COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 95 Lincoln Trojans — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

Lincoln does not get the luxury of easing into its second season under Matt Jackson. The Trojans face road trips into the Florida Panhandle and south Georgia, a decorated Jacksonville program and a district showdown with Mosley before September ends. That schedule can sharpen a contender. It can also expose every unfinished detail.

LINCOLN TROJANS (TALLAHASSEE)

Head Coach: Matt Jackson, second year District: District 4A-2 2024 Record: 10-3 2025 Record: 6-5 2025 Final FPRI Rating: 49.26 2025 Final State Rank: No. 183 2026 Preseason Rating: 61.15 2026 Preseason Rank: No. 95 2026 Class Rank: No. 18 2025 Playoff / FIT Finish: 5A Regional Quarterfinalist

Lincoln’s 6-5 finish in 2025 was built around an offense that averaged nearly 30 points and produced 3,615 total yards, but the record never fully matched the firepower. The Trojans reached the postseason before exiting in the regional quarterfinals, leaving Jackson with a clear Year 2 assignment: replace a massive senior production class without wasting a defense that returns several of its most disruptive pieces.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Category Value Average Opponent Rating 50.90 Opponent 2025 Record 71-49 Opponent 2025 Win Percentage .592 Hardest Opponent Thomas County Central (GA) District Games 5

Lincoln’s schedule is not overloaded from top to bottom, but its hardest games are concentrated early. The Trojans will know what they are — and what they are not — well before the calendar reaches October.

2026 FULL SCHEDULE

Week Date Time Opponent 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 1 8/21 7:00 PM @ Crestview 6-4 No. 179 | No. 41 (5A) 49.56 2 8/28 7:30 PM @ Thomas County Central (GA) 15-0 — 81.21 3 9/4 7:00 PM Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) 9-5 No. 64 | No. 5 (1A) 67.66 4 9/11 7:00 PM @ Rickards (Tallahassee)* 3-8 No. 296 | No. 51 (4A) 36.18 5 9/18 7:30 PM @ Colquitt County (GA) 9-3 — 56.00 6 9/25 7:00 PM @ Mosley (Lynn Haven)* 10-2 No. 80 | No. 15 (4A) 64.67 7 10/2 — BYE — — — 8 10/8 7:00 PM Chiles (Tallahassee)* 8-5 No. 224 | No. 37 (4A) 44.05 9 10/16 7:00 PM Leon (Tallahassee)* 3-7 No. 410 | No. 72 (4A) 21.81 10 10/22 7:00 PM @ Arnold (Panama City Beach)* 3-8 No. 297 | No. 52 (4A) 36.15 11 10/30 7:00 PM @ Godby (Tallahassee) 5-7 No. 161 | No. 21 (3A) 51.68

*District game

There is almost no hiding place in the first six weeks. Five road games, two Georgia opponents and three teams carrying preseason ratings above 64 make September a test of both talent and emotional durability.

KEY LOSSES

The most difficult replacement is quarterback Taylor Jacobs Jr., who completed 65% of his passes for 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 314 rushing yards and four scores. Lincoln is not simply replacing a passer. It is replacing the player responsible for 2,252 yards of offense.

The exits around him compound the issue. Tadarius Huggins rushed for 641 yards, while Maliek Denmark, Kabran Paul and Will Tawney combined for 1,551 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches. Tawney also supplied eight rushing touchdowns, making him one of the roster’s most valuable red-zone pieces.

Defensively, the Trojans lose leading tackler Caleb Anderson, 10-tackle-for-loss lineman Jaylin Parrish and veteran defensive back Malachi Acosta. Parrish also accounted for two sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. Thomas Arnold’s dependable kicking — 32 PATs, six field goals and a long of 48 yards — creates another understated vacancy.

That is a lot of certainty walking out the door. Lincoln’s ceiling depends on how quickly new answers become dependable ones.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player Position Class 2025 Production Trevor Jacobs WR Senior 35 receptions, 526 yards and five touchdowns; added 163 return yards Jayden Wells RB Junior 111 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 carries Reginald Thompson RB Senior 54 rushing yards on 13 carries in limited action Ahmad Greene FS/SS Senior 36 tackles, four tackles for loss, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery Keyshawn Richardson SS/FS Senior 50 tackles and a team-high three interceptions Jackson Mitchell DE/OLB Senior 26 tackles and two sacks in four games Damien Ling DE Junior Seven tackles, one tackle for loss and an expanded role ahead Perry Sam G/DT Senior 17 pancake blocks with snaps on both lines Jaxon White C Junior Six pancake blocks as a sophomore Dawson Goehrig TE/LS Senior One reception for 14 yards; returning multi-role contributor

Trevor Jacobs is the obvious offensive centerpiece, but Lincoln cannot ask one receiver to replace an entire senior class. The more revealing names may be Wells and Thompson, whose ability to create a functional run game would make life considerably easier for an unsettled quarterback room.

1ST DOWN — THE GAUNTLET

Lincoln’s defining stretch starts in Week 2 and does not release its grip until the bye. Thomas County Central, Trinity Christian, Colquitt County and Mosley arrive within a five-game span, with only the Rickards district opener interrupting the parade of heavyweight tests.

The road trip to Thomas County Central is the peak challenge. The Yellow Jackets went 15-0 in 2025 and carry an 81.21 preseason rating. One week later, Lincoln must confront a Trinity Christian team that went 9-5 and enters 2026 ranked No. 64 overall and No. 5 in Class 1A.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Opponent Week/Location 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Thomas County Central (GA) Week 2/Away 15-0 — 81.21 GHSA 5A State Champion Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) Week 3/Home 9-5 No. 64 | No. 5 (1A) 67.66 1A State Semifinalist

Wells and Thompson will be central to surviving this stretch. Lincoln cannot leave its new quarterback in obvious passing situations against fast, aggressive fronts. On the other side, Jackson Mitchell must turn his abbreviated but productive 2025 season into sustained pressure, with Damien Ling helping prevent protections from tilting toward one edge.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Lincoln does not have to sweep this stretch to prove it belongs. It does have to remain physically intact, protect the football and show that its pass rush can travel.

2ND DOWN — STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The difficulty is front-loaded. Six games arrive before the bye, five are away from home and four opponents carry ratings of at least 56.00. That is a brutal developmental environment for an offense replacing its quarterback, leading rusher and four of its top five receiving producers.

Lincoln lists several quarterbacks, including returning and developing options, but no established 2026 starter should be assumed. The competition must produce more than a winner. It must produce someone capable of managing hostile road settings without turning every possession into a referendum on the position.

The encouraging part comes after the bye. Chiles, Leon and Arnold form a more manageable district sequence, and all three games follow a week of recovery and recalibration. That is where the early punishment could begin paying interest.

Jacobs gives the passing game a proven target, while Perry Sam and Jaxon White provide returning experience inside. The offensive line does not need to dominate immediately. It needs to keep the new quarterback from playing hurried football.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The first half of the schedule is built for evaluation; the second half is built for accumulation. Lincoln must learn in September without allowing the lessons to wreck October.

3RD DOWN — THE PROVING GROUND

Rickards is the first swing game because it opens district play immediately after the Thomas County Central-Trinity Christian combination. A flat emotional response would turn a favorable matchup into a dangerous one. A mature response would show Lincoln can separate the importance of a game from the reputation of an opponent.

Mosley is the larger measuring stick. The Dolphins went 10-2, reached the 5A regional semifinals and enter 2026 with the highest rating in District 4A-2. Lincoln’s secondary — led by Greene and Richardson — will be tested by an opponent capable of punishing hesitation. Mitchell and Ling must also create pressure without forcing the back end to cover indefinitely.

Chiles is another revealing game. The Timberwolves won eight games in 2025 and played deep into the FIT 4A-7A consolation bracket. Coming out of the bye, Lincoln will have no excuse for poor preparation. That Thursday night should reveal whether the offense has developed an identity or is still borrowing one week to week.

Trevor Jacobs will command defensive attention in each of those games. The bigger question is who punishes opponents for giving him that attention.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Rickards tests Lincoln’s maturity, Mosley tests its ceiling and Chiles tests its growth. Those three games will say more about the Trojans than any preseason projection.

4TH DOWN — PLAYOFF PICTURE

District 4A-2 runs through Mosley until somebody takes it away. The Dolphins own the district’s highest preseason rating at 64.67, narrowly ahead of Lincoln at 61.15. That Week 6 meeting in Lynn Haven could determine whether the Trojans control their postseason path or spend October monitoring the wildcard picture.

The district champion receives an automatic playoff berth. Everyone else must rely on MaxPreps rankings for wildcard qualification and seeding, which gives Lincoln little room to dismiss its non-district results. Games against Crestview, Trinity Christian, Colquitt County and Godby can strengthen the résumé even when they do not affect the district standings.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

Team 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Mosley (Lynn Haven) 10-2 No. 80 | No. 15 (4A) 64.67 5A Regional Semifinalist Lincoln (Tallahassee) 6-5 No. 95 | No. 18 (4A) 61.15 5A Regional Quarterfinalist Chiles (Tallahassee) 8-5 No. 224 | No. 37 (4A) 44.05 FIT 4A-7A Semifinalist Rickards (Tallahassee) 3-8 No. 296 | No. 51 (4A) 36.18 4A Regional Quarterfinalist Arnold (Panama City Beach) 3-8 No. 297 | No. 52 (4A) 36.15 4A Regional Quarterfinalist Leon (Tallahassee) 3-7 No. 410 | No. 72 (4A) 21.81 Missed postseason

Greene and Richardson give Lincoln a veteran defensive foundation for the district race. Wells and Thompson could be equally important because playoff-positioning games are often decided by the offense that can stay on schedule when explosive plays disappear.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Beat Mosley and Lincoln can take command of the district. Lose there, and every quality non-district performance becomes part of the wildcard argument.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Difficulty Rating: 8/10

A 7-3 regular season is realistic, with 8-2 available if Lincoln identifies its quarterback early and builds a dependable rushing rotation around Wells and Thompson. The veteran secondary and returning pass rush raise the floor, but the amount of departed offensive production — combined with five road games before the bye — could limit the ceiling if September becomes a weekly search for answers.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 95 Lincoln Trojans — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

A new offensive core and a veteran-heavy defense will determine whether the Trojans can turn promise into staying power.

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 95 Lincoln Trojans — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

A new offensive core and a veteran-heavy defense will determine whether the Trojans can turn promise into staying power.

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