A look at the top 25 NC high school football players for the 2026 season
The 2025 N.C. high school football season is done. But teams will soon start preparing for the 2026 fall season.
Here’s a look at The Charlotte Observer’s top 25 juniors in North Carolina, the players who will be seniors when the next season begins in August.
Twelve of the 25 players come from the Triangle area of the state (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) including five of the top 10.
The top player heading into the ‘26 season will be East Lincoln tight end Jaxon Dollar, a 6-foot-5, 222-pounder who has offers from schools including Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Michigan.
Last season, Dollar caught 54 passes for 1,190 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was a semifinalist for the state player of the year award, N.C. Mr. Football. On defense, Dollar had 38 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks.
Currently, he’s second in scoring for East Lincoln’s basketball team, where he averages 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, four steals and one block per game.
North Carolina’s top 25 prep football recruits for 2026
Rk, Name, School, Pos., College
1. Jaxon Dollar, East Lincoln, TE, (undecided)
2. John Archer, 71st, DL (undecided)
3. Rashad Streets, Millbrook, DE (undecided)
4. Nate Kamba, Corvian Community, DL (undecided)
5. Xavier Hasan, Cardinal Gibbons, DB (Notre Dame)
6. Quinton Cypher, Millbrook, LB (undecided)
7. Davion Jones, West Charlotte, DB (undecided)
8. Marquis Bryant, Rolesville, DB (UNC)
9. Jalaythan Mayfield, Lincolnton, LB (undecided)
10. Jayden Broadie, Rolesville, DL (undecided)
11. Andrew Rogers, Grimsley, DE (undecided)
12. Antwan McKoy, St. Paul’s, DL (undecided)
13. Griff Galloway, Providence Day, DL (undecided)
14. Amir Brown, Rolesville, RB (Nebraska)
15. Aroson Randle, Garner, LB (undecided)
16. Akedran Crumel, Clayton, DB (undecided)
17. Jonathan Dillon, Southern Durham, WR (undecided)
18. Anthony Roberts, Rolesville, WR (undecided)
19. Robert Geathers III, Providence Day, DB (undecided)
20. Keland Shelton, Providence, DB (undecided)
21. Lance Henderson, Southern Durham, ATH (undecided)
22. Cairo Williams, Millbrook, DB (undecided)
23. Caleb Cooper, Providence Day, ATH (undecided)
24. Michael Griffin Jr., West Charlotte, LB (undecided)
25. Ethan Royal, Hough, QB (undecided)
