2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 56 Houston County
The Bears return a 2,600-yard quarterback and three senior Division I commits while replacing major defensive production.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/14/20265 min read
Houston County enters 2026 after a 10-2 season that included 474 points, a home playoff win and a second-round finish in Georgia Class 5A. The Bears now move into Class 6A with a returning quarterback, an experienced running back and three senior Division I commits across both sides of the ball.
The production losses are significant. Houston County graduated its leading rusher, leading receiver and three leading tacklers. The reason the Bears remain #56 is that Ryan Maxwell already has a full season of starting experience, Austin Stinson returns after averaging 7.1 yards per carry and the senior class includes Georgia Tech commits Braylin Mills and Joshua Pettigrew along with Pitt commit Zion Paul.
Team Snapshot
School: Houston County High School
Location: Warner Robins, Georgia
Head Coach: Jeremy Edwards
2025 Record: 10-2
2025 Finish: Georgia Class 5A second round
2026 Classification: Class 6A, Region 2
First Game: Aug. 21 vs. West Forsyth at Georgia State
2026 Outlook
Houston County has more continuity at quarterback than it had entering last season. Maxwell completed 197 of 302 passes for 2,626 yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore. His 65.2 percent completion rate came with nine interceptions across 12 games. Those numbers give the Bears a proven starting point even after the graduation of 1,000-yard receiver Maurice Mathis.
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Jeffery Thomas and Jordan Perkins return to the receiving group. Thomas produced 427 yards and three touchdowns, while Perkins caught 28 passes for 237 yards. Pettigrew had 109 receiving yards in a smaller role and gives Maxwell a senior tight end with Power Four size and experience. Houston County also returns Stinson, who rushed for 642 yards and five touchdowns on 91 carries behind Colin Anderson. Stinson's 7.1 yards per carry are important because Anderson's 952 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns must be replaced.
Mills is the established piece up front. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound tackle is committed to Georgia Tech and will be central to the Bears' pass protection and the transition to Stinson as the primary running back. The offense averaged 39.5 points last season, scored at least 45 points seven times and returns the player who threw 27 of its 28 touchdown passes.
The defensive rebuild starts with Paul. He recorded 69 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, four sacks and 13 quarterback hurries as a junior. Cornerback Jercorien McCoy returns after finishing with 61 tackles and three interceptions, and defensive lineman Jakobe Bryant recovered two fumbles. Houston County must replace 362 combined tackles from Westen Ard, Jase Jordan and Jordan Smith, so the experience behind those departed seniors will determine whether the defense can improve on the 20.3 points it allowed per game.
Players to Know
Braylin Mills | OT | Senior Committed to Georgia Tech. Mills is listed at 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds and also held offers from Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Nebraska and other Division I programs. He returns as the most heavily recruited member of Houston County's offensive line.
Joshua Pettigrew | TE | Senior Committed to Georgia Tech. Pettigrew finished 2025 with 109 receiving yards and held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M, North Carolina and several other Power Four programs before choosing the Yellow Jackets.
Zion Paul | LB | Senior Committed to Pitt. Paul recorded 69 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, four sacks, 13 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble last season. He chose Pitt after also receiving offers from programs that included Cincinnati, Duke and Kansas.
Schedule Breakdown
Houston County opens against West Forsyth in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at Georgia State. The Bears then have an open week before home games against Jones County and Westlake around a road trip to Central-Carroll. That four-game non-region schedule gives Houston County two games against teams that won at least 10 games in 2025.
The Class 6A Region 2 schedule begins Oct. 2 and includes two of T25PS's preseason Top 100 teams. Houston County hosts #2 Thomas County Central, travels to Coffee and finishes with consecutive road games against Northside and #60 Lee County. The Bears have two open weeks, but all six region games are packed into the final six weeks of the regular season.
Can Houston County replace most of its leading defensive production without losing ground in a stronger classification?
Paul and McCoy give the defense two proven seniors, but the top three tacklers from 2025 graduated after combining for more than 30 tackles per game. The offense should remain productive with Maxwell back. Houston County's ceiling will be set by how quickly the new defensive starters handle a region that includes Thomas County Central, Coffee and Lee County.
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T25PS Prediction
I have Houston County finishing 8-2 in the regular season and reaching the Class 6A quarterfinals. The Bears have enough returning offensive production to score with most opponents, but the defensive turnover and a region schedule that includes three nationally ranked teams make another double-digit-win season difficult.
Bottom Line
Houston County returns a quarterback who threw for 2,626 yards, a running back who averaged 7.1 yards per carry and three senior Division I commits at important positions. The Bears are replacing elite senior production on both sides of the ball, but their returning core is specific and proven enough to support another playoff run in Class 6A.
Thanks for reading,
Alex | T25PS
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