Crandall Pirates • 2026 Season Preview
Players to Watch: The Playmakers Behind the Pirates’ 2026 Push
Crandall enters the 2026 season with one of the most decorated returning cores in the area, headlined by a reigning district Offensive MVP, a reigning Offensive Newcomer of the Year, and a quarterback who already has a full season of varsity experience under him.
The Pirates went 7–4 last season and reached the playoffs, finishing fourth in District 7–5A Division II at 4–3.
Crandall now moves up to Class 5A Division I, where Dave Campbell’s Texas Football projects the Pirates second in District 7–5A Division I, and the Dallas Morning News has them third behind Tyler and West Mesquite. Both projections put Crandall comfortably inside the four-team playoff field.
If the Pirates are going to turn that projection into a district championship, these are the players most likely to decide it.
Jeremiah Douglas
🏆 District 7–5A Division II Offensive MVP • First-Team All-District
| REC | YARDS | TD |
| 66 | 1,032 | 11 |
Douglas enters his senior season as Crandall’s most accomplished college prospect. His 2025 production earned him the district’s top offensive individual honor and a first-team all-district nod at wide receiver.
Recruiting services list Douglas as a three-star prospect at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds. He committed to Vanderbilt on Dec. 2, 2025, choosing the Commodores over offers that included Texas, SMU, Kansas and Kansas State. He also runs track for Crandall and has drawn praise for winning contested catches despite a smaller frame, with a reported 4.51-second 40-yard dash.
Darrik Ward Jr.
🏆 District 7–5A Division II Offensive Newcomer of the Year • First-Team All-District
| RUSH YDS | TD |
| 1,246 | 17 |
Ward was a sophomore last season, and he still finished as the district’s top offensive newcomer. His production came behind a heavy workload, as he served as Crandall’s clear lead back through a difficult midseason stretch against Midlothian Heritage, Ennis and Terrell — three of the district’s toughest defenses.
Ward returns as a junior in 2026, meaning his best football is likely still ahead of him.
Isaac Briones
| COMP/ATT | YARDS | TD | INT |
| 69/101 | 789 | 7 | 2 |
Briones takes over as Crandall’s primary quarterback after sharing the position with Luke Vanlandingham in 2025. He completed roughly 68 percent of his passes and added 82 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Unlike a typical first-year starter, Briones already has meaningful varsity snaps, including experience throwing to Douglas in live game situations.
Christian Ingram — RB/SB, Senior
Ingram gives Crandall a proven second option behind Ward. He carried 55 times for 351 yards and three touchdowns last season, averaging 6.38 yards per attempt in a clearly complementary role.
That efficiency matters heading into a tougher district. Crandall can rotate two backs who both average well over six yards per carry, which should help keep Ward fresh against a schedule that includes two Class 6A opponents in the non-district slate.
The Defense: Davis, McCleary, Hardman and Craft
Crandall’s offense carried the team in 2025, and the defense’s development will likely determine how far the Pirates can go in 2026. Several experienced pieces return to help make that jump.
Davyn Davis contributed extensively as a sophomore cornerback and picked up his first Division I scholarship offer this summer, from UTEP. Jayden McCleary returns as a senior safety with a full year of varsity snaps, giving Crandall a veteran presence on the back end against a schedule that includes proven passing attacks from Rowlett, Tyler and West Mesquite.
Up front, senior linebacker Cayson Hardman and senior defensive end Colton Craft both return with varsity experience.
2025 Rough Stretch — Points Allowed
Midlothian Heritage: 52 | Ennis: 42 | Terrell: 63 | South Oak Cliff: 49
The Pirates don’t need to shut teams down to contend for a title, but they do need Hardman, Craft and the rest of the front seven to turn some of those games into single scores rather than blowouts.
The Offensive Line: Starr and Braswell
None of Crandall’s skill-position production happens without the group up front. Senior guard and long snapper Brent Starr returns with starting experience, and junior center and long snapper Colton Braswell gained valuable varsity reps as a sophomore.
Continuity at center is especially important with Briones settling into a larger role at quarterback. Clean protection and consistent snaps are easy to overlook until they go wrong, and Crandall’s offense is built around backs and receivers who need room to operate.
More Names to Watch
A handful of other returners could see their roles expand as the season develops. King Franklin returns at receiver and cornerback after catching 12 passes for 117 yards in 2025.
Micah Wright rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns on just 35 carries, giving Crandall another efficient option in the backfield. Khylan Dyer returns along the offensive line, and Maurice Jones offers Crandall a two-way option at linebacker and running back.
Every preseason also produces players who go from unproven to essential once the games start counting. With multiple defensive spots open for bigger roles, Crandall has a real chance to find one or two of those names before district play begins.
The Bottom Line
Douglas and Ward enter 2026 as reigning district award winners who combined for 2,278 rushing and receiving yards and 28 touchdowns last season. Add a quarterback with a full season of varsity reps in Briones, a proven complementary back in Ingram and a defense with real starting experience returning at every level, and it’s clear why two separate preseason projections have Crandall inside the top three of a new district.
The stars are already in place. Whether Crandall wins a district championship in Class 5A Division I will likely come down to how far the names around them are willing to grow.
