The Watch List: Jackson’s Most Slept-On 2026 Prospects

Welcome back to The Watch List!   Today, we are headed down south and taking a look at some of Jackson's most slept-on 2026s!   Special thanks to Coach Flournoy for sending his list our way, there are some talented kids on this team who deserve more eyes!   Coaches, please feel free to send your team's prospect lists to @PrepRedzoneAL and @CooperMorreale on Twitter, we're always looking to grow our coverage!    [player_tooltip player_id='1649062' first='Keegan' last='Chapman'] is a really talented DB coming off a big junior season out in Jackson's secondary last fall.   Chapman is a versatile DB who can affect the game in multiple ways- he's really reliable in coverage, is a force against the run, and can be used as an effective blitzer in the backfield. In coverage, Chapman is physical at the line of scrimmage, excels in man-to-man, and has the ball skills to break up and intercept passes all around the field. Chapman brings the same energy attacking the run- he's quick to react, can fight off blockers, and is a sound tackler who doesn't allow for any extra yards after making first contact.   Earlier this offseason, Chapman picked up an offer from North Alabama and should have more heading his way soon- he's a talented prospect with a really high ceiling at DB.   Chapman has a big senior year ahead of him this fall, be sure to check out his film from last season below, you won't be disappointed.      [player_tooltip player_id='1649063' first='Laquan' last='Whisenhunt'] is an athletic LB on Jackson's defense who has dominated over the last few years.   Whisenhunt is a tackling machine who flies to the ball nearly every snap. Whisenhunt is excellent at reading and reacting to plays, is patient and instinctual, and constantly puts himself in great positions to come up with stops. I'm really impressed with Whisenhunt's ability to attack the run, he flies downhill, fills in rushing lanes, and takes down the ball carrier for little to no gain on almost every carry.   On passing downs, Whisenhunt has just as big of an impact- providing great coverage over the middle of the field and causing tons of problems behind the line by consistently pressuring quarterbacks off of blitzes.   Whisenhunt ended his junior season with 160 total tackles (9 for loss), 8 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles and one interception.   Whisenhunt picked up an offer from UCF last fall, and with his talent, surely more will head his way soon.      [player_tooltip player_id='1649065' first='Jaiden' last='McDonald'] is a really impressive OLB prospect out of Jackson coming off a big junior season.   McDonald is incredibly versatile off the edge and is an every-down playmaker for this Jackson defense. Against the run, McDonald is an aggressive force who does a great job fighting off blockers to get to the ball carrier, coming up with multiple stops behind the line of scrimmage or for little gain.   McDonald brings the same impact on passing downs- he's a productive pass rusher who constantly pressures/takes down quarterbacks, leading to bad decisions with the ball and huge stops behind the line.   McDonald had a productive junior season, ending the year with 87 total tackles (8 for loss) 12 QB hurries, and 4 sacks.   Watch out for McDonald this upcoming fall, he's got a huge senior season ahead and has already put together some impressive tape from last year you can see below.      [player_tooltip player_id='1649067' first='Jayden' last='Tate'] is another dominant OLB/DE on this Jackson defense who put up an impressive junior season last fall, making huge plays all year long.   [player_tooltip player_id='1649067' first='Jayden' last='Tate'] is an explosive pass rusher for Jackson who makes life so difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Tate is quick off the snap, has the power to put OTs on their heels, and has a high motor he uses to bring the heat every passing down- he works tirelessly to take down quarterbacks, sometimes fighting off multiple blockers on a single play to get the job done.   I'm just as impressed with Tate's ability to make plays against the run, he has violent hands he uses to throw off OL to make his way to the ball carrier for big stops.   Tate made some huge plays for Jackson's defense last fall, ending the year with 82 total tackles, 23 QB hurries, 12 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.   Tate has some impressive tape from last season you can check out below, watch out for him this fall, he's got a big year ahead of him.      [player_tooltip player_id='1649071' first='Quell' last='Armstrong'] is an impressive two-way player at WR/DB who has made huge impacts for Jackson, especially out in their secondary.   Attention all quarterbacks- do not throw [player_tooltip player_id='1649071' first='Quell' last='Armstrong']'s way, it's for your own good. Armstrong is dominant in coverage and can make so many huge plays on the ball- he's highly athletic, has great hands, and has the speed to quickly break on passes and come up with huge INTs and PBUs.   I'm really impressed with Armstrong's tackling and his ability to read and react to offenses- he quickly finds and attacks the ball every snap and does a fantastic job getting low and wrapping up, making some crucial tackles in the open field and down by the LOS.   Armstrong ended his junior year with 59 total tackles (3 for loss), 8 PBUs, 4 INTs, and 2 forced fumbles.   I had a blast watching Armstrong's tape- he's a dominant playmaker who can create huge turnovers for his team's defense, be sure to watch out for him this fall.

Welcome back to The Watch List!