Updated 2026 Rankings: Fastest Stock Risers (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We revealed today our updated 2026 rankings. Here are 10 of the fastest Stock Risers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137475' first='Jayden' last='Gutierrez'], Lovington</strong>: Gutierrez is a two-way standout for the Wildcats. Offensively, he caught 55 passes for 756 yards and 11 TD. Defensively,&nbsp; he made 33 tackles with 7 interceptions, one of the highest totals in the state. Earned First-Team All-State honors as a WR. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'], Cleveland</strong>: Hatch's improvement from his sophomore to junior seasons was remarkable. He improved his completion percentage by 7 percent (64.0 percent in 2024), boosted his number of TD passes by 11 (29 in 2024) and significantly cut his interceptions (2 in 2024). His 29-to-2 TD pass to interception ratio is impressive. Eastern New Mexico has offered and UTEP is showing interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137830' first='Pete' last='Johnson'], St. Michael's</strong>: Johnson has put together solid back-to-back seasons. In 2023, he led the Horsemen in tackles with 76. As a junior, he increased his total tackles to 102 with 3 interceptions. Earned Class 3A First-Team All-State honors and was named District 3A-2 Defensive Player of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854198' first='Alexander' last='Lopez'], Gadsden</strong>: Playing a huge role in Gadsden's revival, the 6-foot-2 Lopez emerged as one of the top young defensive linemen in 2023 when he made 91 tackles with 6 sacks and 6 TFL. Lopez continued his upward trend in 2024 when he made 95 tackles with 9.0 TFL as Gadsden reached the Class 5A semifinals. Lopez, who earned First-Team All-State honors, is a strong contender for Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1268759' first='Diego' last='Ortega'], Alamogordo</strong>: Ortega is one of the most improved offensive linemen in the state. Possesses great size at 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. In a crowded 6A field, Ortega earned Second-Team All-State honors for the Tigers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1139144' first='Bryce' last='Parra'], Artesia</strong>: A speedster, Para saw his first significant action with the Artesia varsity in 2024 and he showed he could be a major factor in 2025. Finished with 21 receptions for 415 yards, an average of nearly 20 yards per catch, and 3 TD. Class 5A Honorable Mention All-State honors as a WR.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137457' first='Taylen' last='Payne'], Goddard</strong>: When we saw Payne at the Prep Redzone Combine in Grants last April, he looked ready for a big junior campaign. He didn't disappoint as he finished with 116 tackles, 18.0 TFL and 7 sacks. Honorable Mention All-State honors&nbsp; as a LB in Class 5A. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards'], Cleveland</strong>: Few players have rocketed up the rankings faster than Richards. A year ago, he was an intriguing prospect with little varsity experience. In 2024, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Richards flashed his enormous potential with 43 tackles and 9.0 TFL as an OLB/DE for the Storm. He is also athletic enough to carry twice in goal line situations for 2 TD and catch 3 passes. College recruiters have an eye on him. New Mexico has offered and Texas Tech is expressing interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853015' first='Alex' last='Rivera'], Lovington</strong>: The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Rivera is another top prospect who has risen quickly up the rankings. He was part of a talented Lovington O-Line in 2024 when he had 33 pancake blocks, double the number from 2023. He is currently a hot commodity in recruiting with recent offers from Fresno State and New Mexico State. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595609' first='Ryan' last='Timberlake'], Texico</strong>: The Wolverines captured their second straight Class 2A title with arguably the most dominant offensive and defensive lines among small schools. Timberlake anchored the massive O-Line and made 32 tackles on defense. Earned Class 2A First-Team All-State honors. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2024 full season highlight<br>2271 pass yards<br>29TD/2INT<br>64% completions<a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Eck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Eck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/franks_coach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@franks_coach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Avina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Avina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Ena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Ena</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKelleyLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachKelleyLee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTwelveGage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTwelveGage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Waters21John?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Waters21John</a> <a href="https://t.co/vXtZdCVy28">pic.twitter.com/vXtZdCVy28</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='851873' first='Jordan' last='Kekoa Hatch'] (@Kekoa1_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kekoa1_/status/1878816354758963570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Full Junior Season Highlights C/O 2026<br>6'0 200lb Linebacker<br>102 tackles <br>3 interceptions <br>First Team All State<br>District DPOY<br>State Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://t.co/6oPjRyYYoT">pic.twitter.com/6oPjRyYYoT</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1137830' first='Pete' last='Johnson'] (@PeteJohnson44) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteJohnson44/status/1867586829421359219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to [player_tooltip player_id='615426' first='Alex' last='Lopez'] <a href="https://twitter.com/Alexlopez2026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alexlopez2026</a> being named New Mexico Class 5A 1st TEAM ALL-STATE Defensive End <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HailGadsden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HailGadsden</a> <a href="https://t.co/FF29q0u6C5">pic.twitter.com/FF29q0u6C5</a></p>&mdash; Gadsden Football (@GadsdenPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/GadsdenPanthers/status/1871040859938173008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='1137457' first='Taylen' last='Payne'], c/o 2026, ILB Junior Season Highlights<br>TOT - 116<br>SOLO - 27<br>AST - 89<br>SACK - 7<br>TFL - 18<br>FF - 1<br>PD - 2<a href="https://t.co/NQkvLPTQST">https://t.co/NQkvLPTQST</a><a href="https://twitter.com/GoddardRocketFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoddardRocketFB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBolanos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBolanos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKelleyLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachKelleyLee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachPomfret?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachPomfret</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_SBrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_SBrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coach_bhickman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coach_bhickman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachRegionOLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachRegionOLB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachTaufaasau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachTaufaasau</a>…</p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1137457' first='Taylen' last='Payne'] (@PayneTaylen) <a href="https://twitter.com/PayneTaylen/status/1859761969978335521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">‼️Junior season highlights‼️<br>6a district/state,champions<br>6'5 220lbs<br>TE/DE/OLB<br>#22<br>65 tackles<br>3tds<a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Ridenour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Ridenour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmprepcosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmprepcosports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CSAPrepStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CSAPrepStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleMorgan_XOS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KyleMorgan_XOS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachD84?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachD84</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_RGarza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_RGarza</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpoRecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ExpoRecruits</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjfrecruits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjfrecruits</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelWoosley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelWoosley</a> <a href="https://t.co/9gpMkhQJt4">pic.twitter.com/9gpMkhQJt4</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1230420' first='Elijah' last='Richards'] (@E_Richards22) <a href="https://twitter.com/E_Richards22/status/1869602862621450446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out my junior year highlights! <a href="https://t.co/McCWPg1gNE">https://t.co/McCWPg1gNE</a><a href="https://twitter.com/CoachFort_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachFort_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachjoshbailey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachjoshbailey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachfaith45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachfaith45</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='853015' first='Alex' last='Rivera'] (@nmriveraalex) <a href="https://twitter.com/nmriveraalex/status/1862197266775249227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->