The Preseason Small Town All-America high school football team features 30 players, including nine who have committed to play at the next level in the SEC.
Landon Duckworth (headed to South Carolina) and
Ezavier Crowell (Alabama) of
Jackson (Ala.),
Jaquez Wilkes (Auburn) of
Wadley (Ala.),
Kaiden Prothro (Georgia) of
Bowdon (Ga.) and
K.J. Edwards (Texas A&M) of
Carthage (Texas) are among the headliners headed to play in arguably college football's top conference.
The Small Town All-America team features five players from defending Alabama state champion Jackson, which begins the year ranked No. 1 in the
Small Town Top 25.
Players are selected based on recruiting rankings along with all-state honors and 2024 statistics. Small Town All-Americans must attend a school with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students in towns with a population of less than 10,000.
Pictured here during the Conference 4A Division 2 state championship in Texas last December, Qui Beck of Carthage committed to Texas A&M in July. (PHOTO: Robbie Rakestraw)
Offense
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 160
Status: Committed to Sacramento State |
Class: Senior (2026)
Caught
38 passes for 562 yards and five touchdowns. Has played on varsity
since eighth grade and has 172 career catches for 3,337 yards and 39
touchdowns.
WR — Jase Mathews, Greene County (Leakesville, Miss.)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 182
Status: Committed to Auburn |
Class: Senior (2026)
Caught 68 passes for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.
WR — Keeyun Chapman, Jackson (Ala.)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 195
Status: Committed to North Carolina |
Class: Senior (2026)
Reeled in 51 passes for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns.
TE — Kaiden Prothro, Bowdon (Ga.)
Height: 6-6 |
Weight: 210
Status: Committed to Georgia |
Class: Senior (2026)
One
of the top all-around athletes in the country, Prothro also excels in
basketball and baseball. Last year he caught 56 passes for 1,203 yards and 22
touchdowns.
OL — Kelvin Obot, Fruitland (Idaho)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 265
Status: Committed to Utah |
Class: Senior (2026)
Named to the Class 4A All-State team as a junior.
OL — Evan Goodwin, Bauxite (Ark.)
Height: 6-7 |
Weight: 325
Status: Committed to SMU |
Class: Senior (2026)
One of the largest offensive tackles in the Class of 2026 and the No. 2 overall player in the state by 247Sports.
OL — Emanuel Tucker, New Albany (Miss.)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 290
Status: Committed to LSU |
Class: Senior (2026)
The top-ranked offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi by 247Sports and the No. 11 overall player in the state.
OL — Andrew Trout, Rocori (Cold Spring, Minn.)
Height: 6-6 |
Weight: 295
Status: Committed to Minnesota |
Class: Senior (2026)
Made the Associated Press All-State second team last year and is the No. 3 overall player in the state by 247Sports.
OL — Sully Garvin, Allegan (Mich.)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 300
Status: Not committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
Named to the Class 5 All-State team last year by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.
QB — Landon Duckworth, Jackson
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 195
Status: Committed to South Carolina |
Class: Senior (2026)
Ranked
as the No. 6 quarterback in the country and the No. 3 player in the
state of Alabama by 247 Sports, Duckworth was a Class 4A All-State
choice last year. He completed 162 of 243 passes for 3,439 yards and 39
touchdowns.
RB — K.J. Edwards, Carthage (Texas)
Height: 5-10 |
Weight: 180
Status: Committed to Texas A&M |
Class: Senior (2026)
Edwards was MVP of the state championship game
last year. He ran for 1,789 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. He
also had 1,706 yards as a sophomore and 535 yards as a freshman.
RB — Ezavier Crowell, Jackson
Height: 5-11 |
Weight: 205
Status: Committed to Alabama |
Class: Senior (2026)
Reclassified
from the Class of 2027, Crowell now ranks as one of the top running
backs in the Class of 2026. He earned all-state honors last year while
rushing 168 times for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns.
K — Jonathan Hewitt, Eaton (Ohio)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 175
Status: Committed to Boston College |
Class: Senior (2026)
Ranked
as one of the nation's top kickers by 247Sports, Hewitt connect on
7 of 13 field goals last year and 10 of 14 as a sophomore. He made 38 of
39 extra points as a junior.
DefenseDL — Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley (Ala.)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 220
Status: Committed to Auburn |
Class: Senior (2026)
A
two-way standout at Wadley, Wilkes had 104 tackles on defense as a
sophomore and 117 tackles with 18 tackles for loss as a junior. As a
running back, he rushed for 1,792 yards on 174 carries with 22
touchdowns as a sophomore and 2,582 yards with 37 touchdowns as a
junior. He has 6,635 yards rushing in his career with 78 touchdowns.
DL — Zach Groves, East Robertson (Cross Plains, Tenn.)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 225
Status: Committed to Tennessee |
Class: Senior (2026)
Earning all-state honors as a junior, Groves had 65 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and four sacks.
DL — Danny Beale III, Cross County (Cherry Valley, Ark.)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 315
Status: Not committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
A Class 2A All-State pick as a junior, Beale is ranked by 247Sports as the top overall prospect in the state of Arkansas.
DL — Demetrius Wilson, Jackson
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 295
Status: Not committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
An all-state selection as a junior, Wilson posted 81 tackles last year with four sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
LB — Qui Beck, Carthage
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 215
Status: Committed to Texas A&M |
Class: Senior (2026)
Ranked
as one of the top linebackers in Texas, Beck had 102 tackles as a
junior with 21 tackles for loss, five sacks and two defensive
touchdowns. He had 132 tackles as a sophomore with six sacks.
LB — Carson Crawford, Carthage
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 215
Status: Not committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
Joins
Beck at linebacker giving Carthage a tremendous duo behind the line on
defense. He had 91 tackles as a junior with 22 tackles for loss, nine
sacks and two defensive touchdowns.
LB — Kaegan Ash, Mt. Enterprise (Texas)
Height: 5-11 |
Weight: 205
Status: Committed to Texas Tech |
Class: Senior (2026)
An
all-around athlete, Ash triple jumps 49-3.25 feet and also averaged
16.1 points per game in basketball. He rushed for 1,960 yards last year
and added 49 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
DB — Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry (McDonald, Pa.)
Height: 5-11 |
Weight: 190
Status: Committed to Penn State |
Class: Senior (2026)
A
two-time all-state player, Siege rushed for 1,804 yards and passed for
1,340 yards last year in leading Fort Cherry to a WPIAL championship. In
his career, he has rushed for 6,211 yards and passed for 4,231 for a
combined total of 10,442 yards. He also has scored 110 career
touchdowns. He has committed to playing defensive back at Penn State.
DB — Jaedyn Terry, Manchester (Ga.)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 175
Status: Committed to Georgia Tech |
Class: Senior (2026)
Terry made the All-State team last year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
DB — Trae Stevenson, Brooks County (Quitman, Ga.)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 180
Status: Committed to Georgia Tech |
Class: Senior (2026)
Stevenson earned all-state honors and racked up 74 tackles with four interceptions.
DB — Jamarrion Gordon, Jackson
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 185
Status: Not committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
Made the all-state team after posting 39 tackles and grabbing three interceptions.
P — Sawyer Tackett, Beaverhead County (Dillon, Mont.)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 185
Status: Not Committed |
Class: Senior (2026)
One of the top returning punters in the nation, Tackett averaged 41.9 yards per punt.
AP — Roman Voss, Jackson County Central (Jackson, Minn.)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 225
Status: Committed to Minnesota |
Class: Senior (2026)
A
standout basketball player, Voss had over 1,000 career points by his
sophomore season. He is the top-ranked football player in the state by
247Sports. He threw for 1,486 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior.
