Texas High School Football 2026 Preseason All-State Teams

The 2026 Texas high school football season begins in full this week, and High School On SI has taken the offseason to list the top returning players by position.

RELATED: Top Linebackers | Wide Receivers | Offensive Linemen | Quarterbacks | Defensive Lineman | Tight Ends | Preseason Top 25

This week, we're naming our preseason all-state teams.

North Crowley leads all schools with four players on our all-state teams. Shadow Creek is next with three players, and Cypress Ranch, Summer Creek, DeSoto and Waxahachie each have two players.

Texas Tech and Texas A&M continue to mine the state for talent. They each have seven players committed on our preseason all-state teams. Texas is close behind with six players, SMU has four players, and Oklahoma has two.

Texas High School Football 2026 Preseason All-State Teams

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE OFFENSE

Quarterback

Kavian Bryant — Sr., Palestine Westwood

College: Texas Tech

As a junior, he had 4,147 total yards of offense, according to 247sports.com. He threw for 3,407 yards, 37 touchdowns and one interception, and he ran the ball 95 times for 740 yards and seven touchdowns.

Running Back

SaRod Baker — Sr., DeSoto

College: Texas Tech

Baker had a phenomenal 2025 playoff run that vaulted him to national prominence and a Class 6A DII State Championship. He finished the season with 3,096 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns. He also caught four touchdowns.

Landen Williams-Callis — Sr., Richmond Randle

College: Texas

Williams-Callis was High School On SI’s National Offensive MVP last season. In 2025, he ran for 3,502 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns on 10.8 yards per carry. He helped Richmond Randle to a 5A D-II state runner-up finish. He is 3,828 yards away from the Texas career rushing yards record set last season by Kaegan Ash.

Wide Receiver

Benny Easter Jr. — Sr., Summer Creek

College: Texas Tech

Easter Jr. followed an impressive sophomore season with an even more impressive junior season. He caught 89 passes for 1,309 yards and 19 touchdowns. His production has earned him four stars from 247sports.com.

Julian Caldwell — Sr., Argyle

College: Texas Tech

Caldwell is a multi-sport athlete, and he uses his impressive speed to separate down the field. He created explosive plays throughout the 2025, and he ended with 94 receptions for 1,737 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Tight End

Jeramie Cooper — Sr., North Crowley

College: Uncommitted

Cooper is a tight end who can line up out wide and run routes like a wide receiver. He was second-team all state last season. His most recent scholarship offers are from Mississippi State, Stanford and LSU.

Offensive Line

Kennedy Brown — Sr., Humble Kingwood

College: Texas A&M

Brown will return from a foot injury this season. He can play both sides of the offensive line at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds. He is a 5-star prospect, according to 247sports.com’s composite rankings.

Ismael Camara — Sr., Gilmer

College: Texas

Camara played mostly on the inside of the offensive line for Gilmer, and at 6-foot-6, 345 pounds, he mauled opposing defensive lineman throughout 2025. He is a 5-star prospect.

DeMarrion Johnson — Sr., Tyler Legacy

College: Texas A&M

Johnson plays left tackle and he was second-team all-district in 2025. He is 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, and his nickname is ‘Big Juice.’

R’Monie Edwards — Jr., Cypress Ranch

College: Uncommitted

Edwards is the first junior on the list. He played left tackle last season for Cy Ranch, and he showed his ability to kick out and be the lead blocker on many sweeps or tosses.

Vote: Who Is the Texas High School Football Player of the Week for Week 0?

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE DEFENSE

Kaden McCarty — Sr., Cypress Falls

College: Texas A&M

McCarty had 51 tackles, 26 for loss, 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovered that he returned for a touchdown last season. He is a quick edge rusher who can be in the opposing backfield in no time.

Amari Vickerson — Sr., Cypress Ranch

College: SMU

As a junior, Vickerson had 50 tackles, 11 for loss, and six sacks. He can rush the passer and stop the run from the interior. He is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds.

Cameron Hall — Sr., Mansfield Summit

College: Texas

Hall is a versatile defensive lineman who can do it all for Mansfield Summit. He had 10 sacks in 2025 as well as 18 tackles for loss.

Xavier Muhammad — Sr., Shadow Creek

College: Michigan

Muhammad is a multi-sport athlete who will play this season at Shadow Creek after playing previously at South Houston. He has also played tight end.

Linebacker

Cooper Witten — Sr., Argyle Liberty Christian

College: Oklahoma

The son of former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, Cooper was prolific at linebacker in his junior season. He had 87 tackles, nine for loss, two sacks, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and four pass deflections. He is committed to Oklahoma, where Jason is the tight ends coach.

Jhadyn Nelson — Sr., Houston Langham Creek

College: Texas Tech

Nelson was an all-district selection last season after he had 59 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown.

Braylon Williams — Sr., Arlington Lamar

College: SMU

Williams was a tackle machine in 2025. He had 101 total tackles, 13 for loss, and five sacks and was named first team all-district.

Defensive Back

JayQuan Snell — Sr., Waxahachie

College: Texas A&M

Watch Snell’s highlight reel if you want to watch big hits. He is a versatile defensive back who is not afraid to be physical. Last season, he had 86 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.

Jerry Outhouse Jr. — Sr., North Crowley

College: UCLA

Outhouse is a cornerback who was named to the District 3-6A first-team as a junior. He has long arms and is not afraid to run toward the line of scrimmage to make a tackle.

Brandon Sherrard — Sr., Shadow Creek

College: Texas

Sherrard had his junior season end due to a shoulder injury, but even in a short season, he had 22 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble.

James Foster III — Jr., Lancaster

College: Uncommitted

Foster III is a big safety who can play close to the line of scrimmage. He is a top-20 national prospect in the class of 2028, and he has interest from Texas, Miami (FL) and Notre Dame, among others.

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE SPECIALISTS

Return Man

Trenton Thomas — Sr., Summer Creek

College: Texas A&M Texarkana

Kicker

Andres von der Meden — Sr., Tomball

College: Texas A&M

Punter

Declan Ham — Sr., Lewisville

College: Arkansas

SECOND TEAM ALL-STATE OFFENSE

Quarterback

Weston Nielsen — Sr., Bastrop

College: Arizona State

Running Back

Tristan Willis — Sr., CE King

College: Georgia Tech

Lathan Whisenton — Sr., Midway-Waco

College: Notre Dame

Wide Receiver

Damarion Champ Mays — Jr., North Crowley

College: Uncommitted

Jaylen Addai — Jr., Shadow Creek

College: Uncommitted

Tight End

Dylan Jaeger — Sr., Round Rock

College: TCU

Offensive Line

Brian Swanson — Sr., South Oak Cliff

College: Texas

Jai’Storm Knight — Jr., Cornerstone Christian-San Antonio

College: Uncommitted

Jasper Ngokwere — Sr., Richardson

College: Vanderbilt

Qua Ford — Sr., Texas

College: SMU

Kaeden Scott — Sr., San Antonio Roosevelt

College: Texas A&M

SECOND TEAM ALL-STATE DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Zane Rowe — Sr., Denton Guyer

College: Oregon

Ke’Drid Smith — Jr., Pleasant Grove

College: Uncommitted

K’Adrian Redmond — Sr., DeSoto

College: Texas Tech

Ezekiel Ayangbile — Sr., Langham Creek

College: Miami (FL)

Linebacker

Aston Whiteside — Sr., Burleson Centennial

College: Texas A&M

Aaron Williams — Sr., Fort Bend Ridge Point Hometown

College: North Carolina

Cade Haug — Sr., Katy

College: SMU

Defensive Back

Montre Jackson — Sr., Garland Lakeview Centennial

College: Texas

Joshua Banks — Sr., Atascocita

College: Texas Tech

Mikhail McCreary — Sr., San Antonio Johnson

College: Oklahoma

Brock Lacey — Jr., North Crowley

College: Uncommitted

SECOND TEAM ALL-STATE SPECIALISTS

Return Man

Jordan Smith — Sr., Waxahachie

College: UTSA

Kicker

Beckett Cocke — Sr., College Park

College: Uncommitted

Punter

Blake Bordelon — Jr., Sinton

College: Uncommitted

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