NC State positioned well with reclassified OL Hayden Ainsworth heading into summer

Hayden Ainsworth didn’t rush into his decision to reclassify into the 2026 cycle. It was something he had thought about for a while, weighing his options on what to do, but with a 4.0 GPA through two years of high school, it became a realistic option.  Ainsworth, a coveted offensive line prospect, made it official two weeks ago as he set his class schedule for what was supposed to be his junior year. Now, it’ll be his senior year at Biloxi (Miss.) High.  “You see some of these skill players doing it, and that’s what got me intrigued by it,” Ainsworth recently told TheWolfpacker.com. “They’re 17 playing college football, that’s incredible. … From a development standpoint and a maturity standpoint, I think I’m ready and able to do it.” The 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle prospect was already being heavily pursued by power conference programs around the country, but by moving up a year, his recruitment stepped up a notch.