Frisco (Texas) Lone Star High is home to one of the most unique prospects in the 2026 class in blue-chipper Davian Groce.
Though he's primarily used as a running back at Lone Star, Groce's collegiate future is at wide receiver, and some of the top programs in the nation are recruiting him as such. He's currently regarded as the No. 57 overall player in the nation and No. 7 player in the state of Texas for the 2026 recruiting cycle, and he was one of the first-ever crop of juniors to receive invites to the Navy All-American Bowl this past weekend. Previously, the game had exclusively consisted of seniors.
“It means a lot, obviously," said Groce of the distinction. "Being the first to do something, it’s always a great pleasure. Just to see that I’m a big junior and I got invited to be with the best, it just means a lot. Being able to see that other people see me in that way, it means a lot.”
At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Groce is highly coveted across the country for his versatile skill set and home-run capability. Although he hasn't officially released a top schools list, he says four programs have made him feel like a top priority in recent months, with several others maintaining a presence in the backdrop.
“It’s been SMU, Penn State, OU, A&M," he remarked. "I’ve been on the phone with the Baylor coaches, Texas Tech, and I wanna say there’s somebody else too. I’m forgetting a few others. But it’s been a lot for sure. I’m gonna try and get out to a few places, see a few others. I’m gonna try and get to the schools that I haven’t been [to]. That’s more my priority.”
However, Groce does intend to take a return trip to Oklahoma, as he's intrigued by the program's new management on the offensive side of the ball. He's got a rock-solid relationship with wide receivers coach Emmett Jones, but he's yet to meet new OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Thus, although he wants to expand his horizons with visits across the country this spring, another visit to OU will be on the docket nonetheless.
“It’s just all about — I’m not gonna say favoritism, but who I feel like is home more," Groce explained. "OU has a new offensive coordinator, and I haven’t been able to meet him yet. So I’m trying to get up there and meet him, see how he is. It’s really all the same [from Jones] — just keeping the same thing the same thing. He mentioned that he likes what I do after the catch. And with me being a running back too, I’m able to see things that other receivers can’t see. So for him to say that to me means a lot.”
