Heavner’s season was shortened, but the production—and explosiveness—still jumped off the stat sheet. The 2027 running back finished with nearly 700 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, highlighted by one of the top single-game performances in the state: 9 carries for 262 yards and 5 touchdowns. Electric with the ball in his hands, Heavner has the kind of speed and burst that can flip a game in a matter of seconds. A true home-run hitter who doesn’t need many touches to change the outcome, he’s a name defenses will have to account for every snap moving forward.

Heavner battled injuries over the latter half of the season to the detriment of his Cherryville team, but before he went down, he was on pace for nearly 1,500 yards, mostly as a running back. We like him best as a receiver, where he gets to operate more in space, but this year, he showed he can shine as a running back as well.

Heavner is listed as a receiver and running back and he’s one of the few across the state who truly does both. He finished with over 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards last season, playing some on defense as well. That running back skill set translates and he’s one of the best players in the class with the ball in his hands after the catch. I expect him to run a few more routes down the field this season, but he’s always going to be at his best on screens and other quick throws.

Now Jackson was a fun player for me to start to look into, because I really enjoy finding talented players at programs who deserve some love and attention. Jackson had over 1200 yards of total offense last season while playing some defense for the aptly named Ironmen. I think he is best with the football in his hands though. Jackson runs extremely hard – there were times where he lined up at running back and just busted some impressive runs with a nice combo of speed and power. I think he is most dangerous though as a receiver – he can do some special things in the open field on screens and deep balls – his speed can open up a lot of things schematically. Jackson also runs track, and has had success there also. This is a playmaker that could have a big junior year out in Gaston County.