Detroit Cass Tech lost to Southfield A&T in week one, 29-27, and in the District Finals of the Division 1 State Playoffs, 36-25. Southfield went on to win the Division 1 state championship. The Technicians finished the 2023 season with a 7-4 overall record. The other two losses were to St. Joseph Regional (NJ) and Toledo Central Catholic, the Ohio Division 3 State Champions.
Cass Tech won state championships in Michigan in 2011, 2012, and 2016 and was a state finalist in 2015. Head coach Marvin Rushing took over the Cass Tech football program from Thomas Wilcher in 2021 and has been on the staff since 2012.
Some wonder if the program has lost some of its juice. If you do your homework and research on them, they have only been a few plays away from adding to their trophy case the last three seasons. In 2021, they lost in overtime to Fordson in the playoffs 21-14. In 2022, they lost to Belleville in overtime in the playoffs 29-28. Last year, it was close against Southfield, and their team was predominately comprised of underclassmen.
Offense
Cass Tech’s offense averaged 32.6 points per game in 2023. They were sometimes slightly inconsistent in big games and didn’t have a balanced attack. The offense will look different this season and should be more explosive with incoming freshman quarterback Donald Tabron. Tabron is 6’3” and has scholarship offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Auburn.
With the addition of Tabron, Cory Sadler (5’10”, 180) will move to wide receiver on offense after playing quarterback last season. As a receiver, Sadler will be the go-to option for Cass Tech. He is one of the best in Michigan, regardless of class or position. This offseason, he gave everyone a taste of what will happen this fall. He is a mismatch who can make highlight reel catches. He has over thirty Division 1 scholarship offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State.
William Sykes (5’9”, 161), Jaelyn Martin (5’10”, 160), and freshman Mylan Griggs (6’0”, 160) are three more offensive weapons for Cass Tech at receiver. Sykes and Martin did well last year, and Griggs is talented and ready to contribute.
When you play Cass Tech, you better be mentally and physically ready to compete with their bigs up front. They are aggressive, technically sound, and will wear you down. It all starts with junior sensation Khalief Canty. The 6’5”, 308-pound left tackle is a two-year starter and was 1st Team All-State as a sophomore. He is the guy you want protecting Tabron’s blind side. Canty has early offers from Alabama, Auburn, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, and a dozen more Power 4 colleges.
Along with Canty, the Technicians have Jestin Wilson (6’1”, 250), Jelani Walker (5’11”, 251), Joshua Paramore (6’3”, 290), and Evan Gooden (6’2”, 255). Wilson is the lone senior and was selected to the 2nd Team All-Detroit team last year. Walker, Paramore, and Gooden are all juniors in the Class of 2026.
De’Mari Jackson (5’5”, 155) and Carson Lovett (6’2”, 195) will share the running back duties. Both got valuable time last year and will excel even more in 2024. Cameron Summerour (6’0”, 205) is another running back who will get touches and is a lead blocker in certain situations.
Defense
In 2023, the Technicians allowed 18.7 points per game. The defense was young, fast, and aggressive, but its inexperience in big games sometimes showed. With a year under their belt and most of their guys returning, we expect Cass to show a lot of improvement.
The secondary is loaded, and all four defensive backs have multiple Division 1 offers. Corey Sadler is a two-way athlete and plays cornerback on defense. He was All-State as a sophomore. He had 27 tackles, five pass breakups, and one pick-six. Opposing teams were smart enough not to test him. Opposite Sadler at cornerback is Marcus Jennings (6’2”, 195). Jennings is a tall lockdown cover guy. He received a lot of attention this off-season with offers from Pittsburgh, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), and Eastern Michigan.
At Safety, Cashus Shivers (6’0”, 190) and Derrick Jackson (6’0”, 185) are two of the best in the Midwest. Shivers has offers from Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Iowa, Pittsburgh, and a dozen more colleges. Jackson was All-State and All-Detroit as a junior. He is committed to Kent State.
On the defensive line, Cass has talent, size, and players hungry to get to the quarterback. Logan Howell (6’4”, 315) is a beast and anchor of the defense at nose guard. He is strong, powerful, and deceptively quick tracking down ball carries. Howell brings the toughness and intensity to get the defense amped up. Gavin Fernandez (5’11”, 250) is a 2026 defensive tackle who will help Howell on the interior.
On the edge, John Baker (6’6”, 220) leads the way for Cass. His length and pass-rushing moves cause problems for opposing offenses. He is committed to Toledo. Darrius Summers (6’3”, 205) and Victor Polk (6’4”, 210) are two juniors who will make a strong impact this season. Summers was the defensive line MVP at the University of Michigan camp. Polk is tall and athletic and will put his name on the map this season.
Cameron Summerour (6’0”, 205), Brian Stovall (6’3”, 210), and Marvin McCallum (6’0”, 215) all return at linebacker. Summerour was All-State and All-Detroit last year. He is committed to Grand Valley State. Stovall and McCallum will have expanded roles and opportunities to showcase their skills this season.
On special teams, George Sanches handles all the kicking and punting duties. He was 4-for-4 on field goals, 29-of-30 on extra points, and averaged 37 yards per punt.
2024 Schedule
The Technicians open the season with tough road matchups against Rockford on August 29 and follow that up by playing a talented Canton McKinley team at the Football Hall of Fame in Ohio on September 6. These first two games are extremely important for Cass Tech to generate positive momentum to propel them forward. The rivalry game against Detroit Martin Luther King is on September 20. This is always a backyard brawl with these two teams. They may get a second meeting on October 18 in the Detroit PSL Championship game. Cass will return to Ohio and play Medina to wrap up the regular season.
2024 Outlook
As we head into the 2024 season, Rushing has built this team back to a championship level, and they have easily their best team since 2016. Most media outlets are sleeping on Cass Tech, and we feel they are ready to regain control of the state.
The Technicians won a state title in 2011 with a freshman quarterback, Jayru Campbell. Can Cass do it again this year with Donald Tabron? Tabron gives them balance in their offense. This is something they haven’t had in a few years. Corey Sadler moving to wide receiver strengthens this position group and gives Cass the wildcard no one else has. Sadler is the #1 player in Michigan in the Class of 2026. The Technicians will look to get him as many touches as they can.
On the defensive side of the ball, this projected starting roster looks like the old state championship teams. Six defensive players have Division 1 offers, two have Division 2 offers, and several underclassmen will earn Division 1 offers before the season ends.
The road to Ford Field will be challenging, but the Technicians have that swagger back and the talent that matches well against any team in the state.
