There is something different about this time of year.
The helmets are polished. Practice fields are full. Communities begin circling Friday nights on the calendar, convinced this could be the season their team makes a run. Across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, hope returns with every whistle, every snap, and every kickoff.
As another high school football season approaches, all eyes naturally turn toward the players who will define this fall.
But before the first touchdown is scored, it’s worth taking a moment to recognize those who have already traveled the path.
This season, 46 former Mississippi Gulf Coast standouts will suit up for NCAA Division I football programs across the country, representing 15 Coast high schools. They are proof that every Friday night matters, every rivalry game has scouts watching, and every player stepping onto the field has an opportunity to follow in their footsteps. The information below is based on verified 2026 college football rosters.
Ocean Springs Sets the Standard (11)
No Coast program has more Division I players this season than Ocean Springs.
- Bray Hubbard – Alabama
- Talan Carter – Vanderbilt
- JP Coulter – Louisiana-Monroe
- Solomon Baggett – Arkansas State
- BJ Ausmer – Middle Tennessee
- Christian White – Mississippi Valley State
- Carter Carter – Southeastern Louisiana
- Christian White – Nicholls State
- Kristian Dillard – Nicholls State
- Raymond Johnson – Nicholls State
- Jayden Ross – Mississippi State
The Greyhounds continue to establish themselves as one of the premier football pipelines in South Mississippi.
Pascagoula Continues the Tradition (7)
The Panthers once again have one of the Coast’s strongest college football representations.
- Tylan Wilson – Texas A&M
- Jeffery Rush Jr. – Southern Miss
- Tomareo Johnson Jr. – South Alabama
- Brian Barnes Jr. – South Alabama
- Jaylon Parnell – Louisiana Tech
- Tristen Fortenberry – Tulane
- Thomas Ashe – Nicholls State
For Panther fans, Friday nights often become Saturdays spent following former teammates across the country.
Picayune Keeps Producing (5)
The Maroon Tide’s physical brand of football continues to translate to the next level.
- Dante Dowdell – Georgia
- Michael Smith – Vanderbilt
- Mitchell Smith – Vanderbilt
- Darrell Smith – Louisiana
- Tyran Warren – Alcorn State
Few schools on the Coast have consistently developed college-ready talent like Picayune.
The Rest of the Coast
Every corner of South Mississippi continues to send athletes to the next level.
Biloxi (3)
- Deon Hardin – Tennessee
- Deuce Fillmore – Illinois
- Dayshawn McGee – Southeastern Louisiana
George County (3)
- Deuce Knight – Ole Miss
- Mojo Dortch – Troy
- Marlin Odom – Troy
St. Stanislaus (3)
- Jacob Bradford – Louisiana Tech
- Bruno Dall – UCF
- Ilias Rida – Southeastern Louisiana
D’Iberville (2)
- Caleb Triplett – Southern Miss
- KJ Washington – Southern Miss
Gulfport (2)
- Cooper Crosby – Mississippi State
- Prince Cottonham – Liberty
Harrison Central (2)
- Raymond Collins – Ole Miss
- Amarion Ware – Jackson State
Moss Point (2)
- Jamarious Brown – Ole Miss
- Ruben Lee II – Mississippi Valley State
St. Martin (2)
- Jayden Curtis – Ole Miss
- Noreel White – Troy
Bay High (1)
- Jaylen Antoine – Mississippi State
Poplarville (1)
- Khalid Moore – Southeastern Louisiana
Resurrection Catholic (1)
- Daniel Pickens – Old Dominion
Vancleave (1)
- Dalton Toothman – Mississippi State
The Next One Is Already Here
Somewhere on a practice field this week is another player preparing to become the next Division I signee. The names above once stood exactly where today’s seniors stand grinding through summer workouts, chasing championships, and dreaming about playing on Saturdays.
Their success is a testament to the coaches who developed them, the families who supported them, and the communities that filled the stands every Friday night.
The stadiums may be bigger now.
The uniforms may have changed.
But their football journey started in the same places that will host kickoff across the Mississippi Gulf Coast in just a few short weeks.
It was built here.
Now, they’re playing there.
