As the 2024 Texas high school football draws near, the American-Statesman is ranking the best players by each position group.

High school reporters Rick Cantu and Colby Gordon will start with offensive linemen and end with quarterbacks next week.

The top 10 offensive linemen in the Austin area

(Players listed in alphabetical order.)

Warren Scott Erwin, Johnson center

The senior leads a senior-heavy offensive line that gives the Jaguars high hopes of a playoff berth out of District 29-6A. 

MORE FOOTBALL: American-Statesman’s 2024 Central Texas top-10 preseason countdown

Zephaniah Franks, Glenn offensive tackle

A massive human being at 6 feet 3, 280 pounds, the junior has the attention of college scouts and helps pace a slot-T offense. 

Terrence Lackey, Stony Point offensive tackle

A first-team all-District 25-6A pick last fall, the junior has just scratched the surface of his potential. 

Sam Lopez, Georgetown offensive tackle/guard

Big and physical, he’ll help as the Eagles make the transition to new starters at quarterback and running back. Lopez was a first-team all-district pick as a sophomore. 

MORE ON THE EAGLES: Why Georgetown comes in at No. 10 in our preseason rankings

Jerald “JJ” Mays, Weiss guard and tackle

Mays can do it all, and he’s still just a junior. A first-team all-Central Texas and all-district pick a year ago, the left tackle has college scouts drooling. Arizona football, Baylor and Duke has each offered Mays a scholarship.

3 KEY QUESTIONS: These players, answers could define Weiss’ season

Eric Mathews, LBJ guard

A first-team all-district selection a year ago, the junior will have the potential to dominate with the Jaguars’ drop to Class 4A. 

Why LBJ is a bonafide state contender after realignment

Mason Rieger, Rouse tight end

The lone tight end on the list, he excels at both blocking and catching passes. The senior is garnering plenty of looks from colleges and has visited Navy. 

Jared Risinger, Westlake offensive guard/center

Along with Mays, he’s one of only two players on the list that received all-Central Texas honors last year, garnering a third-team nod. The senior also first-team all-District 26-6A. Concord and Northeastern State have offers to Risinger.

Jacob Slaughter, Cedar Park tackle

A junior part of a very talented offensive line, the first-team all-district pick a year ago will pave the way for one of the better rushing attacks in the Austin area. 

Bennett Wilkin, Westlake center

The senior returns to start for another year and will help lead a bruising Westlake running game. 

PAYBACK: No. 1 Westlake football hopes to redeem itself after 2 straight trips to state semifinals

Also keep an eye on: Joseph Stiggers, sr., Elgin; Wyatt Valiente, sr., Cedar Park; Jaxon Taylor, sr., Bastrop; Kolton New, jr., Liberty Hill; Braxton Bishop, sr., McCallum; Micheal Otutu, jr., Weiss; Richard Grigg, sr., Westlake

AUSTIN, Texas – A teen is facing a felony charge after she allegedly made some ‘concerning’ statements online about an Austin ISD elementary school.

17-year-old Giana Castillo has been charged with third-degree felony terroristic threat and was taken into custody. Bond was set at $100,000.

The Austin Police Department says that on August 20, they were made aware of a credible threat against Graham Elementary School in Northeast Austin. The FBI also received a tip about an Instagram user making ‘concerning’ statements online.

APD then investigated, alongside the FBI, Austin ISD police and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, which led to the Instagram user being identified as Castillo, according to a joint statement from APD, the FBI and Austin ISD.

MORE CRIME COVERAGE

Castillo’s parents are cooperating with law enforcement and additional patrols have been assigned to Graham Elementary.

According to court records, Castillo is set to have a hearing on Sept. 11.

APD and its partners say they are encouraging anyone that sees or hears something suspicious or out of the ordinary to report it immediately by calling 911. 

The investigation is ongoing.

AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday morning, a man accused of a multi-county shooting rampage in December appeared in Travis County court for the first time. Shane James, Jr. asked the judge if he could represent himself after a disagreement with his attorneys.

James’ attorney, Russell Hunt, Jr., said this was an unexpected development that appears to have come within the past 24 hours. He said it was a terrible idea for James to represent himself.

James walked into the 147th Travis County Criminal District Court looking significantly different from his mugshot from eight months ago.

“I want to represent myself,” James told the court. He says his attorneys, Michael Watson and Hunt, are doing things without his consent.

“I asked them to work with me, through me, they would show me first what they were doing, and they said no,” James said.

“In terms of making decisions about what experts are going to be hired, what witnesses are interviewed, what records are interviewed, interacting with prosecutors, that’s all stuff the lawyers do and the lawyers don’t need to get clearance from the clients to approach the case in that way,” Hunt said.

Hunt said they requested James receive a mental competency check, and he refused.

“I thought it was unnecessary, it’s unfounded, it’s baseless, there’s no reason for it and they told me that they don’t believe I’m competent,” James said.

“In cases where a person may be mentally incompetent, it’s not at all unusual for that person not to believe that they’re mentally incompetent, not to believe that they need any kind of psychiatric help. That’s not unusual,” James said.

MORE ON THE TEXAS SHOOTING SPREE

Judge Clifford Brown told James if he wanted to represent himself, he would have to have a competency evaluation regardless.

“What I’m going to suggest to you is that you work through your attorneys, and you speak with the expert psychologist that they have retained, and we can address that in the future,” Judge Brown said.

James currently faces four capital murder charges, two attempted capital murder charges, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Travis County. He also faces two capital murder charges and three family violence misdemeanors in Bexar County. Police said James killed his parents in San Antonio before driving to Austin and killing four more people and injuring two police officers and a cyclist in December.

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“He’s in jail. He’s charged with terrible crimes. He does have a history of psychiatric disturbances,’ Hunt said. ‘The guy’s in a terrible spot, and he’s trying to do what he can to control his situation.”

If James is found incompetent, this case could be delayed for years until he receives treatment in the state hospital. Hunt said James’ refusal of the mental competency check isn’t delaying the case at this point because attorneys are still gathering evidence.

James’ next hearing is set for October 10.