2026 Preseason Top 100 Season Preview: No. 77 Carthage (TX)
Carthage begins its 11th state-title defense with a younger core led by Jacob Dixon, Jace Harris, JD Edwards and Jaden Jeffress.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/26/20263 min read
Carthage went 15-0, won another Texas state championship and pushed Scott Surratt's total to 11 titles. At this point, the Bulldogs do not enter a season trying to prove the program. They enter trying to identify which players will carry the next version of it.
Kason Burchette and Benny Smith have graduated, so the roster now turns toward Jacob Dixon at quarterback and a younger core led by Jace Harris, JD Edwards and Jaden Jeffress. The names change. The expectation does not.
September 29, 2026 update: This preseason preview reflects the information available when it was published. Visit the Carthage team page for more current program coverage and the latest national ranking releases for ranking context.
Team Snapshot
Team: Carthage Bulldogs
Location: Carthage, Texas
Head Coach: Scott Surratt
2025 Record: 15-0
2025 Finish: UIL Class 4A Division II state champion
T25PS Ranking: No. 77
The Next Carthage Core
Dixon appears positioned to take the quarterback job, and his first responsibility will be the one Surratt demands from every new starter: run the offense before trying to become the offense. Carthage has won for too long to abandon its balance or its line-of-scrimmage identity simply because a new passer takes over.
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The younger talent gives the Bulldogs room to grow. Edwards and Harris are 2028 prospects with Division I offers, while Jeffress is already part of the skill group. That trio does not need to reproduce the graduated class by itself. It needs to make enough winning plays for the entire structure to remain intact.
One thing to watch early obviously is how quickly the new starters stop looking new. The schedule will provide pressure, but Surratt's teams usually improve because the roles become exact. If Dixon manages the offense and the young playmakers protect the football, the title defense becomes serious again.
Players to Know
Jacob Dixon, QB
Dixon is the current quarterback to watch as Carthage replaces its graduated starter. His command and decision-making will matter more than any preseason comparison to the player before him.
Jace Harris, Class of 2028
Harris holds offers from UTSA and North Texas. He gives the Bulldogs a young playmaker with legitimate Division I interest.
JD Edwards, Class of 2028
Edwards holds offers from LSU, Texas A&M, SMU and Cincinnati. He is one of the highest-upside players in Carthage's next championship core.
Jaden Jeffress
Jeffress remains a current member of the returning group and gives Carthage another experienced option around Dixon.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 28: at Henderson
Sept. 4: Pine Tree
Sept. 18: Legacy School of Sport Sciences
Sept. 25: at West Orange-Stark
Oct. 9: at Pittsburg
Oct. 15: at Spring Hill
Oct. 23: Pleasant Grove
Oct. 30: at Gilmer
Nov. 6: Center
Biggest Question
How quickly can Jacob Dixon and the younger playmakers make Carthage's championship operation feel settled again?
The Bulldogs do not need a finished offense in August. They need Dixon to protect possessions, Edwards and Harris to turn their talent into repeatable assignments, and the line to keep the game on schedule. The sooner those pieces become routine, the sooner Carthage looks like Carthage again.
Bottom Line
Eleven state championships have made one thing clear: betting against the Carthage structure is usually a mistake. This roster is younger in important places, but the next core is already visible. I expect the Bulldogs to grow into another legitimate title team.
MISTER F00TBALL's National High School Football Composite Rankings, partnered with and powered by Prep Gridiron Logistics, the only rankings to include every national poll and every team receiving a Top 25 vote.
This program has won more games than anyone over the past 5 years, and I doubt it stops this year. 15-0.
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