North Crowley's Elite CB Duo: John Meredith III & Jerry Outhouse Jr.

Defending a state championship is hard enough. Doing it with arguably the best cornerback tandem in the country makes the task a little more manageable.

North Crowley, coming off its 2024 Class 6A Division 1 state title, enters 2026 as one of the top programs in Texas — and a significant reason for that is the pairing of John Meredith III and Jerry Outhouse Jr. on the back end of the Panthers' defense. Together, they represent a matchup problem that few offenses in the state, or the country, are equipped to solve.

Meredith, listed at 6'2 and 175 pounds, has quickly become one of the most talked-about defensive prospects in Texas. He plays with the length and physicality you typically see from safeties, but his twitchiness and elite recovery speed allow him to hold up in press coverage against the state's best receivers. His ball skills have drawn attention from recruiters nationwide, and his profile as one of the top defenders in the country continues to grow.

Outhouse brings a complementary skill set to the other side. At 6'1 and 175 pounds with a 4.43 40-yard dash, the four-star UCLA commit is a physical press-man corner who is equally dangerous in run support. His six interceptions underscore the ball-hawking ability that has made him one of the most coveted defensive backs in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

For opposing coordinators game-planning against North Crowley, the challenge is stark — there is no soft side of the field. Meredith and Outhouse lock down both edges, and with the Panthers already carrying the weight of a state championship pedigree, completing passes against this secondary figures to be one of the tougher assignments in 6A football this fall.