Derrick Henry still leads MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year Watch

The gap between Derrick Henry and the rest of the MaxPreps Player of the Year candidates just got wider.

With his 485-yard effort last week, Henry eclipsed Ken Hall for the all-time career rushing record, breaking the mark with a 50-yard run. The record adds to an ever-impressive resume that will be hard for the other members of the list to pass.

Consider that Henry leads the nation in rushing and touchdowns, he holds the national career rushing record and he also holds the single-game state record in Florida. By the time he's done, Henry could also own the Florida career rushing record (currently held by Kelvin Taylor), the Florida single-season mark (4,087 yards by Travis Henry, no relation) and possibly the national single season rushing record.

MaxPreps National Player of the Year Watch



Favorite

Derrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.)

Henry emphatically passed Ken Hall for the national career rushing record, running for 485 yards on a career high 57 carries in Yulee's 41-26 win over Taylor County. Henry has gone over 400 yards rushing four times this season and is averaging 341 yards per game. He has 3,755 yards rushing on 376 carries with 50 touchdowns. The single-season record of 4,756 yards, held by John Giannantonio of Netcong (N.J.) is now within reach of Henry if Yulee can play at least three more playoff games. Henry is 1,001 yards short of the mark and would need to average 334 yards to break Giannantonio's record. With 11,616 career yards, Henry is 256 yards behind Florida career rushing leader Kelvin Taylor, whose 11,872 yards include yardage gained as an eighth grader. Yards gained in eighth grade count toward a Florida state record but not the national record.




Top Contenders

Max Browne, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)

Browne helped Skyline rout Roosevelt 54-21 by completing 17 of 25 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns. Browne went over 12,000 career yards (12,182) during the contest and he upped his season totals to 227 completions in 317 attempts for 3,754 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Thomas Tyner, Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.)

Tyner finished his senior season with an Oregon state record for rushing yards in a single season. In a 59-46 loss to West Salem, Tyner gained 161 yards and scored four touchdowns. His output gave him 3,402 yards for the season, surpassing the record of Cory McCaffrey of Sisters, who held the record of 3,335 yards. Tyner also scored four touchdowns, giving him 42 for the season.

Kelvin Taylor, Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.)

Taylor added to his Florida state record by rushing for 213 yards on 16 carries in a 39-14 win over Champagnat in the first round of the playoffs. Taylor has 2,214 yards rushing on the season with 40 touchdowns. He also has 11,872 yards in his career.





Keep an Eye On

Connor Mitch, Wakefield (Raleigh, N.C.)

Mitch completed the season with 306 completions in 497 attempts for 4,701 yards and 63 touchdowns. He had a single-game high of 667 yards and nine touchdowns this year.

Austin Kafentzis, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)

Kafentzis closed an outstanding sophomore campaign with a Class 5A state championship. He led Jordan to a 58-2 win over Syracuse in the championship game, completing 11 of 15 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. For the season, Kafentzis completed 200 of 313 passes for 3,018 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,884 yards on 237 carries with 26 touchdowns. In his first two varsity seasons, Kafentzis has thrown for 6,206 yards and he has run for 3,261 yards.

Shuler Bentley, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)



Bentley closed in on the state record of 64 touchdowns in a season by throwing four in a 54-13 win over Spartanburg. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 259 yards and one interception. For the season, Bentley has completed 282 of 429 passes for 4,536 yards and 58 touchdowns.

Cord Sandberg, Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)

Sandberg was perfect in a 65-12 win over Northeast as he completed all 11 of the passes he attempted for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Sandberg has completed 140 of 191 passes for a completion percentage of .733. He has thrown for 2,080 yards and 27 touchdowns with only one interception.

Jake Browning, Folsom (Calif.)

Browning got close to the state record for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season with his performance in a 49-13 win over Vacaville in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 376 yards and five scores. He has completed 323 passes in 488 attempts for 4,523 yards and 55 touchdowns. He is 658 yards away from the single-season record of 5,185 yards and he is 10 touchdowns away from the state mark of 65 touchdowns.


Moving up Fast

Cody Thomas, Heritage (Colleyville, Texas)

Thomas guided Heritage to a 50-24 win over Hebron in the Class 5A Division 2 Bi-District playoff game as he completed 32 of 43 passes for 416 yards and four touchdowns. For the season, Thomas has completed 240 of 367 passes for 3,823 yards and 42 touchdowns.



Will Grier, Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.)

Grier completed his junior year by leading Davidson Day to a 54-38 win over Christ School in the NCISAA state championship. He completed 24 of 33 passes for 491 yards and five touchdowns. He completed his junior year with 324 completions in 414 attempts for 5,785 yards and 69 touchdowns.

Mitch Trubisky, Mentor (Ohio)

Trubisky followed his impressive 63-56 win over St. Edward with an even more mind-boggling 57-56 triple overtime victory against St. Ignatius. Trubisky completed 25 of 40 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 35 times for 140 yards. For the season, Trubisky has completed 237 of 355 passes for 3,713 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has rushed 176 times for 797 yards and 12 scores.