Crandall moves into Class 5A Division I with something most teams changing classifications don’t have: a returning quarterback, running back, and receiver who have already proven they can produce at the varsity level.
That continuity gives the Pirates a real head start, even as the competition around them gets tougher.
The bigger question isn’t whether the top of the depth chart can perform. It’s whether enough support develops around that trio to keep opposing defenses from settling on a single plan.
Briones Steps Into Full Control
Isaac Briones takes over as Crandall’s full-time starter after splitting quarterback duties for most of last season. He was efficient in that role completing better than two-thirds of his throws, and also showed enough mobility to be a threat with his legs in short-yardage and scrambling situations.
What matters most heading into 2026 isn’t any single number from a season ago. It’s that Briones already has real chemistry with the players around him, built over a full year of practice reps and live snaps rather than a summer of installing a new offense from scratch.
Ward Anchors an Experienced Backfield
Darrik Ward Jr. was a sophomore last season and still finished as one of the area’s most productive running backs, crossing the 1,000-yard threshold and scoring close to 20 touchdowns. He’ll carry a heavy workload again in 2026, but Crandall isn’t asking him to do it without help.
Christian Ingram returns as a proven change-of-pace option who averaged well over six yards every time he touched the ball last season. Micah Wright adds another efficient piece, having found the end zone on a notable share of his limited carries.
Together, the three give Crandall a backfield that can rotate fresh legs without sacrificing production.
Douglas Remains the Focal Point
Jeremiah Douglas enters his senior season as Crandall’s most dangerous weapon and its most heavily recruited player, a Vanderbilt commit who has already posted a 1,000-yard, double-digit-touchdown season. He’ll be the first name on every opposing coordinator’s game plan this fall.
The larger storyline is who joins him. King Franklin returns with modest production from a year ago, but Crandall needs at least one or two more receivers to develop into consistent threats. Every target that draws attention away from Douglas makes the entire passing game harder to defend.
Replacing What Vanlandingham Provided
Graduated quarterback Luke Vanlandingham gave Crandall a dual-threat element last season, throwing for nearly 900 yards through the air while also becoming a legitimate scoring threat on the ground.
Crandall doesn’t need one player to replace all of that production. The passing workload shifts to Briones, and the returning backfield can absorb much of what Vanlandingham provided as a runner.
The tougher part to replace may be the unpredictability he added. A quarterback who can consistently pick up yardage with his legs forces a defense to defend the entire field, and Crandall will need someone else to create that same problem.
The Line Will Decide How Far This Goes
None of Crandall’s skill-position talent matters much without protection up front. Senior guard Brent Starr and juniors Colton Braswell and Khylan Dyer all return with starting experience, giving the Pirates continuity at a position that rarely gets attention until something breaks down.
That group will be tested immediately. Denton Braswell and Rowlett bring Class 6A size to the season’s first two weeks, and Terrell, which held Crandall to just 13 points a year ago, follows before district play even begins. How the offensive line holds up in September will say a great deal about what this offense can become by November.
The Bottom Line
Crandall’s offensive question marks are fewer and smaller than its defensive ones. Briones brings experience, Ward brings proven production, and Douglas gives the Pirates a receiver capable of forcing opposing defenses into difficult choices.
Layer in a backfield with real depth and enough returning experience up front, and the pieces are already in place.
What’s left is filling in the gaps: developing a second and third receiving option, finding a way to replicate the running threat Vanlandingham provided at quarterback, and keeping the offensive line healthy against a schedule that won’t offer many easy weeks.
If those pieces fall into place, Crandall’s offense should be capable of carrying the Pirates deep into the District 7-5A Division I race.
