The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – With the 2026 season approaching, Alleghany head coach Will Fields is seeing plenty of competition as players work to establish themselves in new roles.
The Cougars have several key positions to fill following the graduation of Jay Godfrey, Des and Carter Nicely, but Fields believes the team has players ready to step in.
Austin Greene returns as the region’s leading receiver and will be a key target in the Alleghany offense. Talyn Elliott takes over at quarterback for Des, and Fields believes Elliott has the ability to be one of the district’s top quarterbacks.
Buddy Leisure-White steps into the running back role vacated by Nicely. While he brings a different style to the position, Fields expects him to be a formidable back.
Fields has also been pleased with the play of the offensive line during preseason work.
“I have been pleased with how we played along the offensive line so far and we will need to build on that,” Fields said.
The Cougars are a young team, and developing players into their new roles will be a key part of the preseason.
“Overall we are a young team with players that will need to grow into their roles,” Fields said.
