Five of the state's top 25 prospects look to lead King to seventh state final in eight years.
The high school football season in Michigan kicks off next week with 281 games scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 25-27. After going 13-1 and winning the Division 3 state title last season,
King (Detroit) headlines this year's contenders in the preseason MaxPreps Top 25.
Reaching the state final for the sixth time in seven years last season, King won its fifth title with a key goal-line stand in the closing minutes to preserve a 25-21 win over defending state champ
DeWitt. The Crusaders open the season ranked No. 55 nationally in the
MaxPreps Top 100.
Senior quarterback
Dante Moore is the reigning MaxPreps Michigan Player of the Year having thrown for over 3,000 yards and 40 TDs last season. The state’s No. 1 prospect and the country’s No. 2 ranked QB, he’s committed to Oregon. Overall, King fields five of the top 25 senior prospects in the state, including offensive lineman
Johnathan Slack (6-3, 280, Michigan State commit), safety
Jameel Croft Jr. (6-1, 165, undecided) and defensive ends
Kenny Merrieweather (6-3, 235, Iowa) and
Messiah Blair (6-7, 223, Eastern Michigan).
Defending D1 state champion
Belleville, the No. 2 team in Michigan, debuts at No. 77 nationally. The Tigers will be led by sophomore quarterback
Bryce Underwood, who was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year last season after throwing for 2,888 yards and 39 TDs. In the state final, a 55-33 win over Adams, Underwood threw for 284 yards and five TDs and ran for 64 yards and another TD. He holds 22 offers, including Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State and Miami (Fla). Senior athlete
Mychal Yharbrough (6-1, 175) is headed to Miami (Ohio). Senior defensive lineman
Jeremiah Warren (6-3, 270) holds 14 offers. A pair of juniors – linebacker
Jeremiah Beasley (6-1, 210) and offensive lineman
Nathaniel Johnson (6-4, 270) – rank among the state’s top 2024 prospects.
Moore and Underwood aren’t Michigan’s only star quarterbacks. The state is loaded.
Senior
Brady Drogosh (6-5, 200, Cincinnati) leads No. 3-ranked
De La Salle Collegiate (Warren), while
Saline junior
C.J. Carr (6-2, 195, Notre Dame) is the state’s top 2024 prospect. In addition,
Walled Lake Western (Walled Lake) senior
Drew Viotto (6-4, 215, Minnesota),
Mott (Waterford) junior
Kalieb Osborne (6-4, 200) and
Southfield Arts & Tech (Southfield) junior
Isaiah Marshall (6-0, 199) all rank among the country’s top quarterback prospects.
No. 4
West Bloomfield will build around two of the state’s top 10 senior prospects in offensive lineman
Amir Herring (6-3, 300) and receiver
Semaj Morgan (5-10, 175). Both are committed to Michigan. The Lakers also feature two of the state’s top 10 junior prospects in defensive lineman
Brandon Davis-Swain (6-4, 240, Notre Dame) and defensive back
Jamir Benjamin (5-10, 170, undecided).
The MHSAA state finals will be held Nov. 18-19 (8-man, location TBD) and Nov. 25-26 (11-man at Ford Field). Read on for a complete look at Michigan’s preseason top 25 for 2022.
Belleville is looking to defend its MHSAA D1 state title.
Photo by Dave Smith
1.
King (Detroit), 13-1 record in 2021
2.
Belleville, 13-1
3.
De La Salle Collegiate (Warren), 13-0
4.
West Bloomfield, 10-2
5.
Catholic Central (Grand Rapids), 14-0
6.
Dakota (Macomb), 8-4
7.
Unity Christian (Hudsonville), 13-1
8.
Adams (Rochester), 13-1
9.
Traverse City Central (Traverse City), 12-2
10.
River Rouge, 7-3
11.
Holt, 7-3
12.
DeWitt, 12-2
13.
Caledonia, 10-2
14.
Grand Blanc, 12-1
15.
Cass Tech (Detroit), 7-4
16.
Cedar Springs, 9-3
17.
Romeo, 9-2
18.
Rockford, 11-1
19.
Marine City, 13-1
20.
Clarkston, 8-2
21.
Pewamo-Westphalia, 14-0
22.
Sterling Heights Stevenson, 10-3
23.
Chelsea, 14-0
24.
Oxford, 6-5
25.
Hudson, 14-0
