Predicting 3A Division I Texas high school football district winners, sleepers

Malakoff looks to repeat as UIL Class 3A Division I champs

Jerrion Hall leads Malakoff past Franklin in the Texas (UIL) 3A state championship game in December 2023 at AT&T Stadium. / Photo by Tommy Hays, SBLive

The 2024 Texas high school football season is days away and SBLive is taking a look at the top teams, players and most compelling storylines across the state.

We're going district by district to break down which teams returning pack the biggest punch and which are flying under the radar, starting with 6A Part 1 and Part 2,5A Division I, 5A Division II, 4A Division I and 4A Division II.

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Here is the predicted district winner and a sleeper for UIL class 3A Division II Districts 1-16. Which team will win its respective district title? Which will make the most noise and grab one of the four playoff spots?

Malakoff enters the year looking to repeat as a state champion, something that hasn’t been done in this classification since Grandview repeated in 2018-19.

Scroll down for 3A Division I district picks.

3A DISTRICT 1

Winner: Bushland Falcons (11-2)

A regional semifinalist last year, the Falcons return 7 starters on defense. LB Jaxon Fetch had 146 tackles last year.

Sleeper: Amarillo River Road Wildcats (1-9)

Guaranteed playoff spot in a 4-team district, the Wildcats return 10 starters on both sides of the ball. Senior QB Alex Warren threw for 1,133 yards and 7 TDs last year. 

3A DISTRICT 2

Winner: Denver City Mustangs (6-4)

The Mustangs have won 6 games in the last 4 years and return 14 starters. 

Sleeper: Kermit Yellow Jackets (1-9)

Will get back to the playoffs in a 4-team district this year. OG/DT Aaron Rodriguez was all-district on both sides of the ball in 2023.

3A DISTRICT 3

Winner: Sweetwater Mustangs (7-5)

A Class 4A DII area finalist, the Mustangs drop down in class and return 9 starters on both sides of the ball. QB Caiden Ortiz threw for 2,304 yards and 20 TDs as a freshman. 

Sleeper: Breckenridge Buckaroos (4-6)

RB Sawyer Wimberley ran for 755 yards and 5 TDs last season and will lead an offense replacing a QB. 

3A DISTRICT 4

Winner: Paradise Panthers (12-2)

Ayden Winters had 846 yards and 7 TDs last year and is one of 4 returning starters. 

Sleeper: Peaster Greyhounds (4-7)

DE Xavier Wilson is one of 5 starters back on defense and is coming off recording 71 tackles, 14 TFL and 3 sacks in his junior season. 

3A DISTRICT 5

Winner: Grandview Zebras (11-2)

The Zebras have won 11 games the past two years and return 10 starters. 

Sleeper: Mexia Black Cats (3-7)

The offense returns 8 starters including junior RB Steven Milus, who ran for 1,155 yards and 13 TDs with a 7.2 yards per carry average. 

3A DISTRICT 6

Winner: Pottsboro Cardinals (9-3) 

QB Cayden Humphrey threw for 1,190 yards as a sophomore starter last fall. 

Sleeper: Dallas Madison Trojans (4-6)

There’s 15 starters back, including WR/DB Davonta Morgan-Collins, who had 4 INTs and 10 TDs. He holds a pair of Division II offers going into the season. 

3A DISTRICT 7

Malakoff poses after winning the UIL (Texas) 3A Division I state championship in December at AT&T Stadium. / Photo by Tommy Hays, SBLive

Winner: Malakoff Tigers (16-0)

The defending state champion returns 14 total starters. QB Mike Jones was the title game MVP and accounted for 45 touchdowns and more than 3,400 yards of offense in 2023. 

Sleeper: Mineola Yellow Jackets (4-6)

ATH Colton McMahon had more than 1,000 yards between rushing and receiving and 11 TDs. He’s one of 9 starters back on offense.

3A DISTRICT 8

Winner: Jefferson Bulldogs (7-3) 

As a freshman QB/LB Kobin Tomlinson had 116 tackles, 13 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF and 1 FR. 

Sleeper: Gladewater Bears (3-8)

As a sophomore, Carsin Cooper ran for 1,263 yards and 11 TDs. Cooper holds offers from UTSA and UTEP. He’s one of 9 starters back for the Bears’ offense. 

3A DISTRICT 9

Winner: Diboll Lumberjacks (9-3) 

After splitting time at QB last year, Brayden Wilson is one of 7 starters back on offense. 

Sleeper: Crockett Bulldogs (1-9)

After three straight losing seasons, the Bulldogs have 17 starters back this year — 10 on defense. LB Jim Carruthers was a first-team all-district pick. 

3A DISTRICT 10 

Winner: Anahauc Panthers (6-3) 

Transfer QB Brady Barrier threw for 2,115 yards and 20 TDs and ran for another for Rusk in 2023. He holds an offer from Central Michigan. 

Sleeper: Coldspring-Oakhurst Trojans (5-5)

RB Jayvious Parker ran for 1,824 yards and 22 TDs last year and is one of 8 returning starters. 

3A DISTRICT 11

Franklin takes the field against Malakoff in the UIL (Texas) 3A Division I state championship at AT&T Stadium in Dec. 2023. / Photo by Tommy Hays, SBLive

Winner: Franklin Lions (14-2)

RB/LB Jayden Jackson is one of the top backs in the state with back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons. He had 2,432 and 33 TDs last fall with a 9.6 yards per tote average. 

Sleeper: Troy Trojans (4-6)

After 2 wins in both 2021 and 2022, the Trojans made progress last year. QB Joseph McMurtry and WR Reed Ketcham are back after combining on 16 TDs last year. 

3A DISTRICT 12

Winner: Columbus Cardinals (12-1)

After 5 straight double-digit win totals, more is expected this year. Three-time all-state QB Adam Schobel, a TCU pledge, is back. 

Sleeper: Hempstead Bobcats (1-9)

In a 5-team district, two district wins will get you in. The Bobcats return all 11 offensive starters and 10 on defense. 

3A DISTRICT 13

Winner: Universal City Randolph Ro-Hawks (10-2)

The Ro-Hawks returns QB Collin Stucki as well as top RB Cody Howard and top WR Lee McMooain III. 

Sleeper: Marion Bulldogs (5-6) 

Eight starters are back on defense including LB Hadley Mote, who had 126 stops in 2023.

3A DISTRICT 14

Winner: Jourdanton Indians (11-1)

The Indians return 13 starters, including two-way standout Isaiah Lambert, an all-district pick at WR and DB.

Sleeper: Crystal City Javelinas (2-9) 

LB Jason Mendoza is one of 7 starters back on defense and recorded 124 tackles last year. 

3A DISTRICT 15

Winner: Goliad Tigers (10-3)

A defending district champion, the Tigers return 8 starters on both sides of the ball. RB Donovan Perry was the district offensive MVP last season. 

Sleeper: Orange Grove Bulldogs (7-5)

The Bulldogs drop down from Class 4A Division II. QB Logan Rodriguez had 49 TDs last year between passing and rushing. 

3A DISTRICT 16

Winner: San Diego Vaqueros (8-2)

The Vaqueros return district offensive MVP Tyler Saenz, one of 7 starters on offense. 

Sleeper: Rio Hondo Bobcats (6-5)

WR/LB Keyan Lopez had 829 yards and 13 TDs receiving and added 151 tackles and 2 INTs last fall. 

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Who are the 25 best teams in Texas, regardless of classification or association? Here are the SBLive Preseason Texas Power 25 rankings, as well as the 20 winningest active coaches entering the season.

We're taking a position-by-position look at the top players returning in the Lone Star State this fall, starting with 50 quarterbacks, 70 running backs, 40 wide receivers, 25 tight ends, 25 offensive linemen, 30 cornerbacks, 25 safeties and 45 linebackers.

Who are the most underrated teams in the Lone Star State entering the season? We're taking a look by region at the programs poised to out-perform expectations, starting with North Texas, Southeast Texas and Central Texas.

We examined offseason player movement and the 12 transfers that will have the biggest impact in the fall.

The Lone Star State is home to many of the country's top prospects. We examined the top 20 committed recruits in the state and where they're headed. And we narrowed down the 25 best uncommitted players in the state — and where they're at in their respective recruitments.

-- Cody Thorn | @sblivetx