After losing a strong senior group and several key linemen, Putnam County entered the spring with plenty of questions to answer.
By the end of spring practice, head coach Joel Harvin said he felt like the War Eagles had started finding some of those answers.
With a younger roster heading into the 2026 season, competition across the board became a major point of emphasis this spring.
“The biggest thing that we wanted to do was create depth,” Harvin said. “We’re going to be a relatively young team this year, so what we wanted to make sure was that we could create competition at each position to see who could help us in the fall.”
Putnam County spent much of the spring evaluating younger players and figuring out where pieces fit best moving forward. Harvin said the coaching staff came away with a better understanding of who can contribute this season.
“We answered a lot of questions,” Harvin said. “We got a good idea moving forward into the summer of who’s going to play where and who we can count on.”
One player who caught Harvin’s attention this spring was rising junior running back Kumari Thomas, who turned in a strong performance during the team’s spring game.
“Kamari had a really good spring game,” Harvin said. “He toted the ball well and ran the ball hard.”
The War Eagles also used the spring game to continue developing Caleb Reeves at quarterback after he played receiver last season. Harvin said getting Reeves comfortable at his new position was one of the team’s biggest priorities offensively.
He also mentioned Jacob Manning as one of the team’s returning playmakers. At the same time, sophomore offensive lineman Zayden Williams emerged as another player to watch after not playing football as a freshman.
“He’s a big kid, real smart kid, and he’s starting to figure things out,” Harvin said. “We’re excited about him.”
Replacing experience along the offensive and defensive lines remains one of the biggest challenges heading into the fall. Still, Harvin said he feels better about the overall depth up front than he did even a year ago.
Japeth Nelson is expected to lead the group after starting on the line since his freshman season.
“We’re leaning on him to be our leader on that line, to be the anchor,” Harvin said.
The Putnam program has also benefited from increased participation, he said, giving the coaching staff more bodies to work with in the trenches.
“The good thing about this year is we’ll have some bodies to fill spots,” Harvin said. “Last year, we didn’t really have many bodies.”
As the offseason continues, Harvin said the focus now shifts toward getting stronger, adding weight, and continuing to improve fundamentally before the start of the season.
“The biggest thing that we need to do is … play a little bit lower,” Harvin said.
Putnam County also expects several players to return this summer after missing time in the spring due to injuries or other sports.
“It’s been a good spring, even without those three,” Harvin said. “We look forward to having them come back and adding a little more depth.”
The War Eagles will spend the summer competing in OTAs and 7-on-7 events as they continue preparing for the 2026 season.