The Built Ford Tough Player of the Year Award celebrates the top high school football athletes in Texas across classifications 6A through 2A and eligible private schools.
Each week during the season, one standout is named the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week, leading up to the prestigious Player of the Year honors in each classification.
The experts at Dave Campbell's share their players to watch for PVT.
Mallory Hartley's Player to Watch
2026 QB/ATH Keisean Henderson (Legacy School of Sports Sciences): No introduction is necessary for the number one player in the entire state. Henderson, a Houston Cougars commit, can really do it all, putting up 3,030 all-purpose yards and 32 touchdowns in his junior season. Just turn on the tape, and you’ll see why he’s the real deal.
Matt Stepp's Player to Watch
2026 QB/ATH Keisean Henderson (Legacy School of Sports Sciences): Henderson is the consensus top prospect in the state and has excelled in the camp setting all summer long. If he can stay healthy against a challenging schedule, the sky is the limit for this future Cougar.
Carter Yates' Player to Watch
2026 ATH Matthew McClain (Plano Prestonwood): McClain, a Washington State commit, went nuclear last season with 59 catches for 1,482 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 6'1, 195 wide receiver is a threat to score anywhere on the field, evidenced by his 25.1 yards per catch. With quarterback Luke Glass returning, Plano Prestonwood could have one of the best offenses in TAPPS.
William Wilkerson's Player to Watch
2026 QB Quinn Murphy (Argyle Liberty Christian): The three-star Baylor commit threw for 3,055 yards and 43 TDs against only 3 INTs and also ran for 5 scores while leading his team to a state championship. His senior season is about to be a movie.
Greg Powers' Player to Watch
2027 ATH Cooper Witten (Argyle Liberty Christian): Witten has evolved into a must-see attraction. We got a glimpse of that evolution at the Texas State 7-on-7 Tournament, where he secured DCTX all 7v7 honors and showed why he has collected over 25 offers, including Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee and more.
Greg Tepper's Player to Watch
2027 ATH Cooper Witten (Argyle Liberty Christian): Don't get too caught up in the Hall of Fame bloodlines — the son of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is a showstopper all by himself, dominating on the defensive side with five interceptions while also scoring seven touchdowns as a sophomore. He'll lead what should be one of the private school ranks' finest teams.
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