Cadets get key returners, Hawaii transfer to build on 2017 WCAC title.
Video: Early Contenders presented by Shock DoctorWe set the tone for 2018 by looking at high school football's elite.
Head coach: Joe Casemento
Last season:
9-2, No. 14 national ranking, won the school's first conference title
since 1989 last season beating Gonzaga 30-7 in the WCAC championship.
Last decade: 64-45
Famous alumni/players: Kevin Plank, Under Armour founder; Stanley McChrystal, retired Army general; L.J. Hoes, Houston Astros baseball player; Hugh Everett III, American physicist.
Star power (According to 247Sports): 5-star recruits — 1; 4-star recruits — 5; 3-star recruits — 10
Running back Keilan Robinson
File photo by Alexei Agaryshev
— The 5-star talent is the No. 2 rated outside linebacker in the Class of 2020.
RB Keilan Robinson (5-9, 185, Sr.) — The 2019 Alabama commit is one of the best playmakers in football.
WR Rakim Jarrett (6-0, 180, Jr.) — Among the top wide receivers from the Class of 2020.
QB Sol-Jay Maiava (6-0.5, 185, Jr.) — Expect the Kahuku (Hawaii) transfer to have a big junior season.
CB Luke Hill
(5-11, 180, Jr.) — One of the top defensive backs in the Class of
2020 and is rated as the third-best juniors from Washington, D.C.
Linebacker Mekhail Sherman
File photo by Michael Smith
Aug. 31 — at No. 21 Hoover (Ala.)
Sept. 8 — vs. No. 13 Miami Central (Fla.)
Sept. 15 — vs. No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Sept. 22 — vs. No. 15 Marietta (Ga.)
Sept. 29 — at Christian Brothers (St. Louis)
October 26 — at DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Receiver Rakim Jarrett
File photo by Bob Powers
• St. John's has the talent, but the big question was who would replace
Kevin Doyle
under center and the answer came all the way from Hawaii.
Kahuku transfer Maiava takes over at QB and is one of the most talented players in the Class of 2020.
• Maiava will have a ton of weapons, including Robinson, Jarrett,
Quinten Johnson and
Brayden Bapst.
• The Sherman-led defense is loaded with the likes of
Tré Williams,
Tre'mon Morris-Brash,
Antwain Littleton and
Taizse Johnson among a formidable front seven. Hill and
Aman Greenwood help give the Cadets one of the top secondaries in the country.
• St. John's was two quarters away from finishing last season undefeated
and in the discussion for a Top 3 finish. The Cadets surrendered two fourth-quarter leads against De La Salle and St. John Bosco, but finished ranked in the Top 15 after winning seven in a row. They bring
back a lot of key pieces and look to keep the momentum going after
winning their first conference championship since 1989.
