Friday Nights in the 956 Raised Them. Saturdays Took Them Everywhere.

Tracking Valley players carrying the 956 into college football.

Somebody in the Valley remembers these kids before the offers, before the college graphics and before signing day.

They remember the little kid at the barbecue with a football in his hands, the rides to practice, the summer heat, the Friday nights and the work it took to get there.

Now those same kids are in college football programs all over the country.

That’s what DITV wants to celebrate — not just where they signed, but what they’re doing now.

Former Mission High linebacker Sebastian Balderas has 14 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss through two games at Wayland Baptist, including a 10-tackle game against OUAZ.

Former McAllen High linebacker Max Alvarez has 11 tackles through two games at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Former PSJA North defensive back Seven Sanchez has five tackles there, while Weslaco product Angel Lopez has handled seven kickoffs for 348 yards with three touchbacks.

At Texas Lutheran, former Robert Vela defensive back Justin Navarro opened the year with five tackles and an interception. That production isn’t new. Navarro finished 2025 with 60 tackles and two interceptions while earning first-team All-SCAC honors.

Harlingen South’s Dylan Anaya made the transition from an RGV All-Area utility player to defensive back at the college level.

That’s the kind of 956 story worth talking about back home.

UTRGV has changed the picture too.

Former San Benito running back Fabian Garcia has nine carries for 44 yards. Former Harlingen defensive lineman Nathan Huerta has four tackles and a tackle for loss. Former Los Fresnos kicker JJ Contreras has four kickoffs for 260 yards with three touchbacks.

And the Vaqueros’ roster runs even deeper with Valley names across the line, backfield and special teams.

For some kids, the dream takes them away. For others, the dream finally gets to stay home.

Former Sharyland kicker Kali Nguma went 5-for-5 on PATs for Colorado State in a 35-13 win over Wyoming.

Former Brownsville Veterans Memorial receiver Gerry Gomez has two catches for 40 yards this season at Eastern New Mexico after finishing 2025 with 590 receiving yards.

Mercedes product Jamarion Owens opened the year with three tackles at Illinois College, while fellow Mercedes product Tyrell Trevino has two kickoff returns for 32 yards at Texas Wesleyan.

Then you start seeing the pipelines.

San Benito alone has Fabian Garcia, Luis Balli, Frank Medina and Kian Jones at UTRGV, with Zaylen Graham at Lamar.

Texas Lutheran alone has at least eight verified Valley products on its roster.

That’s when this stops looking like a signing-day list.

It starts looking like a map.

Different roles. Different levels. Same thing underneath it: a kid from the 956 earned his way into college football.

And the Valley shouldn’t stop following them just because Friday night turned into Saturday afternoon.

THE 956 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRACKER

Fabian Garcia — San Benito — UTRGV

Nathan Huerta — Harlingen — UTRGV

JJ Contreras — Los Fresnos — UTRGV

Jamal Polley — Robert Vela — UTRGV

Christian Ayala — Monte Alto — UTRGV

Luis Balli — San Benito — UTRGV

Frank Medina — San Benito — UTRGV

Abram Garcia — Palmview — UTRGV

Cash Cazares — McAllen High — UTRGV

William Goodloe — Sharyland Pioneer — UTRGV

Anthony Santoscoy — PSJA High — UTRGV

Thomas Domian — McAllen Memorial — UTRGV

Kian Jones — San Benito — UTRGV

Claudio Torres — Brownsville St. Joseph Academy — UTRGV

Jaxson Shupe — Robert Vela — UTRGV

Max Alvarez — McAllen High — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Seven Sanchez — PSJA North — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Angel Lopez — Weslaco — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Raul Valdez — Mission Veterans Memorial — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Jayden James — PSJA High — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Michael Arriaga — Sharyland — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Elijah Garza — McAllen Rowe — Texas A&M-Kingsville

Justin Navarro — Robert Vela — Texas Lutheran

Dylan Anaya — Harlingen South — Texas Lutheran

Yariel “Yadi” Cabrera — Harlingen South — Texas Lutheran

Jonathan Flores — Robert Vela — Texas Lutheran

Jude Vega — Edinburg High — Texas Lutheran

Jorge Alanis — PSJA Early College — Texas Lutheran

JC Fuentes — Los Fresnos — Texas Lutheran

Zachary Segovia — Los Fresnos — Texas Lutheran

Kali Nguma — Sharyland — Colorado State

Diego De La Cruz — Brownsville St. Joseph Academy — UTEP

Ozzy Garcia — Donna — UIW

Zaylen Graham — San Benito — Lamar

Mekhi Blue — Marine Military Academy — Alabama State

Jonathan Sanchez — McAllen Memorial — Texas Southern

Tyler LaMar — Harlingen High — U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Sebastian Balderas — Mission — Wayland Baptist

Jerry Mancha — Edinburg North — Wayland Baptist

Gerry Gomez — Brownsville Veterans Memorial — Eastern New Mexico

Jamarion Owens — Mercedes — Illinois College

Tyrell Trevino — Mercedes — Texas Wesleyan

Abraham Hernandez — Mission — West Texas A&M

Brian Morado — Edinburg North — Southern Nazarene

Bo Krell — Sharyland — Black Hills State

Austen Shroyer — Harlingen South — Nelson

Dax Burden — Lyford — Nelson

Roman Lara — Sharyland — Nelson

Jamie Palafox — Los Fresnos — Nelson

Richard LeFevre — Weslaco East — Nelson

Olek Lerma — Harlingen South — William Woods

Ezzie Cortez — Harlingen — Hamline

Robert Pineda — Los Fresnos — Southwestern

Tyler Ruiz — Robert Vela — Southwestern

Juan Sanchez — Los Fresnos — Mary Hardin-Baylor

Alik Garza — Brownsville Hanna — Mary Hardin-Baylor

Markus Luengo — PSJA Southwest — Mary Hardin-Baylor

Jon Pitts — La Joya — Blinn College

Esteban Flores — Pharr-San Juan-Alamo — Cornell College

Liz Garcia — Grulla — Lincoln University (Missouri)

And we know we’re still not done.

If there’s a Valley player at the next level who should be here, send us:

Name. High school. College.

DITV will verify it and keep building.

Because signing day shouldn’t be the last time the 956 says their name.

They earned Saturday. The Valley should follow them there.

Tracker verified through Sept. 11, 2026. Statistics and rosters will be updated as the season continues.