2026 Preview: Saluda Tigers

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Simply head to our subscription page</a> and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.   Saluda has known success, winning a state championship as recently as 2019. But the Tigers have achieved double-digit wins just once (2022) since that championship season and coach Greg Woerner is going to field a seasoned, experienced team with the hopes of reaching that plateau once again.   The lineup is going to be loaded with seniors that have multiple years of starting. Woerner will be entering his second season as the head coach and at least one of those seniors feels like things are better off than they were last year at this time.   “I feel like we've gotten better, stronger and faster over last year and that's due to the changes that Coach Woerner has made. Everyone has really bought into the system, especially the younger players and you can see it's starting to come together,” defensive end and tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1823631' first='Jahmeer' last='Myers'] said recently at the Prep PredZone Media Day held at Gilbert High School.   That sentiment was echoed by another three-year starter.   “We've made a lot of improvements. We had a lot of changes last year, but Coach Woerner has made a huge improvement over what we're doing,” senior [player_tooltip player_id='1823625' first='Tristan' last='Daniels'] said.   Saluda faces a void at quarterback, but transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1909406' first='Avery' last='Coyle'] has come in and made the transition seamless. He's not going to run as much as his predecessor did but that will allow the additional playmakers on offense to make play.   It's going to start with Daniels but trickle over to a talent receiver room as well. Daniels can be a workhorse in the backfield as he showed with a 195-yard effort in the first-round playoff win over Mid-Carolina.   Coyle will have three valuable weapons in [player_tooltip player_id='1821011' first='Mekhi' last='Linton'] [player_tooltip player_id='1802495' first='Darryl' last='Hill'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1825421' first='Devyn' last='Dunn'] to spread the ball around in the Tigers passing attack.   The skill guy might very well receive the headlines, but Saluda will also be experienced on the offensive line. It begins with [player_tooltip player_id='1822023' first='Zayden' last='Couch'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1825424' first='LJ' last='Sanders'] but also includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1823628' first='Noah' last='Stoudemire'] [player_tooltip player_id='1821012' first='Jordan' last='Padgett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1821013' first='Trent' last='Skinner'] to give the Tigers experience in the trenches.   Woerner is more comfortable as the head coach going into year two, but he's pleased to have such an experienced group with him.   “I'm a lot more comfortable. Being a first-time head coach, you don't know what you don't know until it comes up. Situations come up and you learn how to deal with them on the fly. You can sort of see things coming now and try to get ahead of issues or head it off before problems happen,” Woerner said. “Having these guys to lean on is going to make my job that much easier.   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1823631' first='Jahmeer' last='Myers'] DE/TE, 2027 – Myers is going to be one of those three-year starters. He's going to play tight end, and he could end up being an X-Factor at that position, but the coaching staff is excited for his potential coming off the edge on defense. He's got a quick first burst and great instincts in finding the football. He's going to give Saluda someone they can move around a bit and he's going to be productive wherever he plays.     [player_tooltip player_id='1822491' first='Jaylen' last='Bledsoe'] LB/RB, 2027 – Bledsoe left the program but has returned for his senior season. He's going to provide depth at the running back position but again, the coaching staff is ultra excited about what he can provide on the defensive side of things. He's rangy and plays with a little bit of reckless abandon. He makes plays from sideline-to-sideline. He plays the run and the pass equally and can provide a big hit when needed.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823625' first='Tristan' last='Daniels'] RB, 2027 (pictured) – Daniels was the leading rusher with over 1,400 yards but he also showed good hands as a secondary target in the passing game. He's explosive, hits the hole quickly and uses great vision to average over eight yards per carry. He's durable and can carry the ball over 15 times per game. Daniels is shifty and one move can allow him to take what looks like a short gain all the way to the house.   [player_tooltip player_id='1825421' first='Devyn' last='Dunn'] DB/WR, 2027 – Dunn played a key role defensively last year and will get a chance to contribute on offense in 2026. He has a knack for being around the ball and recovered two fumbles last season while contributing 63 tackles. He has good hands and that leads the coaching staff to believe he will be able to excel in the passing game. Dunn is quick to the football and plays the safety spot with quick decision-making and ability to come up to stop the run.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1823627' first='Jayden' last='Myers'] LB/RB, 2027 – Myers is another player that will be counted on to play both ways, but we believe his biggest impact will be defensively. He's physical enough to play in the middle but he's better suited to playing in one of the outside linebacker positions due to his speed and reaction time. He's able to force things at the point of attack but he also has great pursuit and can run ball carriers down to prevent a big play from happening.    BIGGEST LOSSES   [player_tooltip player_id='1822966' first='Brayden' last='Williams'] QB – The offense ran through Willams last season. He passed it well enough, but he was a huge contributor in the rushing attack.   Cedric Springs DB/WR – Springs was a player that rarely came off the field. He played both ways and was a huge contributor on special teams as well.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1822023' first='Zayden' last='Couch'] OL, 2028 – The Tigers will start three seniors on the offensive line, but the coaching staff likes what they see from Couch. He's 6-foot-2 and can move well for his size. He's aggressive and moves the defender in the direction he wants him to go more times than not. He's going to see some time on the defensive line, but he has a chance to be special on the offensive side of things.   [player_tooltip player_id='1802495' first='Darryl' last='Hill'] DB/WR, 2028 – There's been a theme with the Tigers and they're going to have plenty of players to play on both sides of the ball. Hill is another one and he's going to be helpful in the secondary (two interceptions in the regular season last year) and give Coyle a speedy, downfield threat in the receiving game. He has good ball skills and feels like anything in the air near him is catchable.    Martin is likely going to be the backup quarterback but he's going to play major snaps in the middle of the defense.   He moves well and has a great understanding of angles and pursuit. He played sparingly in 2025 as a sophomore but he's going to be counted on to have a major leadership role this season even just being a junior.   He's relentless and knows the right positioning for everyone on defense. His development will be key to the defense against a challenging early season schedule.

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. Simply head to our subscription page and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.