Top 2013 NFL Draft prospects and where they went to high school

Texas, California and North Carolina high school football could have a lot to boast about when the 2013 NFL Draft rolls around.

According to an early projection of the Top 30 draft prospects from NFL.com, Southern California could boast four Thursday night selections, as could the Lone Star State. North Carolina surprisingly might have three first round draft picks in North Carolina State's David Amerson, North Carolina's Kevin Reddick and Cal receiver Keenan Allen.

Florida, which produced only two first round draft picks in 2012, may only have a pair of first round draft picks if only Geno Smith and Ray Ray Armstrong go off the board in day one.

Here's a breakdown of all the Top 30 draft prospects and a summary of their high school accomplishments.

1. Matt Barkley, QB, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), USC
Barkley enjoyed a storied career at the SoCal powerhouse. As a four-year starter, he threw for a whopping 9,487 yards and 79 touchdowns. Clutch in the spotlight, he shined in one of the most memorable games in state history. Barkley was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2009, according to Tom Lemming.



2. Marcus Lattimore, RB, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), South Carolina
The best player on one of the nation's top programs, Lattimore was a second team All-American as a senior, rushing for 1,898 yards and 31 touchdowns. That came on the heels of a junior season in which he gained 2,314 yards and 30 touchdowns to earn National Junior of the Year honors. He was the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2010.

3. Robert Woods, WR, Serra (Gardena, Calif.), USC
As a 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver, Woods starred at talent bastion Serra, earning first team All-American honors as a senior. He accounted for 1,115 yards and 15 scores but was equally dominant on defense, making 96 tackles and eight interceptions. A phenomenal track runner, he anchored a 4x400 relay team that clocked in at 3 minutes, 8.42 seconds, the fastest time in the country. He was the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2010 and the nation's top receiver.

4. Jarvis Jones, LB, Carver (Columbus, Ga.), Georgia
Before ending up at Georgia, Jones signed with USC by way of Carver, where he registered 157 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions. A gifted athlete, Jones also had a reputation for being an incredibly smart football player. "He can read plays before they even start," his high school coach Dell McGee said. He was the nation's No. 1 inside linebacker, checking in at No. 13 overall.

5. Landry Jones, QB, Artesia (N.M.), Oklahoma
Not known as a major talent-producer, New Mexico produced a good one from Artesia in 2008 in Landry Jones. At the time, Lemming pegged him as the best recruit to come out of the state since Brian Urlacher. Jones led Artesia to a state title as a senior by completing 238 of 366 passes for 3,580 yards and 44 touchdowns. He was the No. 47 recruit in the Class of 2008.{PAGEBREAK}

6. Manti Te'o, LB, Punahou (Honolulu), Notre Dame
Te'o is a Hawaii legend after starring at Punahou for four seasons. His career culminated with 129 tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions during a state title-winning season. He stunned college football fans by signing with Notre Dame instead of USC on National Signing Day. He was the nation's No. 7 recruit.

7. Ricky Wagner, OL, Hale (West Allis, Wis.), Wisconsin
Truly a diamond in the rough in high school, Wagner actually was a walk-on at Wisconsin after a career at Hale in which he played tight end. His team finished 5-5 as a senior, and never won more than seven games during Wagner's tenure. Needless to say, he was absent from lists of top recruits.

8. Alex Okafor, DL, Pflugerville (Texas), Texas
As a 6-5, 230-pound defensive end, Okafor was ranked as the nation's No. 71 recruit behind the likes of Donte Moss, Ryne Giddins, Sam Montgomery and Justin Chaisson. However, he was a first team all-state selection in Class 5A after registering 12 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.



9. David Amerson, DB, Dudley (Greensboro, N.C.), North Carolina State
Amerson is being looked at as a cornerback, but in high school, he was a ball-hawking safety. Tom Lemming noted that Amerson is "a fierce hitter, backs down from no one, and is known for his ability to get to the ball and then separate it from the ball carrier."

10. Sam Montgomery, DE, Greenwood (S.C.), LSU
One year after Daquan Bowers starred in the Palmetto State, Montgomery emerged as another national recruit at defensive end. He made 85 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior and was the nation's No. 33 recruit, selecting LSU over a host of other offers.{PAGEBREAK}



11. Star Lotulelei, DT, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), Utah
Lotulelei played for Bingham, one of the top programs in Utah. As a senior, he was 6-4, 265 pounds and made 72 tackles and seven sacks, including three in one game against rival Alta. Bingham finished 14-0 and captured a 5A state title. Lotulelei's younger brother, Lowell, is now the team's star defensive lineman.

12. Jonathan Banks, CB, East Webster (Maben, Miss.), Mississippi State
Banks was a small-school star at East Webster, helping the team to a 12-0 season and a Class 1A state title as a junior. He earned region MVP honors as a senior playing quarterback and defensive back, where he notched seven interceptions. However, he was only lightly recruited and signed with Mississippi State, his only offer.

13. Kawann Short, DT, East Chicago Central (Ind.), Purdue
Short was a 6-4, 295-pound two-way lineman in high school, recording 17.5 sacks over his last two seasons. His athleticism allowed East Chicago Central to use him sparingly on offense in short yardage situations as both a running back and receiver. Nearby schools Notre Dame, Illinois and Northwestern all passed on Short, who went on to sign with Purdue.

14. Oday Aboushi, OL, Xaverian (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Virginia
Al Groh recruited the Northeast well during his tenure as Virginia's head coach, landing Aboushi from Xaverian. In addition to his work on the offensive line for Xaverian, Aboushi also made 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks on defense. Perhaps surprisingly, he also served as the team's punter. He was not a Top 100 recruit.



15. Tyrann Mathieu, CB, St. Augustine (New Orleans), LSU
Mathieu attended St. Augustine, one of the state's most prodigious talent-producing schools, but was somewhat of an under-the-radar recruit. He did not crack Tom Lemming's list of Top 25 cornerbacks, and LSU was the only SEC school to offer him. He intercepted five passes as a senior.{PAGEBREAK}



16. John Simon, DE, Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown, Ohio), Ohio State
The nation's No. 34 overall recruit and No. 4 defensive tackle, Simon played for small-school powerhouse Cardinal Mooney where he was the Division IV Defensive Player of the Year after recording 148 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior. He selected Ohio State over Notre Dame, Nebraska and others.

17. Tyler Wilson, QB, Greenwood (Ark.), Arkansas
Wilson enjoyed a remarkable prep career, topping the 8,000 yard mark passing to go along with 93 touchdowns. His most impressive season came during his junior year, in which he threw for 4,222 yards and 50 scores versus only 14 interceptions. He helped Greenwood capture a state title by tossing six touchdowns in a historic 56-55 win over Pulaski Academy. He fell outside the Top 100, signing with in-state Arkansas.

18. Montee Ball, RB, Timberland (Wentzville, Mo.), Wisconsin
At 6-foot, 212 pounds, Ball actually graded out as a fullback coming out of Timberline, ranking No. 11 at that position. He was simply dominant, earning Class 5A Player of the Year honors as a senior after rushing for 2,187 yards and 41 scores. He finished with 8,222 yards career rushing yards.

19. Dion Jordan, DE, Chandler (Ariz.), Oregon
Jordan was a two-sport star at Chandler, averaging eight points and eight rebounds on the hardwood in addition to doing it all on the football field. He was responsible for 55 tackles and five sacks as a senior, while also playing receiver as well as starring on special teams. He chose Oregon over offers from numerous Pac-10 schools.

20. Terrance Williams, WR, White (Dallas), Baylor
Despite good speed and a 6-3, 185-pound frame, Williams was a sleeper recruit in spite of hauling in 59 passes for 972 yards and eight touchdowns. He was unranked as a wide receiver, selecting Baylor over Colorado State. {PAGEBREAK}

21. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Plano West (Texas), Texas
One of the most ballyhooed recruits from the Lone Star State in the last five years, Jeffcoat was an all-region pick as a sophomore, extremely uncommon in 5A football. He was the nation's No. 3 overall player, as well as the top defensive end and a first team All-American. He picked the Longhorns days before National Signing Day.

22. Kevin Reddick, LB, New Bern (N.C.), North Carolina
Before spending a post-graduate year at Hargrave Military Academy, Reddick was a force for New Bern, which he led to a 4AA state title over traditional power Independence. He made 189 tackles and six sacks, in addition to forcing six fumbles and blocking four punts. He was heavily recruited by a bunch of ACC schools before deciding on North Carolina.

23. T.J. McDonald, S, Edison (Fresno, Calif.), USC
Playing for his father Tim, McDonald excelled at Edison, where he played both linebacker and safety on defense as well as fullback, tight end and receiver on offense. He made three interceptions and recorded 87 tackles as a senior. Lemming ranked McDonald the No. 6 safety in the country and No. 88 recruit overall. He committed to USC early in the recruiting process and eventually signed with the Trojans.



24. Eugene (Geno) Smith, QB, Miramar (Fla.), West Virginia
Smith led the offense for one of Broward County's top programs, completing 205 of 308 passes for 3,089 yards and 32 scores while rushing for more than 300 yards. He was ranked the nation's No. 10 combo passer, behind the likes of Aaron Murray, Russell Shepherd, Tyrik Rollison and Tajh Boyd. However, Smith has blossomed at West Virginia, as the Mountaineers continue to benefit from the pipeline they have established with Miramar.

25. Ray Ray Armstrong, S, Seminole (Sanford, Fla.), Miami
In Armstrong's sophomore season, Seminole finished 1-9. By the time he was a senior, Seminole was in the Class 6A state title game, in which it downed Dade County powerhouse Northwestern. Armstrong led that Seminole squad offensively, but also made 70 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He was the nation's No. 94 recruit in the class of 2009.

Joseph Fauria has emerged as a potential first round draft pick after transferring from Notre Dame to UCLA.

Photo by Juliann Tallino

26. Keenan Allen, WR, Northern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.), California
At 6-3, 200 pounds, Allen was nearly impossible to defend on the high school level. He finished his senior season with an amazing 53 total touchdowns. Allen also tallied eight interceptions on defense. Lemming had Allen as the No. 8 recruit in the country, No. 51 overall. Allen ended up signing with Cal, spurning Alabama late in the game.

27. Christine Michael, RB, West Brook (Beaumont, Texas), Texas A&M
Michael was the nation's No. 82 recruit and was a major recruiting victory for Texas A&M. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his final three seasons at West Brook and captured District 21-5A MVP honors twice.

28. Joseph Fauria, TE, Crespi (Encino, Calif.), UCLA
Given his 6-7 frame, Fauria was also a basketball star for Crespi, averaging 14.9 points and 9.4 rebounds as a senior. On the football field, he had 516 yards receiving and eight scores. He made 28 tackles and five sacks on defense. Fauria signed with Notre Dame out of high school. He was outside of the Top 100, ranked behind Kyle Rudolph, Jonathan Baldwin and Blake Ayles.

29. John Adams, CB, Buchtel (Akron, Ohio), Michigan State
Adams moved to quarterback as a senior, lining up behind center when he wasn't roaming the secondary for Buchtel. He made a whopping 115 tackles from the secondary to go along with three interceptions. He picked Michigan State over several Big Ten and Big East offers.

30. E.J. Manuel, QB, Bayside (Virginia Beach, Va.), Florida State
At 6-5, 208 pounds, Manuel had all the tools coming out of Bayside. He drew comparisons physically to former Florida State quarterback Xavier Lee, but has already enjoyed a more productive career with the Seminoles. He was the nation's no. 16 recruit overall, and the nation's No. 3 quarterback behind Terrelle Pryor and Dayne Crist.