Collinsville Cardinals OK 2026 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the month of July and that means it's preview time! Throughout the month of July and even into August, we are publishing well over 100 of the most in-depth team previews that you'll find anywhere to get you completely ready for the 2026 football season. This is something that began for us at PRZ-Oklahoma in 2021 and it continues to get bigger and better every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state in every class. From defending champions, to the top contenders and plenty of dark horses and other teams to know, we'll have complete coverage every single day. There will be multiple previews dropping every single day! In this post, we take a look at the Collinsville Cardinals!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>RELATED</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://youtu.be/yBg6dT1qAZU" data-type="link" data-id="https://youtu.be/yBg6dT1qAZU">- Collinsville Video Preview With HC Kevin Jones</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Collinsville Cardinals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #9 In Class 5A</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coach: Kevin Jones - 17th Season - 133-46 Record At Collinsville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2025 RESULTS (8-3 Record - Lost In Class 5A 1st Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 5th - Beat Oologah 34-0<br>Sept. 11th - Beat Edison 52-6<br>Sept. 19th - Beat Bartlesville 47-27<br>Sept. 26th - Lost To Del City 24-21<br>Oct. 3rd - Beat W. Rogers 44-6<br>Oct. 10th - Beat Tahlequah 35-23<br>Oct. 16th - Beat Claremore 24-0<br>Oct. 24th - Lost To Pryor 49-14<br>Oct. 31st - Beat Nathan Hale 50-16<br>Nov. 7th - Beat Memorial 63-6<br>1st Round - Lost To McAlester 28-27 (2OT)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 37.4 Points Per Game<br>2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 16.8 Points Per Game</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Collinsville Cardinals came into the 2025 football season as a top ten team in Class 5A and were expecting to be a contender throughout the season. The defense was improved from 2024 and the offense was averaging close to 40 points per game once again. The first month of the season made it look like we were going to see a complete replay of the 2024 season. Collinsville rolled out to a 3-0 start after dominating their non-district slate. The closest game was a 20-point win over Bartlesville. They opened district play with Del City and lost a heartbreaker 24-21 after the Eagles kicked a game-winning field goal with less than ten seconds left. The Cardinals would bounce back with three straight wins, setting up a week eight showdown with undefeated Pryor. The Cardinals lost to the Tigers but would finish off the regular season with back to back wins over Nathan Hale and Memorial. They finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, an improvement from 2024's 7-3 regular season record. Collinsville went on the road to face McAlester in the first round of the playoffs. They ended up going to double overtime with the Buffaloes and lost on a goal line stand from McAlester. In the second overtime, McAlester scored first and kicked the extra point. Collinsville responded and opted to go for a two-point conversion and the win. They came up short and the season ended with a 28-27 loss and an 8-3 record overall. For the second straight year, Collinsville lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the playoffs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2026 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals are going to look pretty different in 2026 but the expectations of being a top ten team and contender in Class 5A aren't going to be different at all. However, Collinsville does face the challenge of replacing half of their starters from last season. Starting on the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals bring back six starters from a unit that averaged nearly 40 points per game last season. The biggest question marks will be at the skill positions. They have to replace an incredibly productive running back and one of the state's top two-way players at wide receiver. But they do benefit from having their breakout star at quarterback returning, along with a decent number of offensive linemen. The young talent that Collinsville has coming up has the coaching staff very excited about what's possible for the Cardinals moving forward. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals return only five starters from last year's unit. And when you look at some of the guys they lost, it's safe to say that this season will see some growing pains on that side of the ball. But Collinsville always has a good reputation of playing solid defense so while they might not have much experience returning, that doesn't mean that they won't be a talented unit this season. The 2026 schedule will see the Cardinals turn into road warriors. They play their entire non-district schedule away from home. All in all, the Cardinals have just four home games, versus six road games. That should test them early on but also prepare them for what will be a very competitive and challenging district slate. On the bright side, Collinsville's two toughest district games will be at home. After back to back first round exits in the playoffs, Collinsville is hungrier than ever to not only make it back to the postseason, but to make a run.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Austin Boren - Tight End/Linebacker<br>Ben Daniels - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back (2025 All State 3rd Team Selection)<br>Scott Rigby - Running Back (2025 All State Honorable Mention)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1262606"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a660afadbd45"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Earlier in the preview, we mentioned how the defense would have quite a few new faces on that side of the ball. One of the returning starters is 2027 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1262606' first='Alex' last='Reid'] and he's the leading returning tackler from last season's team. Last year, Reid would finish second on the team with 71 tackles on the season. He was one of two juniors that finished in the top five in tackles for the Cardinals. Needless to say, having that kind of production and overall experience is going to be big for the Cardinals this fall. Not only from a production standpoint but his ability to help the younger players come along at a faster pace is going to be a huge benefit to their defense.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1726786"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a660afadbe1c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2029 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1726786' first='Beau' last='Daniels'] was a freshman to watch coming into last season but we weren't sure how much he would actually play in 2025. By the end of the season, he was incredibly important to what the Cardinals were doing offensively. He had the ball in his hands a lot in their playoff game against McAlester. Now, as we start to look ahead to the 2026 season, the Cardinals have to find a way to replace a really good running back in Scott Rigby. They have a couple options with returning running backs. But Daniels certainly showed multiple times towards the end of last season that he has what it takes for a breakout year in 2026.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1884281"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a660afadbe97"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking back at some of our notes from this time last year, 2028 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1884281' first='Carter' last='Vaughan'] was a player that was not on our radar. He emerged as QB1 for the Cardinals and enjoyed a breakout season. During his sophomore campaign, Vaughan threw for over 2,400 yards and 26 touchdowns. He set the school record for passing yards and he's just scratching the surface on what he can be as a quarterback. He's a 2028 quarterback that we're very excited about moving forward. There's a lot to like about his game. Having a steady presence under center returning is going to put the Cardinals in a very good position on the offensive side of the ball in 2026.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>(2025 All State Honorable Mention)</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1830481"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a660afadbf07"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Offensive line is one of the position groups where we are confident with what Collinsville brings back this season. And when you're talking about the Collinsville offensive line, you have to start the conversation with [player_tooltip player_id='1830481' first='Maverick' last='Carlile'] as he's getting ready for his senior season. When he takes the field this season, Carlile is going to be a three-year starter for the Cardinals. He's played alongside some really solid guys up front for the Cardinals on both sides of the line of scrimmage. As Collinsville and Vaughan work in those new players at the skill positions, having a guy like Carlile back to set the tone on the line of scrimmage is going to put Collinsville in a good spot.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1177875"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a660afadbf79"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2027 wide receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1177875' first='Max' last='Whitekiller'] has the potential to be Collinsville's top two-way player this season. The Cardinals had a WR/DB combo in Ben Daniels that ended up being an All State player. Whitekiller has that potential as he heads into his senior season. Last year, Whitekiller was incredibly productive on the defensive side of the ball. He finished his junior year with over 60 tackles and three interceptions. Then he turned around and was productive on offense but he could see those numbers absolutely explode this fall. He has to go out and show it on the field but the blueprint is there for him to emerge as their top target in the pass game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MORE NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2160103' first='Callum' last='Craig'] - 2029 Linebacker<br>Colten Wilson - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1634215' first='Denton' last='Townsend'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1662632' first='Dylan' last='Hawk Martin'] - 2029 Quarterback<br>England Taylor - 2030 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1719212' first='Griffen' last='Devore'] - 2028 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1828434' first='Logan' last='Jeter'] - 2028 Running Back/Linebacker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2026 SCHEDULE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aug. 28th - AT Booker T Washington</strong><br>- Collinsville will test themselves right out of the gate with a trip south to Booker T Washington. The Hornets are back up in 6A-2 after they were in Class 5A in the last two seasons. In fact, this will be a rematch of Collinsville's first round loss in the 2024 playoffs. Now, many of the names will be different but this game will tell the Cardinals where they are in 2026.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 4th - AT Grove</strong><br>- In week one, the Cardinals go on the road to face Grove as the Ridgerunners return to Collinsville's schedule for the first time since they were district opponents in 2022 and 2023. Grove won the 2022 meeting while the Cardinals beat Grove 24-17 last season. Oologah is no longer on the schedule and Collinsville replaced them with Grove.<br><strong>Sept. 11th - AT Bartlesville</strong><br>- The Cardinals will wrap up non-district play with another road game. They'll head up to Bartlesville to face the new-look Bruins. Bartlesville has a first year head coach and they expect to turn things around immediately. But Collinsville beat the Bruins 47-27 last season and have won every meeting since the two started playing in 2018.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 25th - Bishop McGuinness</strong><br>- There's no easing into the district schedule for the Cardinals. They'll host Bishop McGuinness in the district opener. This is an Irish team that made it all the way to the state title game a year ago and plans on making another trip this season. The last time these two teams met was in the 2021 playoffs, on Collinsville's way to a gold ball.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 2nd - AT Nathan Hale</strong><br>- Collinsville will head to Tulsa to square off with Nathan Hale in week five. The Rangers have definitely been an improved football team over the last two seasons. But Collinsville still has the complete edge over Hale since they started meeting in district play in 2020. They beat the Rangers 50-16 last season and show no signs of letting up.<br><strong>Oct. 9th - Edison</strong><br>- The second half of the regular season begins with a home game against Edison in week six. The Cardinals have rolled to 45+ point wins over the Eagles in each of the last two meetings. They are expecting to do the same thing this season. They beat Edison 52-6 last year but the Eagles are now back to being a district opponent.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 15th - AT Tahlequah</strong><br>- The Cardinals will head to Tahlequah for a Fall Break Thursday night affair in week seven. The Cardinals can't afford to look ahead to their week eight showdown with Pryor or the Tigers will pull off a big win. These two have met in district play in each of the last two seasons. Collinsville has won each by double digits.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 23rd - Pryor</strong><br>- Another massive district showdown takes place in week eight, when Collinsville will host Pryor. This has been a series that historically, the Cardinals have dominated. They've won eight of the last ten meetings with the Tigers but Pryor has won the last two. And last season, Pryor won convincingly with a 49-14 victory over the Cards.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 30th - AT Memorial</strong><br>- The Cardinals will head to Tulsa for the third time in the regular season when they face Memorial in week nine. These two teams have been district opponents off and on for the last decade. The Cardinals have been dominant during that decade as well. Including beating the Chargers 63-6 in last season's meeting.&nbsp;<br><strong>Nov. 6th - Claremore</strong><br>- The regular season comes to an end in week ten with a home game against Claremore. These two teams have been district opponents since 2016 and the Cardinals have dominated this series since then. Starting in 2016, the Cardinals hold an 8-2 record against Claremore. Last year's 24-0 win over the Zebras snapped a two-game losing streak in the series.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Collinsville Cardinals are one of those teams where it seems like every year, you pencil them in as a playoff team and as a preseason top ten team. This year is no exception and when you have a program that is one of those consistent winners, they usually have something in common. Continuity within the coaching staff. Head coach Kevin Jones is entering his 17th season as Collinsville's head coach. But this will be his 20th season with Collinsville as he was an assistant coach with the Cardinals before being promoted to head coach in 2010. The Cardinals have won nearly every year under Jones. They had a losing record in his first two seasons as head coach but haven't had a losing record since. Another winning season in 2026 will give the Cardinals 15 consecutive years with a winning record. And while the Cardinals have been one of the most consistent winners in Class 5A, they are also ready to get back to contending for state titles. We're five years removed from their undefeated season and state title in 2021. They are the only team other than Carl Albert to win a 5A title in the last decade.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LAST FIVE SEASONS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 - 8-3 - Lost In Class 5A 1st Round<br>2024 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 5A 1st Round<br>2023 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 5A Quarterfinals<br>2022 - 9-2 - Lost In Class 5A 1st Round<br>2021 - 14-0 - Class 5A State Champions&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>1 State Championship</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2021 - Beat McAlester 42-35</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->