As a prelude to the 2026 CIAC football season, we picked 50 players to watch, a list of key players poised for great things.
We're not perfect.
And since there are far more than 50 players who easily could've qualified for our preseason list, we're going a step further now and adding a few more.
Here's a list of 10 players not on our preseason list who've made an impression during the first half of the 2026 campaign.
Matteo Anderson
North Branford, Jr., QB
Anderson is the quarterback on a team which really doesn't pass much. But wow, can he run. The junior leads the 5-0 Thunderbirds with 801 rushing yards on 41 carries, a wild 19.5 per carry average, and is second on the team with 10 touchdowns. He's formed a potent one-two punch with junior Jack Sigel, who had 65 carries for 797 yards and a team-best 14 touchdowns. While North Branford has focused on the run (129 rushes to 27 passes), don't be fooled. As a sophomore last fall, Anderson had 1,136 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Shane Connelly
Guilford, Jr., RB/FS
The Grizzlies had some big shoes to fill on offense this season, and in stepped, or ran, Connelly, who has been the definition of a workhorse. The junior has rushed 126 times and collected 883 yards with 14 touchdowns during Guilford's 5-0 start, the Grizzlies' first five-win kickoff since 1993. Connelly has topped 100 yards four times, including a season-best of 280 yards on 27 carries in a 19-0 shutout of Xavier on Sept. 25. He also stars on defense as a free safety and has 29 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two sacks and one pick.
Luke Costantini
Masuk, Sr., LB
After a solid junior season, Costantini has punched a higher floor as one of the Panthers' defense leaders this fall. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound middle linebacker leads the team in several tackling categories, including overall (86), solo (30) and tackles for a loss (16), while adding a half-sack and an interception for good measure. More importantly, he's part of an improved defense which has allowed just 12 points per game during Masuk's 5-0 start.
Justin Daniel
St. Joseph, Sr., WR
One of the questions around the St. Joseph football team in the preseason was how would Justin Daniel fit in? Especially considering the team was moving to a new quarterback in Jack Mooney. Thus far, Daniel, a New Haven Register/GametimeCT All-State honorable mention with McMahon last year, has been everything the Hogs could've hoped for. The senior led St. Joseph with 18 catches, 299 receiving yards and five touchdown catches through the first four games, and plays a lead role on special teams, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns. He also sees time in the defensive secondary.
Zhi'Mir Maddox-Moore
New London, Jr., WR/DB
Maddox-Moore opened the 2026 season loudly, returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in an eventual 56-17 win over Barlow. He hasn't slowed down since. The junior has put up 1,250 all-purpose yards to help the Whalers win their first five games. That includes 650 receiving yards and another 455 rushing. Maddox-Moore has the ability to do damage in a variety of ways, and in a 42-28 win over Fitch just before New London's bye week, he scored six touchdowns, with three rushing, one receiving, one on a kick return and one on a fumble recovery.
Walker Mierzejewski
Southington, Sr., WR
Southington has been the epitome of the "next man up" approach the last two seasons as injuries failed to derail the Blue Knights. In Mierzejewski, they have a star wide receiver who has been a mainstay on the field, leading the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns the past two seasons. During Southington's 5-0 start this fall, he's caught 27 passes for 518 yards and six touchdowns, which includes a stunning performance in a 42-26 win over Newtown, when he had seven catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns. His career marks are now up to 103 catches, 1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Carlo Noecker
Ludlowe, Sr., DE/OT
What's this? A defensive player from Ludlowe on the list? Seriously, this is a different Falcons defense and Noecker is a headliner. He's 6-foot-3, 235 pounds and leads the Falcons with 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. He's an offensive tackle as well, so he rarely comes off the field. The Falcons have the first 5-0 start in program history, and while the offense is as fast-paced as ever, the defense has made a huge leap, allowing just 13 points per game, down from a 24 average last year.
Henry Reagan
New Canaan, Sr., OL
Reagan stands tall on the New Canaan offensive line, both literally and figuratively. At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, the Dartmouth commit is an imposing figure at right tackle, and a veteran presence as a three-year starter. He and left tackle Connor Furman (6-5, 275) are tasked with slowing down opponents' top pass rushers, and have been up to the task. The Rams have not allowed a sack this season and are averaging better than 40 points per game.
Eli Showerda
Maloney, Sr., QB
Is this Madden? Because this season, Showerda is putting up video game-like numbers. The Spartans' second-year starter at quarterback has already hit 1,684 passing yards in five games - that's an average of 337 - with 22 touchdowns and just three picks. He's topped 200 yards in every game, and went over 400 yards twice. That includes 461 yards and seven touchdowns in a 46-22 win over Conard in Week 4. He's also completing passes at a 70% clip, and has Maloney at 3-2 as it looks to get back into the Class L playoffs after a missing them last season.
Cole St. Pierre
Shelton, Sr., RB/SS
With a 4-1 record this season, Shelton has already surpassed its win totals from the past two years and is primed for a playoff drive in the second half. St. Pierre has been a huge piece of the puzzle, with a team-best 971 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. His rushing workload has been huge. He's averaging 27 carries per game, and has 113 for 734 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. That includes a 208-yard performance, on 36 carries, in a 28-3 win over Hall in Week 2. In the defensive secondary, St. Pierre has collected 13 tackles, two tackles for a loss and five passes defended.
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This article originally published at 10 Connecticut high school football players we missed in the 2026 preseason 50 to watch list.