2026 Preview: Gray Collegiate War Eagles

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.   Five short seasons ago, Gray Collegiate Academy won its first-ever state championship when they hammered Silver Bluff to win the Class 2A title. Now thanks to multipliers and realignment, the War Eagles get to compete in Class 5A, the state's highest classification.    That doesn't seem to faze seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1647592' first='Corey' last='Gleaton'] or [player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson'] in the least.   “We have to finish, that's all. We were so close last year and just didn't finish. This year, we're focusing on finishing the job. We have to come together as a whole and finish the job,” Gleaton said at the recent Prep RedZone Media Day held at Gilbert. “We're going to keep pushing the rest of the summer and be ready to go when August gets here.”   Williamson is coming off his first season at Gray Collegiate, and he said having a smaller roster than most teams they will compete against will not be that big of a factor. The War Eagles dressed between 32 and 38 players most weeks last year that ended with an 11-3 record and a loss to South Florence in the Class 4A Lower State Championship.   “Every team is probably going to be deeper than we will be but if we play all four quarters, we should be able to compete with anyone on our schedule,” Williamson said.   A lot of that talent returns, especially on the offensive side of things. Williamson is a workhorse in the backfield, accounting for over 1,600 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. Gleaton and fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='1319663' first='Royce' last='Williamson'] form one of the best 1-2 punches at receiver. Those two combined for 94 catches for just shy of 2,000 yards last season.   And that leads us to [player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright'] at quarterback. We knew little about him at the beginning of his freshman season but after taking over as the starter early on, he continued to impress every week. He played in 12 games and threw for over 2,200 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions.   Multi-year starter [player_tooltip player_id='1422610' first='Jack' last='Armstrong'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1824180' first='Wilson' last='Sweatt'] will be key contributors on the offensive line. White Knoll transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1732517' first='Jhais' last='Mckiever'] will contribute on both sides of the ball.   Coach De'Angelo Bryant will have to rebuild the defense, especially in the front seven. His two leading tacklers are gone from last season, and the trio of Hampton Boling Ryan Mobley and [player_tooltip player_id='1825002' first='Jayshon' last='Singleton'] will try to fill that void.   Gleaton and Williamson will anchor the secondary. Armstrong and [player_tooltip player_id='1824729' first='Domarion' last='Wilson'] will try to help hold down the defensive line.   With four players listed as starters on both sides of the ball, building that depth we talked about earlier is going to be key.   “I think we're going to have to outlast teams a lot longer because their calling card is going to be they have more depth than we do,” Wright said. “I think we're up for the challenge.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1319663' first='Royce' last='Williamson'] ATH, 2027 – The son of former NFL receiver Troy Williamson, the younger Williamson is a speedster that seems to get better every season. He has excellent ball skills, great size and a high football IQ. His best football is ahead of him. He could blossom into one of the best two-way players in the state this season. He has all the intangibles that college coaches look for to go along with precision route-running and a motor and endurance that doesn't quit.   [player_tooltip player_id='1647592' first='Corey' last='Gleaton'] ATH, 2027 – Gleaton is a bit undersized that hasn't kept him from being a standout for the War Eagles. He plays with a little bit of a dog mentality, and he has the confidence that he's going to be better than his opposition on every play. He's another player that is more shifty than straight-line speed but not many players are going to run him down in the open field. He doesn't mind contact and he seems to get fired up the bigger the stage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson'] RB/LB, 2027 – We've watched Williamson since he started as a freshman while at Gilbert. This is his last prep season, and we believe it's going to be his best. Williamson has gotten bigger and stronger since last season and while he was a workhorse last season by averaging over 18 touches a game last year and could see that number reach over 20 this year. He catches the ball well out of the backfield and doesn't mind lowering his shoulder to get the extra yard. He's also good enough to put his foot in the ground and change directions to make defenders miss.   [player_tooltip player_id='1422610' first='Jack' last='Armstrong'] OL/DL, 2027 – Armstrong is the son of assistance coach Mike Armstrong, who doubles as the offensive line coach and strength coach for the War Eagles. The younger Armstrong is pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in the state. He's won several weightlifting competitions in the offseason. But he doesn't rely purely on strength. He has great technique and hand placement on the offensive line and knows angles and gap assignments on the defensive front. He's going to play a lot of snaps but if anyone is suited for that role in the trenches, it's Armstrong.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright'] QB, 2029 – We saw Wright in one of his first starts last season and the biggest take away we had is he didn't look like a freshman. He was never rattled and you couldn't tell if he just had a good play or a bad play. His demeanor never changed. Add in that he can make all the throws and is accurate on short, intermediate and deep passes makes him a dangerous weapon in the Gray Collegiate offense. He moves well enough and makes great decisions in the moment. He has five college offers right now with the biggest being Cincinnati and Memphis, but we expect more to come as college coaches see more film on Wright as a sophomore.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Michael Boulware LB – How do you replace what was reported to be 283 tackles last season? You really don't but you hope the players that are plugged in to replace Boulware can come close to being as productive as he was.   JP Sweatt LB – Sweatt was the second piece of the War Eagles dynamic linebacking tandem last year. He recorded a reported 174 tackles. Losing what amounts to over 400 tackles between two players is going to be difficult to replace.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   Ryan Mobley LB, 2028 – Mobley saw action last year in four games so he's going to have to step in and make an impact at the beginning. He has all the physical tools but he's just going to have to gain experience by fire. He moves well, is very instinctive and played well in some of the War Eagles playoff games. If he matures quickly and can be the leader of the defensive front seven, that will be helpful for the War Eagles.     [player_tooltip player_id='1818200' first='David' last='Quattlebaum'] WR, 2029 – Quattlebaum is going to be one of the younger players for the War Eagles, but he has a chance to shine. A lot of attention will be paid to [player_tooltip player_id='1319663' first='Royce' last='Williamson'] and Gleaton so Quattlebaum should settle in nicely to be the third option. He's quick and has shown the ability to catch the ball in traffic. His development is going to help the offense find a groove sooner rather than later.      Oliver played in nine games last season and registered 19 tackles, one tackle for loss and an interception in limited snaps. He's going to be a mainstay in the secondary this season and will play the cornerback spot opposite Gleaton. Teams might throw in his direction a lot, especially early in the season. His ability to play on an island and test receivers is going to be challenged but the coaching staff believes he can be one of the younger players that is going to play a prominent role.

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.