NC HS football recruiting ladder: Seventy-First’s Jayson Franklin leaving his mark

Welcome to the USA TODAY Network’s recruiting ladder, a statewide feature from reporter Joe Hughes highlighting 10 prospects on the rise each week of the 2025 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 standouts adding to their personal highlight reel.

Have a player to recommend? Feel free to submit their name, position and graduation class, in addition to other relevant information, statistics or scholarship offers via email to jhughes@gastongazette.com or X (@JoeLHughesII) by each Tuesday morning.

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Dallas Brannon

Independence | Sr., LB

Brannon was active in a Week 5 matchup with Palisades, finishing with 11 tackles (one for a loss) and a forced fumble in a 27-20 win over Palisades.

A 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker, Brannon is a four-year contributor for the Patriots. He was most productive as a sophomore, finishing with 147 tackles (three for a loss), a sack, an interception and a forced fumble.

A University of Virginia recruit, Brannon has 352 career tackles (22 for a loss), 6 ½ sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

John Evans Jr.

Reagan | So., RB

Evans was a workhorse for Reagan in Week 5, taking the ball 27 times and rushing for 190 yards and a touchdown in a 24-21 win over Lake Norman.

Following a solid freshman campaign in which he rushed for 922 yards and eight TDs, Evans is experiencing no sophomore slump, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Through five games, he has 868 rushing yards and eight TDs, including a 260-yard, two-TD performance in a season-opening win over Mount Tabor.

Lan Farmer

Shelby | Sr., QB

With his five touchdown passes in a 62-0 rout of Cherryville last Friday, the Golden Lions’ senior quarterback became the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with 91. He passed Shelby great and current Winston-Salem State quarterback Daylin Lee (90; 2019-21) atop the list.

More records could be on the way for Farmer, who has thrown for 7,236 yards over the course of his career. He’s a little more than 1,000 passing yards shy of the Cleveland County record held by former Burns standout and current Gardner-Webb quarterback Ben Mauney, who finished with 8,314 yards.

Farmer holds an offer from Charlotte.

Jayson Franklin

Seventy-First | Sr., RB/DL

On a night in which Seventy-First rushed for 272 yards, it was the senior standout whose star shone brightest in a matchup with Jack Britt.

Franklin rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, in addition to 10 tackles (three for a loss) in a 36-28 win. He’s rushed for 561 yards and eight TDs this fall, along with 32 tackles (five for a loss).

A 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back, he is a South Florida football recruit. A four-year letter winner, he has 3,517 career rushing yards and 40 TDs. Franklin also had 90 tackles (12 for a loss) and a sack.

Rakem Hammock

Northwest Guilford | Jr., ATH

Hammock caught seven passes for 176 yards in a Week 5 matchup with Mount Tabor, albeit in a 29-27 loss.

A 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver, he’s in his third year contributing to the Vikings. After 28 catches for 498 yards and six TDs as a freshman, he nearly doubled his output last fall with 51 catches, 881 yards and eight TDs.

Through five games, he has 23 catches for 466 yards and four TDs.

Robert McCollum

Dudley | Sr., LB

Following an 0-3 start, Dudley has started to right the ship, this after wins over Northeast Guilford and Ragsdale.

McCollum has played a big role in his team’s wins, tallying 24 tackles (seven for a loss), a sack and a forced fumble.

A 6-foot, 219-pound linebacker, he holds an offer from Syracuse. After seeing spot duty as a freshman, he’s played a key role in the three years since, tallying 309 tackles (82 for a loss), 16 sacks, 30 hurries, four interceptions, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Mozes Morris

West Forsyth | Sr. RB

Morris enjoyed a big game against Richmond Senior, rushing for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He also had two catches for 18 yards.

A 5-foot-11, 195-pound back, he is a four-year contributor for the Titans. Last fall at Lake Norman, he rushed for a career high 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s well on his way to creating a new personal high, averaging nine yards per carry en route to 630 yards and 10 TDs through five games.

Morris holds offers from James Madison, Gardner-Webb, Tennessee State and Hampton.

Ethan Royal

Hough | Jr., QB

Royal was feeling it this past Friday night against New Bern, throwing a career-high 305 yards and four touchdowns as part of a 53-15 rout. The junior standout’s previous career-high was also set this fall, throwing for 247 yards in a win over Highland Springs (Virginia).

Through five games, he’s thrown for 909 yards and eight touchdowns. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound quarterback, he holds offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas, Campbell, East Carolina and Gardner-Webb.

Gavin Waddell

Rolesville | Sr., WR

Waddell ran through the Corinth Holders defense in Week 5, catching four passes for 160 yards and a touchdown as part of a 53-0 win. It was Waddell’s second game with more than 100 receiving yards, this after catching 12 passes for 136 yards in a Week 1 loss to Mallard Creek.

He has 34 catches for 453 yards and two TDs this fall.

A 6-foot, 190-pound receiver, Waddell is a Louisville football recruit. Prior to his senior season, the Rolesville standout caught 133 passes for 2,040 yards and 21 TDs.

Garrett Young

Franklin | So., FB

Young continues to ascend his sophomore season, the Franklin ball carrier earning career highs with 30 carries for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 5 loss to Brevard.

It is Young’s fifth 100-yard game this season. Averaging just shy of six yards per carry, he has 634 rushing yards and seven TDs thus far.

Also an inside linebacker for Franklin, he is credited with 46 tackles this fall.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC high school football recruiting ladder: Week 5 (Sept. 24, 2024)

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