Defensive players to watch in 2026 football season around Coastal Bend

The start of the Texas high school football season is days away.

As the calendar turns to the 2026 season, the Caller-Times is continuing off its annual Players to Watch series with the defense.

The Corpus

Christi area has some talented players up lining up to terrorize the offense and make life difficult for quarterbacks everywhere.

Here are the defensive players to keep an eye on this season in the Coastal Bend.

Raymond Aguilar, sr., Flour Bluff

Aguilar, last year's district Newcomer of the Year, is one of the few holdovers from last year's spectacular defensive unit. He will be counted on as new faces take over starting roles.

Jaycen Elmore, sr., Ray

A force up front, Elmore garnered first-team all-district honoers after 122 tackles, three sacks and 13 hurries.

Jason Gutierrez, sr., Ray

The Texans' safety is a ball hawk with six picks last year, including one defensive touchdown and 77 tackles.

Kole Freeborn, sr., George West

The monstrous 6-foot-3 Freeborn had seven sacks to go with his 81 tackles to earn first-team all-district accolades.

Deion Jones, jr., Miller

Jones, another imposing presence, finished with 84 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore.

Weston Myers, sr., Refugio

Another tackle machine that suits up for the Bobcats, Myers totaled 154 stops in the team's march to the state semifinals in 2026.

Tate Mitchell, sr., Gregory-Portland

Mitchell made an immediate impact at G-P last season, helping the Wildcats claim a district title with 101 tackles, 13 hurries, and two forced fumbles.

Josh Norval, sr., Calallen

Another standout Calallen linebacker in a long line of them, Norval tallied 134 tackles, four sacks and 12 hurries for the Wildcats last season.

JJ Ozuna, sr., Taft

The Greyhounds senior totaled 112 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and two sacks last fall.

Ryder Reeve, sr., Calallen

Reeve was stellar even in an injury-shortened campaign, finishing with 81 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

Angel Reyes, sr., Gregory-Portland

The district defensive line MVP, Reyes was a key cog for the district champions with 94 tackles, four sacks and 10 hurries.

Qwintin Rhines, jr., Sinton

Coach Michael Troutman is high on Rhines, who will take on an even larger role for the Pirates after a strong sophomore campaign with 77 tackles and five sacks.

Evin Sheppard, sr., Three Rivers

The Bulldogs standout notched 105 tackles and nine tackles for loss as a junior.

Carlo Torres, sr., Veterans Memorial

The district defensive lineman of the year, the 6-2 Torres is an imposing presence with 66 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss despite facing constant double teams.