MaxPreps 2013 High School Football Kickoff Guide

10 Sophomores to Watch

Nicholas Bosa, DL, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
As a freshman, Bosa surprised many when he not only made the Aquinas roster--but was a valuable contributor. He compares favorably to older brother Joey, now at Ohio State, who was a Top 100 recruit last year.

Ben Cleveland, OL, Stephens County (Toccoa, Ga.)
Cleveland has the makings of one of the top recruits in the Class of 2016 regardless of position. He's big (6-7, 320) and athletic and already holds several scholarship offers.

Shane Simmons, DL, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
There's plenty of talent on the Stags roster this fall, but perhaps no player has a greater ceiling than Simmons, a sophomore defensive end drawing lofty comparisons.

Xavier Gaines, QB, Frostproof (Fla.)
Gaines has good size and a rocket arm, and gained valuable experience under center as a freshman.

Devin White, ATH, North Webster (Springhill, La.)
At 6-3, White was a force at both linebacker and running back as a freshman and could be the state's top recruit in the Class of 2016.

Rashan Gary, DL, Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Scotch Plains, N.J.)
A well-known Pop Warner standout, Gary thrived on the varsity team as a freshman and has attracted the attention of Alabama, Ohio State and Florida.

Erik Swenson, OL, Downers Grove South (Ill.)
Blue-chip offensive linemen are rare and extremely valuable. Swenson fits the bill and will have his pick of colleges.

Sonny Abramson, QB, Pope John XXIII (Sparta, N.J.)
The most productive freshman quarterback in the country last year, Abramson will likely shatter the state's all-time career yardage mark barring injury.

Rashaun Smith, DL, Calvert Hall (Baltimore)
After a fine freshman season, Smith should continue to blossom into one of the country's top defensive linemen.

Nate Craig, WR, Pasco (Dade City, Fla.)
Craig is already one of the top playmakers in the Tampa Bay area. He hauled in seven touchdowns as a freshman.

10 Freshmen to Watch
Dylan Moses, RB/LB, University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)
The ESPN The Magazine coverboy should make an instant impact as a freshman.

Nathan Tilford, WR, Upland (Calif.)
Tilford is a promising athlete who already holds an offer from USC.

Drew Singleton, DB, Paramus Catholic (N.J.)
The younger brother Nebraska linebacker D.J. Singleton, Drew is already making a case to crack the two-deep depth chart for Paramus Catholic's varsity squad.

London Lewis, OL/DL, St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta)
Lewis already has the attention of several colleges and could be the next big recruit from the Atlanta Catholic school.

Bentlee Sanders, DB, Tampa Catholic (Fla.)
Sanders enjoyed an impressive spring and could be a future star for Tampa Catholic.

Trey Blount, WR, Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Following a storied youth career, Blount enters high school with a varsity-ready build.

Darnay Holmes, WR, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
The younger brother of Oaks Christian standout DeSean, Darnay is expected to be just as good -- if not better -- than his sibling.

Jordan Merrell, RB, University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Head coach Roger Harriott's squad has attracted some of the top talent in the Dade-Broward area in recent years. Merrell continues the trend.

Dante Sparaco, QB/LB, Glenwood Springs (Colo.)
Sparaco impressed during his time on Team USA and already has tremendous size at 6-3, 200.