No. 32 Hough Football 2026 Preview | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 32 Hough
Ethan Royal is back at quarterback. A deep wave of returning and new defensive talent gives Hough a chance to push higher.
Top 25 Public HSFB7/28/20265 min read
Hough is No. 32 because its 2026 roster has answers at the places that matter most.
Ethan Royal returns at quarterback. Jamarion Morrison gives him a proven backfield partner. Ryan Peterson, Jackson Heath and a wave of new defenders give the Huskies a chance to be faster and deeper on that side of the ball than they were a year ago.
The unknown is how quickly the new pieces become a unit. Hough added high-end talent, but the first month leaves no room for a long feeling-out process.
Team Snapshot
School: William A. Hough High School
Location: Cornelius, North Carolina
Classification: North Carolina Class 8A
2025 record: 14-0
2025 finish: North Carolina Class 8A champion
Head coach: DeShawn Baker
T25PS rank: No. 32
The 2026 Outlook
Royal gives Hough a real advantage. He is a Marshall commit, a senior who has played on the biggest stage, and a quarterback who does not need the offense simplified around him. Morrison gives the Huskies a second established weapon, while Jahmere Anderson returns at receiver.
The personnel addition on defense is just as important. Joshua Dobson arrives at corner, Davion Jones joins the secondary, and Michael Griffin Jr., Cory Cunningham and Kaiden Womack add options across the front seven. That is why Hough starts inside the top 35: the roster has high-end players on both sides of the ball and a quarterback who can keep the offense on schedule.
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The caution is straightforward. Several productive seniors are gone, including key pieces at receiver, offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary. Hough will be tested before it has much time to settle its rotations.
Players to Know
Ethan Royal — QB, 2027
Royal returns for his senior season after committing to Marshall. He is the foundation of the Hough offense and the reason the Huskies can begin 2026 with a high floor.
Jamarion Morrison — RB, 2028
Morrison is back as a junior and gives Royal an established run-game complement. He rushed for 63 yards in the 2025 state final and was the West’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Jahmere Anderson — WR, 2027
Anderson returns as a senior receiver and gives the offense a familiar target while the rest of the receiving rotation takes shape.
Ryan Peterson — LB, 2028
Peterson returns as a junior linebacker after earning West Defensive Player of the Year honors. He is one of the defenders Hough can build around.
Jackson Heath — SS, 2027
Heath is a senior strong safety and another experienced piece in a secondary that has added more talent around him.
Joshua Dobson — CB, 2027
Dobson arrives for his senior year as one of the nation’s most highly regarded cornerback prospects. His presence changes the ceiling of the Hough secondary immediately.
Davion Jones — DB, 2027
Jones joins the Huskies as a senior defensive back. He brings another proven athlete into a group that will see a lot of capable quarterbacks early.
2026 Outlook
The best version of Hough is not hard to picture. Royal controls the game, Morrison keeps defenses honest, and the defense turns its new talent into a disruptive group by September.
That is a very real outcome. It is also why the Huskies are a team with room to climb. If the new receivers and offensive line settle quickly, Hough will not have to win every game in the same way. It can be balanced, physical, and hard to match at the back end.
Schedule Breakdown
Hough opens Aug. 21 at No 27 Northwestern in Rock Hill, South Carolina, then plays Cardinal Gibbons in the Keep Pounding Classic on Aug. 29 at Bank of America Stadium. Providence Day, Mooresville and Green Run follow before conference play.
The two opening games are the immediate measuring stick. Northwestern has one of the country’s most productive returning quarterbacks, and Cardinal Gibbons brings Hough onto a major stage before September begins.
2026 Hough Schedule
Aug. 21: at #27 Northwestern (South Carolina)
Aug. 29: vs. Cardinal Gibbons at Bank of America Stadium
Sept. 4: vs. Providence Day
Sept. 11: at Mooresville
Sept. 19: vs. Green Run
Sept. 25: at West Mecklenburg
Oct. 9: vs. Garinger
Oct. 16: at South Mecklenburg
Oct. 23: vs. Myers Park
Oct. 30: at Hopewell
Biggest Question
Can Hough turn its new defensive talent into a finished defense before the schedule exposes it?
The Huskies do not need to be perfect in August. They do need to be connected. The offense has enough experience to carry a load early; by October, the defensive additions need to make Hough a more complete team.
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T25PS Prediction
Hough will contend for another North Carolina championship. If the new defensive pieces hit quickly, No. 32 will look conservative.
Regular Season: 9-1
Post Season: 8A State Champions
Bottom Line
This is a future-facing ranking. Royal and Morrison give Hough an established offensive core; Peterson, Heath, Dobson and Jones give the defense legitimate upside. The opening schedule will tell us how quickly that potential becomes a finished team.
Alex | T25PS
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