Arkansas HSFB Breakdown: Teams and Players to Watch in 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 Arkansas high school football season is set to begin with practices underway and week zero approaching. The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) realignment brought notable shifts: Shiloh Christian moved up to Class 7A, while Greenwood dropped to 5A, among other adjustments across all classifications.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending Class 7A champion Bryant enters as the clear favorite after a dominant 2025 title run (including a 27-7 win over Bentonville in the state championship), but heavy senior graduation forces roster replenishment. The Hornets are followed closely by Bentonville, with Rogers, Conway, and Shiloh Christian rounding out the upper tier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Teams to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shiloh Christian Saints (7A):</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The private school powerhouse steps up in classification after a strong, successful history and a win over the Greenwood Bulldogs in the 6A state championship. Ranked in the top 10 preseason, the Saints bring athleticism and program continuity that should allow them to compete immediately in the loaded 7A West. With players like quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='915712' first='Cole' last='Creighton'], edge rusher [player_tooltip player_id='2072206' first='Mac' last='Kimbrow'], athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1475775' first='Cohen' last='Beach'], and many more, the sky is the limit. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lakeside Rams (5A):</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 5A state runners-up and consistently ranked in the statewide top teams. The Rams feature a balanced attack and will battle in a competitive South conference that includes traditional conference rivals like Hot Springs, Magnolia, and Pine Bluff. With their eyes on War Memorial to finish the job, a young quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='1702086' first='Dallas' last='Hecke'], a strong running attack led by [player_tooltip player_id='1955915' first='Peter' last='Ohman'], and other talented prospects will need to step up and compete with the top programs once again. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Elkins Elks (4A):</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending 4A state champions after capturing their first title in 2025 (14-1 overall, undefeated in conference). They enter 2026 as the hunted. [player_tooltip player_id='1158055' first='Austin' last='Born'] steps into a leadership role, supported by a strong run-stopping defense anchored by [player_tooltip player_id='1223230' first='Cason' last='Roten']. Elkins, who ranks solidly in overall preseason lists, remains the team to beat in Class 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2120405"],"_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-6a7d1fa2d3eb2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2120405' first='Hayden' last='Carter'] will need to aid in leadership as all eyes will be on the Saints as they head into class 7A this fall. As for what he can do on the field, he displays solid intial quickness in his reach blocks, utilizing solid angles, foot quickness, and hand placement to create leverage and angle defenders. Add him to your board.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Hayden_Carter00/status/2061233000394694760?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Hayden_Carter00/status/2061233000394694760?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1191656"],"_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-6a7d1fa2d3f86"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1191656' first='Maddox' last='Parker'] will take over as the full-time starting quarterback this fall. He's a physical, dual-threat quarterback who shines with his legs. Parker can attack the short-to-intermediate effectively with solid velocity on the football. When forced outside the pocket, watch the magic happen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Maddox427577639/status/1997030148114432437?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Maddox427577639/status/1997030148114432437?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2265437"],"_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-6a7d1fa2d4069"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2265437' first='Romahd' last='Boone'] is an offensive lineman prospect to add to the recruiting board. He's a physical run mauler who's willing to work in space and work up to the second level. Boone displays solid pop on contact, driving defenders out of running lanes consistently. He will likely move inside at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/RomahdBoone61/status/2063106212380512630?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RomahdBoone61/status/2063106212380512630?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->