High school football: 2025 MaxPreps Junior All-America Team

Seven-time defending Florida state champ St. Thomas Aquinas has most selections with four led by five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Zack Poff
By
Jan 7, 2026, 9:30am
Each year since 2006, MaxPreps has recognized the nation's top high school football players at the conclusion of the season. Past MaxPreps Junior All-America Team selections include Rueben Bain (2021), Will Campbell (2020), Trevor Lawrence (2016), Jeremiah Smith (2022) and Caleb Williams (2019).

David Gabriel Georges of Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Landen Williams-Callis of Randle (Richmond, Texas) and Elijah Haven of Dunham (Baton Rouge, La.) headline a group of 60 players selected to the 2025 MaxPreps Junior All-America Team. 

Georges became the fourth non-senior to be named MaxPreps National Player of the Year on Tuesday. He led the Red Raiders to their first undefeated season since 1973. 

Williams-Callis was named the MaxPreps Texas Player of the Year after rushing for 3,491 yards and 59 touchdowns. The five-star junior running back has piled up 7,543 yards and 125 touchdowns while leading the Lions to a 42-3 record over the last three years.

Haven took home MaxPreps Louisiana Player of the Year honors after throwing for 3,931 yards and a state-record 62 touchdowns. He was named the 2024 MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year after accounting for over 4,000 yards of total offense and 58 touchdowns. 

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led the way when it comes to producing the most MaxPreps Junior All-Americans with four. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) and Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) were the only other schools that had multiple selections with two apiece. 

Read on for a complete look at the best juniors in high school football from the 2025 season.
First team offense

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 215
Accounted for 4,725 yards of total offense and a state-record 73 touchdowns while leading Tigers to first state title in 21 years.

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 190
Threw for 4,072 yards and 40 touchdowns for Class 4A state champs. 

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200
Threw for 3,692 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading Warriors to their third Class 7A state title with him under center. 

MAXPREPS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Rushed for 1,756 yards and 27 touchdowns as he became the first non-senior since 2017 to be named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

Height: 5-8 | Weight: 190
Five-star running back needs 3,835 yards next season to break the state record for most career rushing yards. 

Height: 5-11 | Weight: 195
Accounted for 3,917 yards of total offense and 50 touchdowns for Conference 6A Division 2 state champs. 

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 170
Explosive wide receiver is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball, led Warriors to Division 1 quarterfinals. 

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
All-around playmaker racked up 1,950 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns to go with three interceptions on defense.

Height: 5-11 | Weight: 185
Hauled in 57 receptions for 1,374 yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 277 yards on the ground and five more scores. Added 438 return yards and four scores. 

Height: 6-7 | Weight: 230
Matchup nightmare for opposing defenses is also a standout basketball player. 

OL — Mark Matthews, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 305
Five-star offensive tackle paved way on offense for seven-time defending state champs. 

OL — Maxwell Hiller, Coatesville (Pa.)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 300
Five-star offensive lineman racked up 132 pancake blocks for 10-3 squad. 

OL — Jake Hildebrand, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 295
Played a major role in trenches for Open Division state champs and No. 24 team in MaxPreps Top 25. 

OL — Caden Moss, Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 300
Had another standout season while leading Raiders to 11-1 record and first state title since 2011. 

OL — Kaeden Penny, Bixby (Okla.)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 290
Set the tone on the offensive line for an offense that averaged over 60 points per game.

AP — Bode Sparrow, Davis (Kaysville, Utah)
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190
Two-way standout had 83 grabs for 1,218 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with 71 tackles and seven interceptions on defense.

K — Beckett Cocke, College Park (The Woodlands, Texas)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 175
Was one of the most accurate kickers in the country connecting on 20 of 22 field goals.
 
First team defense

DL — D.J. Jacobs, Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.)
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 235
Top-rated player in Class of 2027 had 102 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. 

DL — K.J. Green, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 225
Put together a sensational season racking up 129 tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. 

DL — Jabarrius Garror, Vigor (Prichard, Ala.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 220
Posted more than 100 tackles and 20 sacks for the second straight year. 

DL — Wyatt Smith, St. Thomas Aquinas
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 245
Led the No. 10 team in the MaxPreps Top 25 in tackles (115), tackles for loss (24) and sacks (13). 

LB — Quinton Cypher, Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.)
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 220
Sideline-to-sideline linebacker flew around on defense accounting for 181 tackles, 48 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and four interceptions for Class 8A state runner-up. 

LB — Jake Godfree, North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 215
Finished year with 141 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks for Class AAAAAA semifinalist. 

LB — Isaiah Phelps, Pacifica (Oxnard, Calif.)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 205
Two-way standout had 200-plus tackles, 23 tackles for loss and four sacks to go with 979 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on offense. 

DB — John Meredith III, Trinity (Euless, Texas)
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185
Lengthy corner eliminates one side of the field. 

DB — Jaden Walk-Green, Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 185
Ball-hawking safety had 125 tackles and 10 interceptions for No. 8 team in MaxPreps Top 25. He returned five interceptions for scores. 

DB — Hayden Stepp, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190
Played a huge role in the secondary for No. 3 team in MaxPreps Top 25. 

DB — Jailen Hill, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 170
Picked off six passes playing against elite competition. 

AP — Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
Five-star safety had over 2,000 total yards and 30 touchdowns on offense to go with 40 tackles and three interceptions on defense. 

P — Gunnar Gillentine, Petal (Miss.)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 175
Averaged 45.8 yards per punt.

Second team offense

QB — Peyton Houston, Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport, La.)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Dual-threat quarterback accounted for 4,778 yards of total offense (3,836 passing, 942 rushing) and 54 touchdowns. 

QB — Gunner Rivers, St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope, Ala.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 205
Threw for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns for Class 4A semifinalist. 

QB — Andre Adams, Antioch (Tenn.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 180
Piled up 4,273 total yards and 48 touchdowns while throwing just one interception.

RB — Kemon Spell, McKeesport (Pa.)
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 205
Rushed for 1,755 yards and 28 touchdowns to go with three more return scores on special teams. 

RB — Connail Jackson, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Fla.)
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180
Had 217 carries for 2,452 yards and 39 touchdowns for Class 2A state champs. 

RB — Kingston Allen, Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wis.) *
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
Broke the state record for rushing yards (3,436) and rushing touchdowns (57). 

WR — Julius Jones, St. Thomas Aquinas
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 170
Big play wide receiver was the key piece on offense for Class 5A state champs.

WR — Julian Caldwell, Argyle (Texas)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
Had 94 receptions for 1,737 yards and 20 touchdowns for 12-2 squad. 

WR — Quentin Burrell, Mt. Carmel (Chicago, Ill.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190
Hauled in 67 catches for 1,139 yards and 16 touchdowns for the best team in the state. 

TE — Seneca Driver, Boyle County (Danville, Ky.)
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 225
Led Rebels to Class 4A state title after a standout junior campaign. 

OL — Davis Seaman, Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 280
Dominated in the trenches for 14-0 squad that brought home Division III state crown. 

OL — Tristan Dare, Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 290
Made a huge impact for an offense that averaged 51.3 points per game.

OL — Brian Swanson, South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 295
Helped Bears bring home Conference 5A Division 2 state championship as they finished ranked as the top team in Texas. 

OL — Jordan Agbanoma, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 300
Starred on the offensive line for one of the best teams in the country. 

OL — Gecova Doyal, Puyallup (Wash.)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 285
Had a huge junior campaign for Class 4A semifinalist. 

AP — Nick Lennear, Northwestern (Miami, Fla.)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 165
Recently announced he was transferring to Carol City (Miami) but put together a special junior campaign on both sides of the ball for Class 3A state runner-up. 

K — Mikey Barth, Basha 
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 160
Made 14 of 16 field goal attempts with two coming from over 50 yards. 

Second team defense

DL — James Pace, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 235
Led the way for a defense that allowed 8.9 points per game and finished as the No. 14 team in the MaxPreps Top 25.

DL — Krew Jones, Ridgeline (Millville, Utah)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 235
Racked up 80 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks for undefeated Class 4A state champs. 

DL — Keith Richmond, Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 225
Played a key role for one of the best defensive lines in the country piling up 50 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. 

DL — Ben'Jarvius Shumaker, Choctaw County (Ackerman, Miss.)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 285
Four-star defensive lineman posted 113 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. 

Height: 6-3 | Weight: 235
Two-way standout had 102 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles to go with nearly 1,000 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on offense. 

LB — Tavarre Terrell, Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 220
Finished his junior campaign with 79 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks for undefeated Class AAAA state champs.

LB — Tamatoa Gaoteote, Bishop Gorman
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 215
Bounced back in a big way after missing the majority of his sophomore season with an injury leading the Gaels with 117 tackles.

DB — Allen Evans, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190
Didn't allow a receiving touchdown and made a huge impact on defense for three-time defending Class 6A state champs. 

DB — Omarii Sanders, Franklin Road Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 205
Shined on both sides of the ball for Division II Class AA state runner-up. Had 73 tackles and two interceptions to go with 58 receptions for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense. 

DB — Zayden Gamble, St. Thomas Aquinas
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180
The leader for one of the most talented secondaries posted 65 tackles and three interceptions. 

DB — Ace Alston, Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 175
Lockdown corner had 53 tackles, two interceptions and 17 pass break-ups for Division II state runner-up. 

AP — Xavier Sabb, Glassboro (N.J.)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
Led Bulldogs to second consecutive undefeated season accounting for nearly 1,000 total yards and 15 touchdowns to go with 15 tackles and four interceptions on defense. 

P — James Thorley, Lake Braddock (Burke, Va.)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
Flipped the field as well as any punter in the country averaging 48.6 yards per punt. Also made 10 of 14 field goals. 

* Named state MaxPreps Player of the Year

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