Friday night lights come back to the Pine Belt next week.

Before the next group starts writing its story at D.I. Patrick Stadium, Warrior Field, Watkins Stadium, Walter Payton Field and all the other places where football still feels like an event on Friday nights, it seemed like a good time to look at where some of the guys who used to play on those fields are now.

And the answer is pretty impressive. There are Pine Belt products scattered from Oxford to Gainesville, Tuscaloosa to Tampa and San Antonio to Annapolis. There are SEC defensive linemen, veteran FBS running backs, young quarterbacks, experienced FCS starters and freshmen just beginning their college careers.

So here it is: Magnolia Coast Sports’ 2026 All-Pine Belt Division I Football Team.

This isn’t based on recruiting rankings alone. College production matters. So does experience, projected role in 2026 and the level at which a player is competing.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

QB — Deuce Knight, Ole Miss

George County | So (Rs)

This is one of the biggest additions that comes from expanding the Pine Belt footprint. Knight was one of the most heavily recruited players Mississippi has produced in recent years, but he actually gave us a glimpse of what all the hype was about during his freshman season at Auburn. Knight made his first college start against Mercer and accounted for 401 total yards and six touchdowns, including 162 yards and four scores on the ground.

He finished his George County career with 7,855 passing yards, 56 passing touchdowns, 1,361 rushing yards and 31 more scores. A legitimate SEC quarterback with star potential, expected to back up Trinidad Chambliss.

RB — Jeffery Pittman, Southern Miss

Taylorsville HS | Junior (Rs)

Pittman came home and became Southern Miss’ leading rusher in 2025. After beginning his FBS career at Mississippi State, the former Taylorsville star finally got an extended opportunity in Hattiesburg and took advantage of it.

His 695 rushing yards led the Golden Eagles, making Pittman one of the easiest offensive selections on this team.

WR — TK Keys, Tennessee

Hattiesburg HS | Freshman

Keys hasn’t played a college game yet, but there isn’t much debate about whether he belongs on the first team. The former Hattiesburg star arrived at Tennessee as one of the highest-rated prospects the Pine Belt has produced in years. During his junior season, Keys caught 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging nearly 22 yards every time he touched the ball through the air while helping Hattiesburg reach the Class 6A state championship game. He followed that by becoming Mississippi’s No. 1 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and one of the highest-rated wide receivers in the country. Tennessee lists him at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and after enrolling early and going through spring practice, Keys entered preseason camp with a legitimate chance to contribute immediately in the SEC. For a team built around the best current Division I talent from the Pine Belt, he’s an easy first-team selection.

WR — Zechariah Jenkins, Memphis

Laurel HS | Freshman

This is his first year playing for Charles Huff’s Tigers, so there’s not stats to go off on. Instead, go back to Laurel, where the 6-foot-3 receiver developed into one of the Golden Tornadoes’ biggest downfield targets while also having the athleticism to play in the secondary. As a junior, Jenkins averaged 54 receiving yards per game and led Laurel with three receiving touchdowns in the games reported to MaxPreps.

He continued developing into a Division I prospect from there and arrives at Memphis as a long, athletic target with plenty of room to grow. Unlike some of the veterans on this list, Jenkins’ college story is only beginning.

FLEX — Chris Davis Jr., Stanford

Picayune HS | Junior

Davis barely got an opportunity offensively in 2025, appearing in two games and returning one kickoff for 16 yards, so his freshman season is a better indication of what he can do. In 2024, the Picayune product rushed 54 times for 288 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and made three starts for Stanford.

And if you want to understand why the Cardinal recruited him in the first place, go back to Picayune. Davis rushed for 944 yards and 11 touchdowns on 132 carries during his senior season while averaging 7.2 yards per carry for a program coming off consecutive Class 5A championships. That combination of running-back ability and return-game speed earns him the flex spot.

TE — Caston Brown, Southern Miss

Oak Grove HS | Sophomore (Rs)

Brown is another member of Oak Grove’s 2023 state championship team who stayed home to play college football. He spent 2025 developing in the Southern Miss program and heads into 2026 looking for a larger role.

OL — Klabron Pollard, Nicholls

Oak Grove HS | Senior (5th Year)

Offensive linemen don’t get a neat box-score line, so with Pollard the best statistic is experience. He started along the Nicholls offensive line in 2025, appearing in eight games and seeing time at both tackle and guard for an offense that produced three different 100-yard rushers.

Before Nicholls, Pollard spent three seasons at Southern Miss and appeared in 23 games over his final two years there. His résumé goes back even further at Oak Grove, where he played in four consecutive South State championship games, won the 2020 Class 6A title and earned first-team All-State recognition twice. Few linemen on this roster have played more meaningful football than Pollard.

OL — Elijah Baker, Tulane

Hattiesburg HS | Sophomore (Rs)

Baker’s selection isn’t about a tackle total or a sack number because offensive linemen don’t live in those statistical categories. It’s about the fact that the former Hattiesburg Tiger has developed inside an FBS program at Tulane after being one of the anchors of Hattiesburg’s offensive front. Baker came out of a Tiger program that consistently played deep into November and earned his way into a Green Wave offensive-line room that has become one of the better developmental programs in the region. He hasn’t piled up starts yet, but his size, experience and time in an established FBS program give him a spot on the first unit.

OL — Harrison Cluff, Baylor

Columbia HS| Freshman (Rs)

Cluff got his first taste of college football in 2025, redshirting while appearing in two games against Samford and UCF and logging 18 offensive snaps for Baylor. Before heading to Waco, the 6-foot-4 lineman was one of Columbia’s top prospects and was rated among the state’s best offensive linemen by multiple recruiting services. Football also runs in the family — his father, Craig Cluff, coached the offensive line at Columbia. Harrison hasn’t had enough college snaps yet to judge him by statistics, but earning playing time as a freshman in a Big 12 program is a pretty good place to start.

OL — A’Marion Breland, UTSA

Hattiesburg HS | Freshman (Rs)

There might not be a more physically noticeable player on this entire roster. Breland is listed at 6-foot-9 and 310 pounds, and while he didn’t appear in a game during his freshman season at UTSA, his senior year at Hattiesburg explains why the Roadrunners wanted him. Breland earned first-team All-Pine Belt honors while helping the Tigers finish 13-1, win the Class 6A South State championship and reach the state title game. Hattiesburg’s offense outscored opponents 465-204 that season, with Breland anchoring the front. He’ll enter 2026 still developing, but you can’t teach that frame.

OL — Will Hampton, Navy

Petal HS | Sophomore

Hampton didn’t record college statistics during his freshman year in Annapolis, but his high school résumé at Petal fills in the blanks. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman was a two-time all-conference selection, earned All-State honors as a senior and represented Mississippi in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. He was also a three-sport athlete, competing in football, baseball and powerlifting and finishing fourth at the state powerlifting championships. That strength and athletic background eventually landed him at the Naval Academy, where he enters 2026 as a sophomore.

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DL — Jehiem Oatis, Ole Miss

Columbia HS | Senior (Transer)

Oatis’ path has taken him from Columbia to Alabama, Colorado and now back to Mississippi at Ole Miss. In 2025, the 6-foot-5, 325-pound tackle played 11 games with four starts for Colorado, finishing with nine tackles and a pass breakup. Those numbers don’t fully describe what a massive interior lineman is asked to do, especially one whose job is often occupying multiple blockers. His high school résumé is much louder statistically: as a Columbia junior, Oatis produced 68 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. A year later, he helped the Wildcats finish 14-1 and win the Class 4A state championship. He’s one of the most physically imposing players the Pine Belt has produced in years.

DL — Mason Clinton, Florida

Petal HS | Junior (RS)

Clinton took a long road from Petal to the SEC, but that’s part of what makes him interesting. After stops at Louisiana and East Mississippi Community College, Clinton came home to Southern Miss and played extensively in 2025, appearing throughout the season and recording 13 tackles before transferring to Florida. At 6-foot-5 and around 300 pounds, Clinton has developed from a local prospect into an SEC defensive lineman. His statistics aren’t huge, but interior defensive linemen often do their best work by eating blocks and changing running lanes. The fact that Florida saw enough in his Southern Miss tape to bring him to Gainesville says plenty.

DL — Kevin Oatis, Arkansas

Hattiesburg HS | Freshman (RS)

Oatis didn’t need a year of sitting around before getting his first taste of SEC football. As a true freshman at Arkansas in 2025, the former Hattiesburg standout appeared in four games, recording two tackles and a quarterback hurry. The college production is still just beginning, but his high school recruitment tells you what kind of talent we’re dealing with. Oatis was an ESPN 300 prospect who drew offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Texas before choosing Arkansas. He was one of the centerpieces of a Hattiesburg team that went 13-1 and reached the Class 6A championship game. Now the challenge is turning those first few SEC snaps into a regular role.

DL — Andrew Maddox, Ole Miss

Oak Grove HS | Sophomore

Maddox actually showed more during his freshman season than the original version of this team gave him credit for. The former Oak Grove defensive lineman appeared in six games for Ole Miss and finished 2025 with 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. His high school numbers were even more impressive. As an Oak Grove junior, Maddox piled up 99 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble while helping the Warriors win their first Class 7A state championship. He was a Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection and one of Mississippi’s top defensive-line recruits. With actual SEC production already on the board, Maddox could climb this list quickly.

LB — Avery Sledge, Southern Miss

Forrest County AHS | Senior (Rs)

Sledge was much more than a special-teams player for Southern Miss in 2025. He appeared in 12 games and finished with 15 tackles, half a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery, giving him the most productive college season of his career. Before Southern Miss and Mississippi State, Sledge was one of the best defenders in the Pine Belt at Forrest County AHS. As a senior, he recorded 66 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble while earning a three-star rating and being ranked among Mississippi’s top prospects. He has now gone from Brooklyn to Starkville and back home to Hattiesburg.

LB — Peyton Anderson, Southern Miss

Columbia HS | Junior (Rs)

Anderson’s 2025 college numbers were modest, one assisted tackle during his first season at Southern Miss — so his selection is more about the path he took to get there. The Columbia product went through Jones College before earning an FBS opportunity back home with Southern Miss. He brings the length coaches like at linebacker at around 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and comes from a Columbia program that has sent an unusual amount of talent to the Division I level for a town its size. Anderson enters 2026 with another offseason in the Golden Eagle program and a chance to turn a reserve role into something larger.

DB — Amarion Fortenberry, South Florida

Columbia HS | Junior

Fortenberry has already built one of the deeper college résumés among the defensive backs on this team. He played 12 games for Kansas State in 2025, recording 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. His best season remains his true freshman year at South Alabama, when he started eight games and finished with 45 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble. Through two seasons, Fortenberry already owns 58 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defended across 25 Division I games. Now headed to South Florida, he has gone from Columbia to the Sun Belt, Big 12 and American Conference without ever being afraid of competition.

DB — Damyrion Darby, South Alabama

Jefferson Davis County HS | Junior

Darby continued growing into South Alabama’s secondary in 2025, appearing in 10 games, making his first career start against Tulane and finishing with 10 tackles and a pass breakup. That followed a freshman season in which he played 12 games and made six tackles, meaning Darby enters 2026 with 22 Division I appearances already behind him. The former Jefferson Davis County standout was a three-star recruit coming out of Bassfield and chose South Alabama after receiving interest from Louisiana, Memphis, Southern Miss and Southeastern Louisiana. He’s no longer simply a prospect, he’s an experienced college defensive back.

DB — Deuce Vance, South Alabama

Hattiesburg HS | Sophomore

Vance didn’t record defensive statistics while redshirting at South Alabama in 2025, so you have to go back to Hattiesburg to appreciate what kind of athlete the Jaguars are trying to develop at cornerback. As the Tigers’ quarterback, Vance threw for roughly 2,600 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 18 additional scores during a sensational senior season. He earned Class 6A Mr. Football honors and helped turn Hattiesburg into one of Mississippi’s best teams. South Alabama saw enough athleticism to move him from quarterback to the secondary. That makes Vance one of the biggest wild cards on this entire roster entering 2026.

DB — Chase Pinkston, Memphis

Oak Grove HS | Sophomore (Rs)

Pinkston didn’t put up significant statistics during his first year at Memphis, so his Jones College season is still the best evidence of what he can do. In 2024, the former Oak Grove Warrior recorded 26 tackles, three interceptions, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery in nine games for the Bobcats. That production earned him an opportunity at Memphis, where he spent 2025 developing in the Tigers’ secondary. Pinkston comes from an Oak Grove program that has produced defensive backs and skill players at a remarkable rate, and his ball skills at Jones make him an easy player to keep an eye on this fall.

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