No. 21 Edna Karr: 2026 Football Preview | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 21 Edna Karr
Back-to-back 14-0 seasons built the standard. Replacing 32 seniors will show how strong the program behind them really is.
Top 25 Public HSFB7/22/20266 min read
Edna Karr has spent the last two seasons making perfection look routine.
The Cougars finished 14-0 in 2024, did it again in 2025 and closed last season with a 49-14 win over St. Augustine in the Louisiana Division I Select championship game. It was the eighth state title in program history and the sixth under head coach Brice Brown.
Now comes the real test of the program Karr has built.
The Cougars graduated 32 seniors from last year's championship team, and 25 members of that class received college scholarships. That group did more than win games. It established the expectation that Karr should control New Orleans, compete with the best teams throughout the country and finish the season playing for another trophy.
The 2026 team will look different though.
Team Snapshot
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana - Head coach: Brice Brown - 2025 record: 14-0 - Classification: LHSAA Division I Select, District 9-5A - T25PS preseason ranking: No. 21 - 2025 finish: Division I Select state champion
2026 Outlook
The first job is replacing quarterback John Johnson III, who finished his senior season with more than 3,500 yards of offense and 50 combined touchdowns. He was the engine of two straight undefeated championship teams.
Juniors Forest Johnson and Marlon Jones entered the summer as the leading candidates to take over. Neither needs to become John Johnson on the first Friday night. Karr needs one of them to protect the football, get the ball to a deep group of receivers and grow as the schedule gets harder.
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Jarell McGee and Jermond Macklin lead the backfield. Renard Price, Jai Warner, Kamal Martin and Quincy McKinnies give the Cougars several options in the passing game. The offense will not have the same experience it carried into last season, but it will not be short on athletes.
Up front, Mississippi State commit Zyion Wesley is the player Karr can build around. A new quarterback's best friend is an experienced offensive line, and Wesley gives the Cougars a proven anchor while the rest of the group develops.
The defense should give the offense time to grow. Karr allowed about 11 points per game last season, and the next unit still has high-end talent at every level.
Ole Miss edge commit Juelz Batiste can disrupt an offense before a play develops. JaMichael Quinn and Ian Gray bring experience in the middle. Senior corner Eldric Cambrice leads a secondary that also includes Ronell Kindell.
Karr lost a special senior class. It did not lose the size, speed or expectations that have turned the Cougars into one of Louisiana's most consistent programs.
Players to Know
Zyion Wesley, OL, 2027
The Mississippi State commit is the foundation of the offense. Karr will lean on him to set the tone up front and help a new quarterback settle into the job.
Juelz Batiste, EDGE, 2027
Batiste committed to Ole Miss and gives the Cougars a proven pass-rushing presence. On a younger team, his ability to create negative plays will matter even more.
JaMichael Quinn, LB, 2027
Quinn is one of the defensive leaders back from the championship team. His experience in the middle of the defense should help Karr handle the physical offenses on its schedule.
Eldric Cambrice, CB, 2027
Cambrice gives Karr a senior corner to build around. He will be asked to lead a secondary replacing major pieces from last season.
Forest Johnson, QB, 2028
Johnson is one of the two leading candidates for the starting quarterback job. He does not need to carry the entire offense, but he must show he can manage Karr's pace and pressure.
Marlon Jones, QB, 2028
Jones remains in the quarterback competition and gives the Cougars another talented option. The summer and preseason will determine whether one player takes control or both have roles early.
Jarell McGee and Jermond Macklin, RB
The running backs can take pressure off the new starter. If Karr can establish the run behind Wesley and a rebuilt line, the quarterback transition becomes much easier.
Schedule Breakdown
Karr currently has nine regular-season games listed. The schedule includes three major tests in the first six weeks and the usual District 9-5A challenge after that.
- Sept. 4: Little Rock Christian Academy (Ark.) - Sept. 11: at Huntington - Sept. 18: Ruston - Sept. 24: Holy Cross - Oct. 2: at Brother Martin - Oct. 9: at John Curtis Christian - Oct. 16: Archbishop Rummel - Oct. 22: Chalmette - Nov. 5: Jesuit
Ruston is the early measuring stick. The Bearcats will test Karr's new quarterback, new offensive pieces and ability to handle a physical four-quarter game.
Then comes a three-week stretch against Brother Martin, John Curtis and Rummel. Karr will know exactly what it has before the final month of the regular season.
Biggest Question
Can Karr replace the leadership and production of a 32-player senior class without a major step backward?
The Cougars have recruited and developed enough talent to remain one of Louisiana's best teams. But replacing a two-year starting quarterback and more than two dozen college-bound seniors is not a normal reload.
Karr does not need this team to look like the 2025 team in September. It needs the new leaders to emerge quickly enough that the Cougars are ready to win close games in November and December.
T25PS Prediction
Projected regular-season record: 8-1 Projected finish: Division I Select state finalist
The roster turnover is too significant to ignore, and the schedule gives the new lineup little time to settle in. Still, Karr has enough talent and enough experience in its program to remain a championship threat.
The Cougars may not make the path look as easy as they did the last two seasons. They should still be in the middle of the title race when it matters.
Bottom Line
Edna Karr's 2026 season is not about proving last year's seniors were great. They already did that.
It is about proving the standard runs deeper than one class.
If the quarterback position settles and the rebuilt lineup improves through the fall, Karr will have a real chance to play for a third straight championship. That is a difficult expectation for almost any program in the country.
At Karr, it is the expectation.
Thanks for reading,
Alex | T25PS
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