The562’s football coverage for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
Change has been the norm in North Long Beach recently, and with a third different head coach in the past three seasons, things will be different once again for the Jordan Panthers in 2026.
J-Town unveiled a brand new stadium and sparkling blue turf a year ago, and now it will be former NFL running back Rashaad Penny patrolling those sidelines as he leads the Panthers into a new-look Moore League. There’s excitement brewing around the program, with a campus that’s (finally) near completion after enduring more than 12 years of construction.
Penny was greeted by a group of athletes eager to get to work, and a large freshman class of 45 athletes as he hopes to lay the groundwork for a winner in J-Town.
“It’s the fact that they’re showing up every day and they want to get better,” said Penny about what he likes about his first team. “That’s the number one thing. It’s all about the little details, the technique part, which is hard for them, and I could tell. But the fact that they show up every day and they just work consistently, it’s a buy-in process with everybody here. It’s been pretty easy to work with them, and they’re all great kids.”
It’s a fairly young roster overall, so the Panthers will need to learn and adapt quickly to another new system. But that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of talent.
One of the veteran leaders is Sama’Jay Jackson, who’s primarily been a basketball player at Jordan but stepped in at starting quarterback last season. This time around, Jackson is taking his 6-foot-5 frame to wide receiver, where he’s a fluid athlete and a tough cover for opposing secondaries.
“I’m way better at receiver than I am at quarterback,” said Jackson at the Moore League Football Media Day. “I’ve been working on my craft, getting better every day. I’ve just been getting the rhythm down. I already had it naturally, but I just had to work on my craft and I’m ready to go this year.”
He’ll be joined at receiver by returning junior Jordan Thomas, who should be a factor on both sides of the ball. As a team, Jordan will have a number of guys playing both offense and defense, which will make conditioning a key for the Panthers.
The offense should also get a boost from the arrival of senior running back Khayiel “Noonie” Wisner, who transferred over from Dominguez. He’ll get to learn from a prolific running back as head coach and he’s got a lot of potential as he steps into a more prominent role in J-Town.
Junior Caydyn Hampton will be QB1 after serving as Jackson’s backup as a sophomore. He said getting that varsity experience a season ago helped him see the game more clearly, and things are coming to him more easily as an 11th grader.
“I feel like I’ve improved mentally, just being smart and fast with my skill,” Hampton explained. “It’s just all starting to come easier. Last year it was more like getting thrown in the fire, but I know I got it this year. I know we got it.”
Hampton also said it’s been a rewarding experience to learn from a coach who was recently part of NFL offenses and can share that wisdom with players hoping to one day reach that pinnacle.
“He played at the highest level possible, and he knows what he’s talking about,” Hampton said of his head coach. “So when he’s talking, everybody’s ears are open.”
The offensive line will be relatively young, including a freshman starting at tackle. But Penny is excited to see the development of Trenton Boyd, who is 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds as a 9th grader.
Penny is high on his linebacking group, which will anchor the J-Town defense. Senior Phoenix White is a returner with great size for the position and he will look to lead a physical stop unit alongside juniors Rudy Lopez and Keith Brooks, plus promising sophomore Joedacy Sablan.
Junior Nathan Rodriguez will be a key player at defensive tackle, with junior Jakob Peapea and sophomore Tulituli Aunei at the defensive end spots.
Senior Kemari Johnson looks like a playmaker at corner, and the arrival of sophomore Jaymier Williams from Dominguez should also be a lift to the Panthers’ secondary. Williams started all 11 games last season for the Dons and had four picks as a freshman. Seniors Georgio Smith and Poly transfer Elijah Byrdsong are expected to start at safety.
With the Moore League shrinking to just five teams this season, there are only four league opponents on Jordan’s schedule. However, J-Town will still face off against former league mates Compton and Cabrillo during non-league play. The Panthers will actually open the season by hosting Compton on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Coach Penny knows it will be a process to get things established, and he’s keeping expectations reasonable for his team in his first season.
“Number one: competing. Bringing that spirit back,” said Penny on what he hopes to see from his team this fall. “And two, just finishing .500 … It’s all about building confidence, and then you build that brotherhood. It’s kind of similar to how we were at Norwalk, but I’ve always said we never had the talent though. We just worked harder than everybody and were way more disciplined, and those are key components to winning football games.
“If we can get all of that down pat, I think everybody will be talking about Jordan for a while in the Moore League, so I’m just excited.”
Projected Starting Lineup:
Offense
QB – Caydyn Hampton (Jr.)
RB – Khayiel Wisner (Sr.) / Chance Johnson (Fr.) / Romeo Amaya (Sr.)
WR – Sama’Jay Jackson (Sr.) / Jordan Thomas (Jr.) / Francisco Garcia (Sr.) / EJ Edwards (Sr.)
TE – Keith Brooks (Jr.) / Joedacy Sablan (So.) / Simion Starks (Sr.)
OT – James West (Sr.) / Trenton Boyd (Fr.)
OG – Raymar Hampton (Jr.) / Keti
C – Richard Gonzalez (Jr.)
K/P – Rudy Lopez (Jr.)
Defense
DE – Jakob Peapea (Jr.) / Keith Brooks (Jr.) / Tulitilu Aunei (So.) / Jacob Lopez (Sr.) / Simion Starks (Sr.)
DT – Nathan Rodriguez (Jr.) / Raymar Hampton (Jr.) / James West (Sr.) / Julius Guevara (Sr.)
LB – Phoenix White (Sr.) / Rudy Lopez (Jr.) / Joedacy Sablan (So.) / Keith Brooks (Jr.)
CB – Kemari Johnson (Sr.) / Jaymier Williams (So.) / Jeremiah Polion (Jr. ) / Khayiel Wisner (Sr.)
Rover – Matthew Rodriguez (So.)
S – Georgio Smith (Sr.) / Elijah Byrdsong (Sr.)
2026 Jordan Football Schedule
8/20 – vs. Compton
8/28 – at Crenshaw
9/4 – at Hesperia
9/11 – at Bell Gardens
9/18 – at Charter Oak
9/25 – vs. Cabrillo
10/2 – vs. Wilson*
10/9 – BYE
10/16 – at Millikan*
10/23 – at Lakewood*
10/30 – vs. Long Beach Poly*
* – Denotes Moore League game
