National Sophomore of the Year Watch List

The race for this year's National Sophomore of the Year award is wide open.

Last season's National Freshman of the Year Kelvin Taylor has been hampered by injuries and has failed to match his 49-touchdown ninth-grade campaign.

With the throne somewhat vacated, no one has run away with the award yet, though plenty of players remain in the mix.

MaxPreps takes a look at the major players for this year's award, fully aware that plenty can change between now and January.

Favorite
Derrick Henry, RB, Yulee (Fla.)
Not only is Derrick Henry arguably the most productive sophomore in the country, he might be the most physically impressive. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back is showing that his 2,468-yard, 22-touchdown season as a freshman was no fluke. In 2010, he's rushed for 2,572 yards and 37 scores thus far, helping Yulee to an impressive 9-2 record.

Contenders
Max Browne, QB, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
Groomed to be the heir to record-setting Skyline signal-caller Jake Heaps, Browne has not disappointed in his first varsity season. He's completed 196 of 284 passes for 2,773 yards and 35 touchdowns. Since losing their season opener to Liberty, the Spartans have rattled off nine straight wins and are poised to make a run at yet another 4A crown, which would boost Browne's stock significantly.

Jarrett Solomon, QB, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
In his second year starting behind center for powerful Bishop Gorman, Solomon has led the Gaels to a 10-2 record, with the team's only two losses coming against out of state opponents Hamilton and De La Salle. Solomon has registered 1,816 yards and 31 scores through the air. In eight of the Gaels' 12 games, he's thrown for at least three touchdown passes.

Cord Sandberg, QB, Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.)
After making a splash in Manatee's spring game by throwing for five touchdowns, Sandberg showed that the Hurricanes would have a balanced offense that would feature a potent passing game in addition to a heavy dose of Mike Blakely running the football. He has thrown for 2,091 yards and 17 touchdowns and has also rushed for 458 yards and seven additional scores.

David Coggins, WR, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.)
No sophomore receiver has posted more impressive stats this season than Coggins. Thus far, he's tallied 78 catches for 1,417 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging a robust 177 yards per game. He may have more time to add to those stats and top the 1,500-yard mark, but he'll be serving a one-game suspension next week for his involvement in an on-field altercation.

Sleepers
Jeremy Johnson, QB, Carver (Montgomery, Ala.)
Going up against an extremely challenging schedule, Johnson has flourished in Alabama's 6A classification. The 6-5 Johnson is a pocket passer who's also rushed for a pair of scores. Through the air, he's been responsible for 2,391 yards and 26 touchdowns. He's passed for multiple scores in all but two games this season.

Troy Williams, QB, Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.)
One of the more highly-touted prospects in the class of 2013 early on, Williams has not disappointed, tossing for 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns against a rigorous Los Angeles City Section schedule. However, he has been intercepted eight times, including in each of his last four games.

Antonio Connor, ATH, South Panola (Batesville, Miss.)
Connor may not stick out in any one particular statistical category like most of the other players on this list. However, the thing that impresses about Connor is that he has played at an extremely high level at a number of positions for one of the country's best teams. Offensively, he's averaged 14.9 yards per rush and has four touchdowns. Defensively, he's broken up eight passes, intercepted three, and recovered three fumbles in addition to his 68 tackles. He has added four touchdowns on defense and special teams.

Da'Shon Hunt, ATH, Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Similar to Connor, Hunt has been a dynamic presence in all aspects of the game. He's been used as a change of pace back in Westlake's offense, and in the process, has rushed for four touchdowns on just 25 carries. On defense, he's returned six interceptions for a combined 113 yards. He has forced one fumble and deflected four passes in addition to some time spent returning kicks.

Thomas Tyner, RB, Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.)
One of the brightest young players in the Northwest, Tyner boasts outstanding speed and great size. The 6-2, 200-pound running back is already running in the 10.5 range, has totaled 1,321 yards and 18 scores on the ground for Aloha. The Warriors sit at 9-1 and claim a win over state-power Jesuit.

Who are we overlooking? Leave a comment or send an e-mail to Stephen Spiewak at sspiewak@maxpreps.com.