Vote now: Texas 6A high school football program most likely to win 2023 state title?

We gathered the top teams in Texas's biggest classification. Which one is most likely to win state in 2023?

Which Texas (UIL) Class 5A state contender rises above the rest?

The high school football season is here in the Lone Star State and SBLive is taking an in-depth look at the best teams and players in Texas.

First, we looked at the top 20 small-school programs — UIL Class 2A, 3A, 4A and TAPPs — in the Lone Star State. Now we're moving to the bigger classifications. We identified 20 state contenders in Class 5A and ranked them in order entering the 2023 season.

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MORE TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL:

>> SBLive Texas Power 25 high school football rankings (Week 2)

>> Who should be SBLive's Texas Offensive Football Player of Week 1?

>> Who should be SBLive's Texas Defensive High School Football Player of Week 1?

>> What is the best Texas small-school (2A/3A/4A/TAPPS) football powerhouse in 2023?

>> What is the best Texas high school football team in Class 5A?

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We identified 20 state contenders in Class 6A and ranked them in order entering the 2023 season. 

Now, we want to hear from you. Scroll down for the list of teams and go here for the read in-depth breakdowns each. Voting is open until Sept. 2 at 11:59 p.m.

TEXAS (UIL) CLASS 6A FOOTBALL TOP 20

Duncanville junior quarterback Keelon Russell / Photo by Tommy Hays

1. Duncanville Panthers 

[SBLIVE/SI NATIONAL RANKING — No. 6]

2022 RECORD

15-0

HEAD COACH

Reginald Samples

THREE TO SEE

Caden Durham, running back, sr. — Durham averaged 9.3 yards per carry last year, finishing with 1,960 and 36 touchdowns. Held offers from 35 schools but committed to LSU on Aug. 10.

Keelon Russell, quarterback, jr. — He threw for 2,377 yards and 22 touchdowns after moving into the starting role after an injury to then-starter Jameir Willis. Russell holds 11 D-I offers, including in-state schools Baylor, Houston, North Texas, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M and UTSA.

Colin Simmons, defensive end, sr. – The Class 6A defensive player of the year had 33 tackles for losses, 22.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures. Held more than 45 offers but picked Texas on Aug. 10.

DUNCANVILLE'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

It’s hard to argue with a team that went 15-0 and won the Class 6A Division I title last year. There are Division I players on both sides of the ball. The offense will return six starters, while the defense will have four back.

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2. DeSoto Eagles

[SBLIVE/SI NATIONAL RANKING — No. 13]

2022 RECORD

14-2

HEAD COACH

Claude Mathis

THREE TO SEE

Deondrae Riden, running back, jr. — As a sophomore, he rolled up 6.8 yards per carry, with 1,354 yards for the Eagles. He added 18 touchdowns for the Class 6A Division II champions. The four-star recruit holds more than 30 offers.

Darius 'DJ' Bailey, quarterback, sr. — He passed for 304 yards and 3 scores in the title game. Bailey, a Sam Houston State pledge finished the year with 3,870 yards passing with 45 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Brandon Booker, linebacker, jr. – The Stanford recruit was a first-team all-state pick last year. He had 144 tackles, 7 TFLs and four interceptions last year. He was originally a Baylor pledge.

DESOTO'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

District 11-6A is pretty loaded with DeSoto and Duncanville, the two defending Class 6A champions. DeSoto returns 11 starters from last year’s squad. The Eagles are 25-5 in the last two years and three of the five losses have come against Duncanville.

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3. Galena Park North Shore Mustangs 

[SBLIVE/SI NATIONAL RANKING — No.  14]

2022 RECORD

15-1

HEAD COACH

Willie Gaston

THREE TO SEE

Devin Sanchez, cornerback, jr. — Ranked as the No. 2 player in the state in the class of 2025. Recorded 4 interceptions last year

Kaleb Bailey, quarterback, jr. — He’s been a well-known name the past two years after taking over as a starter his freshman season and leading the Mustangs to a Class 6A-Division I title — earning offensive MVP honors during the title game. He threw for 713 yards and 9 touchdowns last year before an injury kept him out of the last 11 games.

LaVonte Johnson, safety, sr. — A transfer from C.E. King, he had 36 tackles and broke up 13 passes last year. Holds offers from 20 schools, including Big 12, Big Ten and SEC.

NORTH SHORE'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Mustangs have been a fixture in title games in recent years winning titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and coming up short last year against Duncanville. North Shore returns six starters on offense and five on defense and will be under a new head coach this year. Offensive coordinator Willie Gaston, whose unit averaged more than 44 points per game last year, was hired to replace Jon Kay, who went to Rice as an assistant coach. The Mustangs have lost only four games over the past five years.

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4. Austin Westlake Chaparrals

2022 RECORD

14-1

HEAD COACH

Tony Salazar

THREE TO SEE

Tyler Knape, offensive line, sr. — The three-star offensive lineman was an all-state pick last year. The offensive tackle helped pave the way for nearly 6,000 yards of total offense. He’s committed to California.

Jack Kayser, running back, sr. — He led the offense with 1,555 yards, with seven 100-yard-plus games and 27 touchdowns. Also added 255 yards and two scores and is the team’s top returning receiver in terms of yards and catches. The Army pledge is a two-time all-state pick.

Heath McRee, wide receiver, sr. — McRee made out of limited touches last year with 3 touchdowns on 7 catches and 215 yards. With three of the top four receivers graduating, the Houston pledge will play a bigger role.

WESTLAKE'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

Two of the five all-stater players from the Chaps are back this fall in Knape and Kayser. The powerhouse program reached the semifinals last year but saw its season and a 54-game winning streak end against North Shore. The Chaps return only eight starters total — three on defense — but will have more than 60 seniors on the roster for Salazar’s second year at the helm.

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5. Katy Tigers

2022 RECORD

14-1

HEAD COACH

Gary Joseph

THREE TO SEE

Daykus Brinkley, defensive end, sr. — He’s a newcomer to the Tigers, coming over from Katy Seven Lakes. The Kansas pledge had 47 tackles, 8 TFLs and 2 sacks last year.

Coen Echols, offensive line, sr. — The 285-pound lineman has pledged to play at Texas A&M, picking the Aggies from 28 different offers. Helped an offense that averaged 41.8 points per game last year.

Jed Olotu-Judah, defensive back, sr. — Had 52 tackles, 6 TFLS and one interception last year. A captain for the Tigers, he has offers from a handful of schools including Marshall, Texas State and Army.

KATY'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

Over the past five years, the Tigers have averaged 13 wins per year and lost only six times total in that span. Katy has won 15, 14 and 14 in the past three years, respectively with a state title in 2020 and semifinal runs in the past two years. It’s hard to not expect the Tigers to continue their success under a Texas High School Football Hall of Fame coach. There are nine starters back — including all-state punter Adam Carter — but five all-staters graduated.

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6. Austin Vandegrift Vipers 

2022 RECORD

14-2

HEAD COACH

Drew Sanders

THREE TO SEE

Deuce Adams, quarterback, sr. — A third-team all-state pick in Class 5A last year, he transfers from New Braunfels Canyon, where he threw for 3,007 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Louisville recruit will replace Brayden Buchanan, an all-state quarterback now playing baseball at Baylor.

Blake Frazier, offensive tackle, sr. — A soon-to-be three-year starter, he earned all-state honors last year for a team that ran for 121 yards and passed for 209 yards per game. The four-star recruit is committed to Michigan in April, set to play where his dad, Steve, won a national title in 1997.

Alex Foster, defensive back, sr. — He’s a returning all-stater for the Vipers and put up video-game-like numbers last year with 153 solo tackles and 207 total, according to Vandegrift stats. The Air Force pledge added five sacks, broke up six passes and forced three fumbles.

VANDEGRIFT'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Vipers have the right trajectory going after reaching the state finals for the first time in school history last year. While the outcome wasn’t what they wanted, the Vipers avenged its only loss of the season on the way to the title game by beating Dripping Springs in the quarterfinals. Vanedgrift returns 11 starters and has added transfers like Adams and Jacob Henry from Austin Lake Travis that will help fill the void of the departures.

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7. Spring Westfield Mustangs 

2022 RECORD

12-2

HEAD COACH

Matt Meekins

THREE TO SEE

Taji Atkins, running back, sr. — The Rice pledge racked up 1,292 yards and scored 16 touchdowns while crossing the end zone 9 times on 27 catches. Atkins had an 11.3-yard per-carry average last fall.

Bryson Balka, defensive end, sr. — The District 14-6A co-defensive player of the year last year had 73 tackles, 8 TFLs and 12 sacks.

Breylon Wyatt, linebacker, sr. — A two-time first-team all-district pick, he had 80 tackles, one sack and one interception last year.

WESTFIELD'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Mustangs have won 12 games the past two seasons and have reached 10 or more wins four of the past five years. Last year, the Mustangs had a 10-game winning streak that ended with regional finals against eventual state champion Duncanville. Westfield returns 11 starters this year.

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8. Humble Atascocita Eagles 

2022 RECORD

11-3

HEAD COACH

Craig Stump

THREE TO SEE

Zion Brown, quarterback, sr. — The Northwestern State pledge threw for 2,845 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Eagles. He added 829 yards and 10 scores while running the ball from out of the pocket.

Tory Blaylock, running back, jr. — The son of a former NFL player holds 30-plus offers from programs like Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon to name a few. He was the District 21-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year last fall.

Braylon Conley, cornerback, sr. — An all-district pick, he’s ranked as the No. 80 prospect in the state. Netted nearly 40 offers before picking Southern Cal in June.

ATASCOCITA'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

They are in a tough district with North Shore, losing to them twice last year  -- and twice in 2021 as well. The Eagles made the regional finals in three of the past four years. They return a total of 9 starters, but only three on the defensive side of the ball. Adding in a Division I transfer in senior Jelani Watkins (Klein Forest) will help the offense, adding a speedster that has won two 200-meter dash titles and is headed to LSU to play football.

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9. Southlake Carroll Dragons 

2022 RECORD

13-1

HEAD COACH

Riley Dodge

THREE TO SEE

Jacob Jordan, wide receiver, sr. — He led the team across the board in receiving last year with the most catches (67), yards (1,225) and touchdowns (16). The all-state pick holds offers from six schools, including Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Graham Knowles, quarterback, sr. — The Georgia Tech pledge played the last 11 games for the Dragons last year filling in for the injured Anderson. He threw for 1,864 yards passing with 18 touchdowns.

Dustan Mark. defensive end, sr. — The District 4-6A Defensive Player of the Year had 85 tackles and 14 sacks last season. The all-state pick holds an offer from Tulsa.

SOUTHLAKE CARROLL'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The name of the program one that evokes winning. Only once since 2004 has the Dragons won less than 10 games in a season. Carroll must replace four of the team’s six all-state picks from last year, but that is a process that has been done quite often. A total of 10 starters are back this fall — six on the offense — but lost another starter before this year even started when UIL ruled four-star running back Riley Wormley ineligible. He was expected to replace now Air Force running back Owen Allen.

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10. Denton Guyer Wildcats 

2022 RECORD 

14-1

HEAD COACH

Reed Heim

THREE TO SEE

Josiah Martin, wide receiver, sr. — He was a top target last year for Jackson Arnold with 60 catches for 878 yards and nine touchdowns. Committed to Boston College

Eli Bowen, defensive back, sr. — The younger brother of 4-star recruit Peyton Bowen (now at Oklahoma), the younger Bowen had 29 tackles, 6 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown. Garnered interest from Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M among his 20-plus offers.

Caleb Darthard, linebacker, sr. — The first-team all-district pick had 100 tackles, 12 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 defensive touchdowns last year.

GUYER'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Wildcats have reached the state finals or the state semifinals in the last four years, last year falling to DeSoto in the semifinals. They will have a lot of new faces this fall and five of the team’s six all-state picks graduated — the exception was defensive lineman Pelumi Olanipekun. Losing the national player of the year in Arnold, now at Oklahoma, leaves big shoes to fill in. However, having a Division I wide receiver back and a 1,000-yard back in Trey Joyner III will help. Only 7 total starters are back — three on offense and four on defense.

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11. Prosper Eagles 

2022 RECORD

13-2

HEAD COACH

Tyler Moore

THREE TO SEE

Nathan TenBarge, quarterback, sr. — He was the backup quarterback last year to Harrison Rosar, who is now playing baseball at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College but threw for 3,278 yards and 43 scores last year. TenBarge threw for 160 and two scores in Iimited action but also had 25 catches for 420 yards and five touchdowns.

Luke Jackson, running back/defensive tackle, sr. — Scored six touchdowns running the ball, but was a first-team District 5-6A pick on the line with 93 tackles, 9 TFLs, six sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. Holds offers from Northwestern Oklahoma State and East Central (Oklahoma).

Jonah McClendon, offensive line/linebacker, sr. — A three-year starter for the Eagles, he has 81 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, 15 TFL and two forced fumbles last year.

PROSPER'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Eagles reached the semifinals last year and prior to that, three straight berths in the regional finals. This year, former offensive coordinator Tyler Moore moves into the head coaching gig. The offense generated 44 points per game last year and returns six starters. The defense returns five starters from a team that yielded 16 points per game.

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12. The Woodlands Highlanders 

2022 RECORD

10-3

HEAD COACH

Jim Rapp

THREE TO SEE

Mabrey Matteauer, quarterback, sr. — The future Wisconsin Badger threw for 2,69 yards and 32 touchdowns last fall. He added nine scores and 613 yards on the ground as well for the Highlanders.

Cayden Clayton, linebacker, sr. — He’s a monster in the weight room, setting a program record in power clean with 355 pounds lifted in April. On the field, he had 64 tackles last year with five sacks.

Kiandrea Barker, running back, jr. — The No. 1 recruit in Arkansas moved to The Woodlands this spring. The Penn State pledge accounted for 1,225 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns last year.

THE WOODLANDS' CASE FOR STATE TITLE

Two of the three losses last year were against teams in the title game: Duncanville and Galena Park North Shore. Over the past three seasons, the Highlanders have gone from 5 to 8 to 10 wins. They reached the regional semifinals for the first time since 2019 last year. The team returns 12 starters, a bulk of them on the offensive side of the ball with eight back — plus the addition of Barker. All-state punter Scott Starzyk is also back.

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13. Lewisville Fighting Farmers 

2022 RECORD

12-2

HEAD COACH

Michael Odle

THREE TO SEE

Viron Ellison, running back, sr. — Ellison ran for 1,504 yards with 15 touchdowns and helped Lewisville reach the quarterfinals in Class 6A Division I. Missouri, Colorado State, BYU, Tulsa are among the 11 schools that have offered a Division I scholarship.

Ethan Terrell, quarterback, sr. — The Jackson State pledge ran for 1,080 yards and 18 touchdowns and threw for 1,383 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s 23-4 as the starter.

Tony-Louis Nkuba, defensive back, sr. — He was a ball hawk last year with seven interceptions for a team that had 12 last season. He committed to Arizona State in May.

LEWISVILLE'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

They reached the regional finals for the first time since 1996 last season. The Farmers have been trending upwards under Idle, a quarterback on that 1996 squad that made the finals. In the past three years, Lewisville has won 30 games — compared to 33 games the 8 prior years. The offense will lead the squad with seven starters back out of the 10 returning on both sides of the ball.

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14. Cibolo Byron P. Steele Knights 

2022 RECORD

11-1

HEAD COACH

David Saenz

THREE TO SEE

Royal Capell, wide receiver, jr. — Hauled in 62 catches for 767 yards and six scores last year — all either first or tied for first on the Knights. He holds nearly a dozen offers to play at ACC, SEC or Big 12 schools. 

Chad Warner, quarterback, jr. — Was a first-team District 27-6A pick last year after throwing for 2,473 yards with 23 touchdowns and completing 68 percent of his passes.

Dontae Carter, defensive back, sr. — He had 63 tackles, seven interceptions, eight pass breakups and three forced fumbles last year. The three-star recruit Committed to Vanderbilt in July.

STEELE'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Knights have posted back-to-back 11-1 campaigns but the past two years have ended with a loss to an Austin school — Vandegrift in 2021 and Lake Travis in 2022 — in the area finals. There is 10 starters back for the Knights, equally split on both sides of the ball. The school has made the playoffs every year since 2007 — this should be no different.

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15. San Antonio Brennan Bears 

2022 RECORD

12-3

HEAD COACH

Stephen Basore

THREE TO SEE

Jason Love, running back, sr. — With a team replacing a starting quarterback, having Love back will help the transition. He ran for a team-high 615 yards and 13 touchdowns last fall.

Ryan Love, defensive back, sr. — Jason’s twin brother was a standout on the other side of the ball with 71 tackles and five interceptions. He was a District 29-6A first-team pick at safety last year.

Tristan Escobar, wide receiver/defensive back, jr. — Returned a punt and kickoff return for a score last year. On defense, finished with 108 tackles and recovered two fumbles.

BRENNAN'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

They picked up a rare win last year, becoming the first school from San Antonio to beat Lake Travis since 2004. That led to a quarterfinal berth but the Bears lost to Austin Westlake. The Bears, whohave posted 10 or more wins in six of the past 10 years, need to replace five all-state players and graduation hit hard on offense with only three back. Five of the eight starters back are on defense.

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16. Lake Travis Cavaliers 

HEAD COACH

7-5

HEAD COACH

Hank Carter

THREE TO SEE

Nico Hamilton, running back, sr. — Has drawn offers from 10 Division I programs and recently visited Air Force. He ran for 1,297 yards with 12 touchdowns in 10 games last year. 

Kaydn Leon, quarterback, sr. — A talented baseball pitcher with a fastball at 90 mph, he is also the quarterback for the Cavs. He threw for 1,338 yards and 22 touchdowns last year filling in for an injured Bo Edmundson.

Gavin McCullough, linebacker, sr. — Like Leon, he’s a solid pitcher. Playing football, he’s a hybrid safety/linebacker whose 61 tackles last year are the tops among returning players.

LAKE TRAVIS' CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The record isn’t as good as other teams on the list, but the Cavaliers were in most of the games last year. The only game they lost by more than two scores was to Brennan in the playoffs. The other losses were two possession (15) or fewer points. The close calls and returning 15 starters is a good starting point this year for Lake Travis. Traditionally, they have been a solid team from CenTex with 10 or more wins in 8 of the past 10 years — though the team only played 7 games in 2020. More than 350 kids came out for football this year.

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17. North Crowley Panthers 

2022 RECORD

12-1

HEAD COACH

Ray Gates

THREE TO SEE

Cornelius Warren, running back, jr. — He ran for 1,031 yards and 21 touchdowns and added three more scores and almost 400 yards receiving out of the backfield. The three-star recruit has picked up offers from Miami, Houston, Texas Tech and Utah.

Chris Jimerson, quarterback, jr. — He’s set to enter his third year starting. He threw for 2,217 yards and 27 touchdowns last year and secured an offer from national runner-up TCU in mid-June.

Sterlin Brooks, defensive line, sr. — At 6-2, 315 pounds, he’s a monster on the defensive front. He had seven quarterback hurries last year. A three-star recruit, he pledged to TCU in July.

NORTH CROWLEY'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

Last year was the third straight winning season for the Fort Worth school and the season ended in the Region 1 semifinals against Prosper. The team lost three all-state players but will have back six starters on both offense and defense. There are future Division I players dotting the roster on the line and at skill positions.

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18. Spring Klein Collins Tigers 

2022 RECORD

10-2

HEAD COACH

Adrian Mitchell

THREE TO SEE

Tucker Parks, quarterback, sr., — The all-district pick threw for 2,533 yards— completing 68% of his passes — with 31 touchdowns. The Western Kentucky pledge added 13 rushing touchdowns on the ground and 825 yards.

Chris Gant Jr., defensive back, sr. — He is the team’s returning tackler last year with 90 stops and three interceptions. Owns nearly a dozen of offers to play at the next level.

Donovan Baker, wide receiver, sr. — Will move into the WR1 slot held last year by Ethan Wyatt, who had 14 touchdowns. Baker had 31 catches, 608 yards and scored five times last year.

SPRING KLEIN COLLINS' CASE FOR STATE TITLE

After two down years — 10-10 in 2020 and 2021 — the Tigers went back to double-digit wins last year. A 7-0 start led to an area final berth and a loss by three to Spring Westfield. The Tigers will return 14 starters — seven on both sides of the ball. Returning an all-state quarterback is an excellent place to start for most teams wanting to compete.

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19. Cypress-Fairbanks Bobcats 

2022 RECORD

10-2

HEAD COACH

Jeff Miller

THREE TO SEE

Trey Owens, quarterback, sr. — He threw for 3,058 yards and 34 touchdowns — on his way to earning District 17-6A offensive MVP honors last year. The soon-to-be third-year starter committed to Texas in January.

Owen Carter, wide receiver, sr. — Owens will have a top target back in Carter, who had 51 catches for 992 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. He’s headed to Rice to play next year.

Landon Rink, defensive line, jr. — The 270-pound lineman had 51 tackles, 15 TFLs and five sacks last year. He holds 20 offers from schools like Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M, Penn State and Oregon.

CY-FAIR'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

In five of the past six seasons the team has won at least 10 games. Miller is 27-8 in his three years of the helm with a pair of 10-win seasons. Last year, the Bobcats reached the area final and lost to Katy Cinco Ranch by three. The two losses in 2022 were both by three points. Cy-Fair returns 13 total starters, with the offense having eight of these.

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20. Trophy Club Byron Nelson Bobcats 

2022 RECORD

11-2

HEAD COACH

Travis Pride

THREE TO SEE

David Kabongo, safety, sr. — He’s a three-star recruit that has seven interceptions in the past two years and recorded 64 tackles last year. He pledged to play at Oklahoma State in June.

Ashton Williams, safety, sr. — Another three-start defensive recruit, Williams put up 72 tackles, 9 TFLS and added three sacks last year for the Bobcats.

Eze Osondu, defensive end/linebacker, sr. — He had 39 tackles, 8 TFLs, seven sacks and one forced fumble while rotating between linebacker and defensive end. He has committed to California.

BYRON NELSON'S CASE FOR STATE TITLE

The Bobcats are another team with an upward trajectory going from one win in 2019, then 6, then 9 and 11 last season. Byron Nelson won the first games last year and lost to powerhouse Southlake Carroll and then to Denton Guyer in the playoffs. The offense lost 7 starters, headlined by Purdue quarterback Jake Wilson, but the top running back and the top four receivers are also gone from an offense that averaged 48 points per game. As many headlines as the offense made last year, the defense might do the same thing year with all 11 starters back. Four of them have committed to Division I programs, including transfer Jonathan Kabeya. The former Colleyville Heritage is headed to BYU.

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MORE TEAMS TO WATCH

Rockwall, Dripping Springs, Highland Park, Fort Bend Ride Point, Humble Summer Creek, Alvin Shadow Creek, Arlington Martin, Allen, New Caney.