Big Ike Has Big Goals: 2026 Eisenhower Eagles Football Preview

Disponible en:

Coach Padriac McGinnis made a promise to the Eisenhower community in his first season as head coach last fall. He promised the Eagles would compete and run the ball at a high level. Eisenhower finished the 2025 season as the No. 2 rushing team in the district.

McGinnis also promised the Eagles would compete for the fourth and final playoff spot in district play. They delivered, earning a postseason berth.

So when McGinnis says this team has the makings of a district championship contender, there is little reason to doubt his program.

Big Ike has plenty to be excited about heading into the 2026 season.

The majority of the Eagles’ defense returns after allowing just 60 points last season and recording three shutouts. The unit, coached by respected defensive coordinator Robert Toomer, will be physical and experienced. The entire secondary returns, along with four players who earned all-district honors in 2025.

Eisenhower believes the defense can take another step forward in Year 2 of Toomer’s system.

The entire offensive line also returns, led by highly recruited senior tight end/offensive lineman Dez’Meyon Randle. Randle holds offers from Texas State, Tulane, Grambling, UTSA and Texas Southern.

The veteran offensive line will block for speedster Elijah Dixon, who averaged 8.5 yards per carry in 2025, the best mark in the district. Eisenhower will lean on Dixon’s experience and big-play ability in an offense tailored to his strengths.

The Eagles are positioned for what could be their most dominant season since 2015, when they finished 6-1 in district play and claimed the top spot.

“I think we can win district,” McGinnis said. “When I made that bold statement, referring to securing the fourth playoff berth last season, if you look back at last season, we were three points away from finishing the season 8-3 and 6-1 in district, in a year where I started with 19 kids in the program.”

McGinnis believes Eisenhower’s experience, size and physicality can help the Eagles make a significant jump. His players are a year older, stronger, faster and more mature, giving the Eagles a competitive edge as they enter Year 2 under McGinnis.

That experience should help Eisenhower continue to establish itself as a physical, run-oriented team. The Eagles plan to play complementary football: establish the rushing attack, control the clock, play stout defense and execute on special teams.

McGinnis, who jokingly refers to himself as a dinosaur when describing his coaching style, understands the game has changed. He calls the current era the “Instagram era,” where “everybody wants to score 30-40 points and throw the ball around.”

Eisenhower will have a new offensive coordinator in Zachary Castelluccio, whom McGinnis trusts to bridge the gap between his old-school coaching style and the modern game. Castelluccio’s college coaching experience will help bring that balance to the Eagles’ offense.

Wide receiver Drew Young is expected to play a major role in the passing game, with quarterback Dawnte McClure will lead the offense.

There is no shortage of confidence in Eisenhower’s offensive line. McGinnis routinely praised the unit, describing the linemen as “large human beings” who will make life difficult for opposing defenses.

Four of the five returning starters stand well over 6 feet tall. Derrick Blanton is the exception, but McGinnis said his lack of size does not diminish his effectiveness. He described Blanton as the team’s best pulling guard, praising his mature strength and disciplined footwork.

The Eagles have more than 14 players weighing at least 250 pounds and 20 players in the 1,000-pound club, a benchmark based on the combined totals of players’ bench press, squat and clean lifts.

“When we get off the bus, we are going to look the part. We are going to intimidate some teams,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis also has his sights set on restoring some of the tradition that made Eisenhower football special.

“We have the team that can do what Ike did in the ’90s,” McGinnis said when asked what message he wanted to leave with the Eisenhower community.

During that decade, the Eagles posted a 90-35-3 record, winning at least 10 games in six seasons and reaching the state semifinals and state championship game.

Those teams set a high standard for Eisenhower football. McGinnis believes this year’s Eagles have the makings of a team capable of creating a new chapter in that tradition.

Eisenhower will open its preseason at home against Klein Forest on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. The Eagles will begin district play against Westfield on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.