Sophomores Down South: Top ’26 Recruits in Texas, Part I

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Following up on last week's post on '26s that focused heavily on North Carolina with shoutouts for the top players in Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively, we're now heading to the great state of Texas for a breakdown of the best sophomores at this early point. <br><br>There's a talented crop of young players worth highlighting in the Lone Star State, so there will be a Part II before the season that goes over a few more names to watch in the Class of 2026, a group that looks strong in goal as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["16971"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"When it comes to athleticism, among other attributes, Logan is an outlier relative to everyone else on the field. Already a varsity football and basketball starter, he's still far more than just an athlete with a stick in his hands, as was fellow ESD product Nakeie Montgomery. He's remarkably explosive out of his rollbacks and hitches, and he's got powerful wrists that allow him to snap shots off with force, doing so with either hand at an advanced level. Overall, the confidence with which he sets up his dodges and creates offense is exceptional. Players like him draw so much attention from opposing defenses, but very few at this age can not only adjust like Logan can but show a full bag of tricks in the process.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["16966"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Bushaw has an incredibly impressive offensive skill set and body of work, posting 42 goals and eight assists as a freshman while serving as the Dragons' starting X attackman. Projecting as a college midfielder, Bushaw's continued to make a name for himself ever since with several stellar showings on the club and showcase circuit, where he's proven to be dynamic and consistently productive. Somewhere around 6'1 and 170 pounds, Bushaw brings a lot of shake and speed to the table, constantly creating separation and putting good looks on cage with a polished shot on the run. He's bouncy and explosive as a dodger and tenacious as a competitor, making stops on defense and scrapping for contested groundballs. Every time I've watched him, his full-field impact has been constant.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["16968"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Although I haven't been blown away by the '26 defensemen so far, Leverett is an exception. In full transparency, he's a recent addition formerly in the Class of 2025 who transferred into Culver from St. John's (Texas) and thrived with Iron Horse Houston. Watching the 6'1, 190-pounder for the first time earlier in the fall, it was his clearing passes that first caught my eye — everything was on the money, and he was poised even when under duress from riding attackmen. As an on-ball defender, his length is a tremendous asset and he pairs it with relentless physicality, showing off his football background when sliding with the body to make his presence felt. Non-hotbed defensemen have developed well at Culver under Jon Birsner and his staff, so I don't doubt that Leverett will continue to learn the intricacies of off-ball play and polish other fundamentals to round out his game.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["16975"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"This big lefty is so fun to watch, making a habit out of scoring ridiculous goals that end up on Instagram reels. Of course, trying to do so often tends to be a detriment for young players who get fancy rather than making the right play. That isn't the case with Whitehorse, who has indigenous roots and spent time in The Woodlands (Texas) youth organization before heading up to Culver, where he made the prep squad as a freshman. He operates with purpose, putting opponents on high alert with precise well-timed cuts and showcasing a ridiculous handle around the net. Whitehorse gives his teammates confidence to throw the ball in his vicinity knowing that he'll catch it no matter what and put it in the back of the net, even when poles are draped all over him.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["16979"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Between Bond and Harrison Collum (more on him is coming soon), newly minted Highland Park defensive coordinator Matt Dunn has some promising young pieces to work with moving forward. A talented left-hander who stands 6-foot-1, Bond is his club team's top cover man and has a knack for catching unsuspecting dodgers slipping with nasty trail and over-the-head checks. He's often getting his stick in the passing lanes and excellent off the ground, and once the ball is in Bond's stick, he's a threat to put points on the board when running fast breaks with perfection and poise. Whether it's down low or at LSM, he's got a super high ceiling as a Division I recruit.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65a08c4a4e504"} /-->