6 Class of 2026 high school football players with NFL and NBA legacies ft. Kobe Bryant's nephew Jett Washington 

The Class of 2026 in football features an impressive lineup of legacies. These young athletes, who are related to NBA or NFL players and veterans, have also demonstrated their own skills and determination through hard work and merit.

In a collaborative post, 247Sports and MaxPreps have highlighted these rising athletes. Let's take a look.

6 Class of 2026 high school football players with NFL and NBA legacies

Chris Henry Jr.

Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. is the son of late NFL star Chris Henry. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver is ranked 13th nationally.

In his freshman year, Henry Jr. played six games, recording 141 receiving yards. Currently, in his junior year, he has played in two games, recording 20 yards, according to MaxPreps.

Jett Washington

Bishop Gorman High School's Jett Washington, the nephew of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, is ranked 16th nationally.

In his freshman year, he played three games, averaging three yards per game. By his junior year, Washington had significantly improved, playing in nine games and recording 5.3 yards per game.

He also earned the MaxPreps Overall Player of the Game award in 2024 and the MaxPreps Defensive Player of the Game award in 2023.

Dia Bell

Texas Longhorns commit Dia Bell is the son of former NBA star Raja Bell and is ranked 22nd nationally.

In his freshman year, Bell played nine games, throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore, he played 12 games, recording 1,929 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. In his junior year, Bell played 11 games, covering 2597 yards and recording 29 touchdowns.

In 2023, he was awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game six times. The following year, he continued his impressive performance, securing the MaxPreps trophy once again.

Justice Fitzpatrick

St. Thomas Aquinas High School's Justice Fitzpatrick, the brother of NFL cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, is ranked 70th nationally.

In his freshman year, he played in two games, averaging 0.5 yards per game. He improved significantly in his sophomore year, playing in six games with an average of 7.8 yards per game. Now in his junior year, he has played in 12 games, averaging 6.1 yards per game.

In 2024 alone, Fitzpatrick was named MaxPreps Player of the Game three times

Devin Carter

Douglas County High School's Devin Carter is the son of former NFL player Dexter Carter and is ranked 123rd nationally.

His freshman and sophomore year stats are not provided. In his junior year, he played 14 games, averaging 52.8 yards per game, according to MaxPreps.

Thomas Davis Jr.

Notre Dame commit Thomas Davis Jr. is the son of former NFL player Thomas Davis and is ranked 164th nationally. In his sophomore year, he played 16 games, averaging 0.6 yards per game, according to MaxPreps.