Our high school football writer picks the area's most exciting players whose specific skills supply the high voltage in the Friday night lights:
| PASSING QB |
| Player | School |
| CHRISTIAN MATTHEWS | Arlington Bowie |
| Puts the ball on the money. Every time. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| RYAN MOSSAKOWSKI | Frisco Centennial |
| BRYCE PETTY | Midlothian |
| JEROD MONK | Wylie |
| |
| DUAL-THREAT QB |
| Player | School |
| DARYN ALVES | McKinney Boyd |
| Like the cartoon Tasmanian devil, his spins and zigzags leave defenders grabbing air. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| JARVIS PHILLIPS | Carter |
| MATT BROWN | Allen |
| LARRY MILLER | Duncanville |
| |
| POWER BACK |
| Player | School |
| JONATHON MILLER | Garland Naaman Forest |
| Such a smooth runner, you don't notice the tacklers bouncing off him. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| STEPHEN HOPKINS | Flower Mound Marcus |
| ANTHONY MILLER | Carter |
| TOBEN OPURUM | Plano East |
| |
| SPEED BACK |
| Player | School |
| STEPFAN TAYLOR | Mansfield |
| Has the burst to break one on any play. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| KENDIAL LAWRENCE | Rockwall-Heath |
| ERIC STEPHENS | Mansfield Timberview |
| JAMES WHITE | Skyline |
| |
| ATHLETE |
| Player | School |
| REX BURKHEAD | Plano RB |
| He can play every skill position, and he punts, too. They don't call him Superman for nothing. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| RICHARD MORRISON | Royse City QB |
| DEONTE MCDADE | Ennis QB/CB |
| RODERICK GOODLOW | Adamson WR/DB |
| |
| BIG-PLAY RECEIVER |
| Player | School |
| UZOMA NWACHUKWU | Allen |
| No longer in Dan Buckner's shadow, he's ready to shine. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| KRIS LOTT | Plano |
| DEWAYNE PEACE | South Grand Prairie |
| MARQUISE GOODWIN | Rowlett |
| |
| EARTH MOVER (OL) |
| Player | School |
| THOMAS ASHCRAFT | Cedar Hill |
| Just call him a magician. Whoever he blocks disappears. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| JOSH ALADENOYE | North Mesquite |
| JOEL GRAY | Hebron |
| KYLE CLARK | Denton Guyer |
| |
| RUN STUFFER (DL) |
| Player | School |
| NIKITA WHITLOCK | Wylie NG |
| Not big, but coaches rave about the way he can disrupt an offense. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| SIOSAIA TUIPULOTU | Euless Trinity DT |
| CHRIS HENDERSON | Carter DT |
| JOEY SEARCY | South Grand Prairie DT |
| |
| PASS RUSHER |
| Player | School |
| JACKSON JEFFCOAT | Plano West DE |
| Was born to play the position. His dad is former Cowboy Jim Jeffcoat. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| DION CHIDOZIE | Bishop Lynch DE |
| TERRY FRANKLIN | Mansfield Legacy LB |
| BRANDEN MAHONEY | Keller Fossil Ridge LB |
| |
| BIG HITTER |
| Player | School |
| TARIQ ALLEN | Irving MacArthur LB |
| Plays like a football-seeking missile. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| KEVIN BRENT | South Oak Cliff S |
| AUSTIN MOSS | Rockwall-Heath LB |
| TERRANCE BULLITT | Garland Naaman Forest S |
| |
| COVER CORNER |
| Player | School |
| STEVE WILLIAMS | Skyline |
| If a receiver gets separation, it's because Williams has picked off the pass. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| ERYON BARNETT | Euless Trinity |
| MARCUS TRICE | Mesquite |
| STEVEN TERRELL | Allen |
| |
| BIG LEG |
| Player | School |
| NICK TAUSCH | Jesuit K/P |
| A Notre Dame commit who boomed 12 of his 16 kickoffs for touchbacks. | Watch video |
| OTHERS TO WATCH |
| CHRIS BOSWELL | Keller Fossil Ridge K |
| WILL ATTERBERRY | Lewisville P |
| EDUARDO CAMARA | Cedar Hill K |
