Did you take some time off from football like a well-adjusted person? Lucky for you, we at DCTX aren’t. We’ve had our finger on the pulse of TXHSFB all offseason. Here is a primer on everything you need to know before spring football starts this month.

Player of the Year Candidates

Earning Player of the Year requires that a) you’re really freaking good, and b) that your team makes a serious state championship run. With that in mind, here are some picks in no particular order.

Kendray Porter Jr., Newton RB

Even in defeat, one of the lasting images of the 2025 season was Kendray Porter Jr.’s catch in the Class 3A DII State Championship Game. Trailing by nine with less than two minutes remaining and facing 4th-and-15, Newton hurled up a prayer that Porter answered with a 37-yard touchdown. Porter is now hungry to avenge the state championship loss and returns for his senior season after rushing for over 2,400 yards and 40 total touchdowns.

AJ Huddleston, Idalou ATH

There isn’t a more versatile player in Class 3A than Idalou’s AJ Huddleston. The 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound athlete rotates between RB, WR, and QB on offense, while taking snaps at both LB and DB on defense. As a junior, Huddleston had 1,200 rushing yards, 325 receiving yards, 19 total touchdowns, 115 tackles, and 10 tackles for loss. He is the headliner of 14 returning starters on an Idalou squad that went 10-4 last season.

Keyon Hemphill-Woods, Columbus OL/DL

Can we get some lineman love for player of the year candidates? If anyone can do it, it’s Columbus’s Keyon Hemphill-Woods. The 6-foot-4-inch, 290-pound prospect is a three-year starter on the offensive line who earned District Offensive Lineman of the Year honors. But we foresee him contending for player of the year with an expanded role in the Cardinals’ defense.

Most Intriguing New Coaches

Demond Horsley, Mexia

Mexia took three months to hire a head coach after Aaron Nowell resigned following a 1-9 season, underscoring the importance of this hire to the school district. This proud program has had four losing seasons in the past five years. But new head coach Demond Horsley knows what it takes to win at the fastest clip in TXHSFB history. He was the running backs coach and special teams coordinator for six state championship teams at Carthage. His inaugural team will return 18 starters, led by LB Kashton Williams (100 tackles, 13.5 TFL). 

Todd Ledford, Hooks

Chris Birdwell moved into an admin-only role within Hooks ISD after leading the Hornets to the second round of the playoffs in three of the last four years. Todd Ledford makes the move from Nashville, Arkansas, to take over in Texas, but he is no stranger to the program. Ledford was on staff for six seasons at Hooks. The head coach is far from the only new face on this Hooks squad that replaces 19 seniors. The offense will go through RB Kavon Stiger (1,544 yards, 16 TD).

Darby House, Smithville

This hire flew under the radar, which is par for the course for Darby House’s coaching career. After all, he was named one of the most underrated head coaches by DCTX for a reason. After an 0-10 season in his first year at Poteet in 2018, House led the program to three-consecutive playoff appearances. Most recently, he inherited a 1-9 Nacogdoches program and got them to the playoffs within three years. He’ll look to work his magic at Smithville, which has endured two consecutive winless seasons.

Class 3A Newcomers to Watch

Sinton

A program with back-to-back 13-win seasons and six-straight district championships in Class 4A is moving down to Class 3A. Sinton did lose some headliners, like RB Mykha Green (UTSA) and RT Clay Mitchell (Rice), but it returns six starters on each side of the ball. Senior Marcos Zapata Jr. was an All-South Texas First-Team Utility Player selection with 139 tackles and 566 rushing yards. QB Quincy Bess did not have a single turnover in district play despite being a sophomore, and he’ll be protected by First Team All-District OL Jason Valdez.

Hamilton

Fresh off their first Class 2A DI State Championship in program history, Hamilton jumps to Class 3A DII as the second-smallest school in the class. But what the Bulldogs lack in overall numbers, they make up for in talent, especially on defense. Colton DeLaGarza (141 tackles, 6 INT) is a three-year starter in the secondary, while LB Easton Marwitz was one of the state’s best freshmen with 179 tackles.

Lorena

Don’t let a 5-15 record over the last two seasons in Class 4A DII throw you off the scent. The last time Lorena was in Class 3A, the Leopards were 11-3 and competing for regional final appearances on a yearly basis. The drop in classification comes at the opportune time with 16 returning starters. The skill positions, led by QB Jaxon Blancett (3,090 total yards, 28 TD), are loaded. Nine starters are back on defense, including inside linebacker Adrian Medina (92 tackles, 5 TFL, FF). 

New Districts We're Most Excited to See

3-3A DI

• Wall: reigning Class 3A DII State Champion, 29-2 record over last two seasons, bumping up a division
• Llano: 25-4 record over the last two seasons, return First Team All-State QB/WR combo of Luke Davis and Cash Lynch
• Ingram Moore: 8-5 record in 2025, first playoff win since 2014, first back-to-back appearances in the playoffs in 41 years
• Early: 5-6 in 2025, return most of their skill position players including QB Caden Wilson (over 2,000 total yards)
• San Angelo TLC: Back-to-back winless seasons

5-3A DI

• Gunter: Has made the regional final every season since 2016, bumping up a classification, returns seven starters on each side of the ball from a 13-2 team
• Pottsboro: 12-1 in 2025, returns three offensive linemen in Bryan Coldicott, Bryson Wyatt, and Zach Harrison
• Pilot Point: 9-3 in 2025, returns four of five offensive linemen and three of four defensive linemen
• Whitesboro: Has made playoffs five consecutive years, returns 17 starters including 2,352-total yard QB Colt Fagan
• Dallas Life Oak Cliff: 5-5 in 2025, returns one of the top QBs statistically in Class of 2028 in Camren Phillips
• Dallas A+ Academy: started 4-0 for the first time in school history in 2025

15-3A DII

A logjam of 2025 playoff teams plus some intriguing position switches.

• Poth: Has won at least 10 games in seven of last eight years, First Team All-District Payton Helford is moving to QB
• Blanco: 10-3 in 2025, second 10-win season in last three years, All-District QB Eli Walker switching to RB and District Defensive Newcomer of the Year Caden Spivey switching to QB
• Stockdale: 9-3 in 2025, returns District Co-Offensive MVP QB Coy Gann 
• Karnes City: 6-5 in 2025, young team having a great offseason
• Comfort: 4-7 in 2025, will be bigger along both lines of scrimmage, returns versatile QB Omar Rivera
• Nixon Smiley: 5-5 in 2025, balanced and physical team returning 15 starters
• SA Young Men's Leadership Academy: 0-10 in 2025, senior leadership with six starters back on both sides of the ball

Big Shoes To Fill

Wall

Before the 2024 season, Wall reinvented its offense from the flexbone veer to the spread. The result was a 26-2 run over two seasons, and the program’s first state championship in program history. But that offensive scheme switch was meant to specifically highlight Class of 2026 players like All-State QB Landon York. That group graduated, and the Hawks now bump up to Class 3A DI with just three starters returning on each side of the ball. The good news is that Wall has two returning wide receivers, Evan Boehle and Jager Thompson, with excellent perimeter speed. The team also feels confident in the leadership qualities of rising senior quarterback Gunner King. 

Yoakum

Coach Bo Robinson experienced a cathartic state championship in 2025, the first in Yoakum’s history. As a Bremond player in the 1987 Class 1A State Championship Game, he was ruled offsides after blocking the game-winning field goal. He also lost three state championships as the head coach at Bangs (2002 and 2003) and Yoakum (2016). He knows how hard it is to win a state championship as well as any coach, and Yoakum will have an uphill battle to repeat with just one returning starter on offense. Jace Morales (Army) and X’Zavier Barnett (SMU) are onto Division I football after each rushing for over 190 yards in the Class 3A DI State Championship victory over Grandview.

5 Teams Who Could Make it to Arlington That Weren't There Last Year

Gunter

Gunter has made at least the regional final every year since 2016. We don’t think that streak will stop, even with a bump from Class 3A DII to Class 3A DI. The Tigers return seven starters on each side of the ball, headlined by District Offensive Newcomer of the Year Cole Bolt (519 yards, eight touchdowns) and Defensive Newcomer of the Year Kris Grimaldo (105 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles). Gunter will face a tougher district with teams like Whitesboro, Pilot Point, and Pottsboro, but it will prepare them for another deep playoff run.

Columbus

The Cardinals were a young team in 2025 that grew up fast with an 11-3 record. Now, Coach Matt Schobel returns 10 offensive starters and seven defensive starters. We’ve already mentioned two-way lineman Keyon Hemphill-Woods as a player of the year candidate, but the skill positions are just as stacked. WR Braylon Fisher was a standout on the 2024 state championship team who missed all but 15 snaps with injury in 2025. His presence will benefit returning QB Jack Schobel (1,854 total yards, 24 TD). Keep an eye on rising senior RB/WR/DB Brennan Hicks, who has an argument as one of the best two-way players in the state with 1,104 total yards and 54 tackles.

East Bernard

The Brahmas had the craziest playoff run in all of TXHSFB last year. After a 0-3 start, Coach Jeremy Jenkins’ squad beat Poth on a reverse-and-pitch kickoff return, then toppled No.10-ranked Lexington, and avenged a 59-6 regular season loss to heavily favored Tidehaven in the regional final. With 14 returning starters headlined by 1,200-yard WR/CB Amare Jones, could East Bernard make their first state championship since 2012?

Llano

Llano made their second state semifinal in school history with First Team All-State QB Luke Davis sidelined. With Davis and fellow First Team All-State wide receiver Cash Lynch back in the fold in 2026, the Yellowjackets could reach their first state championship in program history. Llano will also feature one of the best defensive lines in Class 3A with the return of Cole Kennedy and Mario Hernandez.

Paradise

Paradise has never reached the promised land in Arlington, but the 2026 team could have the best chance yet after winning 12 games in each of the past three seasons. A lot of the confidence resides in three-year starting QB Ayden Olalde (3,050 passing yards, 40 total TD) at the forefront of seven returning offensive starters. Coach Tommy Koch started on Paradise’s staff as the defensive coordinator in 2019, and has six returning starters on that side of the ball. The dynamic three-phase athlete Elijah Jennings is a lockdown corner, while Cody Bridgeman shifts to Mike LB after racking up 80 tackles and three sacks as an edge defender in 2025.