Social media stars, record-breakers and high-profile players on nationally-ranked teams are translating their success to search interest and pageviews on MaxPreps.
While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fueling some of that interest, most are pulling in MaxPreps visitors the old-fashioned way – being great high school athletes. Some are high-profile players on nationally-ranked teams, others look destined to be in the NBA, NFL or MLB down the road.
Tracking search and career page views, here is a look at the athletes that have been trending since August.
Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the top-rated player in his class and one of the most searched players this school year on MaxPreps. (Photo: Patrick Tewey)
Preston and his adopted brothers Alex and James are prominently featured in the "Dougherty Dozen" Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts, which have a collective 8.7 million followers and subscribers. All three play
football for the Panthers.
Daniel Boatwright, Walton (DeFuniak Springs, Fla.)Linebacker had more than 12 million TikTok likes from videos that chronicle his play in Florida. Boatwright logged 147 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery for 11-1 Walton.
Mya Allen, Reagan (San Antonio, Texas)Another prep athlete who soared in popularity due to the social media spotlight, Allen literally soars on the court. A MaxPreps Junior All-American, she was near the top of the leaderboard in Texas for kills with 766.
D.J. Lagway, Willis (Texas)A MaxPreps National Player of the Year finalist, the five star quarterback prospect put up video-game numbers all season for the Wildkats. He threw for 4,604 yards and 58 touchdowns while adding 957 yards rushing and another 16 scores as Willis went 12-1.
Gage Baker, Paradise Honors (Surprise, Ariz.)The 6-foot-1, 175-pound quarterback tied the national single-season record for touchdowns when he tossed seven in the Arizona 3A final, which the Panthers lost 68-46. He threw for more than 6,000 yards and had seven or more touchdown passes in eight of his team's 14 games.
Dylan Raiola, Buford (Ga.)The top-rated quarterback in the Class of 2024, the Georgia commit made headlines in the off-season when he moved from Arizona to Georgia. At Buford, he threw for 2,666 yards and 24 touchdowns as Buford reached the AAAAAAA quarterfinals before falling 19-14 to Grayson.
Isaac Wilson, Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)A candidate for MaxPreps National Player of the Year, Wilson is the brother of New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. He led Corner Canyon to a state title this season, throwing and running for 5,899 yards and 62 touchdowns.
Hunter Babb, Caruthers (Calif.)The quarterback from a small Central Valley school in California was at or near the top of the MaxPreps rushing leaderboard most of the season. He ran for 3,245 yards on 303 carries (good for third in the country) and a national-best 295.0 yards per game. He scored 53 times for the 7-4 Blue Raiders.
Jeremiah Smith, Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)The top-rated prospect in the Class of 2024 is a cheat code at wide receiver. The Ohio State commit caught 88 passes for 1,376 yards for the No. 2 Lions, who won the Florida 1M title. In the championship game, Smith finished with 11 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown.
Elijah Brown, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)Brown finished with a 42-2 record as a starter. He's the only Mater Dei quarterback to win multiple state titles. The Stanford commit threw for 2,640 yards and 35 touchdowns this season, totaling 8,979 yards and 111 touchdowns for his career.
Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)Flagg is top basketball prospect in the country and headed to Duke next year. He plays for arguably the nation's top program at Montverde Academy, currently ranked No. 1 in the National Top 10.
Ethen Knox, Oil City (Pa.)The 6-foot-1, 190-pound running back went viral last season as a junior rushing for 3,705 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Oilers. He also topped the 400-yard mark six times in 2002, breaking the previous record of four held by Derrick Henry. He rushed for 2,340 yards and 34 scores this season, ending his prep career with 7,870 yards and 89 scores in three seasons with Oil City.
Julian Sayin, Carlsbad (Calif.)The Elite 11 MVP over the summer helped the Lancers to a 10-1 mark before falling in the San Diego Section Open Division semifinals. An Alabama commit, Sayin threw for 2,369 yards this season with 24 touchdowns and one interception.
Caleb Sanchez, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) In an age of transfers, Bosco's quarterback waited patiently for his turn and led the Braves to an 11-2 mark. The uncommitted standout threw for 3,341 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Micah Alejado, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)QB1 on the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Top 25, Alejado is 38-1 as the starter at Bishop Gorman. The Hawaii-bound quarterback led the Gaels to a 12-0 record and Class 5A Division I title this season while throwing for 2,714 yards and 35 touchdowns. He finished his Gorman career with 9,233 yards passing and 125 touchdowns.
Arch Manning, Newman (New Orleans, La.)An illustration of the interest around Manning, he is still drawing MaxPreps visitors to his career page by the thousands though he is no longer in high school. He appeared in two games this season for the Longhorns after throwing for more than 8,500 yards at Newman.
Josh Ringer, East Central (St. Leon, Ind.)An Indiana Mr. Football finalist, Ringer made a run at the state rushing touchdown mark. He finished with 55 scores to go along with over 2,800 yards and a Class 4A state title.
Dakorien Moore, Duncanville (Texas)The LSU commit is the top-rated wide receiver in the Class of 2025 and hopes to lead the Panthers to a second straight Class 6A Division 1 title Saturday. Moore has caught 61 passes for 1,243 yards and 14 scores this season.
Bryce Underwood, Belleville (Mich.)The five-star field general was the MaxPreps Freshman and Sophomore Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. He couldn't lead the Tigers to their third straight Division 1 title but tossed 40 touchdowns while throwing for 3,165 yards as Belleville went 13-1.
The state's Mr. Football for the second straight season, Davis led the Chargers to a 13-1 mark and NCISAA Division 1 title. Headed to Michigan, his touchdown total in 2023 mirrored his junior numbers with 43 scoring strikes while throwing for 3,370 yards on 70 percent passing. Over the last two seasons, he's thrown for 6,795 yards.
