MaxPreps 2014-15 National Male Athlete of the Year nominations

Video: MaxPreps National Basketball Player of the Year Ben Simmons
See one of the Male Athlete of the Year contenders in action

The best of the best. The cream of the crop. The cherries on top.

Here are the 2014-15 MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year nominations and a ballot box to vote at the bottom. Those votes will count 25 percent along with picks from the MaxPreps senior writing and editing staff.

Look for the winner to be announced next week.




Devin Duvernay
School: Sachse (Texas)
Sports: Football, track
Size: 5-11, 180
Year: Junior
Achievement: The wide receiver caught 54 passes for 895 yards and eight touchdowns in just eight games. He's ranked the No. 2 wide receiver in the country for his class by 247Sports. ... In track, he ran the second-fastest 100-meter time in the country this year at 10.27 seconds to win the Texas 6A state title.

Kiante Ellis
School: Winchester (Ind.)
Sports: Football, basketball
Size: 6-2, 195
Year: Junior
Achievements: In football, he rushed 299 times for 3,189 yards, which ranked fourth nationally, along with 49 touchdowns for the 10-2 Golden Falcons. He's ranked the No. 54 recruit in the country by 247Sports and he's already committed to Michigan. ... He averaged a team-best 23.2 points per game for Winchester's basketball team.

Hunter Lile
School: Booker (Texas)
Sports: Football, basketball and baseball
Size: 5-10, 175
Year: Senior
Achievements: In football, Lile threw for 3,676 yards and 39 touchdowns in 11 games and finished with 14,408 career passing yards and 162 scores. He also rushed for 760 yards and 12 TDs and finished with 2,335 career rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. His team went 10-1 in 2014. ... In basketball, he averaged 19.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. ... In baseball, he hit .600 with 60 hits — 21 for extra bases — with 41 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. On the mound he was 1-0 with a 1.24 ERA with five saves. ... He is among the state career leaders in a number of football and baseball categories.

Kyler Murray
School: Allen (Texas)
Sports: Football and baseball
Size: 5-11, 180
Year: Senior
Achievements: The MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year threw for 4,715 yards and 54 touchdowns with just seven interceptions, rushed for 1,498 yards and 24 more scores, leading Allen to a 16-0 record and state 6A and mythical MaxPreps national championship. ... In baseball, he hit .286 with 18 hits, 18 runs and four RBIs. He played shortstop and outfield.

Michael Norman
School: Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.)
Sport: Track and field
Size: 6-2, 180
Year: Junior
Achievement: He tied the national record by winning the California state 400-meter title in 45.19 seconds. He also won the 200 in a national-best time of 20.30 seconds, No. 5 all-time on the national list, and led Vista Murrieta to the state championship, running tremendous legs on both relays that reached the state finals.

Austin Riley
School: DeSoto Central (Southaven, Miss.)
Sports: Football and baseball
Size: 6-3, 240
Year: Senior
Achievements: The former quarterback stuck to punting and kicking in 2014 and averaged 42.4 yards per punt and kicked three field goals and 27 extra points. .. The third baseman hit .423 in 37 games with 11 home runs, 14 doubles and 31 RBIs. Also a stout pitcher, he was 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 59 innings. He led his team to a state title and then was selected 41st overall in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves.



Ben Simmons
School: Montverde Academy (Fla.)
Sport: Basketball
Size: 6-8, 220
Year: Senior
Achievements: The MaxPreps National Player of the Year averaged 27.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists, leading the Eagles to a 31-1 record and No. 1 finish in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Boys Basketball Rankings. Simmons, a two-time first-team All-American, is headed to LSU.