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One of the new names that surfaced out of Northeast Texas this spring was Rivercrest’s Cole Carson. Arkansas was the first to offer the prospect right on the border of the Natural State and Texas. Ole Miss, Auburn, Baylor, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State all followed suit within a matter of weeks. He’s already made unofficial trips to both Arkansas and TCU and first-year Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman may have stumbled upon a true diamond in the rough.

Carson easily stands out on his high school tape. He’s a bull in a china shop with his 6-foot-6 frame and easily tramples his competition. Carson plays both guard and tackle for Rivercrest’s run-heavy offense and has the size and power combination to dominate at the point of attack. He’s a stout run-blocker with the capacity to reach multiple levels of the defense and has the athleticism and power to clear a path while on the run.

Physically, Carson is long with a fantastic wingspan and explodes out of his stance. He debuted as a high three-star on Rivals as we hope to gain a better evaluation of his pass protection and his play against better competition before the end of the cycle.

For now, Carson is an intriguing offensive tackle much like Garrett Hayes was around this time a year ago at Athens (Texas) High School. Hayes finished as a Rivals250 tackle.

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Ketron Jackson debuted in the Rivals250 for the Class of 2021 and has maintained a steady presence as one of Texas’ premier wide receivers. The four-star is in line for a serious climb in the next rankings update as he became the unguardable No. 1 target on Royse City High School this fall after transferring from Dallas-area powerhouse Lancaster last offseason.

In the new setting where Jackson was forced to step up as the unquestioned “go-to” target, he thrived. He shined as a big, physical playmaker capable of creating his own plays after the catch. He’s a physical runner after the catch that reminds me a good deal of current LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase coming out of high school.

He’s physical enough to make plays in the middle of the field and is athletic enough to make plays in single coverage on the outside. Royse City coaches allowed Jackson to make plays on his own and he stepped up to the challenge and then some.

Jackson has an impressive offer sheet and was high on Ohio State, Alabama and LSU early on. He named Arkansas as his leader this spring after a visit to The Hill, and then upon his return landed an interesting overture from Texas.

With the spotlight on, another in-person evaluation was needed. His film is deserving of a nice rise in-state and nationally amongst wideouts.

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Another Lone Star State quarterback on the rise this spring has been Kaidon Salter, who made a compelling case to college coaches last season that his style of play would translate to the Power 5 level. Salter was absolutely magical when I watched him in-person last November in a second-round playoff tilt vs. Denton Guyer and his tape provided even more fuel for a rankings bump.

Salter is an unconventional passer that’s going to naturally remind folks of Randall Cunningham. Salter is gifted with a strong-enough arm to make big throws downfield and all over the field. What separates him is not just his mobility, but the ability to extend plays, beat defenders to buy time and then reset and unleash a ball 55 yards down field on-point.

Baylor, Arkansas, Florida State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, UCLA and Tennessee are just a handful of the schools that have quickly caught Salter’s attention this spring. The most interesting wrinkle here is which offensive coordinator will entice Salter and install an offense that caters to his unique set of skills.

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