MaxPreps 2013 High School Football Kickoff Guide

2013 MaxPreps High School Football Kickoff Guide

Team Rankings
Preseason Xcellent 25
Computer Ratings

Player Ratings
2014 Top 247
2015 Top 247
2016 Top 50 watch list
2017 Top 50 watch list

2012 Review
2012 MaxPreps All-Americans
Junior All-Americans
Sophomore All-Americans
Freshman All-Americans
Final Xcellent 25
{PAGEBREAK}
National Player of the Year Candidates

Favorite: Deshaun Watson, QB, Gainesville (Ga.)
With 9,363 passing yards, Watson is already Georgia's career leader. The Clemson commit took home National Junior of the Year honors after leading Gainesville to a state title and generating more than 5,000 yards from scrimmage.

Contender: Jabrill Peppers, ATH, Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.)
Peppers won Freshman and Sophomore of the Year honors, and was no slouch as a junior, leading Paramus Catholic to a state title in a come-from-behind victory over Bergen Catholic.



Contender: Will Grier, QB, Davidson Day (N.C.)
As a senior, there's no telling what kind of eye-popping statistics that Grier, committed to Florida, will post. He will likely lead the nation in passing this fall.

Contender: Jalen Hurd, RB, Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.)
Hurd was simply dominant as a junior, rushing for 3,357 yards and 43 touchdowns. If he approaches those numbers again and Beech has a successful season, he'll have a strong argument for Player of the Year honors.

Contender: Austin Kafentzis, QB, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)
The reigning MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year is on pace to challenge for the all-time total yardage mark. He should be even better as a junior.

Sleepers:
Lorenzo Carter, DE, Norcross (Ga.)
Leonard Fournette, RB, St. Augustine (New Orleans)
Devante Noil, ATH, Karr (New Orleans)
Drake Harris, WR, Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Elijah Hood, RB, Charlotte Catholic (N.C.)

10 Juniors to Watch
Austin Kafentzis, QB, Jordan
As mentioned above, Kafentzis has been superb in his two seasons at Jordan. Also a talented javelin thrower, Kafentzis ended his recruitment early when he committed to Wisconsin this summer.

Canton Kaumatule, DL, Punahou (Honolulu)
The nation's No. 1 junior according to 247Sports, Kaumatule is the next blue-chip Hawaiian recruit. He will have Punahou, the alma mater of Barack Obama and Manti Te'o, back in the title hunt.

Damien Harris, RB, Madison Southern (Berea, Ky.)
A Michigan commit, Harris found the end zone a whopping 37 times as a sophomore and is one of the top running backs in his class.



Josh Rosen, QB, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
St. John Bosco head coach Jason Negro will entrust Rosen with the keys to the team's offense again. St. John Bosco just happens to be loaded on defense. If the offense clicks, it could spell a national title for Rosen and the Braves.

Kyler Murray, QB, Allen (Texas)
One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in his class, Murray will attempt to lead Allen to its second consecutive Class 5A-I title.

Iman Marshall, DB, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Marshall is the next in a long line of blue-chip recruits at Long Beach Poly. He'll roam the secondary alongside talented 2014 recruit John "JuJu" Smith.

Mekhi Brown, LB/DL, Carver (Columbus, Ga.)
The Sophomore All-American and all-state honorable mention pick was one of Alabama's first commits in the Class of 2015.

Kahlil McKenzie, DL, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
One of the offseason's more high-profile transfers, McKenzie will be thrust into the spotlight as a junior, playing for the nation's No. 1-ranked team.

Mitch Hyatt, OL, North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Hyatt rose to prominence last season with an impressive performance against No. 1 recruit Robert Nkemdiche. He's the No. 1 recruit in the 247 Composite Rankings.



Da'vante Phillips, WR, Central (Miami)
Phillips is an extremely exciting receiver and a key cog in Central's offense. He'll be counted on as the Rockets make a push for a state and national title.
{PAGEBREAK}
10 Sophomores to Watch

Nicholas Bosa, DL, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
As a freshman, Bosa surprised many when he not only made the Aquinas roster--but was a valuable contributor. He compares favorably to older brother Joey, now at Ohio State, who was a Top 100 recruit last year.

Ben Cleveland, OL, Stephens County (Toccoa, Ga.)
Cleveland has the makings of one of the top recruits in the Class of 2016 regardless of position. He's big (6-7, 320) and athletic and already holds several scholarship offers.

Shane Simmons, DL, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
There's plenty of talent on the Stags roster this fall, but perhaps no player has a greater ceiling than Simmons, a sophomore defensive end drawing lofty comparisons.

Xavier Gaines, QB, Frostproof (Fla.)
Gaines has good size and a rocket arm, and gained valuable experience under center as a freshman.

Devin White, ATH, North Webster (Springhill, La.)
At 6-3, White was a force at both linebacker and running back as a freshman and could be the state's top recruit in the Class of 2016.

Rashan Gary, DL, Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Scotch Plains, N.J.)
A well-known Pop Warner standout, Gary thrived on the varsity team as a freshman and has attracted the attention of Alabama, Ohio State and Florida.



Erik Swenson, OL, Downers Grove South (Ill.)
Blue-chip offensive linemen are rare and extremely valuable. Swenson fits the bill and will have his pick of colleges.

Sonny Abramson, QB, Pope John XXIII (Sparta, N.J.)
The most productive freshman quarterback in the country last year, Abramson will likely shatter the state's all-time career yardage mark barring injury.

Rashaun Smith, DL, Calvert Hall (Baltimore)
After a fine freshman season, Smith should continue to blossom into one of the country's top defensive linemen.

Nate Craig, WR, Pasco (Dade City, Fla.)
Craig is already one of the top playmakers in the Tampa Bay area. He hauled in seven touchdowns as a freshman.

10 Freshmen to Watch
Dylan Moses, RB/LB, University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)
The ESPN The Magazine coverboy should make an instant impact as a freshman.

Nathan Tilford, WR, Upland (Calif.)
Tilford is a promising athlete who already holds an offer from USC.



Drew Singleton, DB, Paramus Catholic (N.J.)
The younger brother Nebraska linebacker D.J. Singleton, Drew is already making a case to crack the two-deep depth chart for Paramus Catholic's varsity squad.

London Lewis, OL/DL, St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta)
Lewis already has the attention of several colleges and could be the next big recruit from the Atlanta Catholic school.

Bentlee Sanders, DB, Tampa Catholic (Fla.)
Sanders enjoyed an impressive spring and could be a future star for Tampa Catholic.

Trey Blount, WR, Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Following a storied youth career, Blount enters high school with a varsity-ready build.

Darnay Holmes, WR, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
The younger brother of Oaks Christian standout DeSean, Darnay is expected to be just as good -- if not better -- than his sibling.

Jordan Merrell, RB, University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Head coach Roger Harriott's squad has attracted some of the top talent in the Dade-Broward area in recent years. Merrell continues the trend.



Dante Sparaco, QB/LB, Glenwood Springs (Colo.)
Sparaco impressed during his time on Team USA and already has tremendous size at 6-3, 200.
{PAGEBREAK}
Top 10 Current Winning Streaks (11-man only)

1. Clairton (Pa.) - 63 games
2. Webb City (Mo.) - 45 games
T- 3. Regina (Iowa City, Iowa) - 42
T- 3. Ithaca (Mich.) - 42
5. Bellevue (Wash.) - 40
6. Greenwood (Ark.) - 38
7. Madison (N.J.) - 37
8. Duchesne (Utah) - 34
T- 10. Bowling Green (Ky.) - 30
T- 10. Edgewood Academy (Elmore, Ala.) - 30
T- 10. Ouachita Christian (Monroe, La.) - 30

10 Storylines to watch this fall
Fracassa's Last Hurrah
Al Fracassa, the nation's sixth-winningest coach all-time, has announced that 2013 is his final season. The 416-game winner could go out on top with another state championship, as Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) projects to be one of the state's top teams.

Miami Magic
It's a special time to be a high school football fan in Miami, as the city boasts two of the country's Top 10 teams. When Central (Miami) and Washington (Miami,) collide, it could be the biggest game of the season.

Who's No. 1?
West Monroe (La.) offensive lineman Cameron Robinson enters the fall as the No. 1 recruit in the country according to 247Sports. However, in the 247 Composite, Leonard Fournette and Jabrill Peppers check in at No. 1 and No. 2. Will there be a consensus top recruit by season's end?

Will Grier Watch
As a junior, Grier threw for more than 800 yards in a single game, finishing with more than 5,700 yards on the season. How many passing records will Grier shatter as a senior?

The Manchild Enters High School
Perhaps no position player entered high school with more acclaim than Dylan Moses, who is already a national name. He's poised to contribute right away as a freshman, but how will he handle all the attention?



Sawing the Record Books
In three seasons, Justin Sawmiller of Kenton (Ohio) already has a whopping 287 career receptions. He's nearly a lock to break the all-time receptions mark and could challenge the career yardage mark, which belongs to Dorial Green-Beckham.

Replacing a Legend
Bob Ladcouceur, among the sport's best coaches at any level, stepped down in the offseason as head coach of De La Salle (Concord, Calif.). His successor, Justin Alumbaugh, has been groomed to replace Ladoueceur but has incredibly large shoes to fill.

Brett Favre: Year Two
With Brett Favre on staff, Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) finished 7-4, losing to Natchez 41-40 to close out its season. How will Favre and Oak Grove do in 2013?

Eastern Christian's Introduction
After its season was cut short last year, Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, Md.), led by USC commit David Sills, should have a full schedule of games. How will the talented but inexperienced squad hold up?

Protecting the Players
Protecting the health and safety of high school football players is a major issue. Spearheaded by USA Football, the Heads Up program has made great strides bringing a safer game to the youth level. In 2013, it will begin to enter the high school market.