High school football: 18 former Sac-Joaquin Section players start 2023 season on active NFL rosters

There are 18 players who played high school football in the Sac-Joaquin Section on active NFL rosters to start the 2023 season. That's as many as 23 states across the country. 

The Northern California hot-bed features some of the leagues top players, including the 49ers' Arik Armstead of Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) and the Raiders' Kolton Miller of Roseville.

Two Folsom alumni not only played together as teammates for the Bulldogs, but are now on the same Cincinnati Bengals squad. Jonah Williams and Jake Browning went 16-0 in 2014 and brought home a state championship. Browning threw 91 touchdown passes that season. 

Below is a look at every player from the area and where they went to high school.  

Elijah Dotson — Los Angeles Chargers

Burbank (Sacramento, Calif.)
D.J. Johnson — Carolina Panthers

DaRon Bland — Dallas Cowboys
Johnny Mundt — Minnesota Vikings

Christian Brothers (Sacramento)
Ahkello Witherspoon — Los Angeles Rams

Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove)
Kahlef Hailassie — Cleveland Browns

Del Oro (Loomis)
Stone Smartt — Los Angles Chargers

Jonah Williams — Cincinnati Bengals

Jake Browning — Cincinnati Bengals
Josiah Deguara — Green Bay Packers

Grant (Sacramento)
Carl Granderson — New Orleans Saints
Shaq Thompson — Carolina Panthers



Lincoln (Stockton)

Brandin Cooks — Dallas Cowboys

Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
Ross Dwelley — San Francisco 49ers

Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)

Arik Armstead — San Francisco 49ers

Roseville
Jordan Kunaszyk — Cleveland Browns
Kolton Miller — Las Vegas Raiders

Sheldon (Sacramento)
Taron Johnson — Buffalo Bills