Best high school football player in each state for 2015

Video: Best football player in each state
See highlights of the players we think are tops in their respective states.

While recruiting services rank the players with the top potential in each state, those players don't necessarily rack up the Most Valuable Player awards at the end of the season.

To that end, MaxPreps has predicted which players will earn MVP honors once the 2015 season comes to a close by picking the Preseason MVP for all 50 states. Stats are current as of last week.


Alabama
Ty Pigrome, Clay-Chalkville (Pinson), QB
The Class 6A all-state quarterback and Birmingham Metro Area Player of the Year leads one of the top teams in the nation and is considered extremely versatile. If he doesn't play quarterback at the next level, he could be a defensive back or wide receiver. As a junior, he threw for 36 touchdowns, ran for 24 and caught a touchdown pass, amounting to 61 touchdowns accounted for.

Alaska
Ethan Falaniko, Bartlett (Anchorage), RB
The all-state running back rushed for 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. He's off to a great start in 2015 with 432 yards rushing and five touchdowns in just two games for Bartlett.

Arizona
Chase Lucas, Chandler, RB
A very athletic player, Lucas has helped put Chandler in the Xcellent 25 to start the 2015 season. As a junior, Lucas helped Chandler go 13-1 by rushing for 1,126 yards and 17 total touchdowns. He also added 28 catches for 368 yards and had a 99-yard kickoff return. In Chandler's season opener, Lucas had one carry for an 80-yard touchdown and also caught four passes for 38 yards.

Arkansas
Allie Freeman IV, Episcopal (Little Rock), WR
Freeman had one of the top receiving stat lines in the country last year, as he caught 94 passes for 1,971 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also had five rushing touchdowns, one on a punt return and two on kickoff returns. He also earned all-state honors in basketball while leading his school to a Class 3A state title.

California
Tyler Vaughns, Bishop Amat (La Puente), WR
The USC-bound receiver is one of two talented wide outs for the Lancers (Trevon Sidney is the other). He caught 83 passes for 1,183 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior in leading Bishop Amat to a 9-4 record and a No. 5 ranking in California. He also had four interceptions on defense and did some of the team's punting.

Colorado
Dylan McCaffrey, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), QB
The third son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey to play at Valor Christian, McCaffrey started at quarterback as a sophomore last year and threw for 2,378 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also added another six touchdowns and 296 yards rushing. He's also a solid player for the basketball team, averaging 9.6 points and six rebounds as a sophomore.

Connecticut
Bennie Fulse, Windsor, RB
Fulse transferred to Windsor last year after spending two seasons at Capital, and helped lead the Warriors to a 12-0 season by rushing for 1,435 yards and 14 touchdowns. He begins his senior season with 3,956 career rushing yards.

Delaware
Frank Burton, William Penn (New Castle), DE/TE
A three-sport standout for William Penn, Burton earned State Defensive Player of the Year honors as a defensive end. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior had 95 tackles as a junior with 19 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He also had 19 receptions for 316 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end.

Florida
Shea Patterson, IMG Academy (Bradenton), QB
Patterson might have started the year as the preseason MVP in Louisiana, but the former Calvary Baptist quarterback transferred to IMG Academy in July, shortly after finishing No. 1 at the Elite 11 Competition. Patterson led Calvary Baptist to a pair of state championships as a junior and sophomore. He threw for 2,428 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior.

Georgia
Jake Fromm, Houston County (Warner Robins), QB
Fromm earned all-state honors and was named the Class AAAA Offensive Player of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He threw for 3,629 yards (249-for-394) and 31 touchdowns while leading Houston County to the quarterfinals.

Hawaii
McKenzie Milton, Mililani, QB
The Gatorade State Player of the Year as a junior, Milton led Mililani to the state championship by throwing seven touchdowns in the final against Punahou. The Trojans finished 14-0 under Milton, who threw for 3,392 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has committed to play for the University of Hawaii.

Idaho
Jake Roper, Rocky Mountain (Meridian), RB
Roper earned all-state honors from the Idaho Statesman last year, as he rushed for 1,392 yards and 20 touchdowns. He's one of 16 returning starters for a team favored to win the Class 5A state championship this year.

Illinois
Tuf Borland, Bolingbrook, LB
The Ohio State commit is one of the top linebackers in the country and one of the top overall recruits in Illinois. The 6-2, 225-pounder had 110 tackles and four sacks as a junior. He is the son of former Wisconsin linebacker Kyle Borland.

Indiana
Kiante Enis, Winchester, RB
Enis plays at one of the smaller schools in the state, but has already committed to play at Michigan. A relative of former Penn State running back Curtis Enis, the Winchester senior rushed for 3,189 yards last season and scored a total of 52 touchdowns.

Iowa
Samuel Cook, Fort Dodge, RB
A state champion wrestler who was ranked in the top 20 in the nation as a junior, Cook is also a returning all-state running back for Fort Dodge. He rushed for 1,600 yards as a sophomore and 1,400 yards as a junior.

Kansas
Wyatt Edmisten, East (Shawnee Mission), RB
Edmisten earned all-state honors last year while helping East win its first Class 6A state championship. He scored three touchdowns in the championship game against Hutchinson and finished with 1,500 yards and 32 touchdowns on the season.

Kentucky
Quinton Baker, Ashland Blazer (Ashland), RB
Baker earned first-team all-state honors last year after rushing for 1,719 yards and 20 touchdowns. Originally committed to Kentucky, Baker has changed his mind and is now headed to Marshall.

Louisiana
Rashard Lawrence, Neville (Monroe), DL
The Times Picayune has targeted Lawrence, a 6-3, 250-pound defensive tackle, as the state's top player heading into the 2015 season. Lawrence earned all-state honors last year while helping lead Neville to the Class 4A state championship.

Maine
Austin McCrum, Thornton Academy (Saco), QB
A three-year starter, McCrum led Thornton Academy to a Class A state championship and a 10-1 record. He earned all-state honors while throwing for 1,596 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Maryland
Dwayne Haskins Jr., Bullis (Potomac), QB
Haskins led Bullis to the Interstate Athletic Conference championship and a 9-1 record last year while earning Gatorade State Player of the Year honors. He completed 159 of 259 passes for 1,936 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Massachusetts
Kerry Raymond, Brockton, RB
Raymond earned all-state honors as a junior after rushing for 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns on 149 carries. Also a standout on defense at defensive end, Raymond has been a member of the varsity squad since his freshman year.

Michigan
Donnie Corley, King (Detroit), WR
Possessing 4.5 speed, Corley is the state's top receiver and maybe one of its best cornerbacks as well. As a junior, Corley caught 47 passes for 1,087 yards to help King reach the postseason.

Minnesota
Carter Coughlin, Eden Prairie, LB
Coughlin was one of just two juniors to earn all-state honors last season. He had 51 solo tackles and 14 tackles for loss last season while helping Eden Prairie to an 11-0 record. He has committed to play at Minnesota next season.

Mississippi
Dekaylin Metcalf, Oxford, WR
Metcalf had a huge season for Oxford last year and he is one reason why the Chargers begin the season ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. He caught 79 passes for 1,229 yards and 19 scores last year and has 139 catches for 1,979 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career.

Missouri
Skylar Thompson, Fort Osage (Independence), QB
Thompson led Fort Osage to 11 straight wins before a one-point loss to Park Hill in the Class 5 playoffs. Ranked as the top quarterback in Missouri by 247Sports, Thompson threw for 2,385 yards and 24 touchdowns while earning all-state honors as a junior.

Montana
Andrew Grinde, Russell (Great Falls), RB
A top student and athlete, Grinde earned Gatorade State Player of the Year honors as a junior and he also has committed to play at Yale next year. He rushed for 2,138 yards and 20 touchdowns and also caught 31 passes for 489 yards and three scores.

Nebraska
Noah Fant, Omaha South, DE/TE
Fant is a standout on both sides of the line for Omaha South and is being recruited to play tight end or defensive end. Basketball was once considered his best sport and he helped lead Omaha South to a state championship game berth.

Nevada
Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), QB
Martell earned MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year honors last year while leading Bishop Gorman to a 15-0 record and an Xcellent 25 No. 2 final ranking. He threw for 2,537 yards and 40 touchdowns for the Gaels.

New Hampshire
T.J. Urbanik, Pinkerton (Derry), RB
Urbanik earned all-state honors as a junior after helping Pinkerton finish 12-0 and win a Division I state championship. Urbanik ran for 1,408 yards as a junior and has been a varsity player since his freshman season.

New Jersey
Kareem Walker, DePaul Catholic (Wayne), RB
Possibly the top running back prospect in the country, Walker is headed to Ohio State next season. Last year he led DePaul to the Non-Public Group 2 state championship while rushing for 1,600 yards and 26 touchdowns.

New Mexico
Justin Houghtaling, Artesia, QB
As a junior, Houghtaling earned all-state honors by leading Artesia to a 12-1 record and a Class 5A state championship. He completed 229 of 384 passes for 3,436 yards and 38 touchdowns and also had six rushing touchdowns.

New York
Nikkolas Holland, Jamestown, QB
Holland earned Class AA all-state honors last season after throwing for 2,207 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior. He was also first-team All-Western New York by the Buffalo News.

North Carolina
Austin Kendall, Cuthbertson (Waxhaw), QB
Kendall will likely finish with nearly 12,000 career passing yards and 130 passing touchdowns if he has anything close to the season he had as a junior. In leading Cuthbertson to the Class 3AA semifinals, Kendall threw for 4,461 yards (310-for-513) and 49 touchdowns.

North Dakota
Jaxon Ford, Bismarck, RB
The Demons missed the state finals for the first time in nine seasons last year, but Ford could lead them back to the championship game. He ran for 1,390 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior and earned all-state honors.

Ohio
Tommy Kraemer, Elder (Cincinnati), OT
The state of Ohio has long been known for producing quality offensive linemen and Kraemer is the latest on the list. An all-state player as a junior, Kraemer is projected as an All-American and has already committed to play at Notre Dame.

Oklahoma
Mason Fine, Locust Grove, QB
Perhaps no other state record has ever been totally crushed the way Fine broke the state passing yardage mark last year. By finishing with 5,006 yards, Fine broke the mark by 1,090 yards. He also set a state record with 71 touchdown passes, which was second in the nation.

Oregon
Timothy Tawa, West Linn, QB
The Gatorade State Player of the Year as a sophomore, Tawa likely won't play the sport in college. One of the nation's top baseball players in the Class of 2017, Tawa has committed to play the sport at Stanford. Last year for West Linn, Tawa threw for 2,943 yards and 38 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Pennsylvania
Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh), RB
Ranked as one of the top all-purpose running backs in the country by 247Sports, Sanders earned all-area honors by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last season after rushing for 1,248 yards on 115 carries. He will play at Penn State next year.

Rhode Island
Avien Peah, La Salle Academy (Providence), TE
A force on defense, Peah had 10 sacks and 68 tackles as a junior. However the University of Massachusetts commit will likely play tight end at the college level.

South Carolina
Austin Scott, Spartanburg, QB
Scott had one of the best seasons in South Carolina history last year when he threw for 4,401 yards (274-for-447) and 52 touchdowns. He led Spartanburg to the Class 4A Division II state championship last year and the Vikings are favored to do so again in 2015. He has the state's top recruit, Tavien Feaster, as one of his wide receivers.

South Dakota
Luke Fritsch, O'Gorman (Sioux Falls), QB/DB
O'Gorman could be in the running for a Class 11AAA state championship in 2015 with Fritsch being a big factor in the team's success. Fritsch is the team's quarterback and he also earned all-state honors as a junior as a defensive back.

Tennessee
Ty Chandler, Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville), RB
Big Red won the Division II-AAA state championship last season and Chandler was a big reason why. He earned all-state honors by American Family Insurance and rushed for 1,348 yards and 22 touchdowns. He had his best game in the playoffs against McCallie, when he ran for 181 yards and five touchdowns.

Texas
Tren'davian Dickson, Navasota, WR
Dickson will be hard-pressed to repeat his performance of 2014, when he set a national record with 39 touchdown receptions. Nevertheless, Dickson, the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year, is probably the most dynamic talent in the state. The Texas commit also led the state of Texas with 2,163 yards receiving on 90 catches in helping lead Navasota to the Class 4A state championship.

Utah
Simi Fehoko, Brighton (Salt Lake City), WR
The Stanford commit had a huge season as a junior, catching 63 passes for 1,644 yards and 24 touchdowns. The 6-5, 180-pound receiver earned Class 5A all-state honors by the Deseret News.

Vermont
Carson Leary, Otter Valley (Brandon), RB
He might play in Division III, but he still won all-state honors in Vermont by the Burlington Free Press. The 6-2, 215-pound running back ran for 1,783 yards and 34 touchdowns in leading Otter Valley to an 8-2 record last year.

Virginia
Levonta Taylor, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach), CB
One of four juniors to make the Class 6A all-state team, Taylor starts the season ranked as the No. 1 player in the state by 247Sports. He returned five punts or kickoffs for touchdowns last year and also had three touchdowns on interception returns. He has committed to Florida State.

Washington
Jacob Eason, Lake Stevens, QB
Ranked the No. 1 player in the state by 247Sports, Eason already has 6,228 yards and 59 touchdowns passing in two years as a starter at Lake Stevens. He threw for a season-best 441 yards in a win over Timberline and threw six touchdown passes against Monroe. His best game came as a sophomore, when he threw for 504 yards and six touchdowns against Edmonds-Woodway. The Georgia commit threw for 2,829 yards and 32 touchdowns with just three interceptions as a junior.

West Virginia
Kentre Grier, South Charleston, QB
As a junior, Grier became the first player in state history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 3,000 yards. He had 1,042 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing and threw for 3,555 yards and 47 touchdowns while earning all-state honors.

Wisconsin
Josh Owens, Cambridge, RB
The second-leading rusher in Wisconsin as a junior with 2,344 yards, Owens earned all-state honors by the state coaches association. He went over 200 yards six times with a high of 343 yards against Belleville. He also had four touchdowns six times.

Wyoming
Evan Coon, Sheridan, RB
Coon earned Class 4A all-state honors last year while rushing for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is the only skill position player from the 4A all-state team that returns this season and Sheridan is ranked No. 2 to begin the season.