Best High School Football Player in Every State for 2022
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Sports traditions don't get much better than Friday nights in the fall when communities all across the United States come together to cheer on their respective high school football teams.
State championships can define a community, as can transcendent players. Those roles are reserved for the best players in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It's a list of names we put together by asking the same question as last year: If we were picking No. 1, in any given state, who would we take?
These are the best high school football players in every state for the 2022 season.
Note: Only the classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025 were considered.
Alabama: Tony Mitchell
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High school: Thompson High School (Alabaster, Alabama)
Position: Defensive back
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 180 pounds
College: Alabama*
Bottom line: Thompson High defensive back Tony Mitchell has the chance to end his career as one of the all-time greats in Alabama high school football history. Through his first three seasons as a starter, he's helped lead Thompson to a 39-2 record and three consecutive Class 7A state championships.
Committed to play for the University of Alabama, Mitchell has the perfect size for a cornerback at the next level and has that thing we love in elite cornerbacks — a knack for talking trash.
*All college commitments are through July 22, 2022.
Alaska: Brayden Taylor
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High school: Soldotna High School (Soldotna, Alaska)
Position: Defensive back/quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Brayden Taylor was named Alaska Division II Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 after leading powerhouse Soldotna High to a state runner-up finish and was also an all-state selection at quarterback.
It's hard for high school football players from Alaska to get a shot at playing college football. No college in the state plays the sport. Taylor has the size, athleticism and pedigree that could get him a shot.
Arizona: Dylan Raiola
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High school: Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220
College: Ohio State
Bottom line: Chandler High quarterback and Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola is the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 and a five-star recruit after throwing for 3,341 yards, 32 touchdowns and 5 interceptions as a sophomore in 2021.
Raiola has the size to be an elite quarterback in college and in the NFL and is the son of former Nebraska All-American and Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola, who played 14 seasons in the NFL.
Arkansas: Walker White
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High school: Little Rock Christian Academy (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Walker White jumped onto the national recruiting scene in 2021, leading Little Rock Christian Academy to the Class 5A state semifinals as a sophomore. He threw for 2,010 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 487 yards and 5 touchdowns.
White already holds a handful of Power Five offers, but the most important one may be from the University of Arkansas. His great-grandfather, grandfather, uncle and older brother John David all played football for the Razorbacks. His father, John, played golf there, and his older brother, Zac, played baseball. That's called a legacy, folks.
California: Nico Iamaleava
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High school: Warren High School (Downey, California)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 200
College: Tennessee
Bottom line: Coveted recruit Nico Iamaleava turned his back on national championship contenders to sign with a school that's struggled on the field recently, and for good reason. He's reportedly the athlete behind a record $8 million NIL deal signed with Tennessee's NIL collective, according to The Athletic.
There's a reason why Iamaleava is getting this kind of money. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he already has the look of an NFL quarterback. He played his sophomore and junior years at Warren High School, throwing for 2,444 yards, 33 touchdowns and 1 interception as a junior.
He briefly enrolled at Long Beach Poly (where he played his freshman campaign), then transferred back to Warren and will finish his high school career there.
Colorado: Blake Purchase
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High school: Cherry Creek High School (Cherry Creek, Colorado)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 240
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Blake Purchase was a dominant force for Cherry Creek High in 2021, helping lead his school to a 12-2 record and a third consecutive Class 5A state championship while racking up 83 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 7 pass breakups and 2 interceptions.
Opponents who thought Purchase was a lot to handle as a junior might want to take note that he's put on 30 pounds of muscle in the last year and still has room to grow. Purchase had a date set for his commitment but postponed it indefinitely in July after sending out a cryptic tweet not too long before that.
Connecticut: Olaus Alinen
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High school: The Loomis Chafee School (Windsor, Connecticut)
Position: Offensive tackle
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-6
Weight: 315
College: Alabama
Bottom line: Born in Finland, and the son of former NFL Europe player Klaus Alinen, 6-foot-6, 315-pound Olaus Alinen moved to the U.S. before his junior year and is one of the nation's top offensive line prospects.
Alinen set a date of July 22 for the announcement of his college choice, and he committed to Alabama. Miami, Oregon, Ohio State and defending national champion Georgia were his other choices.
If you get to see Alinen play and are amazed at how fluid he moves on the field, there's a reason for that skill — dude played hockey until he was 12 years old. And ice skating is hard.
Delaware: Desmond Aladuge
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High school: Milford Senior High School (Milford, Delaware)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 250
College: Duke
Bottom line: There isn't a ton of Division I football talent that comes out of Delaware, but Milford Senior High's Desmond Aladuge seems like a prospect that could make an impact on the next level.
Aladuge has plenty of room to add weight at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds headed into his senior season and is already committed to play for Duke.
He was part of a massive haul of commitments by the Blue Devils in June 2022 under new head coach Mike Elko that saw the Blue Devils shoot up to No. 2 in the ACC recruiting rankings.
Florida: Keon Keeley
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High school: Berkeley Preparatory School (Tampa, Florida)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 245
College: Notre Dame
Bottom line: Florida was by far the hardest state to pick a top player for, and it came down to a toss-up between Lakeland cornerback Cormani McCain and Berkeley Prep defensive end and Notre Dame commit Keon Keeley. They're both Top 10 recruits who seem destined to dominate on Saturdays and be playing on Sundays in the near future.
Keeley, 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, was dominant as a junior in 2021, racking up 16 sacks and 35 quarterback hits and leading Berkeley Prep to a Class 3A state runner-up finish.
Where he really turned heads was in a nationally televised 49-24 win over Isidore Newman (Louisiana) High School and the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, quarterback Arch Manning. Keeley had two sacks, three quarterback hits, one interception and one pass breakup in the win.
Georgia: Caleb Downs
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High school: Mill Creek High School (Hoschton, Georgia)
Position: Safety
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Mill Creek's Caleb Downs is a three-year starter and a two-time MaxPreps All-American after putting up boffo numbers over the last two seasons, with 186 tackles and 14 interceptions through his first three seasons.
Downs just keeps adding to his game. In 2021, he scored touchdowns in almost every way imaginable — four rushing, two receiving, two interception returns, one kickoff return and even threw a touchdown pass.
Projected as a first-round pick in the NFL draft, he wouldn't be the first in his family to play on Sundays. His father, Gary, played seven seasons in the NFL.
Hawaii: Kainoa Carvalho
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High school: Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii)
Position: Wide receiver/return specialist
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 5-6
Weight: 175
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Clocking in at just 5-foot-6 and 175 pounds, Kahuku High's Kainoa Carvalho is the shortest player to make the list, and if you're unlucky enough to face him on a football field, don't get it twisted. He will torch your entire squad.
As a junior in 2021, Carvalho led his school to a 10-0 record and the Open Division state championship while racking up 79 receptions for 1,127 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns to go with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and two punt returns for touchdowns.
Carvalho already has a handful of offers from Division I schools, including Hawaii, Utah, Air Force, Navy and San Diego State.
Idaho: Kenyon Sadiq
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High school: Skyline High School (Idaho Falls, Idaho)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 210
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Kenyon Sadiq burst onto the radars of college scouts with his performance in 2021, racking up 79 receptions for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns as he led Skyline to its second consecutive Class 4A state championship.
Skyline and Sadiq both turned in unexpected performances in 2021. Skyline went 9-4 and lost most of its starters off the 2020 state championship team which Sadiq was just a role player on. He's now just the sixth four-star recruit in Idaho history.
Illinois: Charles Jagusah
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High school: Alleman High School (Rock Island, Illinois)
Position: Offensive tackle
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-6
Weight: 308
College: Notre Dame
Bottom line: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is putting together one of the best recruiting classes in recent memory and one of the jewels of that class is Alleman High offensive tackle Charles Jagusah — a 6-foot-6, 308-pound phenom who looks bound to play in the NFL one day.
Pity the defensive linemen that have to go against Jagusah this season, who went 41-0 and won the Illinois state championship in wrestling for the heavyweight division.
Indiana: Drayk Bowen
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High school: Andrean High School (Merrillville, Indiana)
Position: Linebacker
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 225
College: Notre Dame
Bottom line: Drayk Bowen did a little bit of everything in 2021 while leading Andrean High to a Class 2A state championship, putting up 965 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns along with 105 tackles, 3 sacks and 3 interceptions.
Bowen was named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and is committed to play for Notre Dame.
Iowa: Kadyn Proctor
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High school: Southeast Polk High School (Pleasant Hill, Iowa)
Position: Offensive tackle
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-7
Weight: 330
College: Iowa
Bottom line: Southeast Polk High's Kadyn Proctor might be the best offensive line prospect in the country and is committed to the University of Iowa, where he will be the highest-rated recruit ever to sign with the Hawkeyes.
Proctor is 6-foot-7, 330 pounds and projects as a high first-round pick in the NFL draft in the near future. He could have played anywhere in the country and chose to stay in his home state, which is always a great story.
Kansas: Avery Johnson
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High school: Maize High School (Maize, Kansas)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
College: Kansas State
Bottom line: Few things in Kansas make the state's sports fans stand up and take notice like when a local football prospect becomes a national football prospect, then stays in Kansas to go to college. Because it doesn't happen very often.
Kansas State landed perhaps its best high school recruit in the last decade when Maize High quarterback Avery Johnson picked the Wildcats. Johnson had a breakout junior year in 2021, racking up 3,630 yards of offense and 42 touchdowns while leading the Eagles to the Class 5A state championship game for the first time in school history.
Kentucky: Tommy Ziesmer
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High school: Boyle County High School (Danville, Kentucky)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220
College: Kentucky
Bottom line: The University of Kentucky landed an impact player from within its own state — no small task — with Boyle County High defensive end Tommy Ziesmer.
Ziesmer has already shown he can be productive on the field with 50 tackles, 5 sacks and 3 pass breakups as a junior in 2021, but what translates well to the next level are his physical gifts.
Ziesmer ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and 11.6-second 100-meter dash and has a 39-inch vertical leap. That's a problem for opposing offensive linemen. And he's still growing.
Louisiana: Arch Manning
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High school: Isidore Newman High School (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215
College: Texas
Bottom line: Arch Manning is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023. As a high school prospect, it's hard to find much of a comparison to him. Ever.
That's because he's coming from a family where two of his uncles, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, were No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft, and his grandfather, Archie Manning, played 14 seasons in the NFL and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
Manning's college decision was one of the most eagerly anticipated in recent memory, and in June 2022, he committed to the University of Texas.
Maine: Eli Soehren
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High school: Oxford Hills High School (South Paris, Maine)
Position: Quarterback/safety
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Eli Soehren led Oxford Hills to the state championship game and was named Class A Player of the Year and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year.
Soehren's father, Mark, is the Oxford Hills head coach and was named Class A Coach of the Year. Eli threw for 1,905 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 903 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was also an all-state punter and defensive back.
Maryland/District of Columbia: Nyckoles Harbor
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High school: Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, D.C.)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-6
Weight: 225
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Some big-time college out there is about to get a special athlete in Archbishop Carroll's Nyckoles Harbor — perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the Class of 2023.
Harbor led Archbishop Carroll to the DCAA championship in 2021 and was named District of Columbia Gatorade Player of the Year playing defensive end and wide receiver, finishing with 31 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 5 receiving touchdowns.
How unique of an athlete is Harbor? He's 6-foot-6, 225 pounds and ran a 10.32-second 100-meter dash, which would be really impressive if he hadn't also run a 20.79-second 200-meter dash — the fourth-fastest 200 time ever run by a high schooler.
Massachusetts: Samsun Okunlola
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High school: Thayer Academy (Braintree, Massachusetts)
Position: Offensive line
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 305
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Samsun Okunlola is one of the nation's most coveted offensive line recruits. At 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, he could play guard or offensive tackle at the next level.
There aren't a lot of big-time recruits that come out of Massachusetts, and Okunlola isn't just good on the field. He's also savvy when it comes to his NIL potential, crafting the "Pancake Honcho" persona through social media. It's kind of genius for an offensive lineman.
Michigan: Dante Moore
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High school: Martin Luther King High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200
College: Oregon
Bottom line: No recruit in the country has seen more of a come-up headed into their senior season than Martin Luther King High quarterback Dante Moore. The Oregon commit leaped from No. 11 to No. 2 in the 247Sports Class of 2023 national recruiting ratings just ahead of the start of training camp.
Moore picked the Ducks over LSU, Michigan and Texas A&M, among others, and has thrown for 7,488 yards and 103 touchdowns through his first three high school seasons. He's the kind of player who could win a Heisman Trophy one day.
Minnesota: Carson Hansen
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High school: Lakeville South High School (Lakeville, Minnesota)
Position: Running back
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
College: Iowa State
Bottom line: Carson Hansen became just the second junior in 37 years to be named Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021 after he led Lakeville South High to the first state championship in school history.
Hansen rushed for rushed for 2,012 yards and 23 touchdowns but also averaged a whopping 12.0 yards per carry. Hansen picked Iowa State over offers from Kansas State, Air Force and Army, among others.
Mississippi: Suntarine Perkins
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High school: Raleigh High School (Raleigh, Mississippi)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 210
College: Ole Miss
Bottom line: There's very little Raleigh High's Suntarine Perkins can't do on a football field. The Ole Miss commit has played safety, outside linebacker, running back and wide receiver at a high level and will certainly be a star for the Rebels on the defensive side of the ball one day.
Our guess is Perkins will play linebacker at the next level. He racked up 1,670 yards of offense and 18 touchdowns in 2021, along with 74 tackles and 4 sacks. Oh yeah, he also kicked extra points.
Missouri: Adepoju Adebawore
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High school: North Kansas City High School (Kansas City, Missouri)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 240
College: Oklahoma
Bottom line: Adepoju Adebawore could be a star at Oklahoma sooner than later under new head coach Brent Venables. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end has a 7-foot wingspan and also competes in the 400-meter relay, triple jump and long jump at North Kansas City High.
Adabawore led North Kansas City to the Class 5 playoffs and was a Class 5 All-State selection as a junior in 2021.
Montana: Reed Harris
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High school: Great Falls High School (Great Falls, Montana)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215
College: Boston College
Bottom line: We don't have the exact stats on players from Montana who have landed at Boston college, but we imagine that Great Falls High star Reed Harris' commitment to play there is breaking some new ground.
The top recruit in the state for the Class of 2023, Harris has an elite skill set that will probably see him play wide receiver or a flex tight end on the next level. He plays quarterback now. There aren't a lot of guys on any level that are 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and can run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash.
Nebraska: Zane Flores
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High school: Gretna High School
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 200
College: Oklahoma State
Bottom line: Say whatever you will about Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy. Just don't ever say he can't spot a talented quarterback.
Gundy's made a career out of picking lesser-known recruits and bringing them to Stillwater to turn them into stars, and Gretna High's Zane Flores might be the next in line. The Oklahoma State commit can absolutely sling the rock. He has 6,046 career passing yards and 70 touchdowns headed into his senior season.
In one of the weirder high school football stories you'll ever hear, Gretna won the Class A state title in 2021, only to see the title vacated one month later after the NSAA determined the school used an ineligible player.
Nevada: Zachariah Branch
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High school: Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Position: Wide receiver
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 5-10
Weight: 175
College: USC
Bottom line: Zachariah Branch led Bishop Gorman to the Class 5A state championship as a junior in 2021 and established himself as the nation's top wide receiver recruit.
Branch is committed to play for USC and put up big-time numbers in 2021 with 48 receptions for 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with two punt returns for touchdowns.
He's drawn comparisons to none other than NFL All-Pro Tyreek Hill for his speed and ability to make defenders miss. See you on Sundays, Zach.
New Hampshire: Jake Travis
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High school: Pelham High School (Pelham, New Hampshire)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Jake Travis was named Division 3 All-State quarterback after leading Pelham High to its second consecutive state championship. He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
Travis was at his best in the NHIAA Division 3 state championship game, rushing for three touchdowns and passing for another touchdown in a 50-14 win over Trinity.
New Jersey: D.J. Samuels
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High school: Bergen Catholic High School (Oradell, New Jersey)
Position: Defensive end/outside linebacker
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-1
Weight: 240
College: Maryland
Bottom line: Bergen Catholic's D.J. Samuels is a high-impact player on the defensive front. He had 10.5 sacks in 2020 and 9.0 sacks in 2021 and has 22 sacks through his first three seasons to break former NFL linebacker Brian Cushing's school record. Samuels also had 17.5 tackles for loss in 2021 to bring his career total to 37.5.
Samuels and Bergen Catholic went 12-0 in 2021, won a state championship and finished No. 3 in the final MaxPreps national rankings. He's committed to play for Maryland.
New Mexico: Evan Wysong
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High school: Cleveland High School (Rio Rancho, New Mexico)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 5-10
Weight: 160
College: New Mexico
Bottom line: Cleveland High's Evan Wysong led his team to a 13-0 record and the Class 6A state championship as a junior in 2021, when he threw for 1,787 yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 987 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Wysong was named New Mexico MaxPreps Player of the Year and is committed to play for the University of New Mexico alongside his older brother, Luke, a former New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year who started five games at wide receiver for the Lobos as a true freshman in 2021.
The Wysongs' father, Adam, along with uncles Ben and Daniel played football at New Mexico, and their mother, Beth, played volleyball there.
New York: Ajani Shepard
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High school: Iona Preparatory School (New Rochelle, New York)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 225
College: Old Dominion
Bottom line: It's beyond us how a Power Five school hasn't offered Iona Prep quarterback Ajani Sheppard a scholarship.
Sheppard is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and was named New York MaxPreps Player of the Year in 2021 after he became the first player in Westchester County to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. It makes you start to understand why schools like Vanderbilt and Kansas — who both have been recruiting Sheppard but failed to offer — are perennially among the worst teams in all of FBS.
Sheppard is committed to play for Old Dominion.
North Carolina: Jadyn Davis
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High school: Providence Day School (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Quarterback Jadyn Davis made a gigantic leap in the 247Sports recruit rankings for the Class of 2024, leaping 10 spots up to No. 9 just weeks before the start of his junior season.
Davis originally attended Providence Day School and transferred to Catawba Ridge High, where he started part-time as a freshman and played in nine games as a sophomore because of injuries. He transferred back to Providence Day in December 2021.
North Dakota: Karter Menz
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High school: West Fargo High School (West Fargo, North Dakota)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215
College: Minnesota
Bottom line: University of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck landed one of the top recruits of his tenure with West Fargo High defensive end Karter Menz, who could eventually be a dominant Big Ten player.
Menz, 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, helped lead West Fargo High to a state championship as a junior in 2021, with 57 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and 4 pass break-ups.
Ohio: Luke Montgomery
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High school: Findlay High School (Findlay, Ohio)
Position: Offensive tackle
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 280
College: Ohio State
Bottom line: Luke Montgomery might be the most versatile player on the line of scrimmage — both sides of the ball — in the entire nation. Montgomery is a top 50 recruit and has played all five positions on the offensive line, all along the defensive front, as well as tight end, fullback and H-back over the last two seasons.
Montgomery's future is as on the offensive line, and he's committed to Ohio State. The only question is if he'll end up playing guard or tackle in college.
Oklahoma: Bai Jobe
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High school: Community Christian School (Norman, Oklahoma)
Position: Defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215
College: Michigan State
Bottom line: Bai Jobe moved from Senegal to Oklahoma as an eighth grader with hopes of becoming a basketball star. He found the same outcome in a different sport.
Jobe played his first year of organized football in ninth grade and three years later is one of the nation's top defensive end recruits in the Class of 2023. He's committed to play for Michigan State, where he would be the highest-rated recruit to sign there since head coach Mel Tucker took over in 2020.
Oregon: Sam Leavitt
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High school: West Linn High School (West Linn, Oregon)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
College: Washington State
Bottom line: Quarterback Sam Leavitt played his sophomore season at Pleasant Grove (Utah) High in 2020, then returned home to Oregon to play for West Linn High.
Leavitt threw for 2,033 yards, 26 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in just nine games in 2021 and is committed to play for Washington State. His father, Jared Leavitt, played linebacker for BYU in the early 1990s, and his older brother, Dallin Leavitt, was a safety for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders from 2018 to 2021.
Pennsylvania: Quinton Martin
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High school: Belle Vernon High School (Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania)
Position: Athlete
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Belle Vernon's Quinton Martin is on track to become the most sought-after high school football product out of the ultra-competitive Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League since Jeannette's Tyrelle Pryor in 2008.
Martin has elite size and speed and does a little bit of everything on the football field. He racked up 1,325 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns, including two on kickoff returns.
Rhode Island: Dean Varrechione
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High school: LaSalle Academy (Providence, Rhode Island)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: LaSalle Academy quarterback Dean Varrecchione was named to The Providence Journal's all-state team after he threw for 2,123 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2021.
Varrecchione already projects as an FCS quarterback on the next level and could make the leap to a mid-major FBS recruit with a great senior season.
South Carolina: Kam Pringle
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High school: Woodland High School (Dorchester, South Carolina)
Position: Offensive tackle
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-7
Weight: 330
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: There's someone Woodland High offensive tackle reminds us of — oh yeah, every great NFL offensive tackle we've seen in the last 20 years.
Clocking in at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, Pringle was the first offensive lineman from the Class of 2024 to receive a Clemson offer but is weighing lots of offers. He could be a program-changing recruit for University of South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer.
South Dakota: Lincoln Kienholz
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High school: T.F. Riggs High School (Pierre, South Dakota)
Position: Quarterback
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
College: Washington
Bottom line: University of Washington commit Lincoln Kienholz led T.F. Riggs High to a fifth straight state championship as a junior in 2021 by putting up numbers few high school football players, anywhere, will ever approach in a single season.
In 12 games, Kienholz threw for 3,359 yards, 37 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while rushing for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns — a staggering 4,724 yards of total offense. He's also already a 1,000-point scorer in basketball with a full season left to play.
Tennessee: Caleb Herring
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High school: Riverdale High School (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Position: Outside linebacker/defensive end
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-6
Weight: 206
College: Tennessee
Bottom line: Riverdale High's Caleb Herring is part of a talented group of Class of 2023 commitments for the University of Tennessee, which is headlined by five-star Warren High quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Downey, California.
Herring was named Region 4-6A Co-Linebacker of the Year as a junior in 2021. The Volunteers could have siblings starting on defense within a few years. Caleb Herring's older brother, Elijah Herring, was a three-star prospect who signed with the Volunteers in 2022.
Texas: David Hicks
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High school: Paetow High School (Katy, Texas)
Position: Defensive line
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 270
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Football fans, you might as well get to know who David Hicks is right now. The son of former NFL linebacker David Hicks Sr. seems like a player with the potential to be an NFL draft overall No. 1 pick one day.
Hicks was the District 5-6A Defensive MVP as a junior at Allen High in 2021 with 88 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. Hicks is the No. 1 defensive lineman in the Class of 2023 and committed to play for Texas A&M.
He'll play for Katy Paetow High as a senior after his father was hired there as an assistant coach.
Utah: Tausili Akana
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High school: Skyridge High School (Lehi, Utah)
Position: Defensive end/outside linebacker
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Skyridge High's Tausili Akana had the kind of year you dream about as a defensive player in 2021 — 78 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 13 sacks as his team went 11-2 and made the Class 6A state semifinals.
Akana has over 40 FBS Division I offers, including the five schools who have won the College Football Playoff Championship since 2014 — Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and Ohio State. But he might be leaning toward Oklahoma.
Vermont: Jonah Bassett
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High school: Rutland High School (Rutland, Vermont)
Position: Wide receiver/defensive back
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Jonah Basset was an all-state selection at both wide receiver and defensive back as Rutland High started the season 8-0 before falling to Essex in the state playoffs.
Virginia: Alex Birchmeier
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High school: Broad Run High School (Ashburn, Virginia)
Position: Offensive line
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 6-5
Weight: 285
College: Penn State
Bottom line: Penn State will need some elite offensive linemen to protect quarterback Drew Allar when he eventually becomes the Nittany Lions' starter. It's a safe bet Broad Run High's Alex Birchmeier will be one of the guards leading the way up front.
Birchmeier is the No. 1 interior offensive line prospect for the Class of 2023 and the two-time defending Class 4A heavyweight state champion in wrestling. His father, Matt, played offensive line at Ohio State.
Washington: Isendre Ahfua
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High school: O'Dea High School (Seattle, Washington)
Position: Offensive line
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-5
Weight: 330
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: O'Dea High's Isendre Ahfua is already one of the most highly recruited players in Washington history. That's with two seasons of high school football still remaining.
The No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2024 could probably start for a lot of Power Five teams right now and is one of two five-star recruits at O'Dea alongside running back Jason Brown.
West Virginia: Jerrae Hawkins
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High school: Wheeling Park High School (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Position: Wide receiver
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Wheeling Park wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins has established himself as not just the fastest prospect in West Virginia from the Class of 2024. He is one of the fastest in the entire country.
Hawkins only played six games as a sophomore but averaged almost 100 receiving yards per game in that stretch. He finished the season with 30 receptions for 578 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He followed that up by sweeping the 100-meter and 200-meter state championships in May 2022, then ran a 4.25-second 40-yard dash during a football camp at Ohio State.
Wisconsin: Donovan Harbour
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High school: Catholic Memorial High School (Waukesha, Wisconsin)
Position: Offensive line
Graduation year: 2024
Height: 6-5
Weight: 310
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Not too many prep offensive linemen will be under the microscope of the top college football head coaches more than Catholic Memorial's Donovan Harbour will be during his junior year in 2022.
That's because Harbour, 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, has already given glimpses of what kind of a college player he might be. He's an elite shot putter on the high school level and is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Wisconsin from the Class of 2024.
Wyoming: Colson Coon
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High school: Sheridan High School (Sheridan, Wyoming)
Position: Running back
Graduation year: 2023
Height: 5-10
Weight: 180
College: Uncommitted
Bottom line: Colson Coon swept the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year and Wyoming MaxPreps Player of the Year awards as a junior, helping lead powerhouse Sheridan High to the Class 4A state championship. He was also named Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year.
Coon rushed for 1,688 yards and 22 touchdowns and had 18 receptions for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns. As a linebacker, he added 69 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions.
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