Potential Rising Standouts To Watch In The Midlands

The 2026 Class has made their mark on the football scene for the last several seasons and now that a lot of those are moving on to a college career, new players are looking to fill those voids.   We have newcomers to varsity, returners from injury and transfers all playing a factor. We also see some players that have already been productive on the varsity level that will see their roles expand greatly.   Here is a look at 18 players across the Midlands who could make huge impacts on the 2026 season and beyond.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821802' first='Riggs' last='Scott'] QB, AC Flora   The Falcons roster and coaching situation is in flux, but they can look to Riggs, a rising junior, to hopefully bring some stability to the offense next season. Scott will be replacing record-setting QB [player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky'] with a nearly brand-new cast of skill players behind him. Scott was a mainstay on the junior varsity last season but he did play in two games last season and completed all four of his pass attempts. He has a strong arm and is very accurate and that will be needed for AC Flora to rebound to a large number of graduates and transfers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816246' first='Carter' last='Bennett'] ATH, CA Johnson   The Hornets advanced to the third round of the Class A playoffs and did it with a youth movement that included Bennett into that mix. CA Johnson only had five seniors on that team, so a bunch of experienced players return. Bennett is one of those and not only will he be counted on for leadership, but he will also be asked to produce at a higher level than he did as a sophomore. He was the second leading receiver with 23 receptions for 436 yards and four touchdowns. He added 23 tackles and two interceptions on defense. He's versatile and will be counted on in several ways in 2026.    [player_tooltip player_id='1734538' first='Isaiah' last='Smith'] WR, Camden   Smith saw more rushing attempts than he did pass receptions last season so he's very versatile and will play a huge role in the 2026 offense. He finished with 30 carries for 497 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He added 27 catches for 468 yards and four touchdowns. Smith could be a breakout star after averaging nearly 17 yards every time he touched the ball last season. He is explosiveness and toughness sets him apart. He has big-play potential and getting him to be more consistent will be a key for the 2026 success.      [player_tooltip player_id='1824923' first='Charlie' last='Todd'] LB, Chapin   The Eagles are coming off a 0-10 campaign with Cory Helms taking over the head coaching duties. Helms will have some pieces on the defensive side of the ball, and we believe Todd is right near the top of that list. Todd registered 25 tackles last season and could be ready to take on a larger role in 2026. He's got good size at 6-foot-, 175 pounds. He runs well and can make plays all over the sideline for a team that will be looking for wins rather quickly with a new coaching staff in place.   Jesse Bryant DE/TE, Eau Claire   The Shamrocks were senior-heavy on defense a season ago. So much so that the top seven tacklers are graduating, leaving a void on that side of the ball heading into the 2026 season. Bryant is the top returning tackler with 28 and five tackles for loss. The Class of 2029 two-way player is going to expand his role and not only become a leader on the field but also off the field as Eau Claire tries to improve on the 5-6 record last season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816744' first='Kingston' last='Peay'] DL, Fairfield Central   The Griffins were senior-heavy on the defensive side of the ball last year – four of the top six tacklers have graduated. That's where Peay is going to fill-in and see his 33 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks improve in 2026. He's strong and versatile and will be a lot to handle in the middle of the Fairfield Central defense. Fairfield Central was knocking on the door of a state championship game appearance and Peay is going to have to play big if they want to get back to that success.    [player_tooltip player_id='2083018' first='Carson' last='Cartwright'] DL, Gray Collegiate   The War Eagles will graduate the top six tacklers from last season and that's going to be a huge hole to fill. In steps Cartwright, who more than held his own last season with 68 tackles and 13 tackles for loss from his defensive line spot. He's going to have to improve on those numbers and become a leader for a Gray Collegiate team making the move to Class 5A next season. Cartwright has a high motor and uses his 6-foot-5 frame well in attacking opposing offensive linemen. He can overpower at times and gets after the quarterback quickly.   [player_tooltip player_id='1615103' first='Conrad' last='Hampton'] LB, Keenan   Hampton is quick and relentless and that has helped him become a solid contributor for the Raiders already. He was third on the team with 72 tackles and 10 tackles for loss a season ago and he will pair with [player_tooltip player_id='1603881' first='Darius' last='Dixon'] this year to form one of the best 1-2 punches in the Midlands. He can fill in the gaps in the run game and doesn't mind floating into coverage when needed. But his best attribute is getting after the ball-carrier, and he could put up 100 tackles or more this coming season.      Kaden Sumter DB, Lower Richland   Sumter is a sophomore that saw more playing time later in the season. He is a physical kid that doesn't mind coming up in run support. He's also comfortable covering the other team's best or second-best receiver. After an offseason in the weight room and participating in 7-on-7 events this spring and summer will give the 5-foot-10, 170-pounder that much more experience to be a full-time contributor in 2026.     [player_tooltip player_id='1610229' first='Keenen' last='Cunningham'] WR, Lugoff-Elgin   The Demons must replace the 75 receptions and 1,170 yards from [player_tooltip player_id='1267277' first='Shamil' last='Saadiq'] and Cunningham could factor in a lot of that production. [player_tooltip player_id='1603854' first='Eric' last='Richardson'] does return and will likely flirt with a 1,000-yard season if not surpass it wouldn't surprise us if Cunningham has over 40 catches for big-time yardage next season. He was tied for third on the team last year with 16 catches for 259 yards, but the speedster will be a solid target for QB [player_tooltip player_id='1823858' first='Zach' last='Williams'].   Mason Bell DB/WR, Orangeburg-Wilkinson   Bell played in just six games last season but that didn't stop him from being a huge part of the defense. He plays safety and reads and reacts quickly enough to register 37 tackles last year. He can change directions quickly and that helped him break up five passes in those six games. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and he rarely seems to be out of position. He still has three years to play varsity football and we expect him to be a mainstay for the Bruins during that time.   Raymond Nelson DE/LB, Pelion   Nelson was able to make a mark as a sophomore with 31 tackles, a forced fumble and three tackles for loss. Three of the top six tacklers graduated from the Panthers so that should help Nelson and fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1820315' first='Levi' last='Brown'] to slide into a more prominent role. Nelson has the size and speed to become an elite defender. He's going to have a new coaching staff so his window to impress starts as soon as the new coaching staff is in place.     [player_tooltip player_id='1819595' first='Jourdin' last='Mack'] WR, Ridge View   The Blazers ended up using three quarterbacks last season after starter [player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard'] went down with injury early in the season but that didn't stop them from throwing for nearly 1,900 yards last season. Howard is progressing nicely and is expected to return and that will give a boost to one of the most talented receiving corps in the state. Mack is shifty, physical and attacks the football. His 21 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns are the second most among the returners from last season. He could be a breakout star in a deep rotation.    [player_tooltip player_id='1600293' first='Davis' last='Taylor'] QB, River Bluff (pictured)   The Gators ended up using two underclassmen quarterbacks last season with Taylor playing in six games and [player_tooltip player_id='1344583' first='Brayden' last='Moore'] playing in 11 contests. If both stay in the program, we think it's a solid chance that both will play key roles in 2026. Neither is much of a running threat, but we liked what we saw of both last season. Davis is a Class of 2029 player and is only going to get better with the more reps he receives. He completed 42-of-92 passes last season with 505 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. He displays a strong arm that can fit it into tight windows. He also throws a nice deep ball that will improve the stronger he gets.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822024' first='Cash' last='Martin'] QB, Saluda   [player_tooltip player_id='1822966' first='Brayden' last='Williams'] threw 130 of the Tigers 134 pass attempts last season and accounted for the second most rushing yards on the team but he graduated. The job is wide open going into the spring, but Martin has the most experience with his six rushing attempts and three pass attempts in 2025. He's going to need a huge offseason and show he can direct the offense and be the guy to take pressure off Tristian Daniels and the rushing attack.   [player_tooltip player_id='1818470' first='Elijah' last='Williams'] QB, Spring Valley   The sophomore got his feet wet last season and Williams could be ready to take over the QB duties on a full-time basis in 2026. Injuries set him back in 2025 but if he can stay on the field, he gives the Vikings a strong, accurate passer that is a strong leader. Spring Valley only won twice in 2026 but a healthy Williams and the second season under coach Norman Washington could get the Vikings back to winning ways that have been missing for several years.    [player_tooltip player_id='1818349' first='Damarion' last='Holmes'] LB, Sumter   The Gamecocks have been good on defense the last several seasons and Holmes is ready to step in and lead the next edition. He played in just nine games last season, but he finished as the team's third leading tackler with 68 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. He flies around the football and can cover sideline-to-sideline with his quickness. He will pair with Nashawn Brown to give Sumter another pair of elite defenders in a revamped Class 5A next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1822066' first='AJ' last='Veal'] DE/OLB, Westwood   Veal was first a basketball player, but when Stephen Burris took over as head coach before last season, he asked Veal to give football a chance. It was a natural fit for the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder in his first year of playing football in high school. He's determined and a hard worker that has transitioned the footwork he's learned on the basketball court to the football field. He's just now scratching the surface and could end up being a big-time contributor for the Redhawks next season.

The 2026 Class has made their mark on the football scene for the last several seasons and now that a lot of those are moving on to a college career, new players are looking to fill those voids.