EARLY, Texas — The Early Longhorns will begin the 2026 football season at home Friday night, with head coach Marvin Wilson’s team aiming to repeat last year’s successful start against a Merkel squad coming off a playoff season.
Kickoff between Early and Merkel is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Longhorn Stadium. Early finished 5-6 in 2025, while Merkel went 7-5. The matchup gives the Longhorns an opportunity to open Wilson’s second season with another victory after the program reached a major milestone during his first year.
Early enters with returning playmakers
Early’s first season under Wilson began with an opening win and ended with the program’s first district championship since 2007. The Longhorns are now seeking similar results as they start the 2026 campaign against Merkel.
The team prepared for the opener with scrimmages against Tolar and Albany. Wilson said the Longhorns continued improving from the first scrimmage, while keeping parts of the offense and defense limited during those preparations.
“Right now we’re still getting better,” Wilson said. “We got better from the first scrimmage which is what we needed to do, we just need to keep getting a little better each time out. We’ve been tight knit on our playbook offensively, we’ve done some things, but we haven’t opened it up yet. I’m sure Friday night our offensive guys will have it all open.”
Quarterback Caden Wilson returns after throwing for 1,422 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025. He also rushed for 490 yards and nine touchdowns.
Andrew Reedy, the Longhorns’ leading returning receiver, produced 41 catches for 690 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He added 122 rushing yards and a touchdown. Isaac Ybarra, one of Early’s top rushers, returns after gaining 436 yards and scoring four rushing touchdowns.
Other offensive players identified as contributors include receivers Jaxson Stockman, Brennen Rasor and Jackson Clark; running backs Jake Walker and Rhett Cadenhead; and H-back Grant Stacks. The offensive line will feature a combination of Rhett Smith, Riley Barton, Aiden Bostic, Lucas Mask, Kaden Burleson and Aidan Melton.
Longhorn defense built around experienced tacklers
Reedy also returns as a key defensive player after recording 48 tackles, four tackles for loss and three interceptions. Stockman had 27 tackles, one tackle for loss and two interceptions, while Rasor and Clark are expected to help make up the secondary.
Early’s inside linebacker group will be led by Brayden Schafer and Angel Marquez. Schafer recorded 118 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack last year. Marquez had 107 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. Ybarra and Hunter McCullough could also see time at linebacker.
Cadenhead, Stacks and Isaiah Marshall are expected to form a combination at outside linebacker. Smith, Barton, Bostic, Mask, Burleson and Melton will lead the front, according to the team outlook provided before the game.
Wilson said the scrimmages were useful for evaluating how players responded physically and pursued the ball, even while the team used basic coverages.
“A lot of what we wanted to see was will we hit, will we hustle, will we get to the ball after it’s caught, and the kids did a great job of that.”
Merkel brings playoff experience to Longhorn Stadium
Merkel returns seven offensive starters and five defensive starters from last year’s 7-5 playoff team. The Badgers are led by quarterback and linebacker Easton Malone, who accounted for 2,476 passing yards and 32 passing touchdowns, along with 648 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Malone recorded 112 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Wide receiver and defensive back Mayson Prieto returns after making 30 catches for 361 yards and five touchdowns. He added 22 tackles and an interception. Running back CJ Guararrama rushed for 525 yards and eight touchdowns, while also recording 13 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Linebacker Jason Alaniz returns with 51 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Logan Alexander, Caiden Drinkard and Jacob Watson are among the other returning players in the trenches.
Despite Merkel’s returning experience, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picked the Badgers to finish last in District 4-3A Division II, behind Holliday, Jacksboro, Henrietta, Wichita Falls City View and Breckenridge.
Wilson said Merkel’s size, quarterback and physical skill at receiver and running back will challenge Early’s defense.
“They’re big up fron and if they get a hold of you, you’re in a bind, so we better move fast,” Wilson said. “Their quarterback, you see him on the news every week in Abilene, he can sling the ball.”
Early is listed as an eight-point favorite by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Harris Ratings Weekly lists the Longhorns as a three-point favorite.
For Wilson, the immediate objective is straightforward: establish confidence, play with physicality and finish. He said the Longhorns want to move defenders, create running lanes, put the quarterback and receivers to work, limit Merkel’s gains and defend deep passes.
“It’s always important to start it off right,” Wilson said. “You want come out and build confidence in yourself.”