Bishop Media Sports Network
Top Receiver Transfers To Camden County Wildcats
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The excitement surrounding Camden County football has continued to build throughout the offseason, and the Wildcats may have just added another major piece to the puzzle.
Sophomore wide receiver Ayden “Pocket” Robinson has officially transferred from Sumter County High School to Camden County, giving first-year head coach Tucker Pruitt another explosive weapon as he begins his first season in Kingsland.
According to Sumter County head coach Will Rogers, Robinson’s transfer is the result of a bona fide family move, as a member of Robinson’s family accepted an employment opportunity in the Brunswick area.
Regardless of how he arrived, there’s little question that Robinson immediately upgrades an already intriguing Camden County offense.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Robinson is an impressive physical presence for a player who will only be a sophomore this fall.
Last season as a freshman at Sumter County, he wasted little time showing why many believe he has a bright future.
In 10 varsity games, Robinson hauled in 27 receptions for 356 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. He also contributed on special teams, finishing with 379 all-purpose yards during his freshman campaign.
Those numbers are impressive on their own, but they become even more intriguing when considering Robinson was producing against varsity competition as a ninth grader.
His combination of size, athleticism, and ability to find the end zone gives Camden County another legitimate playmaker on the outside.
And perhaps the most exciting part for Wildcat fans is who he’ll be lining up alongside.
Robinson joins a receiving corps already headlined by Sean Green, one of Georgia’s top receiving prospects and a Florida State commitment.
Green has developed into one of the most dangerous receivers in the state with his ability to stretch the field, make contested catches, and create explosive plays after the catch.
Now, opposing defenses will have to account for both Green and Robinson. That challenge becomes even greater when you factor in another major offseason addition.
Transfer quarterback Xavier Collins arrives in Kingsland after throwing for more than 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns last season at Columbia High School in Florida.
Collins gives Camden County an experienced signal caller with the arm strength and confidence to distribute the football all over the field.
On paper, it’s a combination that should fit perfectly into Tucker Pruitt’s offensive philosophy.
Since taking over the Wildcats program, Pruitt has emphasized playing fast, physical football while creating opportunities for his athletes to make plays in space.
His offenses have consistently featured balance, but they’ve never been afraid to attack defenses vertically when the opportunity presents itself.
With Collins delivering the football and Green and Robinson stretching defenses on the perimeter, Camden County suddenly possesses the kind of offensive firepower that can force opposing defensive coordinators into difficult decisions.
Double-team Green, and Robinson could find himself in favorable one-on-one matchups. Roll coverage toward Robinson, and Green becomes even more dangerous. Play too many defensive backs, and Pruitt’s offense can attack with the running game. That’s the kind of balance every coach hopes to build.
Of course, Robinson is still just a sophomore, and expectations should remain realistic. There will undoubtedly be an adjustment period as he learns a new offense, develops chemistry with Collins, and settles into a new school. But his potential is undeniable.
When you combine Robinson’s arrival with Collins at quarterback, Green’s star power at wide receiver, and Pruitt’s reputation for developing productive offenses, it’s easy to understand why optimism continues to grow around Camden County football.
The Wildcats have undergone significant changes since last season, but each new addition appears to move the program one step closer to becoming a serious contender once again.
If Robinson develops the way many expect, Camden County may have landed one of the biggest impact transfers in South Georgia, and one that could help shape the future of the Wildcats’ offense for years to come.
Next Step For Jacksonville Jaguars?
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There’s always a sense of optimism when NFL training camps open, but this year feels different in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars officially opened training camp Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center, and for the first time in a long time, they’re doing so with the weight of expectations instead of hope.
After winning 13 games, capturing the AFC South title, and reaching the playoffs in Liam Coen’s first season as head coach, this franchise is no longer viewed as an up-and-coming team.
The Jaguars have officially entered the conversation as one of the AFC’s contenders. That’s both exciting and challenging.
Training camp is about preparing for a new season, but it’s also about answering questions. Jacksonville has plenty of them.
The biggest concern entering camp is along the offensive line. Starting left tackle Cole Van Lanen begins camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he continues recovering from a knee injury.
While the Jaguars remain optimistic he’ll return before the regular season, his absence puts the spotlight on rookie Emmanuel Pregnon and the rest of the offensive line depth.
Protecting Trevor Lawrence has to remain priority number one if this team wants to build on last year’s success.
Another storyline worth watching is the return of Travis Hunter. The dynamic two-way star is fully healthy after an LCL injury limited him to just seven games during his rookie season.
Jacksonville plans to use Hunter primarily at cornerback, but don’t expect him to stay off the offensive side of the ball for long. His unique ability to impact games in multiple ways gives Coen another weapon to deploy, and if Hunter stays healthy, he could become one of the NFL’s most exciting players.
The running back position is another battle that could shape the season. With Travis Etienne Jr. no longer in Jacksonville, second-year back Bhayshul Tuten appears to have the inside track, but nothing has been decided.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LeQuint Allen Jr. will also have opportunities to earn significant playing time, making this one of the most competitive position battles in camp.
Offensively, I’m also intrigued by what Coen plans to do with the tight ends. Second-round draft pick Nate Boerkircher and fifth-round selection Tanner Koziol fit perfectly into Coen’s vision of using more two- and three-tight end formations.
If those heavy personnel packages develop the way the coaching staff hopes, Jacksonville could become one of the more physical offenses in the AFC while creating favorable matchups for Trevor Lawrence in the passing game.
There are other interesting storylines as well. Could veteran receiver Zay Jones find his way back to Jacksonville? Is rookie Emmanuel Pregnon ready for meaningful snaps if needed? How quickly will the secondary come together after adding veteran cornerback Corey Ballentine? Those questions will begin to be answered over the next several weeks.
I don’t believe the Jaguars are going to sneak up on anyone this year. Every opponent knows Jacksonville is a legitimate playoff team, and that makes repeating as division champions much more difficult.
That said, I believe this team is better than it was a year ago.
Trevor Lawrence has another season under Liam Coen’s offense. Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as one of the league’s premier young receivers.
The defense continues to mature, and if Hunter stays healthy, he adds another playmaker capable of changing games.
The biggest question remains depth. Can the offensive line withstand injuries? Will the young running backs produce consistently? Can the defense avoid the injury bug that has derailed so many promising seasons?
If those answers are yes, I think Jacksonville has every opportunity to win the AFC South again.
My prediction is another division title with an 11-6 or 12-5 record. It may not match last year’s 13 victories, but the schedule is tougher, expectations are higher, and every team on the Jaguars’ schedule will have them circled.
One thing is certain: the days of simply hoping the Jaguars are competitive are over. This franchise has entered a new era where success is expected, and that’s exactly where Jaguars fans have wanted this team to be for years.
All-Time ACC Greats
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re going to make a second part to the best ACC football players of all time.
We left off at Lamar Jackson (Louisville).
Maryland: The Terps were a founding member of the ACC in 1953. They joined the Big Ten in 2014.
Randy White (1972-74), the defensive tackle won the Outland Trophy (1974), Lombardi Award (1974), ACC Player of the Year (1974), First-team All-American (1973), Unanimous All-American (1974) and 2x First-team All-ACC (1973-74). He was also named the Liberty Bowl MVP in 1974 even though they lost to Tennessee.
Miami: They have so many great players like Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Jim Kelly, Edgerrin James, Vinny Testaverde and Clinton Portis.
These legends played when UM was an independent (1942-1990) or in the Big East (1991-2003).
Warren Sapp (1991-94) is the best Hurricane of all time. He won the Lombardi Award (1994), Bill Willis Trophy (1994), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (1994), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1994) and Unanimous All-American (1994).
As a junior in 1994, he had 84 tackles and led the Hurricanes in sacks with 10.5. He also finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting that year.
North Carolina: Julius Peppers (1998-2001) is currently ranked second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. He has 53 tackles for loss, 167 tackles, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, 13 passes deflected, and 42 quarterback pressures (hurries) and returned two interceptions and one fumble recovery for touchdowns.
He won the Lombardi Trophy (2001), Chuck Bednarik Award (2001), Bill Willis Trophy (2001), Unanimous All-American (2001), Second-team All-American (2000) and 2x First-team All-ACC (2000-01).
NC State: Philip Rivers (2000-03) broke almost every NC State and ACC passing record.
Rivers completed a conference record 1,147 passes on 1,710 attempts, with 95 touchdowns.
He finished his Wolfpack career with 13,484 passing yards, 13th all-time among Division I quarterbacks (he finished in second place at the end of his collegiate career).
He was the NCAA passer rating leader and completion percentage leader (2003), ACC Athlete of the Year (2004), ACC Player of the Year (2003), ACC Rookie of the Year (2000) and First-team All-ACC (2003).
Pitt: Tony Dorsett (1973-76) led the Panthers to win the national championship as a senior. He won the Heisman Trophy (1976), Maxwell Award (1976), Walter Camp Award (1976), Unanimous All-American (1973-76) and 3x First-team All-American.
Dorsett finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then the NCAA rushing record. That would stand as the record until it was surpassed by Ricky Williams in 1998.
Stanford: Christian McCaffrey (2013-16) has the most career all-purpose yards (6,987) and the most all-purpose yards in a season (3,864) in 2015.
He won the Paul Hornung Award (2015), Jet Award (2015), AP College Football Player of the Year (2015), Consensus All-American (2015) and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year (2015).
SMU: Eric Dickerson (1979-1982) was a Unanimous All-American (1982), Second-team all-American (1981) and 2x Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year (1981-82).
Syracuse: Donovan McNabb (1994-98) was 3x Big East Offensive Player of the Year (1996-98), 4x First-team All-Big East (1995-98) and Big East Rookie of the Year (1995).
Virginia: Chris Long (2004-07) won the Ted Hendricks Award (207), Dudley Award (2007), ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2007) and Unanimous All-American (2007).
Virginia Tech: Bruce Smith (1981-84) won the Outland Trophy (1984), Consensus All-American (1984) and First-team All-American (1983).
Wake Forest: Brian Piccolo (1961-64) was the ACC Player of the Year (1964) and Second-team All-American (1964).
He led the nation in rushing and scoring in 1964. He’s most known for the movie about his life, Brian’s Song (1971).
Colquitt County Packers 2026 Preview
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Colquitt County Packers enter the 2026 season coming off a solid 9-3 campaign that included a 4-1 region mark and a second-round playoff appearance.
Under head coach Sean Calhoun, who is entering his fifth season at the helm, the Packers continue to rank among South Georgia’s most consistent programs and one of the toughest outs in the state’s largest classification.
2025 Season Recap: Colquitt finished 9-3 overall and tied for one of the top spots in Region 1-AAAAAA.
The Packers handled most of their schedule with physical play on both sides of the ball and showed they could compete with top competition.
Their three losses came against strong opponents, all of which made deep playoff runs.
Running back Jae Lamar, a Georgia commit, led the way with 1,015 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in just 10 games.
Quarterback Cohen Lawson threw for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns in his second year as the starter, while wide receiver Antwan Lockett provided a big-play threat with 40 catches for 811 yards and 10 scores.
Key Returners and Leadership The biggest losses are Lamar and Lawson (who has transferred to Lee County). Both will be hard to replace.
However, Lockett is back to stretch the field, and the Packers have depth at the skill positions along with returning offensive linemen who should help maintain continuity up front.
Dual threat QB Khi Mitchell transferred in from Mt. Zion and should contribute early and often.
On defense, several experienced linebackers and secondary players return to keep the physical identity Calhoun has built.
Colquitt usually excels in special teams as well, producing strong field goal kickers, returners and a physical front with blocked punts and field goals every year.
Emerging contributors who saw significant snaps in 2025 will be asked to step into larger roles, including the competition at quarterback.
2026 Schedule Highlights: The Packers open with one of the toughest non-region games in the state, a road trip to defending Class 5A state champion Thomas County Central on August 21.
Home games against Monroe, Cook County, and Lee County follow, along with Florida tests against Lincoln and Rickards.
Region play includes trips to Richmond Hill and Camden County, a home date with Valdosta on October 16, and the season finale at home against Lowndes on November 6.
This is a challenging slate that features multiple quality opponents. Under the new PSRF playoff seeding formula, the strength of schedule should help Colquitt if they take care of business against the tougher teams on their schedule.
Outlook: Colquitt County has the experience, coaching stability, and talent to contend again in Region 1-AAAAAA.
Replacing the production of Lamar and Lawson will be a major focus, but the returning skill players, key transfers and depth give the Packers a chance to remain competitive on offense.
The defense should continue to play with the physical style that has defined the program under Calhoun.
South Georgia fans can look forward to the traditional matchups with Valdosta, Lowndes, and Camden. These games will tell the tale for the Packers’ postseason, similar to the other teams in this stacked region.
The Packers enter 2026 looking to improve on last year’s 9-3 mark and make another deep postseason run.
Mack Tharpe Stadium will be ready for another exciting fall. The Pack is loaded with opportunity.
Gator Bait
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Jason Strickland’s 2025 edition of the Ware County Gators was a senior led group that rolled into the GHSA playoffs with an 8-2 record in a very tough region and title aspirations.
After a first round dismantling of Flowery Branch the Gators moved on and ran into a juggernaut in the Creekside Seminoles. One of the top high school football programs in the nation took it to the Gators early and often. The result was a 9-3 final record for a great group of seniors at Ware County High School.
Now looking toward the 2026 season, the Gators will be young, very young.
Gone are Ja Mario Rice, DL Walker Hudson, DL Seth Seuss, LB Nick Grant, LB Avontae Ballentine, RB Jamir Boyd, RB Tayshaun Franklin, OL Landon Smallwood, OL Carson Hall, and OL Kyler Matthews.
There are others but needless to say that’s a long list of experience and talent that has moved on. The question is are the Gators gonna reload or rebuild?
Several quality players are back for the ‘26 season and Ware is a talent hotbed so the cupboard is definitely not empty.
Leading the 2026 Gators will be returning Quarterback Isaiah White. He was an All-Region player last year and should be one of the top players in south Georgia this year.
And he will have Ja’Londi O’Hara, and Gunter Fore back at wideout. Both were All-Region last year.
Several other pieces of the puzzle are back also on offense so the Gators should be ok. Replacing those 3 All-Region linemen will be key.
Returning are RT Jaylen Sturdivant and OL Kydarian Bennett. These guys will be the leaders with a bunch of young Gators vying for playing time behind them.
At running back look for Moomoo Mckoy and Jimmy Taylor to step in and fill some big shoes from last year. Coach Strickland thinks both of these guys could be special. Great ability and good speed. Coach called them slashers. The offense will be good and look for White to have an All-State type of year.
The defense will be a work in progress with most of the front 7 graduating. There is talent all over and while these aren’t the biggest group of Gators we’ve seen on defense, they are fast and strong.
Jamarion Keyhay returns at linebacker and is a team leader. Add in Rod Lewis and Jameer Barkley who are coming back from injury and this defense could be good.
Davion Jones returns at corner and will also handle kick returns and punt returns.
One big returning piece to the puzzle is Jeffery Gonzalez. The veteran will handle the kicking and punting for Ware and should be one of, if not, the region’s best.
Landon Smallwood will be missed at snapper and there are three young ones trying to fill those big shoes.
Ware County Gators 2026 Schedule
8/7 vrs Brunswick (scrimmage)
8/21 @ Bainbridge
8/28 @ Coffee
9/11 vrs Richmond Hill
9/18 vrs Groves
9/25 @ Statesboro
10/2 vrs Richmond Academy
10/9 @ Evans
10/23 vrs Jenkins
10/30 @ Wayne County
11/6 vrs Benedictine
The 2026 edition of the Gators will be fun to watch. The backfield could be electric. Add in the returners on the O-line and at wide receiver and Coach Strickland has a lot to work with.
Defensively the Gators will be just as fun. With a good returning group of leaders, the Gators will fly all over the field with stunts and slants, using that speed and power.
Add in very good special teams play and the Gators will be a force in the region and a dangerous group of reptiles come playoff time. The Gators are reloading!
Wayne County Yellow Jackets 2026 Preview
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Wayne County Yellow Jacket Football Program is a very proud program full of tradition and fan fever.
The Yellow Jacket program has fallen on hard times the last few years and is looking to get back to being a perennial state power.
Two seasons ago the Yellow Jackets hired John Mohring who had been the head coach at Calvary Day. Mohring did not survive his second season in Jesup.
Mohring resigned midseason after an 0-4 start to the 2025 season. Mohring’s only full season came in 2024 in which the Yellow Jackets ended up 1-9 and that one win was a forfeited win over Appling.
So overall, Mohring’s short stint in Wayne County saw the Yellow Jackets go 1-13 under his leadership.
After Wayne moved on from Mohring they stunned Warner Robins 32-10 but were unable to build any momentum after that and finished 1-9.
If you do the math the Yellow Jackets come into 2026 with a 2-18 record in the past two seasons and remember one of those games was not an actual win but a forfeit by Appling for playing an ineligible player. Appling did win the game on the field.
The Yellow Jackets made a big time hire snagging Scott Roberts away from Swainsboro.
Roberts had two stints with the Swainsboro Tigers. First in 2008-2009 and then again in 2017 through 2025.
Roberts comes to Jesup with an overall record of 92-43. Most importantly the Yellow Jackets are looking to Roberts to supply some stability to the program; Roberts will be the fourth Yellow Jackets Head Coach in four seasons.
Wayne County will not have an easy road in 2026 to right the ship. The Yellow Jackets will play in Region 1-5A for the next two seasons. Region 1-5A will consist of Benedictine, Jenkins, Ware County, Statesboro, Groves, Richmond Academy, and Evans.
Wayne’s 2026 schedule is as follows:
8/21 v. Liberty
8/28 @ Bradwell
9/4 Bye
9/11 @ Appling
9/18 v. Richmond Academy
9/25 @ Evans
10/2 v. Jenkins
10/9 v. Groves
10/16 Bye
10/23 @ Benedictine
10/30 v. Ware
11/6 @ Statesboro
This is a pretty tough schedule for a program in rebuild mode. However, it is not completely unmanageable. I can see a possibility for a 6-4 season for the Yellow Jackets if they find some fortunate bounces in a couple of games.
A 6-4 season would likely mean a playoff berth for the Yellow Jackets and their first trip since 2023.
I definitely see four concrete wins on the schedule for Wayne and as I said, with a little luck six wins is a possibility.
Even if Wayne only wins four games it would be a great step forward. The Yellow Jackets would double their total win number from 2024 and 2025 combined.
Scott Roberts will return Wayne County back to respectability at the bare minimum.
Brantley County Herons 2026 Preview
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Brantley County Herons Football Program is one in transition and is looking for stability.
This offseason former Brantley Head Coach David Shores accepted a job on the Camden County staff and resigned from being the Herons head man.
Shores was a splash hire two offseasons ago in Nahunta and came with big time experience at Camden, Lowndes and Brunswick.
In two seasons Shores went 2-18 with the Herons, including a winless 2025 campaign.
Enter new Head Coach Matt Hickox. Hickox is a Brantley County Alum and is coming over from Pierce County. Hickox spent seven seasons in Blackshear serving as the Bears Defensive Coordinator and won two state titles at Pierce in 2020 and 2023.
Hickox is looking to provide some stability to the Heron program as he is now their 3rd coach in 4 years.
In reclassification the Herons find themselves in Region 3-3A. This region is tough at the top with Appling, Pierce and Toombs but leaves room for the Herons to possibly be a playoff team if they can handle business against everyone else, which is very possible.
Outside of the aforementioned big three the rest of the region lines up with Beach, Islands, Johnson, and Tattnall.
The Herons will take on these region foes along with Bacon County, Lanier County and Claxton.
The Brantley Herons 2026 schedule is as follows:
8/21 @Bacon
8/28 v. Lanier
9/4 @Claxton
9/11 Bye
9/18 v. Islands
9/25 @ Appling
10/2 v. Toombs
10/9 @ Johnson
10/16 Bye
10/23 v. Pierce
10/30 v. Tattnall
11/6 @ Beach
The Herons have a tough first half of the schedule but I expect the Herons to be a playoff contender.
I am not sure this will be the year for the Herons to make a return to the playoffs but they will be in the mix down to the wire.
I definitely see at least four wins on the schedule for Brantley, which would be a huge step in the right direction coming off of an 0-10 season.
Effingham Rebels 2026 Preview
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Coach John Ford and the Effingham County Rebels are hard at it.
They are out to show that last year’s 9-3 record and a narrow one-point playoff loss was no fluke.
Coach Ford was upbeat about the coming 26 season. And while there are definitely holes to fill from a great group of graduated seniors, this is a team on the rise in southeast Georgia.
In my conversation with Coach Ford, he was dialed into coach speak. “We’re taking it one day at a time’ and “we’re working hard to make something happen today and every day.”
Sure, you’ve heard that before but in listening to Coach Ford you could tell that’s where the Rebels were, working hard and focused.
It doesn’t hurt that Effingham County itself is one of the fastest growing areas in the state and that makes the turnover more manageable.
In 2026 the Rebels will have a schedule that includes opening games at Richmond Hill and at home against Tift County.
That’s a tough way to start and the Rebels will have to be on their game early.
From there it’s into region play with Brunswick and Glynn Academy looming. It is a workable schedule and being tested in those two opening games should have the Rebels ready for games down the road.
On offense Effingham has a very good running back in Jamere Doe-Davis. He is a great center piece to work from and expect him to shoulder the load early and often.
He will run behind a completely revamped offensive line as all five of the O-line graduated. This and the quarterback position will tell the tail for the offense.
Three youngsters are currently in the mix to start at QB. Whoever takes the job will be young and inexperienced and need to mature quickly.
One thing the new quarterback will have is a talented and experienced group of wide receivers.
Back are Isaiah Brown, Malik Letman, and Trayvis Hunter. Look for Coach Ford to lean on these 3 quality wideouts. They all have good speed and hands.
Defensively the Rebels should be stout. Back on the defensive line is Deyvon Aaron and RJ Brown. Behind them at linebacker are Genard Albright, and Jackson Eubanks.
This should be a very good front seven and couple it with the entire secondary coming back and the defense should carry the team early.
2026 Effingham County Rebels schedule:
8/21 @Richmond Hill
8/28 vrs Tift County
9/4 vrs New Hampstead
9/18 @ Lakeside
9/25 vrs Bradwell
10/2 @ Glynn Academy
10/16 vrs SEHS
10/23 vrs Grovetown
10/30 @ Brunswick
11/6 vrs Greenbrier
Look for the Rebels to field a very good football team in 2026.
While it may be difficult to match last year’s total. The early toughies on the schedule should make this team mature quickly.
The keys will be the offensive line play and a solid season from the new QB. If those fall into place this could be a very tough out come playoff time.
Prediction on SEC Teams To Make College Football Playoff
By: Capers Childs
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The fall season is college football fans’ favorite time of the year.
Many could argue that college football is more exciting than professional with all the high-stakes and unpredictability.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) represents a different kind of college football, rooted deeply in the south, with the teams who have the most passionate fans, loads of NFL talent, and the most elite competition in the country.
The College Football Playoff is the ultimate goal for every major college football program. However, because there are a limited number of spots available, teams must perform at a high level throughout the regular season while competing against some of the toughest opponents in the country.
And because the SEC is considered the toughest conference in college football, several of its teams earn playoff spots.
The four SEC teams that I think are the most likely to make it in the college football playoffs in 2026 are the University of Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Texas A&M.
First is the University of Georgia. This has been a dominant program since Kirby Smart took over as head coach in 2015.
He holds an overall record of 117-21. UGA’s success is also built on elite in-state recruiting, and their massive financial investment. Not only this but their fan support is unreal.
Georgia’s ability to recruit top high school athletes year after year has allowed the Bulldogs to remain one of the best teams in the nation. Even after losing players to the NFL draft, they continue to bring talent in. This is what makes Georgia a safe bet to reach the CFP.
Next, the University of Alabama football has pretty much always been known to be successful. Nick Saban was the primary reason for the modern success of the program. During his time at Alabama, he won 6 national championships, secured 9 SEC titles, and developed a record number of players for the National Football League (NFL) Draft.
Although Alabama is adjusting to the game after Nick Saban’s departure, this isn’t changing the way they compete. The Crimson Tide continue to recruit at an elite level and their experience and talent make them a strong contender every season.
The University of Texas has claimed four consensus titles along with multiple other historical claims. They open the season with a difficult stretch of non-conference games against Texas State, Ohio State, and UTSA. The pressure is going to be on for Steve Sarkisian to improve on last season’s success and lead Texas to another CFP appearance. They’ve definitely got the roster to do so this season.
Texas has also recruited exceptionally well over the past couple of years, and they have one of the deepest rosters in college football. If the Longhorns can navigate their difficult schedule this season, I believe that they have the talent to compete for both an SEC championship and a playoff spot.
Texas A&M is another team that has potential to make the College Football Playoff. Texas A&M has recruited some of the nation’s top talent in recent years and has the depth needed to compete in the SEC. If the Aggies can play consistent football throughout the season and win a majority of their SEC matchups, I think they have the talent to compete with any team in the conference.
The talent that they have on their roster make them one of my top four playoff picks.
However, in the era of the transfer portal and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), keeping a talented roster has become one of the biggest challenges in college football.
Team rosters are changing year after year, but Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Texas A&M have been stable in that department which gives these four schools an advantage heading into the 2026 season.
Now the question is whether Louisiana State University will earn a spot in the CFP or not. LSU could be the biggest dark horse in the SEC this season.
With Lane Kiffin leaving the University of Mississippi for LSU, they could make a promising run. Kiffin has proven that he can compete with the best teams in the conference, and his arrival is huge for this Tigers’ program. I believe LSU has the potential to challenge the SEC’s top teams and compete for a playoff spot in 2026.
Overall, I think Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Texas A&M have the best chance of making the 2026 College Football Playoff. However, with Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers, they could be a surprise.
Richmond Hill Wildcats 2026 Preview
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Richmond Hill Wildcats football team is looking to take a big step in 2026, building off of their success in 2025.
The Wildcats play in the newly added 7-A class, which is GHSA’s highest classification. Their region is one of the most competitive in the state and consists of: Camden County, Colquitt County, Lowndes, and Valdosta.
Last year they made the state playoffs as the 4 seed coming out of Region 1 in 6-A (was GHSA’s highest classification at the time). The Wildcats would take an early exit after drawing national power Buford High School in the first round on the road.
This year, they look to play well during the regular season and use the GHSA’s new power-ranking formula for playoff seeding to their advantage.
To do this, they will rely heavily on senior quarterback Gunner Mobley. Last season, he got region honorable mention, and during the season he threw for over 1400 passing yards and was responsible for 13 touchdowns. He was also named a top-5 quarterback in the greater Savannah area.
The schedule sets up pretty well for the Wildcats. By being in GHSA’s highest classification, most of their games outside of region play will be against lower-classification teams and should favor the Wildcats.
They will take on a nearby opponent in the Effingham County Rebels. In this game, On3 gives the Wildcats an 86% chance to win this game. Effingham County is a solid opponent that hosted a first-round playoff game last year in GHSA’s second-highest classification (5-A).
They will also take on another nearby opponent with Liberty County; according to On3, this game should be all Wildcats as they are given a 99% chance to win this game.
The Wildcats will also take on Jenkins out of Savannah, who has become one of the toughest opponents for any team can face in the 912 area code. Another one of South Georgia’s perennial powerhouses is also on the schedule for Richmond Hill.
The Wildcats will take on the Gators of Ware County in what is sure to be one of the top games of the year in South Georgia.
The Wildcats will also compete in a border-battle game as they take on Wando High School, which is located near Charleston, South Carolina. This is the only out-of-state game on the schedule for the Wildcats in 2026.
Richmond Hill will also take on West Georgia powerhouse East Coweta in what is sure to be one of the top games of the week in the state. On3 has this game at basically a coin flip, with it being listed as 41-59 favoring East Coweta.
Finally, to end the season, the Wildcats will take on the South Georgia Gauntlet; their region play will consist of games against Colquitt County, Camden County, Lowndes, and Valdosta in that order to end the season.
The bonus here is that each of those teams has the potential to be a playoff team, which should boost Richmond Hill’s power ranking under the new GHSA formula.
I see Richmond Hill as a team that, based on its strength of schedule, is able to compete for a top 16 seed and could potentially host a home playoff game in the first round of the GHSA state playoffs.
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