Xzavier Webber has spent his entire high school football career at Heritage Academy and grew into a weapon for the Patriots on offense and on defense.
Listed as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Webber showcased Friday why he’s been getting some looks by college scouts last with a stellar performance in a 38-22 victory over Lamar School that earned him The Dispatch’s Player of the Week.
The senior wide receiver and defensive back for the Patriots only needed to haul in four catches for three touchdowns and posted four tackles with two pass breakups on defense. He was productive just about everywhere head coach Tobias Smith put him and it showed up on the statline as Webber ended the night with 227 all-purpose yards.
“He had a really good day,” Smith said. “I think Xzavier Webber is one of the best players in the state regardless of classification and regardless of position. He comes to work everyday with a lunch-pail mentality, and has a really good attitude. He’s a kid that doesn’t say much, but when he says something it goes a long way because the boys respect him so much. He’s a guy who works his butt off. He’s one of the first guys in the building and one of the last guys to leave and that starts in the summertime until the end of the season.
“He’s explosive, a really good player. He’s hard to tackle, he’s fast, he’s physical, he’s shifty. I mean he’s one of the best players in the state, and I’d put him up against anybody.”
Webber is listed by 247Sports as the No. 73 prospect in Mississippi’s 2026 recruiting class and is ranked as the No. 222 cornerback nationally and has garnered some attention from some of the state’s junior colleges and even some Division 1 schools. But when it comes to personality, though, Smith said Webber might be ranked No. 1 on the team.
“(Webber) is one of the funnest guys to be around,” he explained.”He’s always joking, always playing, but when it’s time to be serious – it is serious time for him. He understands the difference between when it’s time to lock in and when it is time to joke around. He’s a guy who is a worker. We can get done with practice and get done with workouts and he is going to do something else just to get better. He’s probably equally as good of a basketball player as he is a football player, so he spends time doing both and he’s really good at doing both.”
Honorable mentions
Two-time defending Player of the Week Jadien Taylor accounted for five total touchdowns in Noxubee County’s 48-26 win at Aberdeen with one passing score, two rushing scores, a touchdown catch and a punt return. West Point quarterback Colt Whitacre was 7-of-8 passing for 145 yards and touchdown in West Point’s 38-7 win over New Hope. Starkville running back Torian Knox ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the team’s 38-35 loss to Madison Central.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 26 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 26 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
