The decision for the National Sophomore Player of the Year came down to the final play of the 2018 high school football season.
North Shore's Dematrius Davis capped off his incredible season
completing a perfect 45-yard touchdown pass as time expired to 2019 UTEP
commit
AJ Carter to win the Texas 6A Division I state championship over Duncanville.
Davis
helped lead the Mustangs to their first state title since 2015 and
North Shore ended the year as the No. 1 team in the Xcellent 25 rankings
presented by the Army National Guard after finishing the season 16-0.
He ended the year throwing
for 3,350 yards and had 43 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions
while completing nearly 75 percent of his passes. Davis also rushed for 421
yards and six more scores. The Mustangs were absolutely dominant in 2018
winning 15 of their 16 games by double digits and by average
margin of 40.9 points per game.
MaxPreps 2018 Football Sophomore All-American Team
First Team Offense
The
MaxPreps National Sophomore Player of the Year was as good as any quarterback in high
school football. He put up big-time numbers against the
toughest competition in Texas leading the Mustangs to their first 6A
Division state championship since 2015. In their 41-36 win over
Duncanville in the state title game he threw for 333 yards and five
touchdowns.
McCord
had a big-time year in his first season as the starting quarterback for
the Philly power. He led the Hawks to a 13-0 record and a spot at No.
11 in our final Top 25 rankings. He ended his sophomore year throwing
for nearly 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns leading St. Joseph's Prep to
its second state title over the last three years.
One thing all three first team quarterbacks had in common is they led
their team to a state/league title and a Top 25 finish. Williams put on
one of the best single-game performances in the WCAC championship. He accounted for six
touchdowns including the game-winning 53 yard touchdown pass as time
expired to knock off DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 46-43. He ended the
season with over 2,600 yards passing and 26 touchdowns competing in one
of the toughest leagues in the country.
Led Orrville to a 13-2
record and a Division V Ohio state championship as he rushed for 2,799
yards and nearly 500 yards receiving while accounting for 56 total
touchdowns. His 56 touchdowns and 336 points scored rank second all-time
in state history for a single season.
Goodwin
had a big-time year after transferring to Hewitt-Trussville. He rushed
for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns for one of the top teams in all
of Alabama.
One
of the best running backs in Indiana has been one of the most
productive players during his first two years. He followed up his 1,700
yard and 20 touchdown freshman season rushing for 2,270 yards and 29
touchdowns during his sophomore campaign.
Banks
was one of the best playmakers in the nation, leading the Mustangs to a national title and a 16-0 season
capped off by winning the 6A Division 1 state championship. The top-rated athlete from the Class of 2021 had 60 receptions for 1,300 yards
and 17 touchdowns. The bigger the game the bigger Banks balled. In the
state title game, he hauled in nine receptions for 179 yards and two
scores.
He and McCord are one of the best duos in the country and it's scary to think they have two more years with each other.
The 4-star wide receiver hauled in 50 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards
and eight touchdowns.
The favorite target for
Sam Howell,
who was a first team selection on the All-American team. The 4-star
receiver had 51 receptions for 1,136 yards and 19 touchdowns averaging
over 20 yards a catch.
The
top-rated tight end from the Class of 2021 was one of the most
versatile players, too. He had 20 receptions for 326 yards and six
touchdowns and added nearly 500 yards rushing to go with four more
scores. On the other side of the ball he had 72 tackles, 15 tackles for
loss and recorded five sacks.
OL — Reuben Fatheree, Foster (Richmond, Texas)Alabama,
Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and Oklahoma are just some of the notable
programs that have already offered the 6-foot, 8-inch, 300-pound tackle. He's one
of the best and most imposing players in high school football and helped
lead Foster to the UIL Texas 5A Division 1 quarterfinals.
One of the best players overall not just in the Class of 2021 but in
high school football. He was having a great sophomore season before
suffering a shoulder injury in Clarkston's regular-season finale. He was
a dominant force on both sides of the ball.
Played a huge role in leading Orem to
back-to-back state titles. He was a dominant force on the offensive line
for one of the best offenses in Utah state history as the Tigers averaged
over 50 points per game and had one of the top offensive lines in the
country thanks to the No. 1-rated tackle from the Class of 2021.
The
4-star offensive tackle has already landed 15 offers that includes both
school playing in Monday night's National Championship game — Alabama
and Clemson. Expect the offers to keep coming for Morris as he's
one of the best overall players from the Class of 2021.
Spindler
becomes the second first-team selection on the offensive line for the Wolves, joining teammate Dellinger. One of the best
offensive lineman in the country, he helped
lead the Wolves to the Division I championship game even with Dellinger
missing the playoffs.
No
matter where Paysour lined up you knew a big play was bound to happen.
The 4-star wide receiver caught 79 passes for 1,732 yards and scored 26
touchdowns, setting a new school record in all three categories. He also
made big-time plays on defense and
ended the year with two interceptions including a 100-yard pick six that
helped lead the Mountaineers to a road playoff victory.
People
need to stop sleeping on all the talent that is coming out of the
Pacific Northwest and one of the top players from Washington is Egbuka. The 4-star athlete had 72 receptions for 1,492 yards and 27
touchdowns. He also had a team high eight interceptions and added three more scores on special teams.
One of the most accurate field goal kickers in the country during the 2018 season. He connected on 13-of-15 field goals and made all 38 extra point attempts.
First Team Defense
The
top rated player from the Class of 2021 showed how dominant he was on
national television in the Crusaders' 17-0 win over Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) to
close out the season. He was in the backfield all night and had five
sacks as they snapped the Coyotes 18-game winning streak. He helped lead
Eastside Catholic to the Washington 3A state title and ended his
sophomore season with 79 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks.
The Tornadoes have been a hotbed for producing some of the best talent
from Florida and a name to keep tabs on is Harris. He ended the year with 69 tackles, 18 sacks and forced two fumbles. The
2021 Miami commit is one of the most explosive pass rushers in the
entire country.
The Huskies had one of the best defensive lines in high school football as Foreman and 2019 USC commit
Drake Jackson helped form one of the top duos in the country. The sophomore defensive end led the Inland Empire power with 10 sacks in 2018.
He benefits getting to line up against All-American First team offensive tackle
Devontae Dobbs
in practice every day. Payne was a dominant force on both sides of the ball for an
11-1 Belleville squad.
Has a chance to be one of the best players to ever come out of North
Carolina. He was named the All-Mecklenburg Defensive Player of the Year
and became the first sophomore to win the
I-MECK 4A Player of the Year. Helped Cougars to their first 4AA state championship game
appearance and a 14-1 record. Echols had 160 tackles, 19 tackles for
loss and nine sacks in 2018.
The
2021 Virginia Tech commit is an absolute beast and helped lead
the Baltimore power to a 10-0 record and a Top 10 finish during his
sophomore season. The Panthers only allowed 34 points the entire year
and shutout half of their opponents in 2018.
Alabama,
Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Oklahoma are just some of the notable colleges
that have already offered the top-rated inside linebacker in the Class
of 2021. Blackshire finished with 111 tackles, nine
tackles for loss and recorded one sack.
Kendrick Blackshire, Horn
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Loaded with Division I talent, no one on the Monarchs had as
many sacks (7.5) as the sophomore. Davis played a huge role on the
defensive side of the ball that helped lead Mater Dei to its second
consecutive CIF Open Division state championship. The 3-star linebacker
had 44 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, forced four fumbles and his one
interception came against St. John Bosco's 5-star quarterback DJ
Uiagalelei.
One of the most complete players from the Class of 2021, he's great
in coverage, has good footwork, is physical, has legit ball skills and is
one of the top tackling defensive backs in the country. He was also a
big-time playmaker on offense.
The final Monarch to make the first team. When
Elias Ricks and
Darion Green-Warren
were sophomores last year they proved they were ready for the moment
and the talented corner from 2021 proved the same thing this season as
he played a vital role in leading the Monarchs to their second
consecutive state title.
In his first season at American Heritage, the 2021 Miami commit he had 64 tackles,
five tackles for loss, recorded a sack and had a team high four
interceptions.
Alabama
is loaded with some of the most underrated talent in the country and
McKinstry was as talented as anyone. He helped lead Pinson
Valley to its second consecutive 6A state title and was a big-time
playmaker on both sides of the ball.
Washington State
is well represented on the Sophomore All-American team with six players
selected. Simon did it all for Lincoln. He had over 600 yards of
total offense to go with nine touchdowns and on the other side of the
ball he had 57 tackles, eight tackles, for loss, two sacks and a team
high five interceptions. He also scored four defensive touchdowns in 2018.
Wooster was second among all sophomores averaged nearly 45 yards per punt and nearly 40 percent of them went inside the 20.
Second Team Offense
Stone threw for 3,500-plus yards and 44 touchdowns adding
nearly 600 yards on the ground with nine more scores. The reason the
other three quarterbacks got the nod on First Team was because they
played against tougher competition leading their teams to a state title
and a spot in the Top 25.
McCarthy
balled out and led his team to
the 7A Illinois state championship. He completed 76 percent of his passes and
threw for nearly 3,500 yards and had 37 touchdowns to only four
interceptions.
The
reigning Freshman of the Year had another stellar campaign, throwing for over 4,100 yards and 42 touchdowns. He is following in the
same footsteps as his dad, Damon Huard, and uncle, Brock Huard, and is
already committed to the University of Washington.
The No. 1 rated running back from the Class of 2021 has a chance
to join the list of great backs to come out of Texas. During his
sophomore season he rushed for over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Brown
has already landed offers from Auburn and LSU and expect a lot more
from big-time programs. He
rushed for nearly 1,600 yards and 25 touchdowns for an 11-1 Parkview
squad. The Panthers are a team to keep an eye out for in 2019 with all
of the young talent they have coming back next season.
The
No. 1-rated all purpose back from the Class of 2021 showed why as he rushed for over 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns
adding 28 receptions for nearly 400 yards and six more scores. The
4-star playmaker also had 49 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in
2018.
Huard's top target this season, the talented wide receiver hauled
in 59 receptions for 1,221 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging over 20
yards per catch. Expect the Lancers to have an explosive offense again
in 2019 with Tinae, Huard, and
Junior Alexander all returning. It's a scary sight for defenses in Washington that they are all from the Class of 2021.
Jabez Tinae, Kennedy Catholic
Photo by Vince Miller
Earle and 2020 commit
Jase McClellan
helped form one of the best duos in all of Texas. The talented
sophomore wide receiver hauled in 65 receptions for nearly 1,100 yards
and 16 touchdowns. He also rushed for 266 yards and three scores
averaging over 10 yards a carry for the Texas 5A Division II state
champs.
One of the top playmakers in Florida, the talented sophomore had nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns while adding two more scores on special teams. Florida State and Miami are just a couple of the schools to offer Williams so far.
No
sophomore tight end had more yards receiving as he
hauled in 69 grabs for 972 yards and nine touchdowns. He had at least
four receptions in all but two games in 2018.
All he knows how to do is win. During his first two years at Mater
Dei he has played a valuable role in leading the Monarchs to
back-to-back CIF Open division state championships. The sophomore took
on an even bigger role when Murao suffered a season-ending injury
and became the leader in the trenches.
With offers from nearly 20 colleges — led by Georgia, LSU,
Texas A&M, and Oklahoma — expect that number to double sooner rather
than later. He's one of the top offensive lineman overall from the
Class of 2021 and was an all-district first team selection in 2018.
One of three offensive lineman from Georgia to make the Sophomore
All-American team, he was an impact player
on both sides of the ball for a team that made it all the way to the 3A
state title game.
The
top rated player from Maryland in the Class of 2021 helped lead one of
the top offensive lines in the DMV area. He's already landed over 20 offers that include the likes of
Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan.
He's quickly
emerging as one of the top offensive line prospects from the Class of
2021.
The
2021 Oregon commit is one of the most explosive players in high school
football and one of the most complete players among all sophomores. He had 1,000 all purpose yards in 2018 to go with 10 touchdowns. He
also recorded 100 tackles and had two interceptions.
One of the most productive playmakers with his arm and legs, he threw for nearly 3,200 yards and 28
touchdowns while rushing for over 1,000 yards adding 23 more scores.
The son of former NFL kicker Jay Feely is making a name for himself and becoming one of the top special team players from the Class of 2021. He nailed 7-of-9 field goals, including one from 52 yards out.
Second Team Defense
One of the most dominant players in the trenches from the Class of
2021, he had a big-time sophomore campaign and has already landed offers
from Alabama, LSU, and Clemson.
The
top-rated player from North Carolina in the Class of 2021 finished his
sophomore season with 80 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, had 10 sacks and
forced three fumbles.
Emerging as one of the top players from Texas in the Class of 2021, the imposing defensive end had a huge sophomore season leading the
Falcons to a 10-3 record after recording 53 tackles, 11 tackles for loss
and eight sacks.
St.
Thomas Aquinas is known for producing some of the best defensive
lineman in football, including notable names like Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and
Geno Atkins. Sapp could very well be the next great one. He was an
impact player on one of the most talented defenses in the country and
just committed with the Florida Gators in December.
Genova
was one of the best linebackers in California, playing a major role leading JSerra Catholic to a
9-3 record in 2018 with its only three loses coming against Top 25
opponents. The 3-star linebacker had 78 tackles, seven sacks and a pick
six this year.
Jaden Genova, JSerra Catholic
Photo by Terry Jack
The
2021 USC commit is one of the best all-around linebackers in the
country, great at stopping the run and legit in coverage. The
top-rated outside linebacker from the Class of 2021 announced after the
season he will transfer to IMG Academy next year and expect him to be
one of the Ascenders best players in 2019.
There
were two Flowes you had to game plan for when you faced Upland this past
season. Jonathan's older brother, Justin, one of the best defensive
players in high school football. And the younger Flowe showed how much of
baller he is too during the 2018 season. The talented sophomore ended
the season with 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and a team high 11
sacks.
Just
like Jonathan Flowe, Jack has a big-time older brother who was a
monster linebacker, too. Dax Hollifield is now making plays for Virginia
Tech and the younger Hollifield is making a nice name for himself at
Shelby. The 4-star linebacker finished the year with 137 tackles, 16
tackles for loss, five sacks and had one interception.
The
4-star safety is one of top prospects overall in all of Ohio and in the
Class of 2021. His older brother, Mike Doss, was a three-time
All-American safety at Ohio State and Kirk has the same type of talent
and work ethic.
No
matter where Latu lined up on the field in 2018, he was an impact
player. One of the hardest hitting guys from the Class of 2021, he
can cover just as well and was a big-time playmaker on offense
during his sophomore season.
The
No. 1 rated corner from the Class of 2021 was an impact player whether
he lined up in the secondary, at wide receiver or on special teams.
Expect
the recruiting to pick up for the talented sophomore defensive back.
Oliver finished the season with seven interceptions and is one of the
most versatile players. He can line up at corner or safety and has the
size and speed to be one of the best prospects from Texas down the road.
Harvey
did it all for a team that won the CIF Division 1-A Southern California
Regional title. The Trailblazers came up a couple points short in the state
championship, but Harvey balled out in 2018. He finished the year with
nearly 700 yards receiving and six touchdowns and led the team with
seven interceptions.
One of the best punting prospects from the Class of 2021 averaged better than 40 yards per punt and also connected on 10 field goals during his sophomore season.
