Back-to-back State Runner-Up Jefferson Dragons are poised for yet another new challenge. The DNA is still intact, but for a second straight season, the Dragons will undergo an overhaul on the depth chart. That’s the thing about Travis Noland’s Jefferson teams though – they re-tool quickly and emerge every year as a legit contender.

Clemson signee and 4-star LB Max Brown returns after missing most of last season due to an ACL injury, though his play on both sides of the ball isn’t clear (will he continue to play at RB?). The emergence of Dylan and Jacob Berardinelli (200+ total tackles) is HUGE, and CJ Hays at RB (844 yds, 8 TD). Someone will need to step into the roles of QB Colton Grant (1,400 total yds, 20 TD) and Darren Pinkard (900+ yds, 10 TD). Eli Primm, Griffin Drake, and Boone Horn all could play bigger roles. The lines will need to be rebuilt as well, and kicker Taylor McCall also graduates and leaves a big void. Look for the Dragons to answer those questions quickly, and be in good shape during the summer.

Jefferson has announced its 2026 Schedule. We dissect the slate, going game-by-game with our way-too-early predictions for the regular season. The following insight depends heavily on the known – returning or departing players, incoming players we know of, etc. The unknown is the other side of the same coin – some unknown up-and-coming middle school talent, JV standouts, move-ins, etc.