Meet the 18 Pensacola area midseason offensive standouts

In recent days, the PNJ has been rolling out midseason football coverage.

We started last week with top plays and continue today with power rankings and offensive standouts.

Several players from our preseason watchlists are on this midseason list too, while others are breakout stars who are finally taking advantage of a starting role at the varsity level.

Below are 18 Pensacola area high school football players standing out at the season's halfway point. Please note that players on this list are not guaranteed to be on the end of season all-area teams, but many on this list will be honored.

Zakavius Andrews, Pine Forest

Andrews moved from quarterback to running back this year and is a threat to score every team he touches the ball. He ran for a 96-yard touchdown against Booker T. Washington on Aug. 21 and scored a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage against South Walton on Sept. 25.

In the three games Pine Forest has uploaded to MaxPreps, the 5-foot-7-inch Andrews has 317 rushing yards and 105 receiving yards.

Charles Benson, Booker T. Washington

Benson has transferred from West Florida and thrived as a running back to complement a Wildcats passing game that has a litany of weapons. In the Wildcats first four games, he ran for 492 yards and four touchdowns on just 58 carries.

Jaylin Brown, Pensacola Catholic

Brown has taken a step forward from his junior year, completing 47 of his 77 passes for 833 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions and three rushing touchdowns. He's thrown for at least 158 yards and two touchdowns in four games, including nine touchdowns on just 22 completions in the last three games.

EJ Bryant, Tate

Bryant has emerged as the Aggies top wide receiver following the transfer of Noah Calderon to Choctawhatchee. He's been a big play threat all fall, totaling 514 yards and seven touchdowns on just 23 catches.

Ethan Crandall, Pensacola Catholic

Crandall has been the thunder to Brown's lightning in the Crusaders backfield. He's run for 729 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 99 carries, hitting the 100-yard mark and scoring a touchdown in five of six games.

Javontae Gray, Escambia

The Gators offense has struggled this year, but Gray has emerged as a big-play target. He had 229 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just 10 catches through Escambia's first three games.

Donnelle Gulley, Pensacola Catholic

Despite also playing on defense, Gulley has almost matched his production from 2025. After finishing with 331 receiving yards and eight touchdowns a year ago, the senior has 329 yards and five touchdowns, averaging just under 22 yards a catch in the Crusaders first six games.

Peyton Johns, Navarre

The sophomore quarterback has been a bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the Raiders. He's completed 83 of 140 passes for 931 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions and run for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Johns threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and a touchdown against Booker T. Washington on Aug, 28 and threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns against Niceville on Sept. 11.

Jacob Perkins, Pensacola

Perkins has been beating teams with his arms and his legs, leading a Tigers squad that's improved markedly from the start of the season. The junior signal caller's completed 54 of 105 passes for 654 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions and run for 361 yards and two touchdowns.

Tyson Phifer, Northview

The sophomore is literally a threat to score every time he touches the ball for the Chiefs. He carried the ball just 44 times in the first five games, but picked up 574 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He's only caught five passes, but recorded 121 yards and touchdowns.

Going back to last year, Phifer has 70 combined carries and receptions in his varsity career, but they've gone for 998 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Cade Pierce, Tate

Pierce has thrived since transferring from Milton to state at the start of 2026. He's completed 45 of 84 passes for 799 yards, 10 touchdowns and an interception, bringing desperately needed offense to the Aggies offense after they struggled with quarterback injuries last fall.

Ethan Pittman, Tate

After being the Aggies No. 2 backfield option as a junior, Pittman has thrived as the No. 1 ball carrier as a senior and already passed his stats from last year. He ran for 708 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 and has run for 752 yards and six touchdowns in just six games in 2026.

Korden Randle, Pine Forest

The Tulane commit has been arguably the area's best receiver so far this fall. Standing an imposing 6'4 and 220 pounds, Randle recorded 14 receptions for 317 yards and four touchdowns through the Eagles first four games.

Jacorie Thomas, Pine Forest

Thomas's growth at quarterback has turned the Eagles offense from dysfunctional in 2025 to dynamic in 2026. He threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Crestview, and is elusive and slippery when extending the play as well.

Brooks Washington, Pace

The senior remains a dangerous dual threat quarterback for the Patriots. He's completed 25 of 50 passes for 365 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, run for 359 yards and a touchdown and even caught an 82-yard touchdown in Pace's win over Wakulla on Sept. 11.

Makael Williams, Pace

Williams remains the engine for the Patriots offense as a senior, running for 653 yards and 11 touchdowns on 94 carries while also catching five passes for 122 yards. The South Alabama commit isn't just hitting the hole and ripping off long runs. He's weaving his way around defenders, dragging would-be tacklers with him and picking up hard-earned yards on wildcat direct snaps.

Caleb Willoughby, Pensacola

Willoughby is taking advantage of his transfer from Scott St to Maxwell St, running for 664 yards and six touchdowns in the Tigers first six games. He had his best performance of the season in PHS's last game, running for a season-high 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-24 loss to Bay on Sept. 25.

Jaymes Youngblood, Jay

Youngblood is the Royals bellcow again as a senior. He started the season by running for 256 yards and four touchdowns against Baker and has run for 663 yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Meet the 18 Pensacola area midseason offensive standouts