2026 Preview: JL Mann Patriots

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.   Following the hiring of new head football coach Bryce Smiley last February 12, JL Mann's offseason of compiling a coaching staff, meeting players and getting them acclimated to new systems was a bit of a hurried whirlwind. When the season arrived six months later, the Patriots' whirlwind continued.   Thanks to weather and an early open date, Mann didn't play a home game until Sept. 19. By that point, the Patriots had already suffered some of their 15 season-ending injuries. Some of those players are back this season as are most of the ones who got a chance to play because of those injuries. That gives their coaches confidence that Mann can bounce back from its 1-10 mark last fall.   "With those injured guys coming back and the young guys who played in their stead coming back, we feel a lot more experienced," Mann assistant John West said. "We've gotten a lot more work in over this offseason, so that gives us more confidence going into this season."   West believes building a program starts in the trenches. The Patriots have two experienced seniors they are counting on up front this season in [player_tooltip player_id='1811027' first='Luke' last='Penland'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1823783' first='Christian' last='Sullivan'] (pictured). Penland has been a starter at offensive tackle and on the defensive line for Mann. Sullivan started at the other offensive tackle position last year, but is moving to center and guard this season.   "Luke's been a really good leader for our guys throughout this entire transition. He's encouraged the young guys to buy in to this new culture and program," West said. "On the field, he's been just as great, especially in pass protection on offense and stopping the run on defense.   "Christian has exclusively played offensive line, but he may play some defensive line for us. He's the definition of 'nasty' and that's what you want in an offensive lineman."   Penland said he and Sullivan try to lead more by example than anything else.   "We still have a lot of sophomores and juniors and we kind of just need to get them in that state of mind of being ready to go at it. Being ready to go at it in the summer helps prepare us as much as possible for the season," Penland said. "Even when we're in conditioning, I'm running and trying to do everything I can to improve myself."   They will lead the protection for some experienced skill position players on offense as Mann returns its leading passer, [player_tooltip player_id='1840061' first='Gage' last='Watkins'], leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1816432' first='Buddy' last='Griffin'] and leading receiver [player_tooltip player_id='2163591' first='AJ' last='Bush'] .   Watkins is competing with 6-foot-3 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1816424' first='Wilkes' last='Mellard'] for the starting quarterback job. Griffin rushed for 323 yards and two touchdowns last season, while Bush caught 21 passes for 304 yards and three scores. Mann got so beat up at quarterback last season that Bush was also second on the team in passing with 215 yards.   Other receivers looking to contribute this season include [player_tooltip player_id='1821180' first='Harrison' last='Knight'], [player_tooltip player_id='1821186' first='Tristian' last='Shell'] and Christian Latorre.   Defensively, Mann will be led up front by the massive [player_tooltip player_id='1605269' first='Jayden' last='Wheeler'] and Penland. [player_tooltip player_id='1809307' first='Shaun' last='Carvalho'] leads the linebackers, while safety Spencer Berg heads the secondary.   On special teams, the Patriots' [player_tooltip player_id='1720507' first='Philip' last='Georgopoulos'] is a highly-recruited game-changer at punter and kicker.   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1809307' first='Shaun' last='Carvalho'] LB, 2027 - Smiley had high expectations for Carvalho before ever seeing him play last season and Carvalho didn't disappoint. Carvalho had a team-high 93 tackles last season, including 65 solo stops.   [player_tooltip player_id='1811027' first='Luke' last='Penland'], OL/DL, 2027 - While Penland has made more of his mark on the offensive line, his defensive skills has turned heads this season. At the Carolinas Coaches Combines Invite Only event's Session II in Spartanburg, he was named best defensive lineman. He's gotten plenty of attention from colleges and has already committed to Charleston Southern.   [player_tooltip player_id='1823783' first='Christian' last='Sullivan'] OL, 2027 - Sullivan said wrestling for a couple of years helped him develop that "nasty" level needed in the football trenches. "It just helped me realize you have a choice of just blocking them regularly or driving them down the field and getting that pancake," Sullivan said. "I learned that from wrestling, but also constant work with Coach Smiley and my coach, Coach (Lance) Hansen. ... It's almost disrespectful to not try to drive that defensive lineman down the field against his will."   [player_tooltip player_id='1840061' first='Gage' last='Watkins'] QB, 2028 - If Watkins claims the starting QB job, he will look to build off last season when injuries pressed him into duty. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Watkins completed 51 percent of his passes for 678 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions last fall.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1720507' first='Philip' last='Georgopoulos'] K/P, 2027 - Don't let the fact that Georgopoulos is an ambidextrous kicker distract from the fact that either foot can do remarkable things to a football. Georgopoulos, who kicks right-footed and punts left-footed, made all five of his field goal attempts last year with a long of 45 yards. He also had 16 out of 19 kickoffs result in touchbacks, had a long punt of 59 yards, and placed 12 punts inside the 20. Georgopoulos, who has a 4.7 GPA, has Division I offers from Rice and East Carolina.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Jordan Turner-Butler LB - Turner-Butler was second on the team in tackles last season with 53. He also had nine tackles-for-loss and shared the team lead with Wheeler for sacks with three.   McLeod Darnell QB - Darnell was poised to continue what had been a run of solid play from Mann quarterbacks over the past few seasons. Unfortunately, injuries dashed those hopes. After having his junior season end midway through it, Darnell was limited to just two games as a senior last year.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1823792' first='Miles' last='Honeycutt'] LB, 2028 - Injuries caused Honeycutt to be called on early last season and he responded with 45 tackles, including five tackles-for-loss. "By the end of the season, he was making plays and he's continued that positive momentum this offseason," West said.   Juston Bigby RB, 2029 - Bigby is a transfer from Hillcrest who West describes as a bulldozer. "He's a strong kid who has plenty of time to develop in our program," West said. "We're really looking forward to see him play."    Given his immense size, Wheeler surely can block some interior running lanes. As a sophomore last season, he posted 41 tackles, including a team-best 14 tackles-for-loss and three sacks.   There's plenty of muscle in Wheeler's frame as well. His max squat is 600 pounds, while his bench is 305 and power clean is 295. At the Carolinas Coaches Combines, Wheeler clocked a 40 time of 5.47 or 5.09 pro shuttle.

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.