Football Offseason Watch 2026.

Written Sunday February 15th at 11:35 AM

Here are some storylines to watch heading into the 2026 season for football.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets are going to have to go through their fourth coach in five years with JayRamond Hall taking over the program. It was a disaster for Avondale going 1-8 and both sides of the football really struggled last season. What should help is having a player like Bryan Collins coming back should help for Hall. The key for the Yellow Jackets will be stability this spring and summer. 

Berkley: The Bears are going to go through a transition period as Dan Earls takes over the program. Earls is an offensive mind which is what the Berkley needs. Both sides of the football have some big questions. There has to be a transition period which has to happen during the season.

Ferndale: The Eagles missed out on the postseason last season but Coach Donovan Jackson has seen a lot of growth which should help heading into his second season. The losses to River Rouge and Harper Woods hurt Ferndale's postseason dreams last season. The Eagles have a ton of experience coming back which always helps. The key for Jackson is program building especially in the long term.

Royal Oak: The Ravens are going to be very interesting to watch this summer. There are a ton of questions this summer. Royal Oak got outscored 51-7 in the final two weeks of the season last season. Identity has to be the key for Coach Collin Campbell this summer.

Pontiac: The Phoenix have done a very good job building program strength which has been a key for Coach Wendell Jefferson. Pontiac is still building but everything else is starting to come in line. It will be very interesting to see what Jefferson does heading into year three with the program but things are starting to come together.

Waterford Kettering: The Captains return to the OAA which brings optimism to a program that really needs it. Waterford Kettering was the worst defensive team in the Lakes Valley Conference last season. The Captains also need coaching stability as Cullen Conway was the interim coach but now is the permanent coach this season. Defense and stability will be key for Waterford Kettering if they want to make some ground this summer.

Troy: It was a rough year for the Colts which saw them score 21 points in the final six weeks of last season. Troy is in a very interesting spot for Coach Chris Frasier this summer. The key for the Colts will be offense along with building an identity this summer. Program strength will also be something to watch as well.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks were a completely different team in the final five weeks of the season despite missing the postseason. Troy Athens lost a lot of proven talent but the identity is there for Coach Tom Cook's program. The key is can the Red Hawks keep the momentum that was gained from the final five weeks with the younger players and not go backwards, that's the key to success.

Seaholm: The Maples really over performed for Coach Jim DeWald getting to the postseason despite a 1-5 record down the stretch last season. DeWald has built a strong foundation in Birmingham which has seen a ton of success. The key for DeWald is keeping that sustainability heading into the summer on both sides of the football. Seaholm should be a force to watch this fall.

Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks went through a transition year under Coach Scott Merchant which didn't produce the results they wanted but it's key to go through that transition. Now it's Merchant's second year with the program and they have seem to have everything put together. The defense will be the key for Merchant this spring and summer. Bloomfield Hills has the offense in place to really make some noise but defense is the key.

Waterford Mott: The Corsairs reenter the OAA after being in the Lakes Valley Conference. Waterford Mott was a postseason team falling to Midland Dow in the first round. The Corsairs have athletes and should be competitive in the Blue. Coach Tra'Jan Seay knows the OAA very well which should help. The Corsairs key will be quarterback and depth which will be something to watch this spring and summer.

Oak Park: The Knights are in a very interesting spot. They lost a lot of talent from a team that had a rough 14-13 loss to Lake Orion last season which cost them a trip to the postseason. It will be very interesting to see what Coach Greg Carter has in the program. Program strength will be the key for Carter and something to watch this spring and summer.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a very rough year for Coach Keith McKenzie but the schedule was very brutal. McKenzie is hoping that the 1-8 year should toughen his program up. Mental mindset and program strength are going to be something to watch with Southfield Arts and Tech this summer.

Rochester: The Falcons have a quarterback wide receiver duo coming back which helps and they made the postseason which was even better when it comes to program building. Taking the next step will be key for Coach Eric Vernon and Rochester along with the defense. They did lose a lot of experience and the defense will need to step up this summer but there is a ton of optimism for Falcon football.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars have a ton of high upside coming back after getting to the district finals and beating Macomb County neighbor Utica Eisenhower last season. Coach Rick Powell has done a great job building program strength and created a winning culture with the Cougars. Sustainability will be the key this summer for the Cougars especially the sophomore class on down with the program. This could be a special year as mentioned if things go right with Stoney Creek.

Harper Woods: The Pioneers had a very disappointing 10-7 loss to Dearborn Divine Child in the regional final where the Falcons defense shut down Harper Woods high octane offense last season. Coach Rob Oden has a lot of talent coming back but losing their quarterback will hurt. The key for the Pioneers is sustainability and the need to address the quarterback spot this summer.

Groves: The Falcons made an incredible run getting to the Division Two State Semifinals last season. They have their running back coming back which helps. Groves has a ton of questions that Coach Brendan Flaherty needs to address this summer. Program strength will be something to watch as well. The Falcons have the talent to compete but it will be interesting to see how the younger players step into those roles this summer for Flaherty.

Lake Orion: The Dragons will look to rebound from a very disastrous 1-8 year last season. Lake Orion has the majority of their offense coming back which should help. The defense has a ton of question marks along with depth. The Dragons were injury riddled to their defense but lack of depth also hurt as well. The key for Coach Chris Bell will be program identity along with building depth on both sides of the football (more one way players) and staying away from the injury bug. Building program depth will be key this summer for Bell and company.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers are in a very interesting spot. West Bloomfield lost a lot of talent on both sides of the football and will have to replace a ton of experience. Program strength will be the key for Coach Zach Hilbers as he will have a tall task this spring and summer when it comes to program strength. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens with the Lakers.

Oxford: The Wildcats really overachieved in Coach Trevor Potts first year as varsity coach getting to the postseason. Oxford loses their quarterback which is a big loss but everyone else is coming back. The Wildcats are built for the short and long term. Sustainability will be the key for Potts in his second year as varsity coach and also quarterback will be something to watch as well this summer. Oxford could be in line for another successful year this fall.

Clarkston: The Wolves will be a very interesting program to watch this summer. They lost a lot of talent and experience but their sub varsity programs went unbeaten which helps but it doesn't always translate to varsity. Coach Justin Pintar has done a very good job with the program and they have their quarterback coming back. The key for Clarkston will be the defense and if the younger players can step up to bigger roles this summer.

Adams: The Highlanders lost a lot of talent from last season but knowing Coach Tony Patritto the talent is far from bare. Adams veer offense always keeps people honest. It will be very interesting to see what Patritto has coming back this summer. The key for the Highlanders is who steps up to replace the talent that was lost from last season and can they sustain heading into the fall.