Selecting the All-American team is tough with all the big-time talent spread across the country. However, these 64 players rose to new levels, elevating not only their game but the play of their team as well.
Fifty-eight of the 64 selected were seniors while six are from the Class of 2020 and four of those on the first team. Twenty-six different states were represented led by 12 from California, nine from Texas, seven from Georgia and six players from Florida.
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) each had four players selected with the Monarchs' Bru McCoy chosen as the 2018 MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Allen (Texas), Colquitt County (Norman Park. Ga.), Hoover (Ala.) and Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) all had multiple selections named to the All-American team.
MaxPreps 2018 Football All-American Team First Team Offense
The 2020 USC commit put on a show during his first season with the Monarchs. They played one of the toughest schedules in the country and the junior quarterback finished the year with 3,846 yards passing to go with a 39-to-6 touchdown/interception ratio while completing 70 percent of his passes. He also had nearly 300 yards rushing and four more scores.
The 5-star gunslinger threw for nearly 3,500 yards and had 48 touchdowns while tossing only seven interceptions and completing 70 percent of his passes. He also rushed for over 300 yards and six more scores while leading St. John Bosco to a 13-1 record and No. 3 finish in the final Top 25 rankings. Uiagalelei was one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award and was also named the California Player of the Year.
The 2019 North Carolina commit put up monster numbers during his entire high school career and especially during his senior season. He threw for 3,240 yards and also rushed for nearly 1,400 yards while accounting for 53 total touchdowns and was named the North Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year. The future Tar Heel ended his high school career as the state's all-time leader in total offense, surpassing former Florida quarterback Chris Leak's record set back in 2002 while at Independence (Charlotte, N.C.).
The top-rated running back from the Class of 2019 was one of the most dynamic players in the game. The bigger the moment, the bigger the Alabama commit played. He rushed for over 200 yards against Mater Dei and put on a show in a nationally televised game against Hoover. Expect Sanders to be a name you hear on Saturdays and Sundays down the road.
The top-rated running back from the Class of 2020 played a major role in leading the Mustangs to their first state title since 2015 and top spot in the MaxPreps rankings. He rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 29 touchdowns while averaging more than 10 yards per carry. His numbers would've been even better but blowout victories kept him from playing all four quarters. North Shore averaged over 50 points per game and won by an average margin of 41.
The 2019 North Carolina State commit ended his high school career as one of the best running backs in Georgia history. He capped off his senior season rushing for 2,815 yards and 38 touchdowns leading Rome to a 13-1 record. He finished with 104 rushing touchdowns, good for fifth most all-time in Peach State history. He was named the Georgia Gatorade Football Player of the Year.
The 2019 USC commit had one of the best single seasons any wide receiver has ever had. He set the Utah state record for most receptions (103), receiving yards (2,336) and receiving touchdowns (26) in a season. His 2,336 yards receiving were good for fifth most all-time in a single season. The 4-star playmaker led Orem to a 12-2 record and ended the year claiming the school's second consecutive 4A state title. Nacua was named the Utah Gatorade Football Player of the Year.
The 2019 Ohio State signee was one of the best wide receivers in Texas high school football history. Despite missing four games in 2018, he still had 70 receptions for 1,151 yards and 19 touchdowns. The 5-star wide receiver had at least one touchdown in every game he played this season while leading Lake Travis to the 6A Division I state semifinals.
Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games and that's exactly what Haselwood did in his final high school game. Trailing 13-7 in the Georgia 3A state championship game against Peach County (Fort Valley) with 10 seconds remaining, he caught the game-winning 22-yard touchdown on third and goal. The 5-star wide receiver finished the year with over 1,000 yards receiving, 11 touchdowns and averaged nearly 20 yards per reception. He also had two interceptions returned for TDs on the season to go with a couple punt return touchdowns while leading Cedar Grove to a 14-1 record.
The 2019 Arkansas commit put up great numbers, hauling in 86 receptions for 1,207 yards and 14 touchdowns. Don't be surprised when he joins his older brother
Hunter Henry playing professionally on Sundays.
OL — Evan Neal, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) The 2019 Alabama signee was one of the most dominant offensive linemen in high school football. He helped pave the way for one of the most dangerous rushing attacks in the country and was also one of the top pass blocking offensive tackles for one of the top teams in the nation.
The 2019 LSU signee wasn't just one of the top players from Louisiana but in the entire country. He's one of the most versatile offensive lineman in the nation. He's a great pass blocker, paves the way for running backs and is one of the most athletic guys in the trenches.
Webb will most likely play center at the next level for Georgia but showed his versatility playing tackle and guard while leading Oxford to a 10-3 record. The 5-star offensive lineman was rated as the top center and No. 1 player overall from Alabama on 247sports player composite rankings for the Class of 2019.
The 2019 Oklahoma signee was a huge part in Allen's success during his high school career. The Eagles went 44-2 over the last three years and won the 6A Division 1 state title during Ndoma-Ogar's junior season. He played a huge role in leading Allen to a 14-1 record during his senior campaign and a spot at No. 8 in the Top 25.
Dobbs was the No. 1-rated offensive guard in the Class of 2019 for a reason. He was one of the most dominant offensive linemen in high school football and didn't allow a sack during his senior season. The 2019 Michigan State signee helped lead Belleville to the Michigan Division I semifinals and an 11-1 record.
AP — Bru McCoy, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) The 2018 MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year led the Monarchs to their second consecutive CIF Open Division state championship and finished his senior season with 78 receptions for 1,428 yards and 18 touchdowns playing a gauntlet of a schedule. He also added 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks despite only playing the first half of the season on defense.
The 2019 Texas signee did everything and had one of the best state title games in Texas history. He broke NFL Hall of Famer's Eric Dickerson's 4A Texas state title game record that stood for 40 years rushing for 334 yards in Cuero's 40-28 win over Pleasant Grove (Texarkana) to claim the school's first state title since 1987. The future Longhorn scored six touchdowns and added 11 tackles on defense. He was named the Offensive and Defensive MVP of the game and also broke former Aledo star running back
Johnathan Gray's 11-man record for the most rushing yards in a Texas state title game.
Most high school kickers go the entire year without making one field goal from 50 yards and Fitzgerald made six during his senior season including two from 55. He also eliminated the opposing teams return game with 94 touchbacks. He finished the year with 22 field goals and helped lead Colquitt County to a 14-1 record a spot in the final Top 25 rankings.
First Team Defense
The 5-star defensive end was one of the most explosive guys coming off the edge. The 2019 Georgia signee is the No. 1 rated player overall from the Class of 2019 on 247sports player composite rankings and ended his senior season with 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss playing against the best competition in the country.
The 2019 Oregon signee was in the opposing backfield all season long. The 5-star defensive end had 18 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and forced five fumbles during his senior season leading Oaks Christian to a 12-1 record.
The top-rated defensive tackle from the Class of 2019 led the Warriors to the Louisiana 2A state title after finishing his senior season with 78 tackles, 12 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He still put up big-time numbers while being double and triple teamed in 2018.
The 2019 Purdue signee led the Red Devils to a 15-0 record and Indiana 3A state title. The 4-star defensive end put up video game like numbers finishing the season with 106 tackles, 56 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks.
The top-rated inside linebacker from the Class of 2019 was a beast. He was named the Mississippi Gatorade Football Player of the Year after piling up 175 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three interceptions. The 2019 Georgia signee led the Eagles to a 15-0 record and the school's first state title.
The Virginia Gatorade Football Player of the Year and Penn State signee finished the year with 135 tackles, five sacks and nine forced fumbles while leading the Lions to an 11-1 record.
The top-rated outside linebacker from the Class of 2019 has been one of the top defensive players in high school football since his freshman year. He became the first freshman to earn an invite to The Opening and proved why over his high school career. The 2019 Auburn signee finished his senior season with 112 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and four sacks.
The top-rated linebacker on the West Coast helped lead De La Salle to its 27th consecutive North Coast section title and spot at No. 9 in the final Top 25 rankings. He played both sides of the ball and led the Spartans in tackles and rushing in 2018, but his most important trait was his leadership and toughness.
Steele rarely saw the football come his way during his senior season because quarterbacks were afraid to challenge him. He's one of the most complete defensive backs in the country and will be announcing his college choice Jan. 5 during the 2019 All-American Bowl. St. John Bosco had one of the best defenses in the country and Steele's ability to eliminate one side of the field was a big reason.
The 2019 LSU signee was the Louisiana Gatorade Football Player of the Year and was also one of the three finalists for the National award. Quarterbacks rarely threw his direction during his senior season and he finished with two interceptions and had nearly 700 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. He also added eight non-offensive touchdowns taking an interception back to the house, returning four kickoffs for scores and adding three punt return touchdowns. He ended his five-year varsity career without allowing a touchdown and had 27 interceptions.
The top-rated cornerback from the Class of 2020 had a monster junior season with nine interceptions and accomplished one of the most rare feats in high school football — returning three picks for scores in one half against Centennial (Corona). The 2020 LSU commit is one of four juniors to make the All-American First Team.
The 2019 Alabama signee had eight interceptions on defense and added nine receiving touchdowns playing against some of the toughest competition in the country.
The 2019 Texas signee was one of the most versatile players in high school football. He lined up at linebacker, on the defensive line, at safety, at quarterback, running back, wide receiving and was a return specialist in 2018. He had 120 tackles, six sacks and scored a touchdown four different ways this season. He had a pick-six, fumble return for a score, two punt return touchdowns and added five rushing touchdowns.
The top-rated punter from the Class of 2019 showed why during his senior season as the 2019 Notre Dame signee averaged over 45 yards per punt. He also played quarterback throwing for over 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Henry To'oto'o, De La Salle
Photo by Gint Federas
The 2019 Auburn signee threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 48 touchdowns while leading the Indians to their second consecutive 6A state title. Nix ended his high school career as the first player in Alabama history with more than 12,000 career yards of total offense and also set the state record with 161 career touchdowns.
For the second straight season Tisdale threw for at least 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. During his senior year he completed over 70 percent of his passes throwing for 2,466 yards and had 33 touchdowns to only four interceptions. The 2019 Ole Miss signee added another 1,214 yards on the ground to go with 14 more scores.
The 2019 Boise State signee capped off his senior season leading the Bulldogs to their second consecutive CIF Division 1-AA state championship and a No. 17 finish in the final Top 25 rankings. He threw for 4,254 yards and completed nearly 75 percent of his passes. Bennett also threw 62 touchdown passes to only five interceptions and added another 568 yards on the ground to go with 13 more scores.
The 2019 LSU signee rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior season and was one of the most explosive playmakers in the nation.
RB — Noah Cain, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) The 2019 Penn State signee was one of the most complete running backs in the country. Cain and first-team selection Sanders will go down as one of the best running back duos in high school football.
The Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year award winner rushed for 2,499 yards and 40 touchdowns during his senior season. He ran for at least 129 yards in every game and eclipsed the 200-yard mark in six of 12 games. He scored at least three touchdowns in all but two games. The 2019 Tennessee signee became the all-time leader in state history with 138 career touchdowns and helped lead the Lynx to two state titles during his high school career.
The 2019 Oklahoma signee is one of three Eagles to make the All-American team and capped off his high school career hauling in 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 5-star wide receiver played a major role for the Eagles success over the last three years and expect him to be an impact player for Oklahoma at the next level.
Bell led the Warriors to an undefeated season on the hardwood last year and did the same for the football team in 2018. Warren Central went a perfect 14-0 and won its first state title since 2013. The 4-star wide receiver had 1,542 yards receiving and 22 touchdowns and was also a big-time playmaker on special teams.
The 2019 Auburn commit was one of the most physical wide receivers in the country. He had nearly 1,400 yards receiving during his senior season to go with 16 touchdowns playing against some of the best competition in the nation.
The 2019 UCLA commit was a big-time target for Bryce Young this season. The 6-foot, 6-inch tight end had nearly 700 yards receiving, six touchdowns and averaged 15 yards per reception. The Monarchs played one of the toughest schedules in the country and Martinez balled out in some marquee matchups in 2018.
The 5-star offensive tackle and Tennessee signee will have a chance to make an impact for the Vols during his freshman campaign.
The 5-star offensive lineman is the top-rated tackle from the Class of 2019 for a reason. He's one of the most dominant players in the trenches and was one of the best pass and run blockers in high school football.
The 2019 Texas A&M signee led the Eagles to an 11-2 record in 2018 with the two losses coming by a combined six points. The 5-star offensive tackle was one of the most talented lineman in the country and leads the way for an impressive incoming class for the Aggies and Jimbo Fisher.
Hammond played a huge role in the Dreadnaughts winning their first state title since 2006. The 4-star offensive guard paved the way for one of the best rushing attacks in Florida as Lakeland went 15-0 and beat St. Thomas Aquinas in the 7A state title game to finish the season at No. 18 in the final Top 25 rankings.
The 2019 Michigan signee did nothing but win during his high school career. The Knights were 57-3 during his four years and Archbishop Hoban won four consecutive state titles. Hoban became the fifth school in state history to four-peat. Rumler was the leader on the offensive line and played a huge role in leading Knights to a spot at No. 16 in our final Top 25 rankings.
The 2019 Texas signee was one of the most versatile players in the country, hauling in 64 receptions for 1,112 yards and 22 touchdowns to go with 741 yards rushing and 15 more scores. The 2018 Gatorade Football Player of the Year award winner also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and had 20 tackles to go with 4.5 sacks.
The Kentucky Gatorade Football Player of the Year had a big-time senior season on both sides of the ball. He rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and had 725 yards receiving to go with 42 total touchdowns. The 2019 Nebraska signee also led Western Hills with 119 tackles and three interceptions.
The junior kicker tied Fitzgerald for the national lead connecting on 22 field goals in 2018. He also set the Illinois state record making eight field goals in one game earlier this season.
Theo Wease, Allen
Photo by Michael Horbovetz
The 2019 Ohio State signee was an absolute nightmare for opposing offensive lineman and also a big-time playmaker on offense in 2018.
The top-rated player from Hawaii helped lead the Crusaders to a No. 7 spot in the final Top 25 rankings and their third consecutive Open Division state title. The 2019 Washington signee finished his senior season with 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss despite being double- and triple-teamed all season.
The 2019 Alabama signee was a quarterback's worst nightmare during his senior season. The 5-star defensive end had 79 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and forced six fumbles.
The 2019 South Carolina signee helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 14-1 record in 2018 and an appearance in the 5A state championship game. The 5-star defensive end finished with 87 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, and had an interception returned for a touchdown. The South Carolina Gatorade Football Player of the Year also rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The No. 1-rated linebacker from the Class of 2020 earned the nickname "Babyman" for a good reason. He's one of the most imposing players in high school football and finished his junior season with 145 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five sacks despite missing some time with an injury in 2018. He helped lead Upland to the CIF Southern Section Division II title and has a chance to be the top-rated player from the Class of 2020.
The 2019 Alabama signee went 20-0 and led the Panthers to Top 10 spots in the final rankings in both 2017 and 2018. He's one of the most complete linebackers in the country and the leader for one of the top defenses in high school football. St. Frances Academy allowed 3.2 points per game and posted five shutouts.
The fifth and final LSU commit/signee to make the All-American team, he was one of the best two-way players in high school football. He was an impact player for the Marauders on both offense and defense and was one of the most physical players in the country.
The 2019 UAB signee has a knack for finding the football, finishing his senior season with 213 tackles, 41 tackles for loss and 14 sacks while leading Colquitt County to a 14-1 record.
The 2019 Florida State commit is one of the most physical and complete cornerbacks in the country. He only had one interception in 2018 but that was because most quarterbacks were afraid to throw his direction. The 5-star defensive back also had 67 tackles this season and added three touchdowns on offense.
DB — Jay Ward, Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.) The third and final player from Colquitt County, Ward finished his senior season with six interceptions and returned three for touchdowns. He also added 67 tackles for one of the top defenses in high school football.
The 2019 Texas A&M signee helped lead the Falcons to their first state title since 2014. The 4-star safety had six interceptions, four pick-sixes, 60 tackles and four tackles for loss in 2018.
The Oklahoma Gatorade Football Player of the Year was a big-time playmaker no matter where he lined up. The 2019 Michigan signee finished the season with 93 tackles, nine tackles for loss, forced two fumbles, had one interception and had nearly 400 yards receiving to go with seven touchdowns.
The 2019 Ohio State signee put up video game numbers in 2018. The 4-star linebacker had 178 tackles and four interceptions to go with nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. Stover was named the Ohio Gatorade Football Player of the Year after his monster senior season.
The 2019 West Virginia signee is one of the best special team players in the country. He will be kicking field goals at the next level and showed how good of a punter he is too. He finished his senior season averaging better than 46 yards per punt and downed nearly half of them inside the 20. He also connected on 7-of-8 field goals.
Justin Flowe, Upland
Photo by Rick Rowell
