Micah Alejado of
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) joins Deshaun Watson (2012), Trevor Lawrence (2016), Bryce Young (2018), Emeka Egbuka (2019) and Travis Hunter (2020) as players to earn MaxPreps National Junior Player of the Year honors. Alejado led the Vegas power to a 14-1 record, Class 5A state championship and spot at No. 4 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound quarterback threw for 3,575 yards and had 54 touchdown passes compared to only two interceptions while completing 75.8 percent of his attempts. He added 41 carries for 353 yards and three more scores. The Gaels finished the 2022 season averaging 57.2 points per game and their 857 points scored was the third most in the country.
Bishop Gorman was as dominant as any team in high school football with all 14 wins coming by at least 35 points. In a 49-14 win over Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) to close out the season, Alejado completed 12 of 16 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown in a game that was all but over by halftime. That was the case for most of Alejado's games during his junior season as he sat out most second halves due to lopsided scores.
Alejado's strong junior campaign comes after throwing for 2,699 yards and 31 touchdowns as a sophomore while completing 72.5 percent of his passes with just two interceptions. He added 188 yards rushing and five more scores, resulting a second team selection on the 2021 MaxPreps Sophomore All-America squad.
Alejado was one of two non-seniors to be selected on the 2022 MaxPreps All-America Team. He was a first team selection along with Jackson Arnold of Guyer (Denton, Texas) at the quarterback position. Colin Simmons of Duncanville (Texas) was the only other non-senior selected.
He is the first player from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) to be selected as the MaxPreps Junior of the Year and is also the first from Nevada. He becomes the seventh quarterback to take home the honor and first since Bryce Young in 2018.
Past MaxPreps National Juniors of the Year
2009 — Christian LeMay, QB, Butler (Matthews, N.C.)
2010 — Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo (Texas)
2011 — Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
2012 — Deshaun Watson, QB, Gainesville (Ga.)
2013 — Jake Browning, QB, Folsom (Calif.)
2014 — Tren'Davian Dickson, WR, Navasota (Texas)
2015 — Sam Ehlinger, QB, Westlake (Austin, Texas)
2016 — Trevor Lawrence, QB, Cartersville (Ga.)
2017 — JT Daniels, QB, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2018 — Bryce Young, QB, Mater Dei / Zach Evans, RB, North Shore (Houston)
2019 — Emeka Egbuka, WR, Steilacoom (Wash.)
2020 — Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
2021 — Rueben Owens, RB, El Campo (Texas)
