Predicting Every Team’s 2026 MVP: Region V-A

The 2026 football season will be here before we know it.   Over the course of the next three months, teams will participate in workouts galore leading up to the start of preseason camp. And while the summer is sure to include mass transfers - thanks to the SCHSL's policy that went into effect for this academic year - we have enough information to start making some educated assumptions about each team's likely most valuable player.   In Region V-A, we're pinpointing the following players from a newly formed seven-team region that will help make headlines in a jam-packed smallest division in South Carolina.    CENTRAL EAGLES   [player_tooltip player_id='1664364' first='Dwayne' last='Louallen'] QB, 2027 (pictured)   All those things that Louallen has been doing well over the course of the last two years? Yeah, he's even better equipped to do them with more pop now. Louallen, who was already a sizable quarterback as a sophomore and junior, will enter his senior season even bigger. He's 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds. His arm is stronger, and a few extra pounds also aren't going to hurt his ability to hurt defenses as a runner. He was already a quarterback who threw for 1,665 yards and 17 touchdowns (with only four interceptions) while completing 61 percent of his passes. He also ran for 697 yards and 11 more scores. His potency simply has to be taken seriously.     CHERAW BRAVES   [player_tooltip player_id='1172365' first='Crawford' last='Poole'] LB, 2027    Poole is starting to draw some Hunter Renfrow/Clemson comparisons because he's seemingly been doing his thing for the Braves for so long. He's about to be in his fourth year as a starter, already owns the school's all-time record for tackles for loss and is five sacks away from owning that one, too. Poole has been that steady for that long. Where we see change happening in a good way for him, though, is how he continues to make small adjustments in order to pile up all that production. His pre-snap awareness shows on his film, and how he keeps his head up makes him even more dangerous as he makes those micro-second audibles mentally and physically.     CHESTERFIELD RAMS   [player_tooltip player_id='1606964' first='Greg' last='Rushing'] RB/LB, 2029    We're still labeling Rushing as a linebacker until he's no longer playing the position. And after he put up 17 tackles in limited snaps last fall, your guess as to when that will be is as good as ours. His tailback prowess, though, is the Rams' best offensive weapon heading into 2026. Last fall, during his freshman season, he led Chesterfield in carries (165), yards (720) and touchdowns (eight). He added to his haul with 18 receptions for 164 yards and another two scores. His scoring mark alone was more than a third of what the Rams produced as a team in 2025, so we're confident a freshman doing that will only lead to more touches moving forward.     LAMAR SILVER FOXES   [player_tooltip player_id='1422623' first='DQ' last='Green'] ATH, 2027    We tend to think guys who finish a season with 101 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a blocked punt, 21 receptions for 358 yards and a touchdown and two rushing scores tend to be pretty good. We're in tune with the sport like that. Now, here's the fun part. We can't see a 2026 season where Green isn't an even bigger part of the Silver Foxes' offense. Following some massive departures from graduations, the staff is going to lean on players who have already produced. At Lamar, that list starts with Green.     LEE CENTRAL STALLIONS   [player_tooltip player_id='2116526' first='Jaylen' last='Williams'] ATH, 2028   Williams has put his own stamp on the Stallions' bunch offense. He does occasionally throw, and he's had some success with it, but his biggest influence on this team is on the designed runs the team loves to have him employ. He's patient until it's time to hit the accelerator to get into the second tier. And once he's there, his 195 pounds make him a tough tackle. Everything with the scheme is about ball control and keeping the clock moving. But his 10 rushing touchdowns from his sophomore season were just as huge.    MCBEE PANTHERS   Harlan McLaurin RB/LB, 2027   After McBee dropped its first four games of the 2025 football season by an average of 30 points, the Panthers starting righting the ship little by little. They pieced together wins over Chesterfield and Great Falls before the end of the year, and McLaurin's dual role was a huge reason why. He's one part hard-hitting linebacker and one-part tough-nosed tailback. There's not a lot of flash to his game, but his ability to stop opposing ball carriers and wear down opposing defenses is going to be vital toward improving upon last year's two-win campaign.     NORTH CENTRAL KNIGHTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1820699' first='Brayden' last='Price'] ATH, 2027    As we mentioned back in February, we believe the defensive backfield is what's going to lead Price to the college ranks. He put up 32 tackles and four interceptions during his junior season and has already earned one scholarship/roster spot because of how he projects as a corner or even a safety. But why we're including him here needs more context. Price is also the team's starting quarterback and tallied 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns passing and rushing last fall. He's the bulk of the Knights' offensive threat week in and week out and we can promise you that he's even more comfortable with the dual role than he was last time around. He's also faster and a touch bigger than he was in the fall, too.

The 2026 football season will be here before we know it.