The 50 best high school football players in America right now, ranked

If you don't already know their names, you certainly will soon. These 50 football talents from the class of 2021 are the best high school prospects in the nation.

These student athletes come from all over the country. From the Pacific Northwest to South Florida, they hail from 16 states, plus Washington D.C.. Some of these athletes play for top-rated programs like IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, while others lead smaller-market squads. 

Landon Tengwall is the top football recruit out of Maryland. He is an offensive lineman at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney. Next year, he'll join the Nittany Lions at Penn State.

Mike Hall is a defensive tackle for the Streetsboro High School Rockets. In 2020, Hall was named to the MaxPreps All-State high school football team in Ohio.

Jojo Earle is a running back and wide receiver from Aledo, Texas. In his first three seasons for the Aledo Bearcats, this 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior totaled 827 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. Earle is committed to attend LSU after graduation.

Jakailin Johnson plays cornerback for the De Smet Jesuit Spartans. He's the top-ranked recruit out of Missouri. He'll join Mike Hall on the Ohio State Buckeyes defense next season.

Pro-style quarterback Jake Garcia played his first three years of high school football in California, but, with football on ice due to COVID-19 restrictions, Garcia relocated to Georgia for his senior season.

Where he'll end up next season is also in question now. After being slated to play for USC since September 2019, Garcia decommitted from the Trojans.

In his two years on the varsity squad at Southern California’s Mater Dei, outside linebacker Raesjon Davis has earned 15 sacks and 73 solo tackles. Next year, you can catch Davis in purple and gold as he heads east to LSU.

This four-star running back out of West Bloomfield, Michigan was in the midst of an incredible senior season when the state shut down high school football mid-playoffs. He hasn't announced his intentions for college yet, but 247Sports.com's Crystal Ball prediction is fairly certain Edwards is staying in Michigan to play for the Wolverines.

Clayton Smith is a weak-side defensive for the Texas High School Tigers in Texarkana. Every year, the team's rivalry game against Arkansas High — in Texarkana, Ark. — is a hotly anticipated community event in the town that straddles the border between the two states.

Smith will be suiting up for the Sooners next season.

During his four years on the varsity squad at Plant City High School, Williams caught 160 passes for a total of 3,191 yards. His senior year, he averaged 82.6 yards per game.

This senior linebacker certainly takes after his dad: The elder Jeremiah Trotter is a retired linebacker who spent 12 seasons in the NFL playing for teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will head to Clemson next season.

This Texas running back averaged 120 rushing yards per game over his high school career. He hasn't committed to a college just yet, but programs on his list include powerhouses like Texas, Texas A&M, LSU and Oklahoma.

Ty Thompson is the top-rated recruit out of Arizona. During his high school career, this pro-style QB threw 94 passing touchdowns in just 30 games. He's headed to Oregon next year to play for the Ducks.

This ridiculously athletic utility player can fit into many roles on the football field. But receiving passes is where he really shines. In just two seasons on Ryan's varsity squad, he racked up 1,516 receiving yards.

Good luck advancing the football with Tunmise Adeleye on the strong end of the defensive line. In his first two seasons of varsity play, he earned 11 sacks and 72 solo tackles in just 25 games. Adeleye hasn't announced a college yet, but he has expressed interest in Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M.

Troy Franklin is a 6-foot-2 wide receiver out of Menlo Park, Calif. During his high school career, he's been on the receiving end of 28 touchdown passes. He's got a few rushing touchdowns to his name, too, for those keeping score.

The top-ranked high school player in Utah, Kingsley Suamataia is 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds. He's basically a walking pancake block: His first two years at Orem, he averaged more than four per game.

Brooks is the No. 2 wide receiver in this year's crop of talent. His team, IMG Academy, is the top-rated in the country. The Ascenders finished their season with a statement victory, trouncing the TRU Prep Academy Saints 41-6.

During his three years on the North Gwinnett varsity football team, Carter racked up 116 solo tackles and 18 sacks. He'll be taking his talents to Clemson next year.

Silver played basketball and football at Rocky Mount High School in North Carolina. But he really made his mark on the gridiron, as a strong-side defensive end for the Gryphons.

Turner is the fourth-ranked defensive end in this year's crop of talent and No. 5 among players from Texas. The jury's still out on where Turner will go for college, but the 247Sports.com Crystal Ball thinks he'll likely end up at Texas A&M.

In two years of varsity action at Weddington, Shipley, a talented all-purpose back, notched 3,457 rushing yards. He'll be headed to Clemson in 2021. The Tigers no doubt hope Shipley will add to their running game. Last year, the team was in the bottom half of the ACC in terms of rushing yards per game.

Despite his high school's losing record, Smael Mondon still makes the cut on this list. He's the No. 2 outside linebacker in his graduating class.

Sage Ryan played both offense and defense during his time as a Lafayette Christian Academy Knight. He helped lead his team to two consecutive state titles in 2018 and 2019. His versatility will serve him well at the next level.

Jason Marshall made our All-American second-team in 2020. Scouts compare him to another cornerback out of Miami, three-time Pro Bowler Xavier Rhodes. But unlike Rhodes, Marshall won't be donning the garnet and gold next year. He's headed to Gainesville to play for Dan Mullen and the Gators.

Camar Wheaton is a running back out of Garland, Texas, and — as is important for running backs — he's fast. In addition to playing football, Wheaton was also on the Lakeview Centennial track team. He hasn't committed to a college yet, but reports suggest he's weighing his options at Alabama and Oklahoma.

McCord is a pro-style quarterback from Philadelphia. His strong leadership and high football IQ make McCord an easy bet to follow in the cleat-steps of current Buckeyes starting QB Justin Fields.

Henderson is the top-rated running back in the class of 2021. In 2019, he helped lead his team to an undefeated season and a state title. He'll be an impact player for Ohio State right out of the gate.

Ga'Quincy McKinstry is the No. 1 cornerback in this crop of talent as well as the top player out of Alabama. The Pinson Valley Indians won the 6A state championship during McKinstry's senior year, in 2020.

Having "starting quarterback on the nation's top-ranked high school football team" on your college application is sure to impress, especially when said top-ranked team's offense is all about the passing game.

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Sanders is an impressive athlete for his size. On Friday, December 4, 2020, Sanders pulled off a stunning, one-arm, 25-yard touchdown pass over the outstretched arm of a Frisco Lone Star defender. The two-way threat is committed to attend Texas in the fall.

Another product of Florida's IMG Academy, Xavian Sorey has the potential to be an impact player at an elite football school. He hasn't announced his college intentions just yet, but Alabama, Georgia and Florida are all courting the talented linebacker.

Damon Payne is the No. 1 recruit coming out of Michigan in the class of 2021. This five-star defensive tackle will join many of the other top-50 players on Nick Saban's Crimson Tide team in the fall. Alabama's incoming class currently sits atop 247Sports.com's composite rankings for recruits.

This athletic, 300-plus-pound defensive tackle is Louisiana's No. 1 export in 2021. He hasn't announced where he'll attend college yet. LSU, Alabama and Georgia are all contenders to win Smith's services.

No. 77, offensive guard Donovan Jackson isn't just the top-ranked player of his position in America, he's the only OG to crack the top 50.

The nation's top inside linebacker hails from Opa Locka, Florida. Scouts compare Lewis to Tampa Bay Buccaneer Pro Bowl linebacker Lavonte David. We don't yet know where Lewis will opt to go to college, but Auburn, Tennessee and Miami are all in the mix of school's he's considering.

This huge five-star offensive tackle is Pennsylvania's top-ranked player class of 2021. Nolan Rucci has a verbal commitment to play for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2021.

Brock Vandagriff showcased elite talent at the quarterback position at the high school level. During his senior year at Prince Avenue Christian, he threw for 3,342 passing yards and 101 passing touchdowns.

Recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins described James Williams as "a unicorn of a prospect" and a "rare combination of size and skill set suggest he’s a future NFL Draft pick." Williams is headed to the University of Miami after graduation.

Sam Huard is the top-rated quarterback from the class of 2021. His college-ready passing skills and knack for reading defensive formations will serve him well at Washington next year.

Viringia's No. 1 export has a handful of schools still on his list of potential college choices. Leigh is a talented offensive tackle who also lettered in basketball in high school.

Leonard Taylor is a formidable opponent on defense. At the high school level, he's shown an impressive ability to break through gaps in the offensive line to reach the quarterback. Taylor's highlight reel also includes some nifty interceptions from passes he swatted out of the air.

Emeka Egbuka, a consensus five-star wide receiver, is the No. 2 prospect out of Washington. In his first three years at Steilacoom High School, he caught 181 passes for 3,727 yards. Egbuka hasn't committed to a college yet: Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington are on his short list.

Dallas Turner is a defensive end who spent his senior season with South Florida powerhouse program St. Thomas Aquinas. He's one of the biggest defensive names in Alabama's top-ranked recruiting class.

It's only fitting that Georgia's top high school player would head to Athens after graduation. Expect this strong offensive tackle to make an impact quickly with the Bulldogs.

If you don't know him already, you will know this crafty quarterback's name Sooner (see what we did there?) rather than later. Charles Power described Williams as "the most talented quarterback prospect to come from the Mid-Atlantic region in a decade."

Tommy Brockermeyer is the No. 1 prospect out of Texas. That fact alone should be some indication of his potential at the college level and beyond. He's headed to Alabama in the fall.

Jack Sawyer is a versatile strong-side defensive end. In high school, he displayed the ability to rush the pass and slow the run game. He's on his way to Ohio State from Pickerington North High School.

J.T. Tuimoloau is a strong-side defensive end out of Washington, and he's on track to become one of the best pass rushers at the college level. He has yet to give a verbal commitment to any college, but Ohio State and Washington seem to be floating to the top of the pile.

JC Latham, Florida's top prospect, transferred to powerhouse program IMG Academy for his junior and senior seasons. He also moved across the line of scrimmage from the defensive line to offensive tackle.

Korey Foreman is the top-rated high school football player in the class of 2021. Scouts have been consistently impressed with Foreman's speed, power and pass-rushing moves. The strong-side defensive end hasn't announced where he'll go for college yet. Schools still in the running to land this five-star recruit are Clemson, Georgia, LSU and USC.