Johnston/Harnett County QB Deep Dive

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You know the offseason is officially in full swing when we start our deep dive series, a massive undertaking that involves hundreds of schools across 15-plus counties (and expanding). I'm handling the RDU area, dropping positional rankings for nine counties around the capital city. Which Johnston/Harnett County QBs are at the top of our list?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top 5 QBs in Johnston/Harnett County</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: The ranked quarterbacks are listed in order from first to fifth. Other names are in no particular order. Rankings reflect predicted 2026 impact.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1135515"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699e62bd7b12b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Howard may be a surprising choice for our No. 1 spot in the rankings, but I think he's the clear choice. He has experience, arm talent, and production. He's thrown for nearly 5,000 yards and 54 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter, and to my knowledge, he's the most-experienced starter not just in Harnett County, but in the Raleigh-Durham metro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2137702"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699e62bd7b28b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cueto had a fantastic junior season with Leesville Road, earning all-conference honors after throwing for over 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns. Now, he's moving to Clayton to be the next in a long line of talented quarterbacks. We think he'll lean into his dual-threat capabilities, which could transform his game, and that gives him the best upside on this list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1702810"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699e62bd7b198"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I'm interested to see what happens with the Cleveland coaching situation after Scott Riley's departure. While the Rams weren't nearly as pass-happy a year ago, Hulbert was excellent and provided occasional help on the ground, too. He's versatile, but I do think he'd perform best in a quick-hitting, timing-based passing attack, and at this point, we just don't know what the Rams will run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1650566"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699e62bd7b230"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wands stepped in and had a nice junior year in his first season as a starter for ALA-Johnston. The Patriots battled some injuries around him, but Wands was efficient and picked his spots well. His confidence is growing, and that makes him an excellent candidate to take a major step forward in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1655116"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-699e62bd7b1e9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Williams is one of the most dangerous dual-threats in the area, but it's his arm that will determine his ceiling. A multi-year starter, he posted a career-best eight-to-four touchdown-to-interception ratio in conference play last year, while running for nearly 400 yards in the same seven-game span.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Other Names To Know</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1655115' first='Johnavon' last='Cox']</strong> | Smithfield-Selma</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2137679' first='Case' last='Holland']</strong> | West Johnston</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2137668' first='Aiden' last='Shupe']</strong> | Western Harnett</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Make sure we don't miss anyone. Let me know on Twitter/X (@whelms21) which players need to make our deep dive rankings. Don't miss out on everything Prep Redzone has to offer. Our 7-Day free trial offer runs from March 5-9. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->