Robert Wilson spent 23 years at The Clarion-Ledger/Jackson Daily News as a sportswriter with more than half of those years covering high school sports, mostly in the Metro Jackson area. He helped choose the Dandy Dozen in various sports for more than a decade. Wilson rebirthed a similar team four years ago with Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Elite Eleven Preseason Football Team based on our All-Metro team selections from last season. This is the fifth annual team. Wilson selected the best players from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties from their performances last season. The players below are in alphabetical order.
Dereon Albert, Jackson Academy, Senior, Defensive Lineman
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Albert had 81 tackles, 17 for loss, 7 sacks,1 interception, 7 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery and helped JA to a 9-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last season as a junior. He was a first-team defensive tackle on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He is rated the No. 8 player in Mississippi and the No. 28 defensive lineman in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
Albert verbally committed to Tennessee on July 1. He has 33 Division I offers, including nine from the SEC.
“Dereon is a four-year starter for us,” JA coach David Duggan said. “He is a force on the defensive line. Dereon has a really high football IQ. He is very heavy handed. Dereon has good explosiveness and good bend. He carries his weight well and is very active on run and pass. I look forward to Dereon being a dominant force this season.”
Preston Ashley, Brandon, Senior, Defensive Back
The 6-foot, 180-pound Ashley had 68 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery and helped Brandon to a 12-2 record and a MHSAA Class 7A runner-up finish last season. He was a first team defensive back on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He is rated as the No. 12 player in Mississippi and the No. 24 safety in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
Ashley is verbally committed to Colorado. He has 24 Division I offers, including nine from the SEC.
“Preston and I connected on Day One when I got to Brandon,” first-year Brandon coach Lance Pogue said. “He has tremendous ability and is a great competititor. We had a long conversation early on and we are going to use Preston like (Heisman Trophy winner) Travis Hunter at Colorado. He is an outstanding kid and comes from a great family.’
Ashley, who is expected to graduate in December and enroll at Colorado in January, is the son of Tyrone Ashley, who played running back, wide receiver and kickoff return specialist at Ole Miss from 1989-91, ranking sixth in career kickoff return yards and 10th in single season kickoff return yards. He also had two uncles play pro football. Uncle Roell Preston played wide receiver for Ole Miss and played five years in the NFL and uncle Rock Preston played wide receiver at Florida State and four years in the Canadian Football League.
Lawson Branson, Germantown, Senior, Running back
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Branson gained 945 yards, averaged 6.2 yards, and scored 11 TDs and helped Germantown to a 7-5 record and the MHSAA Class 7A quarterfinals last season as a junior. He was a second team running back on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He has offers from Campbell (North Carolina), Belhaven, Hinds Community College, Itawamba CC, and Mississippi Delta CC.
“Lawson has been an exceptional offensive weapon for the past two years,” Germantown coach Russell Mitchell said. “As good as he is on the field, Lawson is just as strong in the classroom and the community. He provides a challenge for opposing defenses in a variety of ways out of the backfield and in the slot. Lawson has tremendous speed, toughness, vision, and hands. He is a senior and our staff is looking forward to him becoming a leader for this group that brings back a wealth of experience.”
Caden Moss, Jackson Academy, Junior, Offensive Lineman
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Moss helped JA to a 9-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last season as a junior. He was a first team offensive lineman on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team, one of four sophomores on the 50-player team.
“Caden is a long, very athletic offensive tackle,” JA coach David Duggan said. “He is a player with very good bend and good balance. Caden could be an elite tackle at the next level and hopefully futher than that. He has all the tools. It just depends on how hard he wants to be work. Caden can be as good as he wants to be. He has a knack of staying on a block. I’ve been around in a long time (Duggan has 38 years of college football coaching experience) and he’s one of the most talented offensive tackles I’ve ever seen. I’m hoping for a big year for Caden.”
Moss is rated No. 1 in Mississippi and No. 4 in the country for offensive tackles and the No. 37 player in the country overall in the Class of 2027 by 247 Sports. He has 19 Division I offers, including SEC offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, MSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, and defending national champion Ohio State.
Aydan Newell, Brandon, Senior, Offensive lineman
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Newell helped Brandon to a 12-2 record and a MHSAA Class 7A runner-up last season as a junior. He was a first team offensive lineman on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He is rated as the No. 38 player in Mississippi and the No. 83 inside offensive lineman in the country.
Newell has verbally committed to Jackson State. He also has Division I offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, and Memphis.
“Ayden is a talented guy with good feet,” first-year Brandon coach Lance Pogue said. “He is going to be an outstanding player on the next level. Ayden’s potential is not close to being tapped.”
Tyson Robinson, Brandon, Junior, Running back
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Robinson gained 1,295 rushing yards, a 7.4-yard average, and scored 24 touchdowns and caught 42 passes for 668 yards and 10 TDs and helped Brandon to a 12-2 record and a MHSAA Class 7A runner-up finish last season. He was a first team running back on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team. Robinson was one of four sophomores on the 50-player All-Metro team.
He is rated as the No. 3 player in Mississippi, the No. 5 running back and No. 77 player in the country in the Class of 2027 by 247 Sports.
Robinson has 33 Division I offers, including 11 from the SEC, and defending national champion Ohio State.
“Tyson is an elite, electric running back who can turn a 3-yard run into a 70-yard run,” first-year Brandon coach Lance Pogue said. “He has an outstanding attitude. He is at the top of the page along with some of those elite running backs I had at South Panola like Darrell Henderson, Tag Barksdale and Quin Griffin. He is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field at any time in the game.”
Sladen Slack, Brandon, Junior, Quarterback
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Slack completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,586 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions and helped Brandon to a 12-2 record and a MHSAA Class 7A runner-up finish last season as a sophomore. He was the second team quarterback on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He has Division I offers from Ole Miss, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Tulane, Murray State, and Central Arkansas.
“The sky is the limit for Sladen,” first-year Brandon coach Lance Pogue said. “He is a dual threat guy. Sladen can throw it and also has the running ability to get out of trouble. That puts him in the top of the market. The best is yet to come for Sladen. He will put himself on the big time map this year as a junior and next year will be a household name all across the South.”
Case Thomas, MRA, Senior, Wide Receiver
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Thomas caught 60 passes for 936 yards and 10 touchdowns and helped Madison-Ridgeland Academy to a 9-3 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last year as a junior. He was a second-team wide receiver on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
Thomas – ranked as the No. 50 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports and the son of former Clinton High and Alabama kicker Neal Thomas – has Division I offers from Jackson State, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Akron and Kennesaw.
He is one of two players to repeat on the Elite 11 Team along with Hartfield Academy’s Bralan Womack.
Thomas had 59 receptions for 1,286 yards – an average of 22 yards per catch – and 17 TDs and helped Madison-Ridgeland Academy to an 8-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals two years ago as a sophomore. He was a first team wide receiver on the All-Metro Jackson as a sophomore, the only sophomore on the first team.
“Case is a playmaker,” MRA coach Herbert Davis said. “He is a guy that can play anywhere on the field. Case has great size for a wide receiver, around 200 pounds. He has become a leader on our team and is fun to coach.”
Caleb Unger, MRA, Junior, Offensive lineman
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Unger helped MRA to a 9-3 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last season as a sophomore. He was a first team offensive lineman on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team. He was one of four sophomores on the 25-player first team.
He has 20 Division I offers, including Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley.
“Caleb has great feet and huge hands to go with his physical play,” MRA coach Herbert Davis said. “He has improved tremendously with his leadership and is fun to coach.”
TJ White, Jackson Academy, Senior, Linebacker
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound White had 102 tackles, 21 ½ for loss, 11 sacks, 4 pass breakups, 2 caused fumbles and 1 fumble recovery and helped JA to a 9-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A state semifinals last season. He was a second team defensive lineman on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro Jackson team.
He is rated the No. 3 player in Mississippi, the No. 5 linebacker in the country and No. 86 player in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
White verbally committed to Tennessee on July 1. He has 30 Division I offers, including eight from the SEC.
“TJ played hybrid last year, playing defensive end and linebacker, but we have moved him to linebacker this year so he will be around the football more,” JA coach David Duggan said. “He is very long and explosive. The light went on about Game 3 or 4 last year and has just taken off. TJ has gained a lot of confidence and has ability through the roof. He is bigger and stronger. TJ has all the tools. He could be a big-time college linebacker. He has a strong work ethic to keep improving. I’m expecting a big season from TJ.”
Bralan Womack, Hartfield Academy, Senior, Defensive back-wide receiver-return specialist
The 6-foot, 196-pound Womack had 39 tackles, 8 interceptions, 2 pass break ups, and 4 touchdowns, caught 54 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 TDs, had 5 punt returns for a 22.5-yard average and 2 TDs and had 3 kickoff returns for a 42.7-yard average and 1 TD and helped Hartfield to a 12-2 record and its second straight Class 6A state championship last season. He was the first team all-purpose back selection on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
He is rated the No. 2 player in Mississippi, the No. 1 safety and No. 12 player in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
Womack has 34 Division I offers, including 13 from the SEC, and has narrowed his choices to four schools, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and defending national champion Ohio State. He is expected to announce his decision on August 23.
He is one of two players who have repeated on the Elite 11 Team along with MRA’s Case Thomas.
Womack had 26 tackles, 7 interceptions for 89 yards and 2 TDs, 1 fumble recovery for a 52-yard return, and caught 32 passes for 562 yards and 10 TDs and helped Hartfield to a 14-0 record and its first MAIS Class 6A state championship in school history two years ago as a sophomore. He also averaged 54.8 yards on four kickoff returns and 2 TDs and averaged 30.1 yards on nine punt returns and 2 TDs.
He was a first team defensive back on the All-Metro Jackson team, the only sophomore on the first team defense.
“I believe that Bralan Womack has the potential to be one of the top players to come out of Mississippi,” Hartfield coach Craig Bowman said. “His commitment to daily improvement is unmatched. I am not aware of a better player to come out of the MAIS. Being the top player in the country at his position doesn’t just happen. It takes years of training and surrounding himself with good people. Bralan is also one of the best teammates I have ever been around. I have sat in the room with him and some of the top college head coaches and Bralan is always talking up our school and our team. He loves the guys that he gets to go to practice with every day and it shows up Friday nights. I am so grateful to be around this character of kid and his family.”
