Voting is open now for the 2026 South Bend Tribune preseason football player of the year poll, which can be found at the bottom of this article. Readers may vote as many times as they would like until the poll closes at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 20. Tyler Pranger, New Prairie The senior offensive lineman was a Second Team All-NIC selection last season for the 3-7 Cougars. Vote for Tyler at the link below: https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/sports/high-school/athlete-of-the-week/2026/08/17/vote-south-bend-tribune-2026-preseason-football-player-of-the-year-poll-ihsaa/91176575007/