C.E. King Football 2026 Preview, Players and Schedule | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 68 C.E. King (TX)
C.E. King follows a 13-win state-final run with a new head coach and a young recruiting core led by Houston commit Braylon Lane.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/26/20267 min read
C.E. King played for its first state championship last season, one year after missing the playoffs. That 13-3 breakthrough changed the way the Panthers are viewed, but it did not freeze the roster in place. Cory Laxen enters his second season with 14 returning starters, a new quarterback and enough speed to build another dangerous offense.
UTSA commit Khylan Davis arrives after accounting for 3,646 yards and 50 touchdowns at Hightower. California commit Antwon Sanders, Georgia Tech commit Tristan Willis and 2028 standout Dillon Mitchell surround him with very different kinds of pressure. On defense, eight starters return and the next wave already includes multiple Division I prospects. This is not a new coach trying to preserve somebody else's run. It is Laxen trying to prove his first one established a program.
Team Snapshot
Team: C.E. King Panthers
Location: Houston, Texas
Head Coach: Cory Laxen
2025 Record: 13-3
2025 Finish: UIL Class 6A state finalist
T25PS Ranking: No. 68
The Encore Has a Different Quarterback and the Same Standard
Laxen's first C.E. King team averaged nearly 54 points, tied North Shore and Summer Creek for the district title and reached the Class 6A Division II final. Most of the production at quarterback and running back graduated, but the Panthers did not spend the offseason waiting for answers. Davis is a proven senior passer, Sanders and Willis give the backfield two committed runners, and Mitchell can score as a receiver, runner or returner.
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The receiving corps starts with Iowa State commit Braylon Lane, whose size complements Mitchell's speed. On defense, Enoch Bell and Xavier Williams bring turnover and pass-rush production, while Cameron Sydnor is positioned for a major jump after playing only three varsity games as a sophomore. C.E. King's roster is young in places, but it is not untested everywhere.
What I want to see is how quickly all of those pieces become one offense. Davis has already shown that he can carry a large role. Sanders and Willis both deserve touches. Mitchell can change a game from anywhere, and Lane needs opportunities downfield. The Panthers will remain dangerous if Laxen can create a clear identity without asking every possession to feature every recruit.
Players to Know
Khylan Davis, QB
Davis earned district MVP honors at Hightower after accounting for 3,646 yards and 50 total touchdowns as a junior. The 6-foot, 190-pound senior is committed to UTSA and also holds offers from Lamar, Louisiana, Missouri State, Texas State and UTEP. He replaces All-Greater Houston quarterback Timothy Potts Jr., but he does not arrive as an unproven caretaker. His production, athleticism and steady leadership give C.E. King a chance to keep the entire offense open.
Tristan Willis, RB
Willis is a 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior committed to Georgia Tech after a junior season of 775 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. TCU, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Florida State, Illinois, Kansas and Texas Tech were among his other offers. His compact power gives the Panthers a different kind of run threat and keeps the offense from placing the full backfield burden on Sanders.
Braylon Lane, WR
Lane is a 6-foot-3 senior wide receiver committed to Iowa State after flipping from Houston in June. He caught 24 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns across 11 stat-entered games last season, including important production during the state run. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas, Mississippi State and Kentucky were among his other offers. His length gives Davis a different answer from the smaller, faster weapons around him.
Dillon Mitchell, WR/RB, Class of 2028
Mitchell caught 40 passes for 867 yards and nine touchdowns, rushed for 363 yards and five more scores, and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns as a sophomore. His wind-legal 10.25-second 100-meter speed is real, and so is an offer list of more than 30 programs that includes Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida and Tennessee. C.E. King can move him until a defense reveals its weakest matchup.
Antwon “AJ” Sanders III, RB
Sanders rushed 82 times for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025, an average of 9.4 yards per carry, and finished with 917 all-purpose yards. The senior committed to California in April after receiving offers from programs including Alabama, LSU, Florida, Kentucky and Texas A&M. He gives the Panthers a homegrown explosive runner alongside Willis.
Enoch Bell, DB
Bell returns from the secondary that helped carry C.E. King to Arlington. He forced five fumbles in 2025, production that says more than simply being around the ball. With the offense replacing major pieces, an experienced defensive back who can create short fields may be even more valuable early in the season.
Xavier Williams
Williams recorded five sacks and recovered two fumbles in 2025. That pass-rush production gives the defense a known source of disruption while younger players such as Sydnor earn larger roles. Against the quarterbacks in this district, pressure without selling out the coverage is essential.
Royce McIntosh-Houston, DL/TE, Class of 2028
McIntosh-Houston is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior with an offer from Sacramento State. His ability to work on either line gives the staff options as the rotation develops. The next step is turning that size and versatility into dependable varsity snaps instead of treating the offer as the finished story.
Cameron Sydnor, EDGE, Class of 2028
Sydnor is a 6-foot-4, 223-pound junior with offers from Texas Tech, Houston, Georgia State and Sacramento State. He appeared in only three varsity games as a sophomore, so the recruitment is ahead of the production. That is exactly why he is compelling: C.E. King has a real opening for his length and first-step quickness to become a weekly problem.
George Perez, Class of 2028
Perez is a 6-foot-2, 265-pound Class of 2028 lineman with offers from Sacramento State and the University of Fort Lauderdale. He can help on either side of the ball, but his greatest 2026 value may be giving the Panthers another strong interior body as the schedule moves into North Shore, Summer Creek and Atascocita.
Schedule Breakdown
Conroe opens the season at Turner Stadium before C.E. King travels to Cypress Ranch and College Park. Those first three games give Davis and the new backfield a useful progression, but none should be treated as rehearsal. Cypress Ranch enters 2026 as a ranked Houston-area contender with an experienced quarterback.
The district schedule is where the state-final case will be tested. C.E. King visits Atascocita on Oct. 3, then closes October with consecutive trips to North Shore and Summer Creek. The Panthers shared the district title with North Shore and Summer Creek last year. Winning it outright will require the new offense to be settled well before that stretch.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 28: Conroe
Sept. 4: at Cypress Ranch
Sept. 11: at College Park
Sept. 18: Kingwood
Sept. 25: Crosby
Oct. 3: at #97 Atascocita
Oct. 9: Humble
Oct. 24: at #8 North Shore
Oct. 29: at Summer Creek
Nov. 6: Channelview
Biggest Question
Can C.E. King make all of its new offensive pieces feel like one attack?
Davis gives the Panthers a proven quarterback and natural leader, but the offense has several players capable of demanding the ball. Sanders and Willis need a workable backfield rotation; Mitchell must be moved without becoming predictable; Lane has to stay involved when defenses take away the deep ball. If those roles complement one another, C.E. King can again force opponents to defend every blade of grass.
Bottom Line
C.E. King has a district-MVP quarterback, three committed seniors at the skill positions, one of the country's fastest young receivers and eight returning starters on defense. I do not see a rebuild. I see a team talented enough to return to Arlington, provided Laxen can turn an impressive collection of options into the same connected, physical identity that carried the Panthers there last season.
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