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.
Tra'Jhaun Vurns, sr., West Oso
Vurns set an Oso record with 164 tackles and four sacks, including 15 tackles for loss for an improved Bears team.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Defensive players to watch in 2026 football season around Coastal Bend
