2026 Rankings Update: Catawba River Additions

Ian Guerin April 17, 2025 @ 08:00 AM

In the months since our last rankings update, we've had even more time to evaluate players in the Class of 2026.   We've looked at their production value from the 2024 season, compared them to others we already knew about, attended offseason events and dug deeper on the little details that make a whole bunch of players exactly what they are.   It's led to 70 names joining our 2026 rankings this spring.    We're going to continue our introductions to all of them with our nine new additions from the Catawba River Region.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639806' first='Curtis' last='Sullivan'] OL, Indian Land    At 6-foot-1 and 255 pounds, Sullivan isn't the biggest tackle around. But what he is is extremely active in a variety of sets. That's key, as this coming rendition of the Warriors has as much potential as any in the program's last 15 years, if not longer.    [player_tooltip player_id='1639763' first='Marques' last='Allen'] LB, Central    On a team that included its share of seniors last fall, it was Allen who led the team in tackles (80). He covers a lot of ground sideline to sideline, and the next evolution of his game will likely include more of a surge into the opposing backfield to add high-impact plays to his resume.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639753' first='Aiden' last='Short'] RB, Central (pictured)   If you include the one long pass he completed last season, Short went over 1,000 yards of total offense as a junior. His rushing production (723 yards, seven touchdowns) was the bulk of it, but hauling in 13 passes for another 258 yards and three scores didn't hurt, either.   [player_tooltip player_id='1516248' first='Marvin' last='Randolph'] ATH, Buford   While Randolph is still a bit on the raw side, feel free to ask North Central about his upside. His four-touchdown game against the Knights last fall was a high point, to be sure, but he managed a little bit of everything along the way, his athleticism making him look quite diverse.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639749' first='Sean' last='Davis'] ATH, Central    Davis is a significant weight gain from starting to turn a whole lot of heads. He can return kicks and punts, catch passes, run the ball and even throws the occasional pass. Considering all of that takes a back seat to his job at safety, and Central is glad he's on their side.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639690' first='Eden' last='Gaston'] LB, Lewisville    Gaston was the type of linebacker that every opposing offensive coordinator tried to stop last fall. Most of them weren't even close to achieving the goal. He finished the year with 98 total tackles and a handful of plays that dictated would-be close games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639669' first='Ashten' last='Wilson'] RB, Central    As a junior last fall, Wilson surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards in an Eagles uniform, as he added another 858 yards on the ground. His next rushing touchdown will also be his 20th. He's got an explosive quality to him that makes him very dangerous.    [player_tooltip player_id='1639696' first='Malik' last='Harrison'] OL/DL, Lewisville    At times during his junior year, Harrison looked like a men among boys from his spot in the interior. He graded out north of 90 percent on the season and averaged two pancakes a game. In our opinion, he's got all-star capabilities.    [player_tooltip player_id='1550509' first='CJ' last='Petri'] LB, Indian Land   Petri has the length and range to play six or seven positions on the defense successfully. We'll see him rush of the edge, slide into a true linebacker spot and occasional drop in the defensive backfield. He can handle all of it from one play to the next.

In the months since our last rankings update, we've had even more time to evaluate players in the Class of 2026.