Welcome to the USA TODAY Network’s recruiting ladder, a statewide feature by reporter Joe Hughes highlighting top prospects and outstanding performances throughout the 2026 North Carolina high school football season.
Anyone is eligible for consideration, whether it be an unranked player who had a career game, a recruit with mid-level offers, or four- and five-star talents adding to their highlight reel.
Do you have a player to recommend? Feel free to submit their name, position and graduation class, as well as other relevant information (statistics, scholarship offers) to jhughes@gastongazette.com or X (@JoeLHughesII)
Rahlai Anderson
Northside-Jacksonville | Jr., RB
In a key matchup against Croatan, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Northside-Jacksonville running BACK proved to be the difference.
Anderson rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, propelling the Monarchs to a 46-11 win in Coastal 5A/6A competition. He was part of an offensive punch which tallied 519 yards, outgaining Croatan by nearly 300 yards.
After rushing for 1,005 yards and 13 touchdowns last fall, Anderson is well on his way to establishing new career highs this season. Through six games, he has rushed for 734 yards and 12 TDs on 88 carries.
Northside-Jacksonville is 6-0 (2-0 Coastal 5A/6A) heading into the season’s final stretch.
Cassell Cruickshank
E.E. Smith | Jr., Edge
Cruickshank did a little of everything Oct. 2 to ensure E.E. Smith was victorious over St. Pauls.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound edge rusher had six tackles (two for a loss), a forced fumble, two blocked punts and a blocked extra-point in his team’s 27-26 win. He also had two quarterback hurries.
Through six games, he has 49 tackles (15 for a loss), two sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
A five-star prospect according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, more than 40 schools are in pursuit of the E.E. Smith edge rusher.
Tylan Grimes
West Forsyth | Jr., WR
In a 35-14 win over East Forsyth, Grimes caught six passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
It was his second game with more than 100 receiving yards or more, joining a six-catch, 117-yard performance in a 45-14 victory over Mount Tabor on Sept. 11.
Through six games, he has 25 receptions for 406 yards and three TDs.
His work has caught the eye of plenty of Power 4 college football programs. Among those extending offers to Grimes include Boston College, Colorado, Delaware, East Carolina, Liberty, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Jackson Heavner
Cherryville | Sr., RB
After missing the first half of the 2026 season, the Cherryville running back apparently is looking to make up for lost time.
In a 49-22 victory at West Lincoln, the 6-foot, 185-pound Heavner rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns. For the Ironmen, the win ended a 13-game losing streak to the Rebels.
A season ago, Heavner averaged nearly 10 yards per carry on his way to 686 yards and nine TDs. In three games this fall, he’s rushed for 541 yards and six TDs, averaging 15 yards per carry.
More importantly, Cherryville holds a 4-2 (2-2 Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A) record and is eyeing its first winning season since 2018.
Shon Pone
Seventy-First | Sr., RB
Pone’s prolific 2026 campaign continued Oct. 2, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound running back rushing for more than 100 yards for a sixth consecutive game.
In a 62-13 win over Douglas Byrd, he had 176 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, along with a 55-yard TD reception. With his Week 7 output, Pone surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for a second season in a row.
Through six games, he has rushed for 1,095 yards and 16 TDs. He is averaging nearly 11 yards per carry.
Pone holds offers from Army, Campbell, East Carolina, James Madison and North Carolina A&T.
Rylee Smith
Smoky Mountain | Sr., RB
If there’s one thing a team coached by J.T. Postell will do, it’s going to run the football.
Smoky Mountain has one who can do just that in Smith, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound back rushing for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries in a 62-0 win over Brevard.
Through seven games, Smith has rushed for 1,206 yards and 20 TDs. He averages just shy of 12 yards per carry.
Smith has rushed for no worse than 142 yards in any game this season. He’s also scored two TDs in each of his seven outings.
Kingston Welch
Cherokee | Sr., RB
Welch had himself a night Oct. 2, rushing for 230 yards and three touchdowns — including an 86-yard scoring play — on 14 carries in a 57-21 victory over Hayesville.
It was the fourth 200- yard performance by the Cherokee back. Only Enka held him under triple digits, limiting him to 18 yards on seven carries. Through seven games, he has 1,215 rushing yards and 19 TDs.
Now in his second season as Cherokee’s top back, he has 2,181 career yards and 30 touchdowns.
Bralan Wilson
North Pitt | Sr., LB
The 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker tallied 13 tackles (one for a loss), along with a sack and forced fumble in a 42-6 win over North Lenoir.
It was his latest double-digit effort, a feat he’s accomplished in each of his team’s seven games. According to MaxPreps, Wilson leads the state with 121 tackles (17 for a loss), two sacks and four forced fumbles.
Such comes on the heels of a season in which he had 85 tackles (24 for a loss), three sacks , three interceptions and a forced fumble.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What NC high school football standouts climbed the recruiting ladder Week 7?
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