2017 MaxPreps Junior All-American Football Team

Video: 2017 MaxPreps Junior All-Americans
JT Daniels, Grant Gunnell and Trey Sanders lead the best juniors in high school football.

The junior class — the Class of 2019 — features some of the best talent in the nation. JT Daniels was named our 2017 National Football Player of the Year and, even with him reclassifying, he is part of our junior team. The future quarterback of the USC Trojans was named Freshman of the Year, Sophomore of the Year, Junior of the Year, and Player of the Year during his three-year high school career.

The three first-team quarterbacks combined to throw for 10,582 yards and 137 touchdowns. They also ran for another 2,800 combined yards and 40 more scores.

Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, a 5-star from Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), leads the way on defense along with 5-star linebacker Owen Pappoe of Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) and 4-star defensive back Chris Steele of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).
First Team Offense



QB — JT Daniels, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
The 2017 Football Player of the Year threw for more than 4,000 yards and 52 touchdowns leading Mater Dei to a 15-0 record and a spot at No. 1 in our final Top 25.

QB — Grant Tisdale, Allen (Texas)
One of the top rated dual-threat quarterbacks in the country had a big-time junior campaign leading Allen to a 6A D1 UIL Texas state championship. He threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000-plus more yards to go with 43 total touchdowns.

QB — Kaiden Bennett, Folsom (Calif.)
Bennett led Folsom to its first CIF state title since 2014 as he finished his junior season with 5,649 total yards and 73 total touchdowns.

RB — Quavaris Crouch, Harding University (Charlotte, N.C.)
Crouch was one of three juniors to be named to the All-American team. He was named the North Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year after rushing for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns.

RB — Trey Sanders, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The former Alabama commit averaged nearly 10 yards per carry for the No. 2 team in high school football and had monster games against some of the best competition during his junior year.

RB — Jerrion Ealy, Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
One of the top rated running backs from the Class of 2019, Ealy rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns this past season. He also had nearly 600 yards receiving and eight more scores.



WR — Darren Jones, Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.)
The 6-foot-8 wide receiver was one of the top playmakers in the nation this past year. He was second in the country with 2,094 yards receiving and he finished the year with 28 touchdowns and helped lead Cajon to the CIF Division 1-AA state championship game.

WR — Garrett Wilson, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
Wilson played a major part in leading Lake Travis back to the state title game again in 2017. He hauled in 90 receptions for 1,675 yards and 26 touchdowns.

WR — Joe Ngata, Folsom (Calif.)
Ngata and Bennett formed one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in the country this year. The 4-star wideout hauled in 81 receptions for 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns.

TE — Hudson Henry, Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.)
The younger brother of the San Diego Chargers' tight end Hunter Henry had another big season. He finished the year with 72 grabs for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. He played a vital part in winning Pulaski Academy winnings its fourth consecutive Class 5A state championship.

OL — Devontae Dobbs, Belleville (Mich.)
The nation's No. 1 rated offensive tackle from the Class of 2019 is one of the top players overall among all juniors.

OL — Kenyon Green, Atascocita (Humble, Texas)
The 5-star offensive tackle is the top rated player in all of Texas from the Class of 2019 and is a Top 10 recruit overall.

OL — Kardell Thomas, Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)
The 2019 LSU commit is one of the most talented offensive lineman in high school football. The 5-star lineman is the second rated offensive guard from the Class of 2019.

OL — EJ Ndoma-Ogar, Allen (Texas)
The 4-star offensive lineman was a vital piece for the Eagles winning their first state title since 2014.

OL — Clay Webb, Oxford (Ala.)
The 5-star offensive lineman is one of the most physical and talented players from the Class of 2019. He checks in as a Top 15 recruit overall and is the top-rated offensive guard.

AP — Jordan Whittington, Cuero (Texas)
There might not be a better playmaker in the open field than Cuero's 5-star wide receiver. He had nearly 2,000 yards of total offense to go with 21 touchdowns. He added nearly 50 tackles and three interceptions for a 10-1 Cuero team.

K — Ryan Fitzgerald, Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)
Colquitt County's star kicker was one of three juniors to make the All-American team. He was one of the top special teams players in the country in 2017.

First Team Defense

DL — Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
The nation's top rated recruit from the Class of 2019 had a monster junior season. He finished the year with 99 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 20 sacks while leading Oaks Christian to the CIF Division 1-AA regional finals.

DL — Faatui Tuitele, St. Louis (Honolulu)
The 5-star defensive tackle was the leader on one of the best defenses in high school football this past season. He played a vital role in leading St. Louis to its second consecutive Open Division state title.

DL — Ishmael Sopsher, Amite (La.)
The second-rated player overall from the Class of 2019 was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the nation in 2017.

DL — Nolan Smith, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The 2019 Georgia commit helped form one of the best defensive lines in the country this past season. Smith, along with 2017 All-American selections, Xavier Thomas and Taron Vincent, was near impossible to block in 2017.



LB — Henry To'oto'o, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
One of the most talented players from California did it all during his junior season. The 5-star linebacker was a playmaker all over the field on defense and he ran for nearly 500 yards on offense after De La Salle dealt with some injuries in the backfield.

LB — Owen Pappoe, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
The 5-star prospect from Georgia is the No. 1 rated linebacker from the Class of 2019, and is one of the top overall football players in the country regardless of class.

LB — Shane Lee, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
The Panthers had one of the country's top defenses and the top-rated inside linebacker from the Class of 2019 was one of the main pieces on a defense that only allowed 65 total points.

LB — Zach Edwards, Starkville (Miss.)
The 4-star linebacker from Starkville had a monster junior campaign with 125 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four forced fumbles.

DB — Chris Steele, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
St. John Bosco had one of the best secondaries in high school football and Steele was a main reason why. The 4-star defensive back is rated as the No. 2 corner from the Class of 2019.

DB — Akeem Dent, Palm Beach Central (Wellington, Fla.)
The top-rated corner from the Class of 2019 is one of the best all-around defensive backs in the country. The 2019 Florida State commit finished his junior season with 81 tackles and five interceptions.

DB — Brian Williams, Bishop Dunne (Dallas)
The top-rated safety from the Class of 2019 is one of the best overall players in all of Texas. The 5-star defensive back had five interceptions in 2017.

DB — Daxton Hill, Washington (Tulsa, Okla.)
The 5-star defensive back finished his junior season with 67 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five interceptions. He played a huge role in leading the Hornets to their first state title in seven years.

AP — Traveon Freshwater, Northeastern (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
The 4-star linebacker from Northeastern had one of the most dominant stat lines this past season. He finished tied for fifth in the country with 27 sacks to go with 157 tackles and he also rushed for 2,000-plus yards and 22 scores.

P — Jack Luckhurst, Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Luckhurst was No. 1 in all of high school football averaging 53.3 yards per punt.

Second Team Offense
QB — Grant Gunnell, St. Pius X (Houston)
The 4-star quarterback finished fourth in the country with 4,936 yards passing during his junior campaign. He threw for 61 touchdowns and added another 400 yards on the ground and eight more scores.

QB — Spencer Rattler, Pinnacle (Phoenix)
The 2019 Oklahoma pledge had another big year throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. The 5-star prospect checks in as the top rated dual-threat quarterback from the Class of 2019.

QB — Jayden Daniels, Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.)
Daniels finished third in high school football with 5,139 yards passing and his 62 touchdown passes were also good for third most. He also ran for nearly 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns leading Cajon to the CIF Division 2-AA state championship game.



RB — Deondrick Glass, Katy (Texas)
Rodney Anderson put on a show for Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff game against Georgia and the next great Katy running back will be Deondrick Glass. The 4-star prospect is one of the best players overall in Texas.

RB — Eric Gray, Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.)
The Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year rushed for nearly 3,000 yards and 43 touchdowns while leading Lausanne Collegiate to its second consecutive state title.

RB — Noah Cain, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The 5-star running back from IMG Academy is one of the best players overall from the Class of 2019 and he is one of the best all-around backs in high school football.

WR — Kyle Ford, Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
The 4-star wide receiver from Orange Lutheran put up big-time numbers playing against legit competition in 2017. He hauled in 91 receptions for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns.

WR — David Bell, Warren Central (Indianapolis)
The 4-star wide receiver checks in as the top-rated player from Indiana in the Class of 2019 with over 1,000 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns this past season.

WR — Theo Wease, Allen (Texas)
The Allen 5-star wide receiver might end up being the best wide receiver down the road from the Class of 2019. He was Tisdale's favorite target in 2017 and he had nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. TE — Hayden Hatten, Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Hatten was Spencer Rattler's favorite target this season with 68 receptions for 1,029 yards and 16 touchdowns, all team highs. He also rushed for five scores.

OL — Keiondre Jones, Callaway (Hogansville, Ga.)
The 4-star offensive guard from Callway is one of the best players overall in Georgia.

OL — Deyavie Hammond, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The 2019 Alabama commit was a vital pieces for one of the top offensive lines in 2017.



OL — Evan Neal, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
IMG Academy's 6-foot-5 380-pound offensive lineman is one of the most dominant players in the trenches in high school football. Neal checks in as the No. 5 rated offensive guard from the Class of 2019.

OL — Mark Fox, Northwestern (Miami)
Northwestern won its first state title in a decade this season and the offensive line was huge this past season for Tutu Atwell and the offense. Fox is one of the top offensive tackles overall from the Class of 2019.

OL — Jonah Tauanu'u, Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.)
Narbonne had one of the best rushing attacks in all of California and one of the main reasons why was because of its 4-star offensive tackle.

AP — Bru McCoy, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
JT Daniels had a big-time year and having weapons like Bru McCoy was huge for the 2017 National Player of the Year. The 5-star athlete had nearly 800 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns to go with 23 tackles and three sacks on the other side of the ball.

K — Caden Davis, Coppell (Texas)
The 2019 Texas A&M commit connected on 15-of-21 field goals during his junior season including a season long of 51 yards.

Second Team Defense
DL — Stephen Herron, Jr., Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
The 2019 Michigan pledge was the leader on one of the top defenses. He led Trinity to a 15-0 record and a spot at No. 9 in our final Top 25. He finished his junior year with nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

DL — Chris Hinton, Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.)
The 5-star defensive end from Georgia is one of the most gifted players in the nation. He checks in as the No. 15 recruit overall and is the top-rated strong side defensive end in the Class of 2019.

DL — Jayden Jernigan, Allen (Texas)
The 4-star defensive end give Allen four players on the Junior All-American Team, the second most out of any school only trailing IMG Academy with five. Expect the Texas power to have a good chance to repeat as state champs next season.

DL — Simote Pepa, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)
The 3-star defensive tackled played a major role in leading one of the best defenses in the West Coast and he helped lead the Miners to their second consecutive state title in 2017.



LB — Jonathan Perkins, Cajon (San Bernadino, Calif.)
Perkins is one of the most talented linebackers in California. He ended his junior season with 189 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and two interceptions.

LB — De'Gabriel Floyd, Golden Valley (Santa Clarita, Calif.)
The 4-star linebacker is one of the gifted players from the West Coast. The former USC commit had nearly 100 tackles and two interceptions to go with over 1,000 yards of total offense and 14 total touchdowns.

LB — Trey Stephens, Coronado (Lubbock, Texas)
The Coronado star linebacker finished the season two tackles shy of 200. He added 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, a blocked field and a blocked punt.

LB — Mase Funa, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
The 4-star linebacker from Mater Dei was one of the main cogs on defense for the No. 1 team in the country. Along with Solomon Tuliaupupu, Funa helped form one of the best linebacker tandems.

DB — Tamauzia Brown, Newton (Texas)
The 4-star defensive back from Newton finished his junior year tied for fifth in the country with 12 interceptions. He also had over 1,400 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns.

DB — Jordan Battle, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
St. Thomas Aquinas has been known to produce some of the best talent when it comes to high school football and you can add Battle to that list. With Asante Samuel and Al Blades Jr. graduating, expect the talented defensive back to become the leader next year for the Florida power.

DB — Andrew Booth, Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
The 4-star corner from Georgia helped lead one of the best defenses in the state in 2017. Archer wasn't expected to have a huge season this past year, but Booth played a major role into leading them to a 12-1 season playing in Georgia's largest classification.

DB — Devin Bush, Edna Karr (New Orleans)
The 4-star corner  is one of the most feared corners from the Class of 2019,  and he didn't allow a completion during Edna Karr's state championship win against Lakeshore (Mandeville, La.).

AP — Jalen Catalon, Mansfield Legacy (Mansfield, Texas)
The 4-star defensive back did it all for Mansfield Legacy in 2017 with nearly 100 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and four forced fumbles. He added over 2,000 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns and helped lead Mansfield Legacy all the way to the Class 5A D2 state semifinals.

P — Kolton McGhee, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, Pa.)
The No. 1 rated kicker from the Class of 2019 had a big year punting, also. He averaged nearly 45 yards per punt and also connected on six-of-eight field goals during his junior season.