Nacogdoches High School freshmen Jamaylon Rogers and Caden Thomas wrapped up their first season of varsity football last month. While it’s not unusual for freshmen to play a prominent role in high school football, it is uncommon. Their performances also caught the attention of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website.
Rogers and Thomas are two of 50 recruits “... who are making waves on the Texas high school football landscape,” the website wrote in November as part of a post about players to watch from the recruiting class of 2028.
Rogers is already 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighs 260 pounds and filled multiple positions on the Dragons’ offensive line in 2024. Thomas is a 6-1, 270-pound defensive tackle who provided needed depth in the Dragons’ defensive front this fall and turned into a proven run stopper.
It was a difficult season for Nacogdoches football, head coach Darby House says, but the promise of Rogers and Thomas – along with what’s considered to be an outstanding freshmen class – provides hope for next season and beyond.
“We are excited about them, and we’ve got another strong group right behind them,” House said, acknowledging the eighth-graders still at McMichael Middle School. “Adding in sophomores and juniors next season already on varsity will give us some playmakers and depth.”