MaxPreps 2016 Football Freshman All-American Team

By Kevin Askeland Jan 6, 2017, 10:00am

Aledo's Jase McClellan earns MaxPreps 2016 Freshman Football Player of the Year honors.

Video: Aledo's freshman RB goes Beastmode
Jase McClellan has been named the MaxPreps National Freshman Player of the Year.

Aledo (Texas) is no stranger to national player of the year awards. After all, Johnathan Gray won multiple honors during his record-breaking career with the Bearcats.

But Jase McClellan, this year's MaxPreps 2016 Freshman Football Player of the Year, did something that even Gray never did.

While Gray led Aledo to three state titles, he never did it as a freshman. Additionally, Gray did not rush for over 1,000 yards his freshman season. McClellan has the Bearcat legend beat on both counts. He helped Aledo to a 16-0 record and a Texas Class 5A-II state title and he also rushed for 1,527 yards on 201 carries with 20 touchdowns.

McClellan highlights MaxPreps Freshman All-American Team that features 60 of the top players from the class of 2020.



MaxPreps 2016 Football Freshman All-American Team

First Team Offense
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
QB – Jack Miller, Scottsdale Christian Academy (Phoenix), 6-3, 194
Miller set a national record for freshman by throwing for 3,653 yards and 53 touchdowns. He completed 198-of-337 passes and earned Class 2A All-State honors in Arizona.

QB – Harrison Bailey, Marietta (Ga.), 6-3, 195
Perhaps no member of the Class of 2020 has more offers than Bailey's 10, which include Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU. He completed 208-of-363 passes for 2,812 yards and 21 touchdowns, while earning Class AAAAAAA All-State honorable mention.

RB – Campbell Speights, McAllen Memorial (McAllen, Texas), 5-9, 175
Speights earned District 30-6A Offensive MVP honors after rushing for 1,494 yards on 179 carries with 22 touchdowns.

RB – Jase McClellan, Aledo (Texas), 5-10, 185
McClellan helped lead Aledo to a Class 5A state championship by rushing for 1,527 yards on 201 carries with 20 touchdowns. He also earned second team All-District 6-5A honors.

RB – Ron Hoff, Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.), 5-9, 170
Hoff rushed for 1,762 yards on 235 carries with 29 touchdowns in leading Dutch Fork to a 15-0 record and a Class 5A state championship.

WR – Porter Rooks, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.), 6-2, 180
The athletic receiver earned first team Division I All-State honors by the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. He's already received an offer from Louisville.



WR – Johnny Wilson, Calabasas (Calif.), 6-3, 182
Wilson was the third-leading receiver on a team that won the California Southern Section Division 5 championship. He grabbed 58 passes for 855 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns. Nebraska, Southern California and UCLA all have extended offers.

WR - Zay Britt, Munford (Ala.), 5-8, 170
An explosive playmaker, Britt earned All-Area honors by the Anniston Star.

TE – Caden Clark, Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio), 6-3, 231
Clark was a starter for the Division III state champions and was valuable as a blocker and pass catcher.

OL – Jake Wray, Franklin (Tenn.), 6-5, 280
The top lineman recruit in the class of 2020, Wray has offers from eight schools including Alabama, LSU and Georgia.

OL – Joshua Braun, Suwannee (Live Oak, Fla.), 6-7, 300
Coming from a strong football family (two older brothers both went on to play at Georgia Tech), Braun is forging his own path as one of the nation's top lineman in the class after a strong first season at Suwannee.

OL – Bryn Tucker, Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), 6-5, 290
Tucker helped Knoxville Catholic reach the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. Tennessee and LSU have both made offers.



OL – Kevin Pyne, Millis/Hopedale (Millis, Mass.), 6-8, 255
Three generations of Pynes have played professional football, the latest being Kevin's uncle Jim with several teams. The youngest Pyne could join them as he helped Millis-Hopedale to a 10-3 record and was one of the team's top players.

OL – Bryan Felter, Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), 6-2, 290
Bergen Catholic plays in one of the toughest leagues in the nation, but Bryan Felter was still able to crack the starting lineup and help the Crusaders to a 7-4 record.

AP – Robert Parker-Crawford, Maclay (Tallahassee, Fla.), 6-2, 165
Parker-Crawford earned All-Big Bend all-purpose first team honors thanks to a spectacular season that saw him catch 45 passes for 789 yards and 15 touchdowns, score two defensive touchdowns, return four kickoffs and one punt for a touchdown along with two rushing touchdowns.

K – Andrew Brown, West Davidson (Lexington, N.C.), 5-9, 140
Brown led all freshman placekickers in the nation with 12 field goals in 14 attempts, including a long of 42 yards.

First Team Defense
Sav'ell Smalls, Kennedy Catholic
Sav'ell Smalls, Kennedy Catholic
Photo by Vince Miller
DL – Dallas Walker, Smyrna (Tenn.), 6-3, 235
Walker finished the season with 42 tackles and a sack while helping Smyrna reach the playoffs. He's received an offer to Tennessee.

DL – Jordan Burch, Wilson (Florence, S.C.), 6-5, 230
Burch had a strong season for Wilson, posting 50 tackles along the defensive line.



DL – Jesus Machado, Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.), 6-0, 195
An All-Dade County selection as an eighth grader, Machado had 113 tackles and 20 sacks in leading Champagnat to the Class 2A state championship game. He has offers from at least five schools, including Alabama.

DL – McKinnley Jackson, George County (Lucedale, Miss.), 6-3, 250
Jackson earned All-Region first team honors after posting 60 tackles with 30 tackles for loss.

DL – Sav'ell Smalls, Kennedy Catholic (Burien, Wash.), 6-4, 215
Smalls earned All-North Puget Sound League Olympia Division second team honors while helping Kennedy Catholic reach the playoffs.

LB – Bryson Eason, Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.), 6-2, 220
Eason posted 41 tackles with one sack for a team that won the Tennessee Class 6A state championship.

LB – Tyler Grubbs, Holy Cross (New Orleans), 6-0, 220
Grubbs led Holy Cross, which plays in one of the toughest districts in Louisiana, with 83 tackles and a sack.

LB – Ra'kwuan Pinkston, South Oak Cliff (Dallas), 5-11, 185
Pinkston earned All-District honors while posting 44 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss.



LB – Devin Johnson, Johnson Central (Paintsville, Ky.), 6-0, 200
Johnson had 27 tackles for a Johnson Central team that went 14-1 and captured the Kentucky Class 4A championship.

DB – RJ Mickens, Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 5-10, 170
Mickens earned second team All-District honors while making three interceptions, 36 tackles and 13 defended passes. He's had offers from Arizona and Oklahoma State.

DB – Avantae Williams, DeLand (Fla.), 6-0, 185
Florida, Georgia, Miami and South Carolina have all made offers for this hard-hitting safety.

DB – Sofian Massoud, Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), 6-0, 170
Massoud earned second team All-New York City honors while intercepting five passes and making 49 tackles for Cardinal Hayes.

DB – Plae Wyatt, Boyd (McKinney, Texas), 6-2, 180
Wyatt was among the leading freshmen tacklers in Texas with 58 tackles. He earned All-District honors in District 6-6A.

P – Jeremy Glidewell, Harlem (Ga.)
Glidewell earned All-Region honors while averaging 37.3 yards per punt.



Second Team Offense
Brayden Thomas, Boswell
Brayden Thomas, Boswell
Photo by Howard Hurd III
QB – Brayden Thomas, Boswell (Fort Worth, Texas), 6-1, 170
Thomas made the All-District second team after throwing for 1,912 yards (156 of 292) and 23 touchdowns.

QB – Drew Pyne, New Canaan (Conn.), 6-1, 150
Eight schools have made offers to Pyne, including Florida and Penn State. He completed 166-of-259 passes for 2,347 yards and 26 touchdowns.

RB – Kaedric Cobbs, Melissa (Texas), 5-9, 194
Cobbs made the All-District team after running 125 times for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns for Melissa.

RB - Darrian Meads, Hokes Bluff (Ala.), 5-10, 185
Meads landed a spot on the Class 4A All-State team in Alabama while rushing for 1,839 yards and 18 touchdowns.

RB – Gaige Garcia, Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.), 5-9, 180
A Class 2A All-State pick, Garcia ran for 1,938 yards on 162 carries with 32 touchdowns.

WR – Brandt Goodwin, Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.), 5-9, 145
Goodwin caught 71 passes for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns while earning honorable mention All-State honors.



WR – Davon Graham II, Keller Central (Keller, Texas), 6-0, 170
The Offensive Newcomer of the Year in District 3-6A, Graham caught 38 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns.

WR – Kentrell Beck, Shelbyville (Ill.), 6-1, 190
Beck earned All-Area honors and was one of the leading freshman receivers in the nation with 929 yards on 46 carries with 13 total touchdowns.

TE - Leonard Manuel, Vanguard (Ocala, Fla.), 6-4, 205
A strong prospect on both sides of the ball, Manuel caught 16 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns. He has offers from Miami and Missouri.

OL – Dane Jackson, Madison Southern (Berea, Ky.), 5-11, 255
Jackson started for a Madison Southern team that went 8-4 in Class 5A.

OL – Altrique Barlow, Bishop Sullivan Catholic (Virginia Beach, Va.), 6-3, 290
Bishop Sullivan has many talented freshmen, including Barlow, who has an offer from Virginia Tech.

OL – Anton Harrison, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.), 6-5, 260
Although Archbishop Carroll was winless, Harrison was a bright spot at tackle. He has an offer from Kentucky.



OL – Cooper Mays, Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), 6-2, 245
Mays joined Bryn Tucker to give Knoxville Catholic two of the top freshmen lineman in the state of Tennessee.

OL – Justin Rogers, Oak Park (Mich.), 6-3, 265
Rogers already has an offer from Michigan.

AP – Don Chaney Jr., Belen Jesuit (Miami, Fla.), 5-11, 170
One of the top freshmen prospects in South Florida, Chaney ran for 577 yards while helping Belen Jesuit go undefeated in district play.

K – Brett Money, Alamogordo (N.M.), 5-5, 135
An All-State selection, Money made six field goals with a long of 38 and also connected on 53 extra points.

Second Team Defense
Luke Boyers, Boerne-Champion
Luke Boyers, Boerne-Champion
Photo by Lester Rosebrock
DL - Jordan Berry, Hawkins (Los Angeles), 6-3, 280
Berry had 26 tackles and five sacks for a talented Hawkins team.

DL – Myles Hinton, Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.), 6-5, 290
The son of former NFL all-pro Chris Hinton, Myles played defensive line for a team that reached the Class AAA championship game.



DL – Marcus Dumervil, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 6-5, 262
Played sparingly for the Class 7A state champions, but Dumervil ranks as one of the state's top prospects in the Class of 2020 and already has an offer from several schools, including Florida.

DL - Desmond Evans Lee County (Sanford, N.C.), 6-6, 200
Evans had over 30 tackles and seven sacks despite being 13-years old to start the season. Already has four offers, including North Carolina.

LB – Kevin Swint, Carrollton (Ga.), 6-3, 200
Swint posted 51 tackles and earned a spot on the Times-Georgian All-Area Team.

LB – Justin Houston, Serra (Gardena, Calif.), 6-2, 170
Houston was one of the leading tacklers for a Serra team that ranked among the best in Southern California, posting 81 on the season.

LB – Noah Sewell, Desert Hills (St. George, Utah), 6-1, 235
Sewell is one of the top freshman players in Utah as he had 17 tackles, an interception and a sack.

LB – JD Hernandez, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 6-0, 235
Hernandez helped Sierra Canyon win a California state championship and finish 16-0 as he had 102 tackles.



DB – Julian Fleming, Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.), 6-3, 175
Fleming earned Class 2A All-State honors while leading Southern Columbia Area to the state finals. He caught 36 passes for 956 yards and 13 touchdowns. Also had two interceptions on defense.

DB – Sheridan Jones, Bishop Sullivan Catholic (Virginia Beach, Va.), 6-1, 165
Jones had 20 tackles and defended two passes for Bishop Sullivan. He has five offers, including Florida and Virginia Tech.

DB - Brandon Jones, Hawkins (Los Angeles), 5-10, 165
Jones had 40 tackles and three interceptions for a team that was among the best in the Los Angeles City Section this year.

DB – Luke Boyers, Boerne-Champion (Boerne, Texas), 5-11, 170
Boyers was the district Newcomer of the Year after making 60 tackles and intercepting a pass.

DB – Jared Greenfield, Crenshaw (Los Angeles), 5-11, 170
Eared a starting spot for one of the top programs in the Los Angeles City Section.

P - Javon Forward, Auburn Riverside (Auburn, Wash.), 6-0, 185
A standout on offense and defense or Auburn, Forward was the national punting leader among freshman, according to the MaxPreps leaderboards, with 42.5 yards per punt.