Class A  12. Mason Mehta, TE-DE, Lincoln Southeast. 6-3, 225. Bench - 300, Squat - 405, 40 - 4.75. In the early going, he holds four D-1 offers,

An anchor for last year's state runner-up team, Sidney's Anderson Smelley (64) is Huskerland's No. 12 Class C-1 senior for 2026.

ON3 - Anderson Smelley, Sidney

Huskerland Preps

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 12s

Overview  They made history in 2025, and they made it look easy. In just the program’s third year of varsity football, Gretna East reached last

Gretna East will again be in the thick of the Class B state title chase, thanks to the return of guys like these: (front row, left to right) Caden Boyer (55), Quentin Malone (23), Quinn Bera (4); (back, l-r) Carver Fritchen (0), Kamden Korth (9), Logan Wilson (76), and Chase Grow (15).

ON3 - Gretna East 7

Class B No. 2: Gretna East

Bellevue East CHIEFTAINS  Returning five starters on both sides of scrimmage, the Chieftains will be in pursuit of their first playoff berth since

Like every year, there are several teams which could make ol' Huskerland Bob look a bit foolish with his preseason rankings. Zack Wolfe (80) and his Elkhorn North team, there's one...

ON3 - Zach Wolfe, Elkhorn North

Complete Class A Team Previews: Part 3

Overview  Things haven’t quite yet quieted down in the kitchen, not after Sidney went and baked up a 12-1 season which, like yeast might, raised

Sidney's been awful good lately. Guys like senior all-stater Rhys Dorcey (22) plan to keep it that way.

ON3 - Rhys Dorcey, Sidney 221

Class C-1 No. 2: Sidney

Overview  Back in Class D-1, the Elmwood-Murdock Knights return six starters on offense and five on defense from last year’s 8-2 Class D-2 state

Once again, Elmwood-Murdock Football will feature some top shelf players, the leader of the pack being senior all-state candidate Brody Marsh (22).

ON3 - Brody Marsh, Elmwood-Murdock 2025

Elmwood-Murdock Back in D-1, Will Be Good

Overview  You could make a case, a strong one, at the end of the season Yutan was playing the best ball of about any team in Class C-2, reaching the

At the wheel of what will once again by a very dynamic Yutan offense will senior all-district QB Nathan Daniell (4). And he's got plenty of help...

ON3 - Nathan Daniell, Yutan 2025

Class C-2 No. 2: Yutan

Overview  A stirring, and overpowering, stretch drive boosted Crofton into last year’s state final before the Warriors lost to undefeated Sandy

Lots of great players on the Crofton football roster again in 2026, with senior all-stater Grant Jordan (9) one of its key leaders.

ON3 - Grant Jordan, Crofton 9

Class D-1 No. 2: Crofton

Overview  It’s been a pretty great couple of football seasons at Shelby-Rising City, where the Huskies have won 18 of their last 21 games, including

Back to lead another outstanding Shelby-Rising City football team will be (front row, left to right) Layne Donner (45), Logan Pospisil (74), Carter Eickmeier (0); (back, l-r) Jett Vrbka (12), and Dylan Micek (8).

ON3 - Shelby-Rising City 5

Class D-2 No. 2: Shelby-Rising City

Class A  13. Hunter Allen, OL, Millard South. 6-2, 275. Bench - 335, Squat - 500, 40 - NA. Such immense strength and so agile (4.57 pro agility),

A tough, physical runner, Burwell senior Drew Dawe (30) is Huskerland's No. 13-rated senior in Class D-3.

ON3 - Drew Dawe, Burwell 30 Rush

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 13s

Pleasanton BULLDOGS     If Pleasanton is going to pull off the kind of season it might, then senior all-state candidate Sam Smith will need to have

If Pleasanton is going to pull off the kind of season it might, then senior all-state candidate Sam Smith will need to have a big year. You know, like last year.

ON3 - Sam Smith, Pleasanton MUG

Complete Team-by-Team District Preview: D3-3

Lewiston TIGERS     There is a coaching change at Lewiston, and also five starters back on both sides of the ball from last year ‘s 5-4 state

Sure seems to me there are great things ahead for Diller-Odell football in 2026, mostly because these guys are back: (left to right) Drake Day, Cale Clifford, Peyton Humphreys and, Xavier Zabokrtsky

ON3 - Diller-Odell 4

Complete District Team-by-Team Previews: Six-Man, District 1

Overview  It was an incredible season of football at St. Mary’s last season, the Cardinals winning their first 12 in a row, and finishing as Class

Not many better eight-man linemen that St. Mary's senior Dalton Herley (34). Not many better eight-man teams than St . Mary's.

ON3 - Dalton Herley, St. Mary's

Class D-3 No. 2: St. Mary's

Overview  Defending state champion. For the first time in program history, Garden County is a defending state champion. Pretty sweet, and it was an

ON3 - Kole Fornander, Garden County 4 - Copy

His numbers are plenty good, but it's his toughness and leadership which has helped Garden County senior Kole Fornander (4) become the elite Six-Man player that he is. Leader of the defending state champs, too.

Six-Man No. 2: Garden County

Class A  14. Evan Robinson, TE-LB, Millard North. 6-2, 225. Bench - 315, Squat - 500, 40 - 4.58. One of the biggest newsmakers of the offseason,

One of the more decorated linemen in eight-man football, Arapahoe senior Trey Downey (50) is Huskerland's No. 14 rated senior in Class D-2.

ON3 - Trey Downey, Arapahoe 50

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 14s

Overview  This could interesting. The North Bend Central Tigers return eight starters on offense and seven on defense from last year’s 3-6 team, in

Team leaders for what sure looks like a rising North Bend Central football program include (front row, left to right) Koda Baehr (22), Reid Karnatz (13), Ethan Oden (6); (back, l-r) Sam Beebe (70) and Drew Sterup (9).

ON3 - North Bend Central 5

UPDATED: NBC Appears Ready for Prime Time

Overview  Here’s one of your top contenders to winning Class A. Last season the Mustangs reached the playoff quarterfinals, finishing 5-6, with two

Husker commit Matt Erickson (79) is among a bevy of high-end talents dotting the Millard North football roster. The Mustangs will be a strong contender for the 2026 Class A state title.

ON3 - Matt Erickson, Millard North

Class A No. 3: Millard North

Class A  15. Ty Bouaphakeo, QB, Bennington. 5-10, 185. Other stats NA. A dynamic playmaker for a premier Class B program, his game should translate

One of the most complete players in any class - and that's sayin' something - Wisner-Pilger's Jaxon Knoell (6) is our No. 15 senior in Class D-2.

ON3 - Jaxon Knoell, Wisner-Pilger

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 15s

Overview  Winning at least one playoff game for the 14th time in 16 seasons, Skutt Catholic finished 8-3 last season, reaching the Class B playoff

Helping lead the way for another very talented Skutt Catholic team in 2026 will be (front row, l-r) Lucas Heller (81), Luke Pierson (44), Wyatt Liebentritt (2); (back, l-r) Will Trofholz (56), Beckham Werner (8), and Ryan Carr (4).

ON3 - Skutt Catholic 6

Class B No. 3: Skutt Catholic

Overview  Despite the departure of one of the most accomplished classes in school history, the Bluejays aren’t going anywhere, not with five

Among the team leaders for a veteran 2026 Ashland-Greenwood team will be (left to right) Sam Mundt (2), Rogan Cerveny (6), Barrett Kitrell (54), Andrew Beranek (55), and Liam Curtis (3).

ON3 - Ashland-Greenwood 5

Class C-1 No. 3: Ashland-Greenwood

Overview  One of the bigger shockers of the offseason was the coaching change at Cedar, where former head coach Chad Cattau, who led the program to

Back for a second year as the team's QB1, junior Grady Haberer (10) will help lead what will again be one of C-2's best teams.

ON3 - Grady Haberer, Cedar Catholic 10

Class C-2 No. 3: Cedar Catholic

Class A  16.  Colin Raybourne, QB, Papillion-LaVista South. 6-3, 195. Other stats NA. Split time at quarterback for the defending Class A state

A versatile football, and athlete who is coming into his own, Scottsbluff's Daniel Young - check out those state track results! - is our No. 16 senior in Class B.

ON3 - Daniel Young, Scottsbluff MUG

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 16s

Overview  It’s got a real chance to be something special at Sutton this season, as the Mustangs return seven starters on both offense and defense

Spin it, DJ! DJ Hajny (3) that is, one of the large crop of talented seniors who will boost Sutton into a long postseason run, or so it says here.

ON3 - DJ Hajny, Sutton 3 - BETTER

Class D-1 No. 3: Sutton

1. Archangels Catholic DEFENDERS    The top floor is mighty crowded in D-3, but leave room for the Defenders, who return three starters on both

Senior leader Luke Guenther (1) will be a key figure in the GACC attack, as the Bluejays battle their way through the D3-3 district.

ON3 - Luke Guenther, GACC

Full Team-by-Team District Previews: D3-3

With a Division I scholarship in his longer range plans, currently Elkhorn North's Zach Wolfe (80) is Huskerland's No. 17-rated senior in Class A,

With a Division I scholarship in his longer range plans, currently Elkhorn North's Zach Wolfe (80) is Huskerland's No. 17-rated senior in Class A, entering the 2026 season.

2026 Huskerland Top 225 Seniors: The 17s

Overview  It was pretty huge news, not gonna lie, as over the off-season state champion head coach Kevin Dodson retired from his coaching duties.

ON3 - Xavier Pieper, North Platte St. Pat's

Tough and talented senior Xavier Pieper (21) is 100 percent healthy for the 2026 season, which is 100 percent bad news for the Irish opposition.

Huskerland Preps News