Meet the 2025 Sun Herald Preseason All-South MS High School Football Team
The 2025 high school football season arrives on the Mississippi Coast this month.
The storyline is the seemingly all-time high talent level for an area that’s always been rich in next-level stars. With so many D-I ready players taking the field, the new season could be one to remember.
Ocean Springs and Pascagoula lead the pack with seven selections each in the preseason All-South Mississippi team. Gulfport is just behind with six.
Here’s the list of stars set to shine in the coming months.
Fans’ Choice Player of the Year
Cooper Crosby, Gulfport
Gulfport’s backfield now belongs entirely to Crosby after splitting touches in 2024. Crosby’s combination of size and speed led to 1,063 rushing yards his junior year. Now a Louisiana commit, Crosby is taking on a bell cow role for the Admirals this fall.
2025 Preseason All-South Mississippi Football Team
First Team
QB Sharroid Whitehead, Ocean Springs: Whitehead took over quarterback duties in district play and led the Greyhounds to another region title with 1,061 rushing yards, 669 passing yards and 21 touchdowns responsible for.
QB Kaison Koenenn, Hancock: Koenenn was an electric spark plug for the Hawks a year ago, leading all Coast quarterbacks in rushing with 1,270 yards and 15 scores. Now he’s paired with new offense-first head coach in Michael King.
RB Ty Keys, Poplarville: Keys is among the state’s top prospects in the 2027 class and is coming off a season that saw him rush for 565 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing eight games due to a shoulder injury.
RB Jordan Stapleton, West Harrison: Stapleton ran for over 2,000 yards on more than 11 yards per carry in 2024. The senior is aiming for 5,000 career rushing yards by the end of the fall.
WR DJ McNair, George County: McNair hauled in 863 receiving yards as part of a deep wide receiver room last year. The senior now heads into 2025 as WR1.
WR Darius Carter, Pascagoula: Carter turned 29 receptions into 609 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago.
WR Devon Garrett, Gautier: Garrett was the Coast’s top sophomore receiver in ‘24 after bringing in 58 catches for 573 yards and three scores.
OL Jayden Ross, Ocean Springs: Ross watched his recruitment blossom following his junior campaign and heads into the fall as a Mississippi State commit.
OL Hayden Ainsworth, Biloxi: Ainsworth dominated as a sophomore last year, reclassified to 2026 and is set to play his senior season as a Nebraska commit.
OL Dalton Toothman, Vancleave: Toothman is emerging as one of the top prospects to come out of Vancleave. He’ll play his senior year as a Mississippi State commit.
OL Mitchell Smith, Picayune: Smith has returned to the Coast to play his last season for the Tide. The 6-foot-6 tackle committed to Vanderbilt this summer.
OL Javen Bolden, Picayune: Bolden returns after landing on the 6A All State team a year ago.
ATH Jordan Walley, D’Iberville: He threw nine touchdown passes, rushed for three more scores and picked off five passes at corner all in his sophomore season.
DL Nolan Wilson, Picayune: Wilson has one varsity season under his belt and is already a top-100 ranked prospect and an Alabama commit. The rising senior had six sacks and seven forced fumbles in 2024.
DL Jazear Carter, West Harrison: Carter was the Coast’s most productive defensive lineman in 2024. The Navy commit made 24 stops in the backfield, registered five sacks and recorded over 100 tackles.
DL Javon Anderson, Gulfport: Anderson slid to the edge last year where he made 15 tackles behind the line, totaled three sacks and broke up eight passes.
DL Jobe Lambert, Poplarville: The 300-lb. defensive tackle was a black hole for running backs as a sophomore. He tallied 87 tackles from the interior and made 8.5 tackles for loss.
LB Andre Peters, Gulfport: Peters led every player on the Coast with 149 tackles last year with seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
LB Ayden Harmon, Poplarville: Harmon led the state champion defense with 134 stops. He made 11.5 stops in the backfield, forced three fumbles and recovered two.
LB Denzel Larkin, Gautier: Larkin covered a lot of ground for the Gators, racking up 124 tackles with six tackles for loss.
LB Jacolby Bailey, Ocean Springs: Bailey found the quarterback seven times as an outside linebacker. He tallied 19 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two recoveries as a junior.
DB Tylan Wilson, Pascagoula: One of the top prospects in the state and freshly committed to Texas A&M, Wilson was a disruptive force as a junior with six interceptions and three forced fumbles.
DB Tomareo Johnson, Pascagoula: Wilson’s partner-in-crime, Johnson matched his teammate with six interceptions as part of 10-PBU junior season.
DB Eric Johnson, Ocean Springs: Johnson broke up seven passes and intercepted three during his junior campaign.
DB Kaiden Street, Pascagoula: The Panthers’ secondary is rounded out by Street, who led the Coast in pass breakups as a junior corner.
Second Team
- QB Paris Trivillion, Pass Christian
- QB Parker Nettles, Gulfport
- RB Branden Gautier, George County
- RB Cooper Crosby, Gulfport
- WR DJ Nunnery, Pascagoula
- WR Amarie James, Pass Christian
- WR John Feaster Jr, Pearl River Central
- OL Aidan Graham, Poplarville
- OL Jacob Ladner, West Harrison
- OL Caleb Gollott, D’Iberville
- OL Cohyn Myers, Ocean Springs
- OL Tyler Schoon, Picayune
- DL Colton Ladner, Stone
- DL Jayden Curtis, St. Martin
- DL Caleb Estrada, D’Iberville
- DL Tariq Noel, Stone
- LB Caleb Triplett, D’Iberville
- LB Jarrad Loper, Pascagoula
- LB Brody Saenz, Ocean Springs
- LB Gabriel Millender, Gautier
- DB D’Solomon Stallion, Gulfport
- DB Pierre Felder, Gulfport
- DB Ayden Watson, Ocean Springs
- DB Jashaun Bass, Biloxi
