No. 4 Weiss

A closer look at the Weiss Wolves, the No. 4 team in our Central Texas preseason countdown:

2023: 9-2, 5-1 in District 12-6A (1st). The Wolves won a share of the district title, then got unlucky in their bi-district playoff draw with an ultra-talented Cedar Hill team, to whom they lost 62-0.

2024: Watch out, Class 5A Division I. Weiss drops from Class 6A with a squad full of future college players, though its district (12-5A) also features two highly regarded team in A&M Consolidated and College Station. The main races in the district are for the title and the fourth playoff spot as it would be stunning if the three mentioned schools didn’t qualify for the postseason. Starters returning — 9 offense, 5 defense

Notable losses: WR Jacques Spradley-Demps (Kansas State), DB Peyton Morgan (Texas Tech), DL Chad Otutu (UTSA)

NONE BETTER: Why the best CB-WR battle in Texas may happen on a Weiss football practice field

MORE: It was a busy spring for Austin-area football teams moving on without former stars

About the Wolves: There wasn’t any help needed for an offense that was already one of the top three in the Austin area, but Weiss received it with the transfer of RB DJ Dugar from Glenn. Dugar, who's committed to Oklahoma State, brings with him 3,824 yards and 48 touchdowns rushing from the last three years and makes the Wolves the most talented offense in town. QB Jax Brown threw for 3,014 yards and 33 touchdowns last fall and is pledged to New Mexico State. His top target is Arizona State commit Adrian Wilson, who hauled in 60 catches for 1,003 yards and 14 TDs. Junior LT JJ Mays, who was a first-team all-Central Texas pick, leads a big and physical offensive line. The defensive secondary is loaded and led by lockdown CB Jason Stokes, a Utah pledge. Jacory Gary-Alexander paces the linebacking corps.

3 KEY QUESTIONS: Why we like Weiss, and 3 players the Wolves will lean on

Betcha didn't know: Unlike a year ago when it had four road trips of at least 55 miles, Weiss won’t leave the Austin area until the playoffs. Since it hosts both of the College Station-area teams, its longest trip is to San Marcos in nondistrict play. ... And the Weiss-Hendrickson rivalry returns after a two-year absence. Weiss, which has a lot of students who shared elementary and middle schools with Hendrickson students, won in 2021, with the Hawks taking the initial meeting in 2020. Both games were played in front of near-capacity crowds at The Pfield.

Key game: vs. A&M Consolidated, Sept. 12 — It’s rare that Week 3 offers a gigantic matchup, but that’s the case here. The winner has the inside track on the district title before mid-September, with Weiss having the advantage of being at home and not having to travel on a Thursday. The Wolves play College Station and Anderson — which seems to be the early favorite to grab the district’s fourth playoff spot — to end the regular season.

— Colby Gordon

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Central Texas' top 2024 preseason teams: No. 4 Weiss