3 8A Darkhorses in 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's only February, but it's never too early to look ahead to the 2026 high school football season. Want to know which teams could surprise and make a run this season? We've got you covered. Here are three 8A darkhorses in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Which 8A Teams Could Make Surprise Runs in 2026?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year, the 8A class was the chalkiest of the classifications, with the top four seeds reaching the semifinals. Not only that, but those four teams were all ranked in the top six of my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/prep-redzone-8a-preseason-all-state-team/">season preview</a> (Top 5, if you consider I messed up and threw a 7A power in the 8A rankings; it was the first year of the new system, whoops.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, this may be a losing proposition. Here, I'm picking three 8A teams that could make surprising runs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: For these purposes, I'm choosing three teams that <span style="text-decoration: underline">did not</span> make a regional final this year, and I'm avoiding Rolesville, as well, as the Rams have been perennial powers in the 2020s.</em> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">C.E. Jordan Falcons</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have come close in recent seasons, and despite losing some talent on both sides of the ball, I think they have a real chance to make a deep playoff run in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It'll likely hinge on the upside vs. production of rising junior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616112' first='Jonah' last='El-Amin']</strong>. The transfer was an early star for Enloe before backing up senior Landon Melton last season for Jordan. Melton was a star, but El-Amin has higher upside. The question will be how much of that potential turns into 206 production. He showed off his legs in limited reps last season, but he's been known to trust his impressive arm a bit too much, leading to six career interceptions. If he limits those, he's a potential 3,000-yard passer and Conference Player of the Year candidate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordan also turns over some receiver talent, but returns <strong>Jacob Taylor</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1667014' first='Jaleel' last='Griffin']</strong>. Of course, they'll return star running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607878' first='Damien' last='Hayes']</strong> and a few offensive linemen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, Jordan loses its best player, but gets back a bigger and stronger <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607844' first='Xavier' last='Perkins']</strong> and five of its seven leading tacklers. Another year of offseason development from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607793' first='Evan' last='Harewood']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1701343' first='Talvin' last='Johnson']</strong> in the front seven should help, and the secondary, while inexperienced, should be good.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's some unproven talent here, but if things come together, Jordan can play for a regional final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mallard Creek Mavericks</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is Mallard Creek back?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I thought the Mavericks could mount a promising season last year, given the youth on the roster. Instead, they beat several elite teams on one of the state's hardest schedules and now they return a huge percentage of their team production.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It starts with part-time starting quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616115' first='Cailen' last='Napier']</strong>, who was fantastic down the stretch last season. The sophomore ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns in his final three games while throwing just two picks all season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising junior running backs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='866355' first='Joshua' last='Person']</strong> and <strong>Xavier Edmond</strong> return after combining for over 1,150 rushing yards on fewer than 200 carries last season. Receiver is a question mark, but the offensive line was young last season and returns plenty of battle-tested talent in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense is in decent shape, too. Explosive edge rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616534' first='Geremiah' last='Mobley']</strong> returns, and there's some impressive young secondary talent, including 2028 athlete <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687738' first='Tyrell' last='Barze']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If the defense lives up to the hype, the Mavericks could make a deep playoff run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chambers Cougars</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's some projection needed here. The Cougars lost their head coach, and Charlotte is currently a revolving door of transfers. But when the dust settles, I don't think Chambers will be far off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a question at quarterback, but running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1849424' first='Tahj' last='Brooks']</strong> was excellent when healthy last season. There wasn't a star receiver, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1650320' first='Dior' last='Carter']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1332088' first='Malachi' last='Gant']</strong> should return.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense also flashed, and most of those guys, including leading tacklers <strong>Allex Jenkins</strong> and <strong>Chris Williams</strong>, should be back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They'll count on steps forward from guys like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1004079' first='Marley' last='Vincent']</strong> in the secondary, but if the Cougars can get some strong offseason development, they'll have the chance to turn heads in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This is the time of year when we have the most time to dive into film, reevaluate prospects, and change our minds about players. Send your film on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>), so I can evaluate you. Want to share Prep Redzone with a friend? Promo Code Helms30 is good for 30% off your first billing cycle.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->