2023 Stadium Talk Preseason All-American Team
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High school football season is on the way, and the very best players in the country are ready to go out and grab headlines and, hopefully, win state championships that will keep their names hanging in the rafters forever.
These are the very best high school football players in the country headed into the 2023 season — meet the Stadium Talk Preseason All-American Football Team.
Quarterback: Bryce Underwood, Belleville (Mich.)
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High school: Belleville High School (Belleville, Mich.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Underwood is already a two-time Division I state champion and is 27-1 as Belleville's starter over the last two seasons. He was the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year in 2021 and MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year in 2022 and has grown a few inches in the offseason. This kid is magic on a football field and the type of player Power Five programs build around.
Note: All college commitments are updated through July 12, 2023.
Running Back: Jordan Marshall, Archbishop Moeller (Ohio)
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High school: Archbishop Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
College: Michigan
Bottom line: Marshall rushed for 1,9361 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior on the way to being named Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. Moeller went 13-2 and made it to the Division I state semifinals. He was also named a MaxPreps Junior All-American.
Running Back: Jason Brown, O'Dea (Wash.)
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High school: O'Dea High School (Seattle, Wash.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Brown has been an absolute thrill to watch for O'Dea High the last two seasons after rushing for over 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2022. Brown would make a lot of people happy if he stayed home and played for the University of Washington, but he has offers from most of the elite Power Five programs.
Running Back: Ethen Knox, Oil City (Pa.)
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High school: Oil City High School (Oil City, Pa.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: For as much as we write about high school sports, it's kind of amazing it's taken this long to get Knox some recognition, but there's no time like the present. Knox had one of the more amazing seasons in high school football history in 2022, as he broke Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry's national single-season rushing record with 3,702 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns — and he did it in just 10 games. Knox was also named Class 3A Player of the Year and a MaxPreps Junior All-American.
Tight End: Elija Lofton, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
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High school: Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
College: Miami
Bottom line: Lofton has been a dominant pass-catching tight end the last two seasons and all while playing against some of the nation's best competition for Bishop Gorman, which went 15-1 and won the Class 5A state championship. Lofton was at his best against the elite teams, with 112 receiving yards against Mater Dei (Calif.) and five touchdowns against Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.).
Tight End: Landon Thomas, Colquitt County (Ga.)
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High school: Colquitt County High School (Norman Park, Ga.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
College: Florida State
Bottom line: Thomas played his way into being the nation's top tight end recruit in 2022 with 44 receptions for 753 yards and 13 total touchdowns. He's about 15 pounds away from being an elite Power Five player and is committed to Florida State.
Wide Receiver: Ryan Williams, Saraland (Ala.)
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High school: Saraland High School (Saraland, Ala.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 170 pounds
College: Alabama
Bottom line: Williams was the only sophomore on the USA Today All-American Team in 2022 after leading Saraland to the Class 6A state championship. The Alabama commit also swept Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year honors.
Wide Receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)
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High school: Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (Hollywood, Fla.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
College: Ohio State
Bottom line: Smith is a ready-made Power Five player who should be in the NFL sooner than later. He had 58 receptions for 1,073 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2022.
Wide Receiver: Gatlin Bair, Burley (Idaho)
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High school: Burley High School (Burley, Idaho)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Bair is one of the fastest players in the country — he's been clocked at 10.18 seconds in the 100-meter dash and had 73 receptions for 1,073 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2022. Bair is also dangerous on special teams, with 320 return yards.
Offensive Line: David Sanders, Providence Day School (N.C.)
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High school: Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 255 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Sanders was the only sophomore and one of just two underclassmen to make the Stadium Talk High School All-American Team in 2022 after he helped lead Providence Day School to the Division I state championship.
Offensive Line: Kam Pringle, Woodland (S.C.)
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High school: Woodland High School (Dorchester, S.C.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 330 pounds
College: South Carolina
Bottom line: Pringle has dominated the competition the last two seasons and earned a big dose of love from football fans in his home state by committing to play for the University of South Carolina.
Offensive Line: Donovan Harbour, Catholic Memorial (Wis.)
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High school: Catholic Memorial High School (Waukesha, Wis.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 305 pounds
College: Penn State
Bottom line: Harbour led Catholic Memorial to a 13-1 record and Division 4 state runner-up finish in 2022. He was named a MaxPreps Junior All-American and will stay in Big Ten country to play for Penn State.
Offensive Line: Brandon Baker, Mater Dei (Calif.)
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High school: Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Baker was one of the best offensive linemen in the nation as a junior in 2022 as Mater Dei played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Plus, he still has room to put on muscle and should be an elite Power Five player and seems like a future NFL draft pick.
Offensive Line: Ben Roebuck, St. Edward (Ohio)
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High school: St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 320 pounds
College: Michigan
Bottom line: Roebuck is one of two players from Ohio to make this team — and both are headed to play college football for Michigan. Roebuck dominated up front as St. Edward won back-to-back Division I state championships the last two seasons.
Athlete: Micah Ford, Toms River North (N.J.)
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High school: Toms River High School North (Toms River, N.J.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
College: Stanford
Bottom line: Ford was electric in 2022 as he led Toms River North to an unbeaten season and the Group 5 state championship. Ford played quarterback and racked up 3,563 yards of total offense and accounted for 50 touchdowns.
Kicker: Nolan Hauser, Hough (N.C.)
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High school: Hough High School (Cornelius, N.C.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
College: Clemson
Bottom line: Hauser was 57-of-57 on PATS and 20-of-25 on field goals for Hough, including five games where he kicked field goals of 40 yards or longer. He was also a menace on kickoffs, with 68 of his 91 kickoffs going for touchbacks. Hough's 54 field goals are a North Carolina high school career record.
2023 Stadium Talk Preseason All-American Offense
Quarterback: Bryce Underwood, Belleville (Mich.)
Running Back: Jason Brown, O'Dea (Wash.)
Running Back: Jordan Marshall, Archbishop Moeller (Ohio)
Running Back: Ethen Knox, Oil City (Pa.)
Tight End: Elija Lofton, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
Tight End: Landon Thomas, Colquitt County (Ga.)
Wide Receiver: Ryan Williams, Saraland (Ala.)
Wide Receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)
Wide Receiver: Gatlin Bair, Burley (Idaho)
Offensive Line: Donovan Harbour, Catholic Memorial (Wisc.)
Offensive Line: Brandon Baker, Mater Dei (Calif.)
Offensive Line: Ben Roebuck, St. Edward (Ohio)
Offensive Line: Kam Pringle, Woodland (S.C.)
Offensive Line: David Sanders, Providence Day (N.C.)
Athlete: Micah Ford, Toms River North (N.J.)
Kicker: Nolan Hauser, Hough (N.C.)
Linebacker: Sammy Brown, Jefferson (Ga.)
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High school: Jefferson High School (Jefferson, Ga.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 230 pounds
College: Clemson
Bottom line: Brown has become something of an internet sensation in the last few years thanks to his amazing athletic ability — he dominates both sides of the ball for Jefferson as a running back and linebacker but is also a state-champion wrestler and sprinter. There's not much he can't do on a football field; he had 113 tackles to go with over 1,700 yards of total offense and 24 touchdowns. Brown was also named a MaxPreps Junior All-American and Class AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Linebacker: Dylan Williams, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
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High school: Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach, Calif.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 215 pounds
College: Oregon
Bottom line: Williams was the leader on Long Beach Poly's defense in 2022 with 79 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one interception, as the Jackrabbits went 10-1 and had an unbeaten regular season. He was also a menace on special teams, with two blocked punts and one blocked field goal. Williams de-committed from USC last October and is now headed to play college football for Oregon.
Linebacker: Jeremiah Beasley, Belleville (Mich.)
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High school: Belleville High School (Belleville, Mich.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
College: Michigan
Bottom line: Beasley has been the defensive standout for Belleville the last two seasons, going 27-1 with back-to-back Division I state championships. He's one of three players on this list committed to playing college football for Michigan.
Linebacker: Zayden Walker, Schley County (Ga.)
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High school: Schley County High School (Ellaville, Ga.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: If you love and appreciate football, then the way Walker plays will speak to your soul. He hits and runs and destroys his opponents with such ferocity that you can only hope and pray no one gets hurt. He's the youngest of three siblings headed to play big-time college football — older brother Zykeivous Walker is a defensive lineman for Auburn, and older brother Jalewis Solomon is a three-star wide receiver.
Defensive Line: Colin Simmons, Duncanville (Texas)
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High school: Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 225 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Simmons led Duncanville to an unbeaten season and first state championship in 24 years as a junior in 2022, lighting up some of the toughest competition in the country to the tune of 33 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks. He just might be the best high school football player in the nation in 2023.
Defensive Line: Dylan Stewart, Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.)
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High school: Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, D.C.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 235 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: It won't be a fun season for the string of offensive tackles in the greater D.C. area who have to try and block Stewart in 2023. It wasn't much fun in 2022, either, as he led FCA to a Class AA state championship with 16 sacks on the way to earning Washington Post All-Metro honors.
Defensive Line: Nasir Wyatt, Mater Dei (Calif.)
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High school: Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Wyatt was one of the nation's dominant pass rushers as a sophomore for Mater Dei — and all while playing against some of the best teams in the country. Wyatt had 56 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2022.
Defensive Line: Williams Nwaneri, Lee's Summit North (Mo.)
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High school: Lee's Summit North High School (Lee's Summit, Mo.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Nwaneri has the size and speed to be a Power Five star and possible first-round NFL draft pick — he dominated high school competition with 56 tackles and 12 sacks in 2022. Nwaneri was the best player for Lee's Summit North on the way to making the state championship game for the first time in school history.
Defensive Back: Peyton Woodyard, St. John Bosco (Calif.)
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High school: St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, Calif.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 188 pounds
College: Georgia
Bottom line: Woodyard was one of the stars for St. John Bosco on the way to a CIF Open Division state championship and national championship in 2022. Woodyard had 53 tackles and seven pass deflections and is headed to play college football for two-time defending national champion Georgia.
Defensive Back: Kaleb Beasley, Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.)
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High school: Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 180 pounds
College: Tennessee
Bottom line: Beasley had nine interceptions in 2022 as Lipscomb Academy went undefeated and won the Division II Class AA state championship. Beasley was named a USA Today All-American and will stay in his home state to play for the University of Tennessee.
Defensive Back: Kobe Black, Connally (Texas)
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High school: Connally High School (Waco, Texas)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 190 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: This is what a big-time cornerback looks like — long, athletic and playing against elite competition in high school. Connally's Kobe Black turned himself into a five-star recruit over the last few years and can also torch teams in the return game. Buy all the stock in this kid right now.
Defensive Back: KJ Bolden, Buford (Ga.)
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High school: Buford High School (Buford, Ga.)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Bolden had to be on this team in some way, shape or form. He could have filled the Athlete position on offense as well. Bolden's future seems to be on the defensive side of the ball, and he's 10 to 15 pounds away from having the body that will make him a future college football star and NFL draft pick. After all, he helped lead Buford to a state championship in 2021 and to an 11-1 record in 2022.
Punter: Drew Miller, Mediapolis (Iowa)
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High school: Mediapolis High School (Mediapolis, Iowa)
Graduation year: 2024
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
College: Georgia
Bottom line: Miller was the ultimate special teams weapon for Mediapolis in 2022 after he averaged 48 yards per punt and 51 of his 55 kickoffs went for touchbacks. The No. 1 punter in the nation and MaxPreps Junior All-American is headed to Georgia.
All-Purpose: Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian Prep (Ga.)
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High school: Savannah Christian Prep (Savannah, Ga.)
Graduation year: 2025
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Griffin put up big numbers in 2022 with 82 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. He also made an impact on special teams with a blocked punt and blocked field goal. Griffin is the No. 1 defensive line prospect in the nation for the Class of 2025.
2023 Stadium Talk Preseason All-American Defense
Linebacker: Jeremiah Beasley, Belleville (Mich.)
Linebacker: Sammy Brown, Jefferson (Ga.)
Linebacker: Zayden Walker, Schley County (Ga.)
Linebacker: Dylan Williams, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Defensive Line: Colin Simmons, Duncanville (Texas)
Defensive Line: Dylan Stewart, Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.)
Defensive Line: Nasir Wyatt, Mater Dei (Calif.)
Defensive Line: Williams Nwaneri, Lee's Summit North (Mo.)
Defensive Back: Peyton Woodyard, St. John Bosco (Calif.)
Defensive Back: Kaleb Beasley, Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.)
Defensive Back: K.J. Bolden, Buford (Ga.)
Defensive Back: Kobe Black, Connally (Texas)
All-Purpose: Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian Prep (Ga.)
Punter: Drew Miller, Mediapolis (Iowa)