MaxPreps 2014 Preseason Football All-American Team

Kyler Murray and Jake Browning took home top honors last year with Murray earning National Player of the Year honors from MaxPreps and Browning landing National Junior Player of the Year.

The two start the 2014 season as the two quarterbacks on the MaxPreps 2014 Preseason All-American Team. Murray is one of three players chosen from Texas while Browning leads a contingent of six California players. Two teams, Serra (Gardena, Calif.) and Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) each have two players on the team.


Offense

WR - Dupree Hart, 5-8, 160, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Hart has a shot at breaking A.J. Green's state record for career touchdowns. Hart has 48 (Green had 62) after catching 115 passes for 1,655 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior.

WR - Preston Williams, 6-5, 190, Lovejoy (Ga.), Tennessee
The Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as a junior, Williams caught 52 passes for 1,234 yards and 13 touchdowns.



WR - Damarkus Lodge, 6-2, 185, Cedar Hill (Texas), Texas A&M
Lodge helped Cedar Hill win a state championship and was named the title game's most valuable player. An all-area pick by the Dallas Morning News, Lodge caught 71 passes for 1,256 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior.

TE - Alize Jones, 6-5, 218, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), UCLA
The top-ranked tight end in the country by 247Sports for 2014, Jones was an all-state selection after catching 35 passes for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns.

OL - Jalin Barnett, 6-4, 315, Lawton (Okla.)
An all-state pick by the Tulsa World News, Barnett is the No. 1 guard prospect by 247Sports.

OL - Martez Ivey, 6-5, 270, Apopka (Fla.)
The Orlando Sentinel selected Ivey on its all-area team as a junior. He's the top-rated offensive tackle by 247Sports.

OL - Mitch Hyatt, 6-5, 265, North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), Clemson
The Clemson-bound tackle was picked to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Class 6A All-State Team as a junior.

OL - Tristen Hoge, 6-4, 290, Highland (Pocatello, Idaho), Notre Dame
Headed to Notre Dame, Hoge was a Class 5A all-state player by the Idaho Statesman.



OL - Javon Patterson, 6-2, 290, Petal (Miss.)
The Jackson Clarion Ledger selected Patterson to its all-state team in 2013.

QB - Jake Browning, 6-2, 185, Folsom (Calif.), Washington
Browning set a national record with 440 completions (in 579 attempts) last year. Headed to Washington, Browning threw for 5,737 yards and 75 touchdowns last year while earning the Gatorade State Player of the Year honor.

QB - Kyler Murray, 5-11, 175, Allen (Texas), Texas A&M
The 2013 MaxPreps Player of the Year, Murray led Allen to the Class 5A-I state championship while completing 207 of 325 passes for 3,669 yards and 46 touchdowns. He also rushed 151 times for 1,274 yards and 19 touchdowns.

RB - Nick Brossette, 6-0, 207, University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.), LSU
Already in his fifth year on the varsity team, Brossette has 133 career rushing touchdowns. He'll play at LSU next year.

RB - Calvin Strong, 5-9, 175, Omaha North (Neb.), Nebraska
Bound for Nebraska, Strong set a state record last year with 3,008 yards rushing on 355 carries with 43 touchdowns.

RB - Nyheim Hines, 5-9, 180, Garner Magnet (N.C.)
There are a number of great running backs in North Carolina this year and Hines could be the best. He ran for 3,137 yards on 299 carries last year. He had 60 total touchdowns, including 49 on the ground.



K - Sage Ledbetter, 6-0, 155, Auburn (Ala.), Junior
As a sophomore, Ledbetter tied a state record with five field goals in a game. He finished the year with 17 field goals, including a long of 46.

AP - Travis Waller, 6-3, 190, Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Oregon
Servite could be one of the top teams in California this year and the versatile Waller is one reason why. He threw for 1,669 yards last season and also rushed for 1,293 yards.
{PAGEBREAK}
Defense

DL - Rasheem Green, 6-4, 300, Serra (Gardena, Calif.)
Green led Serra with 14 sacks and had 26 tackles for loss last year while earning Mission League Lineman of the Year honors.

DL - Josh Sweat, 6-5, 235, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
Oscar Smith figures to be one of the top teams in the country in 2014 and Sweat is a big reason why. He had 94 tackles and 22 sacks as a junior.

DL - Byron Cowart, 6-4, 250, Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
Cowart has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation among defensive ends. He's coming off a season in which he earned all-Tampa Bay honors while registering 13 sacks.

DL - Trenton Thompson, 6-4, 292, Westover (Albany, Ga.)
A Class 4A all-state selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as a junior, Thompson enters the 2014 season as 247Sports' No. 1 overall recruit.

LB - Jeff Holland, 6-3, 232, Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Trinity Christian is a small school with big-time talent, led by Holland, who had 17.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a junior on a state championship team.



LB - Cameron Smith, 6-3, 240, Granite Bay (Calif.), Southern California
A member of Granite Bay's state championship team as a sophomore in 2012, Smith already has 322 career tackles, including 126 last year.

LB - Malik Jefferson, 6-3, 220, Poteet (Mesquite, Texas)
Jefferson earned a spot on the Dallas News All-Area Team with 93 tackles and 14 sacks.

LB - Leo Lewis, 6-3, 225, Brookhaven (Miss.), Alabama
The No. 1-ranked linebacker by 247Sports, Lewis made 100 tackles and five sacks last year.

LB - John Houston, 6-3, 215, Serra (Gardena, Calif.)
Another standout on defense for Serra, Houston was one of the leading tacklers for the Cavaliers with 137 on the season.

DB - Kevin Toliver, 6-2, 182, Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.), LSU
Another talented player for Trinity Christian, Toliver landed on the All-First Coast team by the Jacksonville Times-Union after making 36 tackles and two interceptions as a junior.

DB - Iman Marshall, 6-1, 190, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
The Jackrabbits have sent more players to the NFL than any other high school and Marshall could be the next. He was named the Long Beach Press Telegram's Defensive Player of the Year after making 64 tackles and not giving up a single reception during league play.



DB - Minkah Fitzpatrick, 6-1, 180, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.), Alabama
One of the top prospects in New Jersey, Fitzpatrick earned all-state honors after making 62 tackles and picking off four passes.

DB - Jamal Peters, 6-2, 185, Bassfield (Miss.)
Playing for one of the nation's top small-school programs, Peters earned all-state honors as a junior with 72 tackles and six sacks.

P - Austin Seibert, 5-10, 175, Belleville West (Ill.), Oklahoma
One of the nation's top placekickers, Seibert also excelled in punting with a 46.6-yard average and 16 balls placed inside the 20.