Coppell quarterback Carter Zingelmann (11) leaps in to the end zone to score on a touchdown run during the first half of a Class 6A Division I Region I semifinal high school football playoff game against North Crowley on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Midlothian.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
COLLEGE STATION — The 2026 Texas state 7-on-7 tournament is the ultimate off-season litmus test for high schools across the state.
Top prospects from the Dallas area who’ve already received dozens of Division I scholarship offers put their best foot forward in preparation for the fall.
Coppell’s Carter Zingelmann, the No.1 Texas quarterback in the class of 2028 according to 247sports, led the Cowboys to a 10-2 record and a regional semifinal berth in his sophomore season. The 6-5, 225-pound quarterback accounted for 2,603 total yards and 30 total touchdowns.
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During Friday’s 7-on-7 pool play, Zingelmann called the tournament a chemistry-building opportunity for his team.
“Some of these schools run their defenses, and most of them run their offense,” he said. “We built off a little bit of anger from last year’s playoff run. I feel like our team is very locked in, and we’re definitely making little improvements every week.”
The four-star quarterback has already received 25 offers in the opening stages of his recruitment. Zingelmann plans to lean on his family and coaches to help guide him through what could be a hectic junior year.
“I really am open completely, no matter how big or no how small the school,” he said. “I definitely just want to look at college with good relationships. I feel like relationships are a big key in this.”
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Outside linebacker Israel Samuel, another class of 2028 prospect, anchors the Lake Highlands defensive unit. The shifty 6-2 linebacker harped on the importance of improving tangible skills in the tournament, such as drop-backs and his positional versatility.
Samuel has 17 offers from Power Four programs, including five of the seven major conference schools in Texas.
“I’m big in my faith, so that’s how I stay grounded,” Samuel said. “I give all my success to him. So that’s how I stay grounded and keep a level head.”
North Forney’s premier wide receiver in the class of 2027, Briceson Thrower Jr., understands the foundational value 7-on-7 provides. The 6-3 wideout, who committed to Texas on June 6, was frustrated with himself and his teammates after they lost their first game of the day.
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“I gotta make sure the guys is on point, not just on the field, but off it,” Thrower said. “Like, make sure they recover, eat right, and things like that, make sure they’re good.”
Thrower caught 32 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns his junior year. After receiving dozens of offers, the four-star athlete decided to stay close to home and play for the Longhorns.
The stressful recruitment process was a weight on Thrower’s shoulders, and he’s glad to focus solely on winning football games for North Forney.
“My mind [was] going, going, and going, and going,” Thrower said. “‘Is this the right place for me? Is it a place I can call home? Is this school what I really need? ’ But now that it’s pretty much over, I’m already committed, it’s a real big relief.”
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Dallas recruits at any point in their recruitment journeys know when they step between the lines at 7-on-7, the objective reverts to its simplistic roots: win football games.
“[7-on-7] is very important,” Zingelmann said. “If we have Coppell on our chest, we’ve got to show people what we’re really about.”