Top 15 rising juniors in Gibson County for the 2026-27 school year

By Michael Odom | July 15, 2026 |

Mason Taylor (2) transferred from West Carroll — after leading the War Eagles in offensive yards — to Milan to start the summer and will be a feature of the Bulldogs’ backfield.

The beginning of the 2026-27 high school sports season continues to get closer and closer.

Last week, we looked at the top 15 rising seniors in Gibson County going into the new school year.

Now, we will look at the top 15 rising juniors across the county:

1. Mason Taylor (Milan football) – Taylor carried the offense last year at West Carroll as he rushed for 1,425 yards and 15 touchdowns on 167 carries. And he averaged 20.5 yards on kickoff returns. At the start of the summer, Taylor transferred to Milan and is expected to play a big role in the Bulldogs’ offense.

2. Jaxon Young (South Gibson football) – Young made some big catches in an offense that didn’t use a quarterback last year and was one of the top defensive backs on the other side of the ball. His play helped the Hornets make program history in reaching the Class 4A semifinals after winning the Region 7-4A championship. He had 18 catches for 427 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 30 tackles and six interceptions at defensive back.

3. Colin Pack (Gibson County golf) – Pack made his first Class A state tournament appearance last year as a sophomore. He finished in a tie for 17th place in the state tournament. He averaged a 76 through four rounds of postseason play with a 74 coming in the District 15-A and Region 8-A tournaments.

4. Rylee Hood (South Gibson girls soccer) – Hood helped lead an offense that lost two key pieces to graduation after the 2024 season. She managed to lead South Gibson back to the Class AA state tournament for the seventh straight season. She scored 25 goals and added 11 assists.

5. Tyler DeHaan (South Gibson baseball) – DeHaan was hurt going into the postseason, but his pitching was key in helping South Gibson clinch the No. 2 seed going into the District 13-3A tournament. He went 5-1 with a 0.81 ERA and 30 strikeouts, while holding the opposition to a .153 batting average.

6. Skylan Phinnessee (Milan boys basketball) – Phinnessee was crucial in helping the Bulldogs reach the Class 2A sectionals for the third time in four years. He helped the team win the District 12-2A and Region 6-2A titles. He averaged 11 points and six rebounds.

7. Noah Woolfork (Peabody boys basketball) – Woolfork had a breakout season in helping the Golden Tide get back to the Class 2A state tournament. His play inside helped to open up Peabody’s shooters. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals.

8. Abby Glisson (Bradford softball) – Glisson showed her potential on the softball field in taking the Lady Red Devils to new heights. Bradford won the Region 7-1A title for the first time and earned a first-ever berth into the Class 1A state tournament. She batted .524 with eight doubles, four triples and one home run to go with 31 RBI and 32 runs.

9. Jaxon Young (South Gibson boys basketball) – Young played a key role in the Hornets reaching the Class AA state tournament for the first time in program history. His play inside helped complement Koen Thomas’ shooting to help the team win the District 13-3A and Region 7-3A titles. He averaged nine points and five rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field.

10. Micah White (Milan football) – White had a breakout season for the Bulldogs, playing on both sides of the ball. He was an added blocker on offense from the tight end position, and his play on the defensive line was a difference maker. He helped the Bulldogs to the Class 2A semifinals as he recorded 38 tackles with 21 assists, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks.

11. Trinity Johnson (South Gibson girls basketball) – Johnson continued to prove herself on the court as she helped the Lady Hornets reach the Class 3A sectionals and beat eventual state champion Dyersburg three times. She averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 steals.

12. Drey Scott (South Gibson football) – Scott played safety last year for the Hornets, and his play in pass defense was key in helping the Hornets win the Region 7-4A title and reach the Class 4A semifinals. He finished the season with 51 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, seven pass break-ups and three interceptions.

13. Ty Hollingsworth (Milan football) – Hollingsworth settled back in with the Bulldogs’ offense and defense last year after spending his freshman season at Henry County. With the graduation of Sonny Johnson and Terrence Moses, Hollingsworth will need to step up more this season to fill the void. Last season, he had 41 total tackles with nine assists, six tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions to go with 93 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 13 carries.

14. Jaden Champion (Humboldt football) – Champion was Mr. Utility last year for the Vikings, who reached the Class 1A playoffs. He completed 60-of-100 passes for 891 yards and three touchdowns, he rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries, and he caught 17 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 26 total tackles with two interceptions on defense.

15. Duncan Brake (Milan cross county) – Brake continues to be one of the most consistent long-distance runners in the county. Last season, he had multiple top-20 finishes before he finished 36th in the Class A Section 3 meet with a time of 19:44.20.

Michael Odom is the sports editor for the Mirror-Exchange, Weakley County Press, Brownsville States-Graphic and Fayette Falcon. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @GCSportsWriter. Reach him by email at michaelodom@milanmirrorexchange.com.