NICEVILLE — With the 2025 season in the books and spring workouts on the horizon, the Emerald Coast’s next wave of stars is already coming into focus.
From reigning Mid Bay News Players of the Year to proven quarterbacks, explosive running backs and defensive tone-setters, these 10 athletes headline the players we’re most excited to watch when the 2026 high school football season kicks off.
The defending Mid Bay News Offensive Player of the Year, Gilyard, looks to enter his sophomore year as one of the most exciting players to watch in 2026. Ending the 2025 campaign as one of the Emerald Coast’s leading rushers, behind Destin RB Junior Harris, Gilyard had 223 carries, 1,211 yards on the ground and 14 scores. Gilyard also ended his first year with two offers (Florida State and South Florida) and looks to pick up more as he continues to progress.
The defending Mid Bay News Defensive Player of the Year, Rooney, enters 2026 as the de facto leader of a Seahawks team looking to get one game better than last year’s second-round playoff loss to Pensacola Catholic. Rooney led the team with 100 tackles and had two blocked field goals and a blocked punt. Look for him to end his high school career with either the same or increased production.
Leading the South Walton offense entering his final year will be second-year starter JD Wells. Wells, who completed 64% of his passes in 2025, looks to also take a step forward in 2026 despite losing two of his three targets he looked to the most in 2025 (WR Grant Gilmore and Max Baker). The question will be whether Carter Hawk, Gabe Parenton, and Roman Cartee also take a step up next year to replace that loss of production for another playoff run.
After losing almost all of the offensive production from the year prior, 2025 was a rebuilding year for the Braves’ offense and was year one for QB Whitton West, who took the reins after replacing QB Wells Bettenhousen. West completed 57% of his passes and will look to improve in 2026 for another playoff run. Unlike his rival in the south, leading target Elijah Odom will return for another year as a reliable pass catcher to help guide Walton High to a winning record.
Freeport QB Carter Nunes and RB Dylan Louthain look to return to Freeport with something to prove in 2026 after a disappointing end to the 2025 season. Freeport started hot last season, jumping out to a 4-0 record, before ending the season on a 1-5 run. The big question mark will be how Freeport adjusts to the loss of TE Julius Miles and which one of the six returning pass catchers steps up to replace a receiver who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last year.
With district reshuffling going into 2026, the players on the radars of the Crestview and Niceville coaching staffs are two phenomenal running backs who will join District 1-5A.
Starting with Tate RB Tanner Clark, who will return with the Aggies for his junior year. Having 1,560 yards in 2025, Clark took over QB duties after replacing QB Miles Delarosa due to injury and led the team to the FIT 4A-7A championship game.
Also joining the district is Pace RB Makael Williams, who was probably the best running back in 2025 if you asked around the Mid Bay News office. On pace for a 2,000-yard season, Williams finished with 1,529 yards in a year after missing three games due to injury. Williams returns in 2026 for his swan-song season behind an offensive line that will only have to replace one player.
It was an impressive task following Choctaw standout Cole Tabb, but after two years as RB1 for Big Green, Von Keller looks like he handled that role perfectly. Through two years as a starter, Keller already has 2,523 yards with an average of 5.8 per carry. 2026 is shaping up to be another excellent year for him, as long as he stays injury-free. If he stays healthy, he will be the perfect complement to a team looking to find its rhythm under a new starting quarterback.
After taking the reins of the Bulldog offense in 2025, Tassin looks to take another step in his improvement in 2026, having one more offseason perfecting the option offense that caused teams headaches this past season, having over 1,000 yards of offense on the ground and through the air. Look for him to improve in the passing game this offseason, which will keep the Bulldogs in playoff contention all year long.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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