It’s a brand new school year, which means Texas High School Football is right around the corner. This season, Jesuit will face a huge change in their schedule, as they will not face a single old opponent from 2025 and take on their biggest schedule since 2019. With that being said, here is the 2026 Jesuit football preview.
The Offense
The Jesuit offense for 2026 is looking much different than 2025, highlighted by J.P. Livingstone ’28 taking the helm for Jesuit and replacing Beck Berry as quarterback. During his time in 2025, he was able to showcase his agility, as well as an arm capable of making deep throws. Additionally, being on the varsity team in 2025 has prepared him to adjust to the setting of 2026 Texas High School Football.
Leading the wide receiver core will be Joseph Konings ’27, with Max Smith ’27 right behind him. Konings has shown versatility and athleticism, as he had some snaps on the defensive side last year, as well as some snaps as receiver, also having a solid game against Highland Park with four receptions and 71 yards total. Meanwhile, Smith had great speed last season, playing both as running back and wide receiver and racking up 233 total yards in 30 combined receptions and attempts. To round out the backfield for Jesuit, Ty Daboub ’27 will lead the running-back room with the help of Jud Harris ’27. Daboub racked up 326 yards on 58 attempts, highlighted by his three-touchdown game against Berkner on Halloween.
Last but not least, you have the offensive line. The offensive line, which has been highly praised this offseason, will be headlined by Ben Bumgardner ’28, Jackson Waguespack ’27, Barnaby Cox ’27, Lucca Martinelli ’27 and Erik Landis ’27. With a talented squad of juniors and seniors, this year’s offense looks to make a big impact and give fans plenty to be excited about on Friday nights.
“We are doing everything together. We got a great group of guys going and our leadership is very strong.”
– Offensive Lineman Jackson Waguespack ’27
The Defense
Now we switch to the other side of the ball. Up front are Duncan Blankenship ’28, Cole Johnson ’27 and Dean Gafford ’27. All three have proven their spots in the trenches through agility and IQ, not only on the football field, but in their other sports as well. On top of that, they also have plenty of experience at the varsity level. Behind them are Linebackers Simon McGoldrick ’27, Mack Murphy ’27 and Chase Brown ’27. These three compliment the defensive line with their versatility and athleticism to create a great blitz for Head Coach Brandon Hickman.
To the left and right of the linebackers and defensive line you have Cornerbacks Andres Vann ’27 and Jack Bourret ’27. The two may sound familiar because they both had lots of reps as talented juniors on varsity last year, each recording five pass deflections and Bourret making an interception against J.J. Pearce.
Finally, to round out the defense, Safeties J.D. Moore ’27 and Jackson Long ’27 will be posted up behind everyone else. As the last line of defense, Moore and Long will make sure no defender gets by them as they look to adjust to starting in 2026. Overall, the Jesuit defense poises to be very strong, with plenty of great talent mixed with experience to complement the offense.
“We had great practices with these guys [over the summer] and everyone got 1% better each day.”
– Head Coach Brandon Hickman
The Schedule
It’s time to address the elephant in the room: Jesuit’s schedule. This will be Jesuit’s hardest and most stacked schedule since 2019. Not only will they be playing Allen, who is ranked second in Texas and 18th nationally, but they will also face Prosper, who is ranked 19th in Texas; Rockwall, who is ranked 40th in Texas; and Forney, who is ranked 41st in Texas. The Roundup asked Coach Hickman about the challenge of the schedule, to which he responded:
“You are going to face adversity every time you play. We are not focused on who we are playing, we are focused on us and what we do, and that’s getting better every day and week.”
Conclusion
This will be a very fun and energetic football season for Jesuit, as there is a lot to look out for regarding the team and some great opponents coming to Jesuit. Be sure to come to as many games as possible and root for the boys on their new turf as they take on Arlington this Thursday, August 20 at Ranger Stadium!
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more Jesuit football coverage!
Featured Image Credit: @leok_photography on Instagram
