skills on local high school fields have earned spots on Division I rosters, each carving out a distinct path that reflects both opportunity and obstacle.
Garrett Austin, a 6‑foot‑6 offensive lineman, spent his freshman year redshirting at Middle Tennessee State, using the time to adjust to the speed of college play. Meanwhile, Linden Clemmons, a 6‑foot‑7 tackle at William & Mary, appeared in twelve games last season, earning his first start at right tackle.
Michael Gibbs, listed on NC State’s 2026 roster, is already being counted on as a future contributor, while Sherrod Henderson’s freshman campaign was wiped out by a preseason injury that kept him sidelined for the entire year.
Jack Lambert, a redshirt junior at Penn State, has yet to see game action, a common fate for many who wait their turn in a crowded depth chart. Ryan Manis, after a full season with Liberty in which he played every game, transferred to Louisville, seeking a fresh start.
Reagan Printy, a key figure in Hoggard’s 2023 state championship, has been sidelined since joining East Carolina in 2024, illustrating how quickly momentum can stall. Steven Stokes, a graduate student at NC State, has also been absent from the field in the past two seasons.
Christopher Spencer logged twelve appearances for Old Dominion before moving to UAB, while Malakahi West, the 2022 StarNews Defensive Player of the Year, has yet to see game time for Elon. Hudson Wilharm, who holds Hoggard’s single‑season passing yards record, transferred from UNC to NC State, bringing a dual‑threat skill set to the Wolfpack.
Tyrell Simpson, a 6‑foot‑7, 354‑pound lineman, is slated to begin his collegiate career at Virginia Tech in 2026, while David Collins, a senior linebacker, is already on NC State’s 2026 roster. Hampton Roderick, now a sophomore safety for NC State, looks to build on a promising freshman year, and Jason Smith, who made nine starts on the offensive line for Richmond in 2025 after transferring from North Carolina, continues to prove his versatility.