2026 NC East-West All-Star Football Rosters: All 72 Players and Coaches
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The 2026 North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star Football Game will bring together 72 high school football players from 55 schools on Saturday, Dec. 19, at Jamieson Stadium in Greensboro. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The 2026 NCCA East-West All-Star football rosters feature 36 players from the East and 36 from the West, along with six coaches on each sideline. Below are the complete East and West rosters, high schools, positions, coaching staffs, game information and North Carolina storylines in one place.
2026 East-West All-Star Football Game: Date, Time and Location
- Date: Saturday, December 19, 2026
- Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Jamieson Stadium, Grimsley High School
- Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
- Teams: East All-Stars vs. West All-Stars
- Rosters: 36 players per team; 72 total
- Head coaches: Nathan Conner (East) and Michael Wilbanks (West)
- Organizing association: North Carolina Coaches Association
Event details and ticket updates are available through the official NCCA East-West All-Star Games website.
Eastern North Carolina Selections Include Kinston, Ayden-Grifton and Greene Central
Schools and coaches familiar to Neuse News Sports readers are well represented. Kinston offensive lineman Jalyn Kinsey earned an East roster spot, while Ayden-Grifton offensive lineman William Doe and defensive back Larry Grier III give the Chargers two selections. Greene Central head coach Jay Wilson was selected to the East coaching staff.
Additional East selections from the region include Sam Finch and Darryl Loatman Jr. of Fike; Dawson Crosby and Pa’tron Dixon of East Columbus; Jordan Matthewson of Martin County; Zakaryus Ishman and Mekkhei Williams of Northeastern; Jamir Mitchell and Matthew Smoot of Northside-Jacksonville; Ezra Meachem of South Central; Tylen Gorham and Devion Mayo Jr. of Southwest Edgecombe; and Xavier Cuthbertson of West Craven.
Wilson’s selection follows another season leading Greene Central. In October, the Rams rushed for 376 yards in a 49-20 victory at Ayden-Grifton. Wilson also discussed the season in a Trey Scott Sports Show appearance.
2026 East All-Star Football Roster: All 36 Players
The complete East roster is listed below with each player’s position and school.
| Player | Position | High School |
|---|---|---|
| William Doe | OL | Ayden-Grifton |
| Larry Grier III | DB | Ayden-Grifton |
| Davis Spruill | K | Cape Fear |
| Landon Underwood | WR | Cape Fear |
| CJ Dickerson | DL | Clayton |
| Titus Gleisinger | LB | D.H. Conley |
| Dawson Crosby | LB | East Columbus |
| Pa’tron Dixon | DL | East Columbus |
| Sam Offor | OL | Enloe |
| Samuel Finch | QB | Fike |
| Darryl Loatman Jr. | WR | Fike |
| Mason Byrum | ATH | John A. Holmes |
| David Sutton III | DB | John A. Holmes |
| Jalyn Kinsey | OL | Kinston |
| Calvin Lacewell Jr. | RB | Lakewood |
| Taylor Martin | OL | Lumberton |
| Jordan Matthewson | LB | Martin County |
| Nick Belcher | TE | Middle Creek |
| Nicolas Bocciardi | WR | Middle Creek |
| John Williams | OL | Midway |
| Zakaryus Ishman | QB | Northeastern |
| Mekkhei Williams | DL | Northeastern |
| Jamir Mitchell | DL | Northside-Jacksonville |
| Matthew Smoot | DB | Northside-Jacksonville |
| Steven Elliott | DL | Perquimans |
| Samuel Lane | OL | Perquimans |
| Alijah Flowers | LB | Richmond Senior |
| Chance Crowder | RB | Richmond Senior |
| Joshua Suggs | OL | Sanderson |
| Ezra Meachem | DB | South Central |
| Adam Saunders | WR | Southeast Raleigh |
| Ziyir Stanley | DB | Southeast Raleigh |
| Tylen Gorham | DL | Southwest Edgecombe |
| Devion Mayo Jr. | DB | Southwest Edgecombe |
| Gavin McLawhorn | LB | Wake Forest |
| Xavier Cuthbertson | WR | West Craven |
2026 East All-Star Football Coaching Staff
D.H. Conley’s Nathan Conner will serve as the East head coach. His staff represents six North Carolina high schools.
| Coach | School | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Conner | D.H. Conley | Head coach |
| Travis Gaster | Princeton | Assistant |
| Robby Priest | East Bladen | Assistant |
| Ian Rapanick | Perquimans | Assistant |
| David Reece | Triton | Assistant |
| Jay Wilson | Greene Central | Assistant |
2026 West All-Star Football Roster: All 36 Players
The complete West roster is listed below with each player’s position and school.
| Player | Position | High School |
|---|---|---|
| Dhilyn Hollis | LB | A.L. Brown |
| Aiden Love | LB | Alleghany |
| AJ McClain | QB | Ashbrook |
| Jaydin Phillips | OL | Ashbrook |
| Beau Harrill | DL | Burns |
| Infinite Morrow | DL | Central Cabarrus |
| Javion Hopper | CB | Crest |
| Braylon Arnold | DL | Davie |
| Kaleb Bales | OL | Davie |
| Cason Holder | OL | East Forsyth |
| Colby Pack | OL | East Rutherford |
| Caden Ingle | QB | Erwin |
| Ty Adkins | LB | Freedom |
| Chase Huellmantel | K | Grimsley |
| Makai Yon | S | Grimsley |
| Brody Scruggs | DL | Hibriten |
| Jahkyran Weaver | WR | Hickory |
| Thailand Bellamy | WR | Lake Norman |
| Caniyus Rushing | DL | Monroe |
| Tanner Finnerty | LB | Mooresville |
| Semaj Galloway | S | Mount Tabor |
| Cameron Clem | RB | Murphy |
| Landen Agee | RB | North Lincoln |
| Davis Weycker | LB | Piedmont |
| Asante Muhammad | OL | Ragsdale |
| Seven Glover | S | Reagan |
| Alonzo McCoy | OL | Reagan |
| Joshua Wallace | CB | Robert B. Glenn |
| Isaiah Foxx | CB | Salisbury |
| Brian Bellerand | OL | Southeast Guilford |
| Immanuel Collins | WR | Shelby |
| Landon Hollifield | LB | Shelby |
| Gregory Blair | OL | South Point |
| Tristan Thompson-Wynn | WR | T.C. Roberson |
| Amario Spence | RB | West Iredell |
| Devin Gastley | TE | West Stokes |
2026 West All-Star Football Coaching Staff
Shelby’s Michael Wilbanks is the West head coach. The other five West coaches represent North Lincoln, A.L. Brown, West Stokes, Ragsdale and Clyde Erwin.
| Coach | School | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Wilbanks | Shelby | Head coach |
| Brad Baker | North Lincoln | Assistant |
| Justin Hardin | A.L. Brown | Assistant |
| Trent Lowman | West Stokes | Assistant |
| Antwon Stevenson | Ragsdale | Assistant |
| Eddy Taylor | Clyde Erwin | Assistant |
The coaching assignments match the NCCA’s published 2026 coaching staffs.
Statewide Players and Storylines to Watch
The rosters span North Carolina, with West selections from programs such as Shelby, Grimsley, Crest, Ashbrook, Davie and Murphy. The East draws from schools including Kinston, Fike, Richmond Senior, Northeastern, Cape Fear, East Columbus and Northside-Jacksonville.
Shelby-Kinston Championship Connection
The matchup includes a compelling coaching and roster connection. Wilbanks coached Shelby to an 84-41 victory against Kinston in the 2025 NCHSAA 3A state championship, a game that produced a championship-record 125 combined points. Kinston’s Kinsey will now suit up for the East while Wilbanks leads the West. Neuse News Sports covered that memorable championship in its Kinston-Shelby state-title recap.
Tristan Thompson-Wynn Headlines West Receiving Talent
West receiver Tristan Thompson-Wynn of T.C. Roberson enters the all-star conversation with a productive résumé. During the 2025 season at Brevard, he caught 81 passes for 1,450 yards and 20 touchdowns before transferring to T.C. Roberson for his senior season, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.
The quarterback selections include Samuel Finch of Fike and Zakaryus Ishman of Northeastern for the East and AJ McClain of Ashbrook and Caden Ingle of Erwin for the West.
NCCA East-West All-Star Games History
The East-West All-Star Games date to 1949, when Grimsley coach Bob Jamieson and Greensboro Daily News sports editor Smith Barrier launched the event to support the NCCA coaching clinic. The football game, traditionally held in the summer, moved to December beginning in 2023. Jamieson Stadium remains the football game’s longtime home.
The West won the December 2025 contest 50-14. The 2026 matchup will bring a new group of players onto the same statewide stage.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 NC East-West All-Star Football Game
When is the 2026 NC East-West All-Star Football Game?
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern.
Where is the 2026 NCCA East-West football game being played?
At Jamieson Stadium on the Grimsley High School campus in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Who are the 2026 East-West football head coaches?
Nathan Conner of D.H. Conley leads the East, and Michael Wilbanks of Shelby leads the West. Each is joined by five assistant coaches.
How many football players are on the 2026 East-West All-Star rosters?
There are 72 announced selections: 36 on the East roster and 36 on the West roster, representing 55 high schools.
Where can fans find the complete 2026 East-West football rosters?
The full player-by-player East and West lists above include all 72 names, positions and high schools. For official event announcements and updates, visit the NCCA East-West All-Star Games website.
Roster information is based on the released 2026 East-West All-Star football graphics. Coaching staffs and event information were checked against the North Carolina Coaches Association.