10 local players to watch for as high school football season nears
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Aug. 4—Fall camp for high school football is in full swing.
While some teams began practice last week, the rest began on Monday as it's now less than three weeks away from the first game of the season.
As the season draws near, here's a look at 10 players to watch this year:
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Aidan Davis, Austin senior running back
Going into last season, the question wasn't just who would be Austin's next star running back, but who would be the running back period. Those questions were quickly answered when Aidan Davis, a junior who was playing football for the first time since eighth grade, took over and rushed for 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now with a season of experience and an offseason of becoming a more complete running back, Davis is expected to take a big step in 2026.
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Jack Eubanks, Priceville senior athlete
Jack Eubanks was a first-team, All-State defensive back with 101.5 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks and an interception. He also split time at multiple positions on offense, passing for 181 yards, rushing for 289 yards and catching 13 passes for 138 yards with 10 total touchdowns. First-year head coach Austin Burke, who was promoted from defensive coordinator, said Eubanks will continue to be a leader on defense while also taking on a bigger role at quarterback this season.
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Austin Campbell, Athens senior linebacker
Austin Campbell is one of the few returning starters that Athens has this season, but he is an important one. A three-year starter at linebacker, Campbell had 107 total tackles and two tackles for loss last season. Head coach Cody Gross said he will be a key leader for a young Golden Eagles' team this season.
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Kayne McClure, East Lawrence senior athlete
A Division One prospect, Kayne McClure has been a do-it-all player for the Eagles since his freshman year. Last season he rushed for 1,362 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also passing for 646 yards and five touchdowns. On defense he had 123 tackles with three interceptions, two tackles for loss and two sacks.
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Holland Hurley, Hartselle senior linebacker
Hartselle is known for its defensive play and the Mike linebacker position, which calls the signals for the defense and is an important part of that defense. The last two years the Tigers moved a player from outside linebacker to Mike linebacker and it resulted in All-State honors both times. Now it's Holland Hurley's turn after the senior had 72 tackles and two tackles for loss last season.
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Cole Stuart, Decatur Heritage junior offensive lineman
Decatur Heritage played more players sophomore or younger than juniors and seniors last year in head coach Rich Dutton's first year. Cole Stuart was one of the lone upperclassmen last year and after grading at 88% as a blocker last season, he's a key returner for a team looking to substantially improve on last year's 1-9 season.
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Cole Drinkard, Brewer junior quarterback/linebacker
Cole Drinkard was third in the area in passing last year as just a sophomore in 10 games, finishing with 1,758 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also rushing for 201 yards and five touchdowns. He also led the team in tackles with 58 and had five tackles for loss.
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Daniel Taylor Jr., Hatton senior athlete
Daniel Taylor Jr. Taylor was a second-team, All-State defensive back last season with 107 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and three interceptions. He also had four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns on offense. Taylor could be poised to see an increased role on offense this season in addition to his role on defense.
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Cooper Wales, Elkmont junior receiver
Cooper Wales was an honorable-mention, All-State choice last season as a sophomore and the only receiver in the area to eclipse 1,000 yards. He finished the season by catching 65 passes for 1,018 yards and 18 touchdowns.
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Jordan Taylor, West Morgan senior running back/linebacker
Two years ago West Morgan had to replace a Decatur Daily Player of the Year and All-State running back in Jalen Fletcher and now the Rebels have to replace another in MaCarri Johnson. Jordan Taylor didn't become eligible until the second-to-last game of last season due to AHSAA transfer rules but he instantly made an impact by starting at outside linebacker and coming up with the game-winning sack against Deshler in a game that earned the Rebels their third consecutive region championship and undefeated regular season. Taylor is expected to play at outside linebacker again this season but he's also expected to be one of the players tasked with filling the void left by Johnson.
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
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