MaxPreps breaks down all the players and teams to watch in the 2012 Kickoff Guide presented by Champs Sports.
High school football kicks off in most states over the next three weekends.
Photo by Cecil Copeland
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Robert Nkemdiche was the nation's top junior last season.
Photo by Dennis Carter
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Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)The reigning U.S. Air Force National Junior of the Year has a leg up on the competition for this season’s top honor. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end is about as good as it gets on defense, but he also benefits greatly by being a difference-maker on offense too. He led Grayson to an undefeated season and a No. 4 national ranking last season. If Grayson repeats, Nkemdiche has a great shot at capturing Player of the Year honors.
Contender: Max Browne,
Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)The USC commit has posted some eye-popping statistics throughout his career, and there’s no reason to think he won’t finish his high school campaign with another prodigious offensive season. In 2011, he threw for 4,034 yards and 45 touchdowns. Improving upon those numbers would give him a very strong resume.
Contender: Su'a Cravens,
Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.)Like Nkemdiche, Cravens is a go-to player on both sides of the ball and will be a serious contender for POY honors. Vista Murrieta is among the nation’s top teams, normally an important criterium for the award.
Contender: James Quick,
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)Quick is poised to have a phenomenal senior season. As a junior, he caught 82 passes for 1,434 yards and a whopping 21 scores for a Trinity squad that finished No. 2 nationally. Quick will help lead one of the country’s best teams again this fall, but the fact that his quarterback (Travis Wright) also has a legitimate shot at the award could hurt his candidacy.
Contender: Jabrill Peppers,
Paramus Catholic (N.J.)The U.S. Air Force National Sophomore of the Year switched schools in the offseason and is prepared to lead Paramus Catholic this season. A dynamic athlete, Peppers is a playmaker no matter where he’s positioned on the field.
Sleeper: Travis Wright, QB,
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)Sleeper: Ty Isaac, RB,
Joliet Catholic Academy (Ill.)Sleeper: Anu Solomon, QB,
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)Sleeper: Derrick Henry, ATH,
Yulee (Fla.)Sleeper: Cole Ousley, QB,
Lone Oak (Paducah, Ky.)Sleeper: Braden Smith, OL/DL,
South (Olathe, Kan.)10 Juniors to Watch
Braden Smith was a huge factor in Olathe South's title run last fall. This season, he'll be even more dominant.
Photo by Sam Soliday
As mentioned above, Peppers is a weapon at a number of positions. He’s one of the most heavily-recruited players in the Class of 2014. He projects to play defense when he gets to college.
Braden Smith, OL/DL, South (Olathe, Kan.)Smith has exploded on the recruiting scene following a junior season in which he led Olathe South to a Class 6A state title. The freakishly gifted Smith is a physical specimen and already resembles an NFL lineman.
Joseph Yearby, RB, Central (Miami)Already committed to Florida State, Yearby is one of the country’s top running backs regardless of class. He’ll combine with Clemson-bound junior Dalvin Cook to form the most impressive duo of running backs in the country.
Sony Michel, RB, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)It will be an interesting season for the highly recruited Michel, who is coming back from a surgery to repair his torn ACL. When at full strength, he’ll be among the nation’s most potent offensive players.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Gainesville (Ga.)Watson accounted for nearly 4,500 total yards as a sophomore and committed to Clemson in the offseason. He should be even more deadly this fall as a junior.
Da'Shawn Hand, DL, Woodbridge (Va.)A candidate for the No. 1 spot in the Class of 2014 recruiting rankings, Hand registered 84 tackles and 21 sacks as a sophomore.
Andrew Brown, DL, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)Despite missing part of last season due to injury, Brown still earned local and national recognition for his play as a sophomore. He’ll be in the spotlight this fall after transferring to national power Oscar Smith.
Bo Scarborough, RB, Northridge (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)Scarborough is another top junior coming off an injury-plagued season. When healthy, he’s one of the most physically impressive players in the country.
Leonard Fournette, RB, St. Augustine (New Orleans)It’s a deep recruiting class for running backs, and Fournette could prove to be the nation’s best. Well-known since his freshman year, he already has a host of college offers and will be the driving force behind St. Augustine’s offense this fall.
Quin Blanding, DB, Bayside (Virginia Beach, Va.)Part of an extraordinarily deep pool of talent in Virginia, Blanding excels in the secondary but will also line up at receiver this fall, according to Bayside head coach Darnell Moore.
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Darian Roseboro has the makings of a blue-chip defensive lineman.
Photo by Troy Cherry
Last year’s U.S. Air Force National Freshman of the Year is back after a ninth-grade campaign that saw him account for more than 4,000 yards of total offense.
David Sills, QB, Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, Md.)Sills gained notoriety after committing to USC as a seventh-grader. It appears that move will pay off for the Trojans, as Sills has blossomed into a mature signal-caller.
De'Andre Johnson, QB First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.)Yet another impact quarterback from the Class of 2015, Johnson broke onto the scene in a big way last fall, leading First Coast to the Class 7A state title game. Johnson committed to Florida State in July.
Darian Roseboro, DL, Lincolnton (N.C.)The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman could emerge as one of the top defensive players in the Class of 2015. He’ll also take some carries at the fullback spot this fall.
Darrin Paulo, OL, Grant (Sacramento, Calif.)Grant is no stranger to top-shelf talent, and Paulo could be the next Pacer to emerge as a national recruit. At 6-8, he certainly has prototypical size.
Keon Paye, WR/DB, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)Despite the fact that Good Counsel is loaded on both sides of the ball this season, Paye is pushing for a starting job as a sophomore. He possesses good size and great speed.
Canton Kaumatule, OL/DL, Punahou (Honolulu)Kaumatule will likely be the biggest Hawaii recruit since Manti T’eo. Older brother Luke committed to Stanford last year, and Canton projects to be even more sought-after.
Christian Kirk, DB, Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)Kirk was one of the first players in the Class of 2015 to receive offers. The dynamic athlete is being courted by UCLA and Arizona State.
Iman Marshall, ATH, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)Though he has yet to play a snap of varsity football, Marshall already has a reputation as one of the top young players in Southern California. Expect him to start this season for Long Beach Poly.
Bryce Love, RB, Wake Forest-Rolesville (N.C.)Love is reminiscent of 2012 North Carolina running back Keith Marshall in that he has superb speed. He’s already been clocked at 10.69 in the 100-meters - the type of speed that should make Love a national recruit.
10 Freshmen to Watch
Jake Zembiec will be among the nation's top freshmen this fall.
Courtesy photo
, RB,
Wilson Central (Lebanon, Tenn.)Benjamin Lemay, RB,
Butler (Matthews, N.C.)Erik Swenson, OL/DL,
Downers Grove South (Ill.)Jake Zembiec, QB,
Aquinas Institute (Rochester, N.Y.)Shane Simmons, DL,
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)Dionte Mullins, WR,
Gulliver Prep (Miami)Brian Manuel, DL,
Kinston (N.C.)Jared Stewart, DB,
Fultondale (Birmingham, Ala.)Duke Upshaw, ATH,
Baldwyn (Miss.)Kameron Martin, RB,
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At 47 games, Clairton owns the nation's longest winning streak.
Photo by Jim Stout
Top 10 Current Winning Streaks (11-man only)1.
Clairton (Pa.) - 47 games
2.
Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) - 46 games
3.
Lafayette Central Catholic (Ind.) - 45 games
4.
Hornell (N.Y.) - 39 games
T- 5.
Truckee (Calif.) - 36 games
T- 5
Waunakee (Wis.) - 36 games
7.
Lafayette (Oxford, Miss.) - 32 games
8.
Webb City (Mo.) - 30 games
9.
Maryville (Tenn.) - 29 games
T- 10.
Regina (Iowa City, Iowa) - 28 games
T- 10.
Ithaca (Mich.) - 28 games
T- 10.
Martinsburg (W. Va.) - 28 games
T- 10.
Boylan (Rockford, Ill.) - 28 games
Detailed breakdown of top winning streaksTop National Rankings Sleepers
Marcus Davis and American Heritage could be ranked nationally before too long.
Photo by Stuart Browning
It’s not out of the question that American Heritage could prove to be the best team in the state of Florida. If that’s the case, and if it wins its interstate match up with West Monroe (La.), it could be looking at an extremely high finish in the Xcellent 25.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)It’s hard to identify Matt Barkley’s alma mater as a sleeper, but the Monarchs haven’t made much noise on the national scene lately. With an abundance of young talent and several key transfers, that could change in 2012.
La Porte (Texas)La Porte made huge strides in 2011, finishing 12-2 and claiming a victory over Katy. With star junior
Hoza Scott leading the way, La Porte is a title contender in Class 5A.
South (Olathe, Kan.)It’s uncommon for Kansas teams to crack national rankings, but Olathe South may have a shot. It returns many key players from last year’s Class 6A title-winning squad, including man-child
Braden Smith.
Cass Tech (Detroit)Cass Tech missed out on the preseason Xcellent 25 - but just barely. This team is extremely talented and last year proved it was capable of going the distance. An undefeated season is certainly a possibility.
Timber Creek Regional (Erial, N.J.)New Jersey’s representatives on the national scene typically have been non-public powers. That could change in 2012, as Timber Creek returns an abundance of talent from a section title-winning team last fall.
Immokalee (Fla.)One of Florida’s most talented teams, Immokalee is an intriguing team to watch. It starts well outside the state’s Top 5, but has the veteran leadership to challenge for a Class 5A crown and a national ranking.
Brophy College Prep (Phoenix)With an explosive offense, Brophy begins the season as the Arizona’s top-ranked team. If it can finish undefeated, it should figure in the final Xcellent 25 rankings.
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)The small, private school powerhouse in Ventura County is not a Top 5 team in California to start the season, particularly after enduring a coaching change. But there is so much talent on this team that a CIF Bowl berth and a high national finish is not out of the question.
Brentwood Academy (Tenn.)While Ensworth has become the top team in Nashville recently, Brentwood Academy has the pieces to dethrone them. New head coach Cody White comes from Denison and brings a solid football pedigree.
