2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 8 Duncanville

Duncanville opens the 2026 season at No. 8 in the T25PS Public Schools Preseason Top 100 with another roster built to compete for the Texas 6A Division I state title.

The Panthers went 12-2 last season, finished 6-1 in district play and reached the 6A Division I state championship game before falling to North Shore. Duncanville has now reached at least the state semifinals every year since 2018 and has played for a state title in six of those eight seasons.

The 2026 team has a clear offensive foundation. Duncanville is expected to turn to Maximus “The Great” Denson at quarterback after sophomore transfer Bryson Kennedy was ruled ineligible. Denson threw for 1,157 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and will have one of the top skill groups in Texas around him.

The Panthers also return major production at receiver, running back, offensive line, linebacker and defensive back. There is defensive production to replace, but Duncanville has enough returning talent and program depth to stay inside the national top 10.

Team Snapshot

School: Duncanville
City: Duncanville, Texas
Classification: UIL Conference 6A, District 11
2025 Record: 12-2
2025 District Record: 6-1
Classification: UIL 6A — District 11-6A
2025 Finish: Texas 6A Division I State Runner-Up
Head Coach: Reginald Samples, 12th season at Duncanville, 130-22 record
T25PS Rank: No. 8

Why They’re Ranked Here
Returning offensive production, line play and program consistency.

Duncanville starts at No. 8 because the Panthers have the profile of a Texas 6A Division I title contender again.

The quarterback situation is clearer than it could have been. With Bryson Kennedy transferring back to Little Rock Central after Duncanville was unable to certify Kennedy’s eligibility for 2026, Duncanville is expected to turn to Maximus Denson. Denson already produced last season, throwing for 1,157 yards and 17 touchdowns, and gives the Panthers a quarterback with real varsity experience.

The skill talent is strong. Purdue commit Trenton Yancey gives Duncanville one of the top all-purpose weapons in the state after producing 780 receiving yards and 388 rushing yards. The Panthers also have 6’4” sophomore receiver Jairus Ingram as one of the next major names to watch.

The run game should also be a strength. Senior Robert Singleton rushed for 553 yards and seven touchdowns, while junior Brayden Arnold added 429 rushing yards and six touchdowns. That gives Duncanville a proven one-two punch in the backfield.

Up front, Duncanville has size and experience with 6’5”, 295-pound senior Aiden Williams and 6’3”, 305-pound junior Kendrick Harris leading the offensive line.

The defense has more production to replace, but the returning names are still strong enough to keep Duncanville near the top. Janero Welch gives the Panthers size at nose guard, McNeese State commit Gatlin Cryer returns at linebacker, Yusuf Adegbite gives them another productive linebacker, and UCF commit Jonathan Barnes headlines the secondary.

Players to Know

Maximus Denson — QB
Denson is expected to lead Duncanville’s offense in 2026. He threw for 1,157 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and gives the Panthers varsity experience at quarterback. With the talent around him, steady quarterback play could be enough to keep Duncanville in the state title race.

Trenton Yancey — WR/RB, 2027
Yancy is a Purdue commit and one of the most important players on the roster. He produced 780 receiving yards and 388 rushing yards last season, giving Duncanville a do-it-all offensive weapon. He can impact the game as a receiver, runner and matchup problem.

Jairus Ingram — WR, 2028
Ingram is a 6’4” sophomore receiver and one of the next major names to watch in the Duncanville offense. With Yancy already established, Ingram gives the Panthers another high-upside target in the passing game.

Robert Singleton — RB, 2027
Singleton rushed for 553 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He gives Duncanville a proven senior running back and should be one of the main pieces in the Panthers’ ground game.

Brayden Arnold — RB, 2028
Arnold rushed for 429 yards and six touchdowns last season. Alongside Singleton, he gives Duncanville a strong one-two punch in the backfield.

Aiden Williams — OL, 2027
Williams is a 6’5”, 295-pound senior offensive lineman and one of the key players up front. Duncanville’s offense has enough skill talent to be dangerous, but the offensive line will determine how consistent the Panthers can be.

Kendrick Harris — IOL, 2028
Harris is a 6’3”, 305-pound junior interior offensive lineman. He gives Duncanville another large, physical piece up front and should be one of the important names in the offensive line group.

Janero Welch — NG
Welch is a 6’4”, 300-pound nose guard and one of the key pieces in Duncanville’s defensive front. His job will be to clog running lanes and help the Panthers replace defensive production from last season.

Gatlin Cryer — LB
Cryer is a McNeese State commit and one of Duncanville’s top returning defensive players. He finished last season with 96 tackles and nine tackles for loss and should lead the Panthers’ tackling efforts in 2026.

Yusuf Adegbite — LB
Adegbite is another productive linebacker for Duncanville after finishing with 87 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. His versatility gives the Panthers another important piece in the front seven.

Jonathan Barnes — CB
Barnes is a UCF commit and one of the top returning players in the secondary. He finished last season with 35 tackles and two interceptions and gives Duncanville a trusted cornerback.

Riley Lewis — CB, 2028
Lewis is a sophomore cornerback and one of the next up-and-coming names to watch in the Duncanville secondary.

Key Games

@ Allen — Aug. 28
Duncanville opens the season on the road at Allen. This is a major early test and a good first look at how the Panthers’ offense operates with Denson leading the way.

Cedar Hill — Sept. 4
Cedar Hill gives Duncanville another early rivalry-style test before the schedule ramps up even more.

DeSoto — Sept. 12 at the Cotton Bowl
DeSoto enters the season ranked No. 17 in the T25PS Preseason Top 100. This is one of the biggest public-school games in Texas and one of the most important games on Duncanville’s schedule.

North Crowley — Sept. 18
North Crowley enters the season ranked No. 18 in the T25PS Preseason Top 100. This is Duncanville’s district opener and another major top-20 public-school matchup.

@ Red Oak — Sept. 25
Red Oak is another district game and another important test in District 11-6A.

Mansfield — Oct. 9
Mansfield gives Duncanville another district opponent as the Panthers move into the middle of the regular season.

Crowley — Oct. 16
Crowley is another district matchup Duncanville has to handle if it wants to stay on track for the playoffs.

@ Waxahachie — Oct. 23
Waxahachie enters the season ranked No. 23 in the T25PS Preseason Top 100. This gives Duncanville another ranked district opponent and another major test before the final stretch.

Mansfield Lake Ridge — Oct. 30
Lake Ridge is Duncanville’s final home district game and another chance to build momentum before November.

@ Dallas Skyline — Nov. 5
Duncanville closes the regular season at Dallas Skyline. The Panthers will want to be fully settled by this point before the Texas 6A Division I playoff bracket begins.

Biggest Question

The biggest question is whether Duncanville’s defense can replace enough production while the offense carries more of the early-season load.

The offense has a strong foundation with Maximus Denson, Trenton Yancy, Jairus Ingram, Robert Singleton, Brayden Arnold, Aiden Williams and Kendrick Harris. There is enough returning production to expect Duncanville to score points.

The defense still has real pieces. Gatlin Cryer, Yusuf Adegbite, Janero Welch, Jonathan Barnes and Riley Lewis give the Panthers talent at every level. The question is how quickly the full defensive rotation comes together.

If Duncanville gets steady quarterback play and the defense reloads, the Panthers have enough to win Texas 6A Division I.

T25PS Prediction

Regular Season Prediction: 9-1 (Loss @ Waxahachie)
Postseason Prediction: Lose in Semis

Bottom Line

Duncanville is ranked No. 8 because the Panthers have a returning quarterback option, proven skill production, size up front and enough defensive talent to make another Texas 6A Division I run.

The schedule is difficult. DeSoto, North Crowley and Waxahachie are all ranked in the T25PS Preseason Top 100, and the opener at Allen will be a major early test.

Duncanville has the roster to get back to AT&T Stadium. The biggest factor will be how quickly the defense reloads around the returning offensive core.

Thanks for reading,

Alex | T25PS

Want to stay up to date and get notified every time we release a new team preview?

Create a FREE T25PS account and check the newsletter box to follow the full 2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview Series, national rankings, team features and public-school football coverage from across the country.

You can also follow T25PS on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok: @Top25PublicHSFB

FULL PRSEASON TOP 100

FULL 2026 TEAM PREVIEWS