Greater Neuse River 7A 2026 Conference Preview

We're officially in full-on preseason mode here at Prep Redzone, and amidst our team previews, we're mixing in some conference previews. The Greater Neuse River 7A Conference has a ridiculous collection of talent. Here, we're breaking it down from a high school perspective. Which players, teams, and storylines should we pay attention to in 2026?   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Greater Neuse River 7A Conference Preview</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospects</h3>   We have eight Greater Neuse River players ranked inside the top 60 of their respective classes:   [player_tooltip player_id='366314' first='AK' last='Crumel'] | DB | Clayton [player_tooltip player_id='1397877' first='AJ' last='Randle'] | LB | Garner [player_tooltip player_id='378921' first='Christian' last='Freeman'] | RB | Southeast Raleigh [player_tooltip player_id='1607095' first='Randolph' last='Ross'] | WR | South Garner [player_tooltip player_id='1661632' first='Ta'Shaun' last='Walker'] | DB | Clayton [player_tooltip player_id='548207' first='Grayson' last='Williams'] | OL | Southeast Raleigh [player_tooltip player_id='444280' first='Jordan' last='Hamm'] | LB/Edge | Clayton [player_tooltip player_id='1878002' first='Kevontre' last='Holder'] | OL | Southeast Raleigh   There's plenty of returning individual talent in the conference. Four teams return high-level, ranked starting quarterbacks, while two others brought in established transfers. There's a ton of star power to go around, but there are several underrated players who could make noise, as well.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Sleepers</h3>    A full, healthy year of Shoulars at the quarterback position would do wonders for the depth of the Greater Neuse River Conference. Shoulars had just under 250 yards per game and 16 touchdowns in six games as the starter before going down with an injury. After that, the South Garner passing attack collapsed, ruining a promising season. He's bigger, stronger, and healthier this year, and the Titans have the pieces around him to make noise in the conference.     It's hard to call Ferrell a sleeper, but on a Cleveland offense that could put up big numbers, people can forget his importance. Ferrell is a bruising back who wins by simply showing up down in and down out. Expect him to have a bigger role in the passing game this year on what should be a strong team.     Somehow, Taylor flew under the radar last year on a deep Garner front seven last season, at least from the outside. Coaches in the conference know how talented the rising senior is and often schemed around him last year. Though he's undersized, he's not lacking power, and he played the run well.     Smithfield-Selma lacks the depth that some of the traditional powers in the conference have. So, Smith is arguably the top two-way player. He caught 15 passes last season and picked off six, returning three for a touchdown. He's also a standout on special teams and a guy teams have to account for at all times.     Primarily a defensive back last year, Jones just kept growing, and he looks outstanding as a receiver this offseason. While the Southeast Raleigh receiver group is talented, it has lacked size, and that's something Jones can bring. He has natural ball skills and could have a huge season.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Units To Know</h2>   I'm starting a new section in conference previews this year to provide fans with as much information in as short a time as possible. We'll have full team previews for a few of these teams, but I can't think of a better way to break down the conference dynamics and storylines than to expound upon a few of the conference's best individual position groups by team.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Garner Skill Players</h3>   Garner's defense has the highest-ranked players on the team, but the running backs and wide receivers might be the deepest position groups. [player_tooltip player_id='1225217' first='Amir' last='Wallace'] led the team in rushing last season and has picked up a few FBS offers this offseason.   At receiver, [player_tooltip player_id='1543857' first='Aidan' last='Gore'] returns after a breakout junior season, while Allen Davis adds some speed. Willow Spring transfer [player_tooltip player_id='563219' first='Greyson' last='Mosley'] also comes over. An exceptional route-runner, Mosley operated largely underneath last year, but he's shown the ability in camps to get deep and the ball skills to make plays. Garner has the most experienced starting quarterback in the state (more on him in a minute), so this group has both the talent and opportunity to put up big numbers this year.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">South Garner Defensive Backs</h3>   South Garner has had no problem churning out elite talent in recent seasons, with half a dozen FBS prospects in the last few years. Depth has been somewhat of an issue, however. The defensive back room has turned into one of the best in the state.   Versatile box safety [player_tooltip player_id='1580801' first='Joseph' last='Bailey'] still might be underrated, despite his recent success on the recruiting trail. He's big, strong, and fast, with the type of athleticism that opens up plenty of options schematically. [player_tooltip player_id='2042368' first='Caleb' last='Sykes'] is undersized, but he led the team in interceptions from his corner spot last year. Safety [player_tooltip player_id='1610576' first='Aedan' last='Davis'] is physical, despite being a bit smaller. And he's versatile enough to play in the slot, too.   That could be vital this year, as the Titans should have a high-level safety transfer added to the mix soon.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Clayton Defense</h3>   I started with the defensive line, then the linebackers, then the defensive backs, and finally landed on broadly touching on the entire defense.   Look for edge rushers [player_tooltip player_id='444280' first='Jordan' last='Hamm'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2153276' first='Kaiden' last='Blackwell'] to take steps forward and replace the production of talented departures. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1665959' first='Imarii' last='Givens'] had some growing pains early last year, but finished the season playing his best ball.   The defensive backfield is loaded. In addition to Walker and Crumel, underclassmen [player_tooltip player_id='1646236' first='Malachi' last='Burt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1715912' first='Daniel' last='Lovelace-Davis'] look like future FBS DBs.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Smithfield-Selma Defensive Backfield</h3>   While the Spartans struggled offensively last year, the defense was a solid unit, given the difficulty of the competition. In addition to Smith, two-way player [player_tooltip player_id='1702934' first='Davion' last='Hurst'] was excellent defensively, as was Noah Jeter. The defensive line was solid, too, and Bryson Hinton returns this year as a six-sack guy.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cleveland Defensive Backs</h3>   There's a theme here, as there's plenty of defensive back talent in the conference. [player_tooltip player_id='2133929' first='Markus' last='Medley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2100335' first='Jamil' last='Johnson'] return to a defensive backfield that was already talented. The Rams also added [player_tooltip player_id='1691097' first='Zion' last='McDonald'] as a transfer this offseason after he racked up 60 tackles as a box safety for ALA-Johnston.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Southeast Raleigh Running Backs/Offensive Line</h3>   Southeast Raleigh is built to run the football. We'll get to potential conference player of the year [player_tooltip player_id='378921' first='Christian' last='Freeman'] in a bit, and he and his running mate, [player_tooltip player_id='1251476' first='James' last='Adams'], both return. The two combined for 2,100 yards and 28 touchdowns last year behind a fantastic offensive line.   The Bulldogs have three of four potential FBS guys up front, led by left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='548207' first='Grayson' last='Williams']. [player_tooltip player_id='2110441' first='Zamir' last='Jackson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1878002' first='Kevontre' last='Holder'] each hold early FBS offers, and just about everybody on the line is versatile enough to play multiple positions.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Conference Player of the Year Candidates</h3>    It's a given that an incoming transfer quarterback to Clayton should be given immediate consideration among the conference's best. That's even before looking at what Cueto did last year at Leesville Road, when he threw for over 2,300 yards. I'm inclined to believe that he'll continue in the precedent set by the Comets, relying heavily on the quarterback run game to unlock defenses. Accordingly, he could put up big numbers as a senior.     Heading into his fourth year as a starter, the recent Campbell commit is looking better than ever. He's a true coaching win. Not only has he steadily progressed, but the Trojans have surrounded him with more and more talent this season. The Trojans have worked their way into true contender status, and he should put an exclamation point on his high school career this season.     The infrastructure around Freeman is such that the NC State commit could have a massive senior season. In addition to his speed and cutting abilities, he's one of the best receivers at the running back position in the state, and he could theoretically push 2,000 yards this season if things break in his favor.     The Rams were a bit more conservative offensively last season as they eased Hulbert in, but he did everything the team asked of him, and he looks ready to take the next step as a senior. He threw for 17 touchdowns and showed a nose for the end zone with another eight on the ground last year.     Ross averaged 133 yards and over a touchdown per game in the last four games before Shoulars went down, then caught just 14 passes the rest of the year as teams double-teamed him. If everyone is healthy this year, South Garner should have the blocking, quarterback play, and secondary options for Ross to have a massive senior season.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Greater Neuse River 7A Predicted Order of Finish</h2>   1) Garner   2) Southeast Raleigh   3) Clayton   4) Cleveland   5) South Garner   6) Fuquay-Varina   7) Smithfield-Selma   Coaches, if you want your team featured in a team preview, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeB9YBH_he_sOP-lhvI26XRh0P9vobS8PsVJy_5QCJ4jQLTvQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118251332469799088451">fill out our preseason survey</a>. Want to send this report to someone who isn't a subscriber? 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We're officially in full-on preseason mode here at Prep Redzone, and amidst our team previews, we're mixing in some conference previews. The Greater Neuse River 7A Conference has a ridiculous collection of talent. Here, we're breaking it down from a high school perspective. Which players, teams, and storylines should we pay attention to in 2026?