2026 Jag Football Preview
Well, here we are. It’s finally GAME DAY for the 2026 edition of the Northridge Jaguars Football Team. There will be some new faces (and numbers) on the gridiron this year for the Jags. The Jags saw some long-time starters move on. But, Northridge will be filling those voids with seasoned talent.
Sophomore Max Bruinton will take over at the quarterback slot for the 2026 season. Bruinton is young, but is a talented athlete. Head Coach Ryan Lolley said that Bruinton has qualities that quarterback needs – he keeps a level demeanor, doesn’t get low but also doesn’t get too high. “He’s very mature for his age and any situation he’s in, he handles it very well,” Lolley said about Bruinton.
The compliment of every quarterback, in today’s game, is the receiving core. Junior Tate Espey returns after a 2025 campaign that netted almost 700 yards, nine touchdowns and averaged close to 20 yards per catch. Espey can be absolutely electric when he gets the ball in his hands and is a legitimate threat to score, every time he touches the ball. Lolley noted Espey’s work ethic and attention to detail. Demeriyan Cotton will be on the field with Epsey. Cotton has explosive capabilities and is another big play threat for the Jags. Cotton averaged almost 15 yards per catch in 2025. Keep your eyes open for Sophomore Austin Posey, who will see action at the tight end and H-back spots. Junior Dre Young, who can be a deep threat, will also see some quality playing time.
The Jag’s leading rusher in 2025, Magnus Greimel, returns for his junior campaign. Greimel is a hard runner and plays with his emotions on his sleeve. Junior Da’marcus Wilder will be back, looking for some more heads to crack. Wilder can be a punishing runner and led the Jags in touchdown runs in 2025. Senior Semaje Rainey will see increased involvement in 2026. Lolley noted that these three each bring a little something different to the table for Northridge and that variety of running style should help keep the Jags a little more unpredictable.
None of the guys above can do much without this next group – the offensive line. The jags are replacing quite a few spaces that opened up, due to graduation. Seniors Cole Holliday, Joshua Swords and Tyler Ivory are the seasoned veterans. Holliday and Ivory will be the anchors of the O-line, with Swords having spent time at several positions, which should give him some insight to the intricacies of the Jags’ blocking schemes. Junior Tyson Herndon will move over to the offensive line and another junior, Micah Mitchell, will fill out the core of the offensive line. Watch for sophomore Cade Sparks and freshman Barker Terrell to see some valuable time on the field.
On the defensive side, Anthony Hyche, Jr. and Zaine Rymond are returning seniors who have different styles but are the heart of the defensive line. Junior Javeon Jenkins can play anywhere on the defensive front and, as Lolley stated, is hard to block in a 1-on-1 situation. Sophomore Christian McLaurin will also factor into Northridge’s equation for success. Junior Jackson Pilsch and Da’marcus Wilder (yes, the running back) will fill linebacker slots. Junior Trindon Henderson fits into several roles at the linebacker position. Senior Devin Brown will also be a familiar face at the linebacker spot. The defensive backfield will see the return of junior Cullen Pilsch, a starter as a sophomore for the 2025 season. Junior Jaden Wright will be on the back end with Cullen Pilsch. Junior Julian Crenshaw and sophomore Kamari Mickens will be at the corner positions. Mario Knox, another junior, will also see time at corner.
Senior Tregre Benoit will be handling punting duties again this season and sophomore Hicks Finison returns to handle the placekicking duties. Finison was 32-for-35 on PATs last year and was a solid option to help the Jags put points on the board, tacking on seven field goals.
With the restructuring of the AHSAA football landscape, the Jags have moved down to the 5A classification. But so did their region foes, so not much changes there, other than the addition of Hillcrest, who moved back down to 5A and returns to Area 3, after spending a couple seasons in class 7A. I’ve covered teams who had some reasonably easy region opponents. That is absolutely NOT the case for the Northridge Jaguars, who play in what should be considered one of the toughest regions in the state. Every week sees the Jags taking on a playoff caliber opponent. The 2026 is full of experienced youth and sprinkled with seasoned veterans. Lolley noted that he felt good about the chemistry of his team. The challenge for the Jags will be looking at the job in front of them and not look into the future. The goal is to take care of now and let everything else take care of itself and be the best that this team can be.
Northridge opens the 2026 season by traveling across town to visit the American Christian Academy Patriots tonight at 7:00PM.
