2026 Preview: Allendale-Fairfax 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.   Kevin Jones is a history buff by nature, as that's the subject he teaches and, as a head football coach, he loves to take deep dives into the record books and share what he finds.   Allendale-Fairfax's new coach hit the books upon taking over the program and found that, yes, the Tigers have plenty of history - and little to speak of in recent years.   Then he found upon arriving on campus that he's got some players who are more than eager to change that narrative, veterans who are about to begin their third consecutive season with a new head coach and after so many losses are ready to get their program back to where it resided for so long.   "The message that I'm sending is that Allendale-Fairfax is going to be a totally different program," rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1823173' first='Crainerus' last='Nickens'] said at last month's Prep RedZone Media Days at Gilbert. "This year, people are going to see that Allendale is not just a trash team."   It's been a rough decade for Allendale-Fairfax, a tradition-rich program with a community heavily invested in the team and fiercely proud of its history. Winning has been pretty much out of the question, and even scoring points has often been a hill too tall to climb.   Enter Jones, who recently experienced success at the Class A level at Blackville-Hilda. He got a late jump on turning around the program after being hired in April, but he's already been pleased by the buy-in he's seen from his guys.   He's not the only one who's noticed. The Tigers recently competed in a 7-on-7 at Bamberg-Ehrhardt and caught the attention of an opposing coach, who came by afterward to compliment them for how much they've already turned around as a program.   It won't be easy, but Jones isn't looking for it to be. The Week 1 roster will likely be just shy of 30 players, with many going both ways as is the norm at this level. That doesn't leave a ton of leeway in terms of being picky about who to put on the field, but Jones has made it clear players who skip workouts or don't conduct themselves to his standard will spend their Friday nights on the sideline next to him.   "If I could compare those years, this is a way better year because more people are lifting and more people want to play this year," said Nickens.   Jones' Gun-T RPO offense, likely with sophomore Tyrese Hammond starting at quarterback, will focus on running simple things the Tigers know will be open, but with enough misdirection to keep opposing defenses off balance, and the 4-2-5 defense will bring pressure to disrupt the offense's rhythm to take pressure off of an undersized secondary.   The Tigers know there's still plenty of work to do before their season opener on Aug. 21 at Calhoun County, and plenty more to do before the playoff chase begins with their Oct. 9 Region VII-A opener against Hardeeville. But they're putting in that work with the type of enthusiasm the program has lacked for years.   "Hopefully this year, with a brand new coaching staff, this summer we're doing agility, we're in the weight room, getting stronger, getting better, getting faster," rising sophomore lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1825322' first='Jamazin' last='Smart'] said. "We should have a great season this year."   STARS SET TO SHINE   Malachi Flowers RB/LB, 2028 - Flowers has good size at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds and he brings more than his fair share of speed to the table, which he showed during track season. He has the ability, and the wildcard here is urgency - the rising junior is on track to graduate early, so this may be his last season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820606' first='Keeghan' last='Glover'] OL/DL, 2027 - Glover has plenty of size up front at 5-foot-10 and 280 pounds, and maybe the most valuable trait he brings to this small, mostly-green lineup is experience. We look for him to be a key leader on the lines.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824443' first='Zane' last='Maner'] OL/DL, 2028 - The same goes for Maner, with the only difference being he's got an additional year on his plate. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder plays with a high level of athleticism, which he can use to be a disruptive force up front.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1823173' first='Crainerus' last='Nickens'] FB/DL, 2027 (pictured) - What we love about Nickens is that he gets his money's worth on every snap. There's no going through the motions, no waiting for someone else to get to the ball carrier first and then piling on, no business decisions made - he's looking for contact, and he's looking to cause havoc near the line of scrimmage. He shows his explosiveness on the defensive line in a variety of ways, utilizing his strength and quickness to either crash inside or beat the tackle around the outside, and from his film we get the feeling that on offense he takes more joy in delivering crushing blocks than having the ball in his hands. He plays with an edge, and that could go a long way toward helping this program back to its previous high standards.    BIGGEST LOSSES   TreQuan Jenkins, LB - Losing a Region Linebacker of the Year to graduation is tough for any program, but losing someone who earned that honor three times is a different story altogether.   Tra'von Eady, WR/DB - Eady was another long-time playmaker for the Tigers, capping his high school career with All-Region honors as a senior.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   Corey Housey WR/DB, 2029 - Housey got his feet wet last year as a freshman, and what he may lack in size he more than makes up for in football IQ. The coaching staff feels like he has a chance to be a key piece in 2026 and beyond.   [player_tooltip player_id='1824446' first='Kaiden' last='Odoms'] WR/DB, 2029 - Like Housey, Odoms probably isn't going to turn a bunch of heads with his 5-foot-6, 115-pound frame, but he already has the skillset and the quickness for the Tigers to feel like he's ready to be a weapon.    Smart has wasted little time earning a leadership role at Allendale-Fairfax, both with his play up front on the lines and his dedication to his team during the offseason. He hasn't missed a workout, which makes him a more credible leader to his teammates when they see he's putting in the work he's asking them to match.   The coaching staff is excited about his potential, and in him they see a player who's not going to stop until he exceeds it. He's made strides in improving his stamina and agility, which we feel will make him a force in the early-season heat all the way through the late-fall grind.

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.