The playoffs got underway in the states of Virginia and North Carolina on Friday night, meaning that two of the Tar Heels’ 2021 signees who returnedfor their senior spring seasons were facing win or go home situations. On Friday, that number whittled to one, as 2021 3✮ WDE Trevion Stevenson and the Phoebus Phantoms fell in their first round VHSL playoff game. The good news is, we were able to get a good look at the Tar Heels lone edge rusher in the 2021 cycle.
Stevenson was part of a Phantoms defense that got off to a bit of a slow start in this one, but recovered to give them an opportunity to win the game. He finished the game with six total tackles and 2.0 tackles for a loss in this one, posting one of the most productive members of the Phoebus defense. Unfortunately, it was not enough to help propel this team to the next round.
Stevenson has some nice length on the edge of the defense, but he didn’t get to show how he utilizes it that much in this one. He isn’t the fastest player off the edge, but he is quick enough to make plays in space and beat tackles off the edge in straight-line pass rushing situations. The main thing that Stevenson will have to do when he arrives in Chapel Hill is hit the weight room and add bulk. When offensive linemen were able to get their hands on him, he was pushed around a bit and that’s a problem that will become even more present at the college level. Stevenson will likely take some time to develop, but this was a prospect that the staff was high on and will have a chance to succeed in the system if he can bulk up.
We will continue to look at some of the Tar Heels top targets throughout the next few months, including a look at some of the prospects that remain alive in the North Carolina and Virginia state playoffs. Make sure to follow the Heel Tough Blog on social media so you don’t miss any of the content.