South Central Spotlight: Five players who are tough to rate

As the Rivals national analyst team prepares to unveil its updated rankings for the 2021 class and roll out the full Rivals250 for the 2022 crop, we give special attention to the prospects that gave us extra pause. Some evaluations come easy and some force us to spend added time.

In the South Central region, we take a closer look at five prospects that were especially tough to rate.

RELATED: Five Midwest prospects who are tough to rate | Southeast | East Coast | West

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker

Byrd is a gifted athlete who over the past two seasons had garnered an initial five-star ranking at offensive tackle. He has since impressed while filling in on the defensive line for North Texas powerhouse Duncanville (Texas), which made a run back to the Class 6A-Division I championship game. It was an example of one of the team's best college prospects sacrificing his own recruitment and opportunities for evaluation to benefit the team's playoff run.

As a sophomore, Byrd put forth excellent tape during Duncanville's 2018 run to AT&T Stadium. He's quick off the ball, can pull across the formation and brought athleticism and physicality to the left tackle position. After spot duty at defensive tackle last year, Byrd had some bumps and bruises at Future 50 in his return to his natural position.

Former Michigan and UTEP lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman has been working closely with Byrd this offseason as he prepares for a critical senior season at offensive tackle. Byrd remains a Rivals100 prospect and one of the most promising prospects in this 2021 class, which is why schools like Oklahoma, LSU, SMU and Texas continue to fight it out for his commitment. However, he has plenty of work to do as far as bolstering his ranking.

Alexander debuted as a name to know in the 2022 class after releasing some dominant tape as a freshman at Terrell (Texas) HIgh. He followed that up with a dominant performance at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Dallas last spring as he transitioned to Dallas (Texas) Skyline before playing much of the season at the sub-varsity level. Alexander, affectionately nicknamed "Bear," has continued to dominate at various camps and show why he's such a highly sought-after recruit as he continues to get his legs under him now at his third high school, Denton Ryan.

As we peel back the curtain on the 2022 crop, Alexander remains a prospect we have our eyes on as he prepares to compete at the varsity level against a quality schedule. Based on prior in-person evaluations, Alexander is a high four-star on the cusp of a fifth, but he'll have to prove it first.

This Rivals analyst created a profile for Washington in December 2018 after the then-freshman started for Warren Easton in the Louisiana Class 4A state championship game. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder then sat out as a sophomore as he was between two other area high schools, but that didn't stop the massive-sized tackle from continuing to compete in multiple camp settings.

Washington is bracing for his first real football action in pads in almost two years this fall, potentially. He has flashed in different settings, but we continue to harp on the plays he made as a freshman at the varsity and sub-varsity levels paired with in-person workouts. His junior season will be critical toward his ranking.

As a freshman, Johnson generated a ton of buzz in and around New Orleans as a high-profile freshman pass-catcher at McMain High School, which isn't necessarily known for its track record of producing college football recruits. Johnson camped at LSU the following two summers and received a good deal of attention from the staff, which loved his size and his desire to compete with and against upperclassmen.

Johnson was a no-brainer based off his freshman tape, but he missed last season due to LHSAA transfer rules. He spent all of last season and the entirety of the offseason training at Newman with his new quarterback, 2023 standout Arch Manning, while also sharpening his skill-set with local trainers. He boasts a 40-plus-inch vertical with sure hands and the ability to stretch the field. However, the fact that it has been two years since Johnson's last meaningful snaps gave us pause during the evaluation process.

Two summers ago, as a new football player, Harris showed up to Baylor's campus in Waco and quietly turned heads with a 4.5-second 40. The Baylor staff -- at the time headed by Matt Rhule -- quickly extended an offer to Harris. Since then, Mississippi State, Kansas, Houston, Texas and Texas A&M have followed suit.

Harris was limited to sub-varsity action last season after transferring to The Woodlands (Texas) High School right outside of Houston. However, in a few spots Harris flashed that impressive burst off the edge and outstanding closing speed that already has him in the mix as one of the best edge-rushers in the state for 2022. Now, it's on Harris to put together a full season's worth of highlights.