New to Campus: 2026 Players to Lookout For
This class is full of studs ready to make a name for themselves. Some will be playing junior still, but some will step up to the plate and play big boy varsity ball. It is their time to show off…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis class is full of studs ready to make a name for themselves. Some will be playing junior still, but some will step up to the plate and play big boy varsity ball. It is their time to show off the skills they have. Here are some guys that have been impressive this summer. I expect them to have a big year.
Xavier McDonald, 6-3 170, WR/DB, Morton
Xavier has been training with a legend that hails from Morton by the name of Shay Hodge. You can tell that this young man is very polished. He is tall and lanky with a lot of room to physically grow. He saw a lot of good time last year as an 8th grader.
Morton is a very crispy route runner. He knows how to move around with that long body. He can dip his hips when he needs to change directions. He doesn’t have heavy feet and he can move his hips well. This is a long lanky kid so these attributes are not to be looked over. When he is running his routes he doesn’t give away his route with his head. He knows how to get open and how to get separation. Xavier has very good hands and ball skills. He knows how to attack the football at its highest point. He does not let the ball get into his body. He will do a lot of great things for Morton this year on both sides of the ball. On defense he is going to be playing in the secondary. He has already been offered by Southern Miss.
Tre Ellis, 6-1 225, LB, Hazlehurst
Tre is a guy that set Twitter on fire. Soon as his pic was posted he gained a lot of followers impressed with his size. He is a big kid who isn’t done physically growing. He brings a mean punch and will see some time on both sides of the football.
Tre is a good downhill old school LB. He isn’t going to be a kid that makes a lot of mistakes. His coaches say he is a student of the game and that he will be a kid that will get better every year. He has a very stocky build with his size. His lower body is thick and he has a massive upper frame. He uses this to keep blockers off of him when he is making plays. He can tote the rock too. He is a guy that you hand it to and watch him bounce off of runners all night. If he gets taller he could possibly be a guy that can play tight end. Tre is going to be a Power 5 guy. This kid has a very high ceiling.
Xzarion Haynes Xzarion Haynes 5'9" | 150 lbs | RB Louisville | 2026 State MS , 5-9 160, RB/DB, Louisville
In his community he is known as Sammie Lee. He is an amazing athlete that will wake a lot of people up this season. This kid has a skill set like no other. His vision and ability to change directions on a dime is phenomenal. When he hits the sideline he takes off and shines with ease. He is a young back that knows how to let his blocks develop. You don’t see that a lot in guys his age. It is so fun to see him catch a screen and then pick his way through the blockers in front of him. Louisville is very lucky to have this young player. He comes from a long line of great athletes. Something that is very common where he is from.
Sammie Lee is another player who is going to see action on both sides of the football. This kid has good hands, he can run and he knows how to make people miss. He does not have any offers yet, but you can bet your last two dollars that they will start coming in fast soon. This kid is a beast.
Tyrekus ‘Omar’ Brand, 6-1 160, WR, Southaven
Omar is another guy who is very polished to be his age. You can watch him and tell that somebody has been working with him on his route running. He also has good ball skills. He attacks the ball at its highest point and knows how to keep a defender from getting around him to deflect a pass. He is going to see some time with the varsity. That will be very interesting to see. It will also be a chance for him to go ahead and show he is ready to be a guy on everybody’s radar. He is going to get taller and will start to fill out soon. The more his body matures the more dangerous he will be. He is a guy that already understands the game. Make sure you keep an eye out for him.