Rivals 2025 Preseason High School Football All-Americans

The future of high school football is here, and it’s burning bright. From California to Florida, Texas to Pennsylvania, gridiron stars are gearing up across the country to electrify Friday nights. Before the first whistle blows on the mainland, we’re unveiling our preseason All-American list – the names you need to know now, because you’ll be hearing about them this fall. These athletes aren’t just talented; they’re game-changers.

Players are listed alphabetically by position.

Quarterback

Kane Archer, Greenwood (Ark.), Senior: When looking at what the UCF commit did in 2024, it’s tough to leave him off of this list. As a junior, Archer completed nearly 82 percent of his passes for 3,880 yards, 57 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also added 795 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. What’s scary is he could improve off of these numbers as a senior.

Dia Bell, American Heritage (Fla.), Senior: Bell won the Elite 11 competition over the summer and has already committed to play for Texas. The five-star signal caller was named Florida’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024 after throwing for 2,597 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 561 yards and five scores in an injury-shortened season.

Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park (Calif.), Senior: The Michigan commitment stands out among a talented crop of quarterbacks in the Golden State. Smigiel led Newbury Park to California’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship last season, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,521 yards, 49 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Running Back

Savion Hiter, Louisa County (Va.), Senior: There are not many high school football players in the country that explode out of the backfield like Hiter. The speedster averaged nearly 11 yards per carry with 1,897 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back is also a standout in track and field.

Jae Lamar, Colquitt County (Ga.), Senior: Lamar, a Georgia commit, is as good as they come out of South Georgia. The 6-foot, 205-pound running back rushed for 885 yards and 13 touchdowns on 112 carries in his junior season, showcasing his elite talent with an impressive 250-yard performance against regional foe Lowndes.

Derrek Cooper, Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.), Senior: The five-star Texas commitment rushed for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns on 124 carries as a junior, while also recording 46 tackles, four sacks and an interception on defense at linebacker.

Ezavier Crowell, Jackson (Ala.), Senior: Crowell, a four-star committed to Alabama, rushed for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns on 168 carries last season. He played a big part in Jackson’s 2024 AHSAA 4A state championship.

Wide Receiver

Tristen Keys, Hattiesburg (Miss.), Senior: If you’re looking for maybe the most college-ready wide receiver on the high school level, you don’t need to look much further than Keys. The Hattiesburg receiver has committed to the LSU Tigers and heads into 2025 looking to go out with a bang. Keys caught 58 passes for 1,275 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago. He could easily be a candidate to go over 1,500 yards this fall.

Eric McFarland, IMG Academy (Fla.), Sophomore: The 2028 standout heads into his sophomore season of high school football coming off a strong 2024 campaign for IMG Academy. McFarland was the leading wide receiver for arguably the top program in the Sunshine State as he hauled in 36 passes for 574 yards and nine scores a year ago.

Calvin Russell, Miami Northwestern (Fla.), Senior: South Florida always produces standout high school receivers and Russell is one of the latest special talents out of the 305. The Syracuse commitment is coming off a 2024 campaign that saw the nearly 6-foot-6 talent catch 39 passes for 704 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Madden Williams, St. John Bosco (Calif.), Senior: The Texas A&M commitment enters the season as one of the West Coast’s best talents out wide. Last season, Williams finished with 50 receptions for 851 yards and 13 touchdowns. Your first opportunity to catch Williams play in 2025 is when St. John Bosco visits Manatee (Fla.) on Aug. 22.

Brysen Wright, Mandarin (Fla.), Sophomore: If you haven’t seen Wright’s ridiculous one-handed catch at the NFL Flag championships, well, do yourself a favor and check that out and you’ll understand why the sophomore is on this list. Wright heads into this season looking to continue establishing himself as one of the country’s top wide receivers, regardless of class.

Tight End

Mark Bowman, Mater Dei (Calif.), Senior: Bowman is considered one of the top tight end recruits in the nation for the 2026 class after reclassifying. The five-star prospect is coming off a strong 2024 high school football campaign, having caught 31 passes for 427 yards and eight touchdowns.

Offensive Line

Jackson Cantwell, Nixa (Missouri), Senior: The 6-foot-7, 300-pound senior anchors Nixa’s offensive line, one of the top high school football teams in Missouri. Cantwell, a Miami commitment, led the way last season for the Eagles and made life a lot easier for the team’s quarterback. Nixa went 13-1 in 2024 and piled up over 5,000 yards of total offense and 83 touchdowns.

Kodi Greene, Mater Dei (Calif.), Senior: Returning at offensive tackle for the best high school football team in the country, Greene paved the way in 2024 for an offense that compiled over 4,300 yards and 55 touchdowns. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Washington commit is a force every time he steps onto the field for the Monarchs.

Immanuel Iheanacho, Georgetown Prep, Senior: The five-star Oregon commit leads the Little Hoyas up front on the line of scrimmage offensively. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound offensive tackle paved the way for Georgetown Prep and will do so again his senior season. Iheanacho led the way for an offense that averaged over 24 points per game last season and didn’t yield a sack from his position.

Felix Ojo, Lake Ridge (Texas), Senior: Ojo was one of the top offensive linemen in Texas last season and is back to make life miserable for opposing defenders this fall. The five-star Texas Tech commit led the way last fall for a Lake Ridge offense that totaled nearly 3,000 yards and found the endzone 23 times.

Keenyi Pepe, IMG Academy (Fla.): Playing for one of the top high school football programs in the land, Pepe will be the Ascenders’ top offensive lineman and there’s plenty to like about the senior. Pepe helped guide the way up front for IMG Academy to produce over 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns offensively.

Defensive Line

Lamar Brown, University Lab (La.), Senior: Defensive tackles like Brown don’t come around often these days. A rare combination of size, strength and quickness on the defensive line makes the LSU commitment extremely difficult to handle up front. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound star also won Louisiana 3A state titles in shot put and discus last year.

Zion Elee, St. Frances Academy (Md.), Senior: The five-star edge rusher is back for his senior season and will compete against some of the nation’s best this fall. Elee is committed to Maryland and will be a problem for any would-be offensive tackle or tight end trying to block him.

Zyron Forstall, IMG Academy (Fla.), Junior: Forstall transferred from Jesuit (La.) to IMG Academy over the offseason, joining what was already a pretty formidable defensive line unit. The 2027 edge rusher is the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ranking and joins an elite front that should cause havoc against any offensive line they face.

LaDamion Guyton, Benedictine School (Ga.), Senior: The Texas Tech commitment is the No. 2 prospect in his class according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Over his previous two years playing high school football, Guyton has totaled 134 tackles, 33 for loss and 16.5 sacks. Guyton transferred into Benedictine School during the offseason and is expected to make a major impact. =

Bryce Perry-Wright, Buford (Ga.), Senior: If you want to get a first-look at seeing Perry-Wright play this season, just tune into ESPN on Thursday night when Buford hosts Milton in a battle of Georgia powers. Perry-Wright, a Texas A&M commitment, comes into the season as one of the top interior defensive lineman in the country after notching 57 tackles, 13 for loss and nine sacks.

Tomuhini Topui, Mater Dei (Calif.), Senior: At 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, Topui is a load to handle for any offensive guard or center needing to attempt to one-on-one or even assist on a double-team block. A USC commit, Topui was a run stuffer and could pressure quarterbacks and displayed that for the Monarchs last season, compiling 42 tackles, 10.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Linebacker

Tyler Atkinson, Grayson (Ga.), Senior: Not many high school football players can operate sideline-to-sideline like Atkinson can, which has separated him from the rest around the country. The Texas Longhorns’ commitment in 2024 was a tackling machine for Grayson, notching 166 tackles, 32 going for a loss and 13 sacks.

Jordan Campbell, Miami Northwestern (Fla.), Senior: We dig into the Sunshine State again for one of the top players in the country heading into 2025 in Northwestern’s Campbell. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker helped lead a Bulls’ defense last season that only yielded 12 points through five playoff games. Campbell is committed to Miami.

Thomas Davis Jr., Weddington (N.C.), Senior: There was a former Carolina Panthers linebacker by the name of Thomas Davis that used to roam the middle of the field in the NFL. Now, his son is doing the same thing, already having committed to Notre Dame. Davis Jr. totaled 92 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss last season.

Xavier Griffin, Gainesville (Ga.), Senior: Griffin, an Alabama commitment, missed time during his junior season due to injury but returns fully healthy for 2025. Last season in eight games, Griffin made 43 tackles and logged six sacks.

Kaden Henderson, Jesuit (Fla.), Junior: Just one of two juniors that’s on this elite list of linebackers, Henderson’s ability to shoot gaps and cover players on the perimeter make him a hot commodity. Last season for the Jesuit Tigers, Henderson finished the 2024 high school football season totaling 92 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception.

Cooper Witten, Liberty Christian (Texas), Junior: Cooper is the son of former NFL tight end Jason Witten, who also is the head coach at Liberty Christian. The younger Witten has made a name for himself on defense and recorded 45 tackles, one sack and intercepted five passes as a sophomore.

Defensive Back

Jireh Edwards, St. Frances Academy (Md.), Senior: Another dynamic defensive player from St. Frances Academy, Edwards is a lockdown defender at safety. Last year, 2026 star showcased his abilities against some of the best programs last season like Mater Dei and Duncanville.

Justice Fitzpatrick, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), Senior: The younger brother of current NFL standout Minkah Fitzpatrick, the St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback has carved out his own path as a Raider. Justice, who is committed to Georgia, returns as the leader of St. Thomas Aquinas’ defensive backfield and is coming off a strong junior campaign that saw him tally 34 tackles, seven pass deflections and two picks.

Chauncey Kennon, Sarasota Booker (Fla.), Senior: Whether the Florida State five-star commitment was needed to make plays in the secondary or on offense, he could be counted on for the Tornadoes. Last season for the FHSAA Class 3A state semifinalist, Kennon made 33 tackles, batted away 16 passes and an interception along with adding over 300 yards receiving. Kennon will be one of the top defensive backs in high school football as the 2025 season commences.

Joey O’Brien, La Salle College (Penn.), Senior: O’Brien proved himself last season as one of the country’s best cornerbacks after a stellar junior campaign. The Notre Dame commitment helped lead the secondary of a La College High defense that only gave up 127 points in 11 games last season. The future Fighting Irish DB is fully capable of playing offense as well after catching 68 passes for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024.

Victor Singleton, Central Catholic (Ohio), Senior: The 6-foot, 160-pound defensive back heads into the fall campaign as one of the best high school football players in Ohio. Just over a year and a half removed from helping Central Catholic win a state championship in 2023, the Texas A&M commit is primed for a huge senior season.

Jett Washington, Bishop Gorman (Nev.), Senior: The five-star safety comes into the season with plenty of notoriety for his play on the field. The Oregon commitment will head up a talented Gaels’ defense after a 2024 campaign in which Washington tallied 38 total tackles and intercepted five passes.

Kicker

Gaston Gramatica, Cambridge Christian (Fla.), Senior: If you remember the crazy celebration dances of his father, Martin, then you’re thinking of the right Gramatica. It’s in Gramatica’s bloodlines to kick field goals and Gaston is the latest in a long line of stellar kickers in his family. The USF commit connected on a 55-yard field goal and made all 23 extra point attempts last year for the Lancers.

Jimmy Gregg, University (W.Va.), Senior: The Syracuse commitment proved in 2024 that he was one of the best punters in high school football when looking to pin opponents in their own territory. Gregg last season averaged nearly 43 yards per punt and had 20 downed punts inside of the 20-yard line.