Post-spring ranking updates are coming soon. A wealth of new information emerged during spring camp, and the rankings will be updated soon to reflect the latest projections from the national analytics team for the 2025 and 2026 classes.
This week, a team of national analysts will examine their biggest questions at the upcoming rankings conference. Next is the south-central region.
This series: The top four ranking issues in the Eastern Conference
1. How big of a jump does quarterback Kieron Russell have?
This offseason, the question is no longer if Kieron Russell will move up, but to what extent. The Duncanville, Texas, standout found himself ranked just inside the Rivals250 in the last update.
Through spring training camp and 7v7 competition across the country, Russell proved he deserves to be among the top arm talents in the 2025 class. While Russell is listed as a career passer, his performance on Texas’ second-fastest 4×400 relay will elevate his status as a weapon on the ground, not just in the air.
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2. Does Ty Haywood deserve five-star status?
In the last update earlier in the offseason, Ty Haywood moved up from No. 59 to No. 16, earning him a five-star ranking. But looking at his recent performance in training camp and spring training, has he done enough to retain that title?
While Haywood has a long frame at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, there are some questions that need to be answered about his athleticism as it relates to his ability to take it to the next level.
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3. How many of the 2026 South Central offensive linemen are blue chip prospects?
Central South’s strongest position this spring in the 2026 class may be the offensive line. John Turntine, Bryce Gilmore, Felix Ojo, Evan Goodwin and Sean Stover Sean Stover) may all fall into the four-star category, and some of them are very good candidates to enter the Rivals250.
Trentine is a monster Rival Training Camp Series In Dallas, he has the opportunity to find himself in a very good position when the rankings are finalized.
Gilmore (6-foot-4) and Stover (6-foot-3) stand out inside, while Ocho and Goodwin, both 6-foot-7, man the tackles.
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4. How much positional change will we see?
Spring is coming to an end for most, and there are many prospects who use this time to hone a position or expand their horizons and become more versatile. This means that there will be several potential candidates for positions on the board.
Kesen Henderson is currently listed as a wide receiver, but he is firmly committed to the quarterback position in college. He played quarterback at Legacy Sport Science and wide receiver on the 7v7 circuit. There will be discussions about whether to position him at his desired quarterback position or possibly move him to the athlete position.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson is a 2025 four-star wide receiver who started at cornerback this spring to help the team. He has since received offers to exclusively play defense as well as a few two-way offers. He looks likely to turn into an athlete.
Recent Oklahoma commit Marcus Wimberly from Bauxite (Arkansas) is listed as an athlete but will fill Norman’s safety position. Transferring to this position will be appropriate moving forward.
