Kash Courtney

On a wet, cold night at McKinney ISD Stadium, Carthage got off to a rocky start but found its footing in a 45-17 victory over Brock to reach the 4A Division II state championship game. TexAgs was there and now presents highlights of the Friday night action.

As the temperatures start to rise with the summer months arriving across the state of Texas, recruiting never stops. It is time to take a look at the latest happenings on the Lone Star State recruiting front as the offseason rolls on.

Wednesday after Terry Bussey's announcement I made my way to Carthage. It was just a quick trip right up the road and Texas A&M had just offered 2026 LB DaQuives Beck. So I wanted to drop in and see this linebacker. Before we start, Beck's first name is prounced Dah-kwee-vee-us and he goes by Qui which is pronounced kwee. He checks in at 6-2, 195 pounds and Coach Surratt raved about this guy when I saw him at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Carthage (TX) 2026 LB Qui Beck (6-2, 195) plays a violent brand of ball with the ability to hit all areas of the field recording 130 tklsTexas A&M offered in Jan, and also has Tx Tech, Bay, UNT, SMU, and Texas@QuiBeck_8 | @carthagedawgs | @CarthageHS | @coach_horsley pic.twitter.com/b4xgrh6bUh— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) February 9, 2024 A few short weeks later Beck received his first offer from Texas Tech. In the next few days he added UNT, Baylor and Texas A&M on the same day, then Texas, and most recently SMU. Beck is on the lean side, but he has some wide shoulders and long arms and on the field he has a nose for the ball. He has the vision to quickly sift through traffic and he is not afraid to do the dirty work required to take on blocks, maintain his scheme responsibilities, and the explosiveness to close in a hurry and make the tackle. He recorded 132 tackles, 9 TFLs, 6 sacks, 6 QB pressures, and 2 PBUs on his way to district defensive newcomer of the year honors. Carthage's 2026 class is a pretty special one. In addition to Beck, running back KJ Edwards is already a well established prospect. His blend of short space burst, ability to see and explode through a crease, and speed to breakaway from defenses turned heads as a freshman and earned his first offer from Texas Tech after a strong performance in the state championship game in 2022. Carthage (TX) 2026 RB KJ Edwards (5-11, 175) brings a unique blend of speed, quickness, and powerHad over 10ypc and 1700 yds and 24 TDs as a SophAlready holds offers from UGA, Texas, Ark, Bay, Neb, and Tx Tech@KJEdwards2026 | @carthagedawgs | @CarthageHS | @coach_horsley pic.twitter.com/hmn37ocUEz— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) February 9, 2024 Since then the 5-11, 175-pound standout has seen his offer list grow to double digits highlighted by other P5s Baylor, Georgia, Houston, Oklahoma State, SMU, and Texas, and as a sophomore, he averaged over 10 yards a carry and rushed for over 1700 yards. He earned Co-District MVP honors. He is currently ranked No. 19 in the incredibly early TexAgs 2026 Texas Top 25. Then there is QB Jett Surratt. At 6-1, 180 pounds he completed over 67-percent of his passes for 3,807 yards and 46 TDs even though he was slowed by a shoulder injury, and he shared District MVP honors with Edwards. Carthage (TX) 2026 QB Jett Surratt (6-1, 180) threw for 3800 yards and 46 TDs as a soph.A quick release, accuracy, anticipation, and can throw from multiple arm slots, he has offers from Tx Tech, UH, and UTSA@JettSurratt9 | @carthagedawgs | @CarthageHS | @coach_horsley pic.twitter.com/GDItR88gbW— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) February 9, 2024 Surratt is the son of Carthage head coach Scott Surratt and he has grown up around the field house as long as he can remember. As a freshman he was around 140 pounds, but he has bulked up nicely over the last year. He earned offers from Houston, UTSA, and Texas Tech in the spring before sophomore year. He is also a multi-sport athlete. His golf game is also turning heads. A few aspects of Surratt's game are quick to draw attention. He has a really high football IQ. He routinely makes pre-snap shifts, quickly progresses through his reads, and he is able to anticipate throws. The ball also pops off his hand, he throws from multiple arm angles, and he is able to make off platform throws. As schools get a chance to see him in the spring I could see his offer list quickly start to grow. Another 2026 prospect to watch is Keymian Henderson. He is a long, lean 6-4, 180 and while he does not have a lot of tape, coaches at Carthage believe his future is very bright. His length and overall athleticism along with a few coaches words are enough for me to put him here as someone to watch in the spring. The 2025 class also has a stud. Offensive tackle Kash Courtney currently checks in at 6-4, 280. He was a mainstay at left tackle as a junior and he is noted for his quick feet and technique. He does not mind getting dirty in the trenches and he has faced some of the best DLs in the class and come out the other side with high marks. Carthage (TX) 2025 Kash Courtney (6-4, 280) is a mainstay at OT for the Bulldogs. Athletic, heady, and strong, he’s been tested against the bestCommitted to Baylor, he added Jan offers from Ark, Tx Tech, and Tulsa@KashCourtney1 | @carthagedawgs | @CarthageHS | @coach_horsley pic.twitter.com/kMjv0AHgPh— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) February 9, 2024 He has already added some nice weight this offseason and there is a good chance he sees some top programs take a long look. He is already on many college radars and he is committed early to Baylor, but he is keeping an eye on his options. In January he received offers from Arkansas, Texas Tech, and Tulsa and as coaches get a look and watch the tape, it will not surprise me to see a few more arrive. He also holds offers from Louisiana Tech, Houston, and UTSA.