MaxPreps 2011 U.S. Air Force Freshman All-American Football Teams

In past years, the National Freshman of the Year has hailed from Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey, a decent cross-section of the high school football world.

This year, the nation’s top freshman hails from Salt Lake City.

Austin Kafentzis, the quarterback who led Jordan to the Class 5A title game as a ninth-grader, is the 2011 U.S. Air Force National Freshman of the Year.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound signal-caller had one of the most productive seasons ever for a freshman. He completed 212 of 366 passes for 3,188 yards and 23 scores while rushing 210 times for 1,377 yards and 22 touchdowns.



Surpassing 4,500 yards playing against some of Utah’s top programs is difficult for any quarterback to do, never mind a newly minted 15 year old in his first varsity season.

Kafentzis edged First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) quarterback De’Andre Johnson, Red Lion Christian (Bear, Del.) quarterback David Sills and Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.) quarterback Jayru Campbell. He leads a promising group of future stars on the U.S. Air Force Freshman All-American Team.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Darquavious Mangham, WR, 6-3, 180, Griffin (Ga.)
Mangham is already a highly coveted recruit. He earned all-region honors in 2011.

C.J. Sanders, WR, 5-9, 170, Brentwood Academy (Tenn.)
Also a running back, Sanders is just as capable lining up at wide receiver, where he averaged more than 16 yards per catch.

Christian Kirk, WR, 5-9, 160, Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Kirk was a freshman sensation for Saguaro. He caught 34 passes for 589 yards and nine touchdowns and already has a scholarship offer from UCLA.

Arden Key, TE, 6-4, 185, Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.)
Key catches the ball well but also made his mark blocking in Southwest Dekalb’s rushing attack. He’s already receiving interest from the SEC.

Steven Clark, OL, 6-5, 285, Alliance (Ohio)
Clark looks like the top freshman offensive lineman in Ohio.



Zach Rogers, OL, 6-4, 265, Hebron (Carrollton, Texas)
Rogers earned all-league honorable mention honors for his work up front for Hebron.

Zach Hickman, OL, 6-3, 255, Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Hickman was a key piece to Tesoro’s offensive line from Week 1 through the team’s shocking upset of Servite.

Reno Rosene, OL, 6-5, 300, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Rosene was a contributor on the offensive line for a very good Oaks Christian team. With his size, he looks to have the makings of a top recruit.

Lester Cotton, OL, 6-4, 270, East St. Louis (Ill.)
East St. Louis is no stranger to talent, and Cotton looks like the school’s next top recruit in the trenches.

Austin Kafentzis, QB, 6-1, 170, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)
The National Freshman of the Year led Class 5A Jordan to a berth in the state final, accumulating more than 4,500 yards in the process.

DeAndre Johnson, QB, 6-0, 165, First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Johnson excelled against a brutal schedule, throwing for 2,706 yards and 24 scores.



Rodney Anderson, RB, 5-10, 170, Katy (Texas)
For a team that rarely plays freshmen, Anderson left his mark, rushing 141 times for 1,098 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Andre Robinson, RB, 5-10, 190, Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Already drawing comparisons to great Bishop McDevitt running backs from the past, Robinson had a solid freshman campaign, rushing for 685 yards on 88 attempts and scoring 14 times.

Jordan Scarlett, RB, 5-11, 190, University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
On a talent-laden squad, Scarlett still managed to stand out, carrying the ball 56 times for a whopping 568 yards (10.1 yards per carry). He found the end zone 14 times.

Jayru Campbell, QB, 6-3, 180, Cass Tech (Detroit)
Campbell led Cass Tech to a state title, punctuated by a five-touchdown performance in the finals against Catholic Central.

Tayler Middlebrooks, K, 5-10, 145, Parkview (Springfield, Mo.)
An all-district pick by the News-Leader, Middlebrooks nailed eight field goals and 19 PATs.
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FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

CeCe Jefferson, DL, 6-4, 260, Baker County (Glen St. Mary, Fla.)
Jefferson wreaked havoc, accounting for 10 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a first team All-First Coast selection by Jacksonville.com.



Anthony Shepard, DL, 6-2, 170, Washington Union (Fresno, Calif.)
The younger brother of Notre Dame recruit Tee Shepard, Anthony made 68 tackles and 4.5 sacks for a CIF Bowl-winning squad.

Breiden Fehoko, DL, 6-2, 230, Farrington (Honolulu)
The most highly touted of the Fehoko brothers, Breiden was the only freshman to crack the roster for Farrington.

Lee Autry, DL, 6-2, 265, Albemarle (N.C.)
Autry had a serious nose for the football, recording 130 tackles for a very good Albemarle team.

George Campbell, LB, 6-2, 180, East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Campbell, whose true position may be in the secondary, made a whopping 81 tackles and forced two fumbles.

Colby Turner, LB, 6-0, 180, Hutchinson (Kan.)
An impact player for 5A state champion Hutchinson, Turner recorded 73 tackles and an interception for the Salt Hawks.

Lopeti Aisea, LB, 5-11, 265, Lincoln (Portland, Ore.)
Also a defensive lineman, Aisea is a force up the middle for Lincoln.



Kani Kane, LB, 5-11, 210, Sussex Tech (Georgetown, Del.)
Also a starter at running back, Kane was one of the more impressive freshmen in Delaware.

Ryan Lee, LB, 6-1, 210, South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
Starting for one of the nation’s top programs, Lee managed to crack the varsity rotation at inside linebacker.

Jordan Whitehead, DB, 5-10, 155, Central Valley (Monaca, Pa.)
A teammate of junior standout Robert Foster, Whitehead was dominant at times, recording 80 tackles, forcing four fumbles and making three interceptions.

Dominique Roseboro, DB, 5-11, 175, Crest (Shelby, N.C.)
An all-Observer pick, Roseboro intercepted nine passes.

Tyree Kinnel, DB, 5-11, 170, Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)
Hailing from the same program as Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, Kinnel enters his sophomore season with lofty expectations after finishing with 31 tackles and two interceptions.

Cameron Harris, DB, 6-2, 165, Northern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.)
Harris intercepted four passes and made 32 tackles from the free safety position.



Cinjun Erskine, P, 6-2, 205, Barnegat (N.J.)
Playing for Holy Spirit, Erskine was the starting punter for the Non-Public Group II state champion. He transferred to Barnegat in the offseason.
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SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Trent Irwin, WR, 6-0, 170, Hart (Newhall, Calif.)
In his varsity debut, Irwin caught two touchdown passes, jumpstarting what proved to be a fine freshman season.

Reggie Pruitt, WR, 6-2, 180, North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
A dynamic wide receiver with good leaping ability, Pruitt was one of the Peach State’s most impressive freshmen, recording more than 500 receiving yards despite missing time due to injury.

Najee Clayton, WR, 6-3, 187, Paramus Catholic (N.J.)
Clayton is a key part of a Paramus Catholic youth movement that paid off in 2011 with the team’s first playoff win since 2006.

Austin Cantrell, TE, 6-3, 220, Roland (Okla.)
The Times Record All-Area Oklahoma Newcomer of the Year, Cantrell was outstanding on both offense and defense. He made 16 catches for 395 yards and six touchdowns.

Sam Madden, OL, 6-5, 290, Holy Spirit (Absecon, N.J.)
Madden is a massive body that opens big holes in Holy Spirit’s ground game.

Christian Wilkins, OL, 6-3, 295, Suffield Academy (Conn.)
Wilkins was an all-area pick and should be on one the top linemen in New England next season.



Alex Paulina, OL, 6-3, 295, Canon-McMillan (Canonsburg, Pa.)
Paulina was the Almanac Football Rookie of the Year and has a bright future ahead of him.

Tyler Carr, OL, 6-5, 270, Southside (Gadsden, Ala.)
Carr, a two-way lineman, earned all-region honorable mention.

Dontrell Smalls, OL, 6-5, 295, West St. John (Edgard, La.)
Smalls possesses tremendous size and should be a key player for a West St. John program that made the 1A state finals.

Elijah Sindelar, QB, 6-4, 175, Caldwell County (Princeton, Ky.)
Highlighting Sindelar’s freshman year is a six-touchdown effort against Calloway County. Sindelar topped the 2,000-yard mark on the season.

David Sills, QB, 6-3, 180, Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear, Del.)
The early USC-commit threw for 2,340 yards and 28 touchdowns in his second varsity season.

Nicholas Brossette, RB, 6-2, 220, University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)
Brossette was the leading rusher on a team that started the season 12-0.



Natereace Strong, RB, 6-2, 185, East St. Louis (Ill.)
Strong is a track star whose skills transfer nicely to the football field, where he was an all-area pick by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Jordan Gray, RB, 5-9, 160, Nazareth (Pa.)
Gray made as much of an impact as any freshman running back, carrying the ball 209 times for 1,380 yards and 19 scores.

Kevin Newman, ATH, 5-10, 185, Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Listed as a wide receiver, Newman made a splash at running back, rushing 96 times for 485 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns.

Jonathan Song, K, 5-10, 160, All Saints (Fort Worth, Texas)
Song booted eight field goals, with a long of 45 yards. He was a touchback machine on kickoffs.
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SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Byron Cowart, DL, 6-3, 220, Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
At Armwood, talent seems to grow on trees. Coward looks like an impact player on defense for years to come.

Canton Kaumatule, DL, 6-7, 245, Punahou (Honolulu)
From one of the state’s premier programs, Kaumatule has the size and pedigree to emerge as a blue-chip recruit.

Joseph Legg, DL, 6-4, 290, Jack Britt (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Legg had the size and talent to play for Britt from week one, but instead was called up to provide a major midseason boost to the team’s interior defensive line.



Jordan Thompson, DL, 6-2, 230, La Salle (Cincinnati)
Thompson accomplished an extremely rare feat: he started as a freshman for a Cincinnati Greater Catholic League team and more than held his own.

Dionte Fleming, LB, 6-0, 225, Poly Prep Country Day (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Fleming started at linebacker for Poly Prep and already has unusual size for a freshman.

Frank Buncom Iv, LB, 6-1, 180, St. Augustine (San Diego)
One of the top freshmen in Southern California, Buncom had a breakout season, compiling 41 tackles for a 9-2 St. Augustine squad.

Jimmy Martin, LB, 6-0, 200, Orangewood Christian (Maitland, Fla.)
A small-school star who excelled at both linebacker and running back, Martin has a bright future.

Jason Lewis, LB, 6-2, 200, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Lewis has safety speed in a linebacker build. He also lined up at wide receiver for Ocean Lakes.

Robert Branch, LB, 6-1, 185, Gilman (Baltimore)
Branch played in the secondary for Gilman but with his size, may grow into a linebacker.



Jamez Brickhouse, DB, 5-8, 160, Bayside (Virginia Beach, Va.)
A highly touted youth league player, Brickhouse cracked Bayside’s starting lineup and earned all-area honorable mention.

John Reid, DB, 5-9, 170, St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)
Reid was a two-way star for one of Philadelphia’s top programs, displaying speed and elusiveness.

Kerryon Johnson, DB, 6-0, 170, Madison Academy (Ala.)
Johnson can play a number of positions and has already earned a reputation as one of the area’s most versatile athletes.

Iman Marshall, DB, 6-0, 175, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
A youth league standout, Marshall is already well-known around the Moore League and could make a big impact as a sophomore.

Christian VonRuden, P, 5-9, 145, Bethlehem Academy (Faribault, Minn.)
VonRuden was the only ninth-grade punter to average more than 40 yards per punt in 2011.

HONORABLE MENTION
Tucker Beirne, QB, Columbus (Fla.) (Played at Aspen (Colo.) this season)
Shameik Blackshear, ATH, Bluffton (S.C.)
Dan Bongiorno, OL, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.)
Tanner Borchardt, DL, Gothenburg (Neb.)
Jk Britt, RB, Newnan (Ga.)
Donald Brooks, ATH, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
Kawon Bryant, RB, North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.)
Terrell Buchannan, RB, Union (Tulsa, Okla.)
D.j. Campbell, DL, Fulton (Knoxville, Tenn.)
LaSammy Davis, WR, Bamberg-Ehrhardt (Bamberg, S.C.)
Malik Dear, RB, Murrah (Jackson, Miss.)
Jeremiah Dinson, DB, Norland (Miami)
Kimane Domena, DB, Roosevelt (Portland, Ore.)
Jaden Franklin, RB, Kent Denver (Englewood, Colo.)
JohnAnthony Fulgham, RB, Southwestern (Detroit)
Nick Gibson, RB, Pinson Valley (Pinson, Ala.)
Brandon Gilder, DB, Carteret (N.J.)
Eric Glover, RB, McKinley (Canton, Ohio)
Dupree Hart, WR, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Thomas Hatten, OL, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)
Dominic Hill, DL, Boswell (Fort Worth, Texas)
Darick Holmes, WR, Muir (Pasadena, Calif.)
Christian Hutzler, QB, Plano (Texas)
Tim Irwin, WR, Westminster Christian (Miami)
Tucker Israel, QB, Lake Nona (Orlando, Fla.)
Anfernee Jennings, DL, Dadeville (Ala.)
Harrison Johnson, DB, Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio)
Harry Lewis, DL, Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
Tarik Littlejohn, WR, Capital (Boise, Idaho)
Bryce Love, RB, Wake Forest-Rolesville (Wake Forest, N.C.)
Brad Mayes, QB, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.)
Chico McClatcher, ATH, Federal Way (Wash.)
DeShawn McCleese, RB, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
Rico McGraw, WR, Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.)
Aaron McKinney, DB, Douglass (Oklahoma City)
Lotravious Mintor, RB, Schley County (Ellaville, Ga.)
Mickey Mitchell, QB, Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Eder More, DB, Dalton (Ga.)
Tevita Musika, DL, Milpitas (Calif.)
Riley Nicholson, Harmony (Fla.)
Zach Okun, OL, Newbury Park (Calif.)
Javon Patterson, OL, Petal (Miss.)
Darren Paulo, OL, Grant (Sacramento, Calif.)
Daveon Perry, ATH, South Rowan (China Grove, N.C.)
Kyle Phipps, RB, Linden (N.J.)
Benning Potoa'e, DE, Lakes (Lakewood, Wash.)
Larry Pryor, DB, Sulphur Springs (Texas)
Larry Scott, RB, Hubbard (Ohio)
Al Smith, DB, Dunbar (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Will Sorenson, OL, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Kwon Stallworth, OL, King (Lithonia, Ga.)
Jeremiah Theus, TE, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Aaron Williams, DB, Carver (Atlanta)