- Beginning September 1, Weekly Coverage of Best High School Football Matchups
- Showcase to Feature Top Players from ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300
- More than 30 Participants Have Verbally Committed to Division I College Football Programs
The 2017 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase will feature matchups between some of the top high school football programs from across the country. The 11-game schedule begins Friday, Sept. 1, and will continue through Friday, Oct. 27. This year’s showcase will feature more than 50 ranked players from ESPN 300 (Class of 2018) and ESPN Junior 300 (Class of 2019), including athletes who have committed to some of the top Division I programs—Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi St., Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC and Washington. A total of 13 states and Washington, D.C., will be represented in this season’s showcase.
Among this year’s teams are seven nationally ranked teams, according to USA Today High School Sports: No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.), No. 4 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) No. 10 De La Salle High School (Calif.), No. 17 Miami Central (Fla.), No. 18 Bergen Catholic High School (N.J.), No. 19 St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) and No. 21 Carol City High School (Fla.).
Combined with the 2017 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff , ESPN will televise 18 high school football games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.
2017 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase Highlights
- 1 Ranked Player: Quarterback Justin Fields of Harrison High School (Kennesaw, Ga.), the No. 1 overall player in the ESPN 300, will face Dalton High School (Dalton, Ga.) on Thursday, Oct.19
- Top 25 Matchups: 21 St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) travels to No. 10 De Las Salle High School (Calif.) on Friday, Sept. 1, and No. 18 Miami Central (Fla.) is set to face No. 4 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) on Friday, Sept. 8
- Top-Ranked Quarterbacks: Six ESPN 300 ranked quarterbacks will be on display, including No. 1 Justin Fields of Harrison (Ga.), No. 30 Jacob Sirmon of Bothell (Wash.), No. 48 Justin Rogers of Parkway (La.), No. 53 Dorian Thompson-Robinson of Bishop Gorman (Nev.), No. 109 Artur Sitkowski of IMG Academy (Fla.) and 112 Spencer Sanders of Ryan (Tex.)
2017 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase Schedule
Note: All game times are ET. Team rankings are per USA Today High School Sports. Player Rankings are per ESPN 300 and ESPN Junior 300.
Week 1
Friday, September 1
No. 19 St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) vs. No. 10 De La Salle High School (Calif.)
11 p.m. on ESPNU from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif.
- East Coast up-and-comer St. John’s from Washington, D.C. makes the cross-country trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to face traditional West Coast power De La Salle. Both top-twenty ranked teams look to avenge runner-up finishes in their respective state/conference championships in 2016
- De La Salle’s notable players include No. 104 Tuli Letuligasenoa (USC commit), as well as two on ESPN Jr. 300: No. 14 Henry To’oto’o, and No. 114 Isaiah Foskey
Week 2
Friday, September 8
St. Frances Academy (Md.) vs. No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.)
7 p.m. on ESPNU from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
- In his first year as St. Frances’ head coach last season, coach Henry Russell turned the Panther program around from 2-10 to 10-2; they will try to ride that momentum into this season as they face IMG Academy, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the country, where they finished last season
- IMG has eleven players ranked in the ESPN 300, including the No. 2 Xavier Thomas, defensive end (Clemson commit), as well as eight players ranked in ESPN 300 Junior class
- Frances features linemen on both sides of the ball with No. 4 Eyabi Anoma, and No. 64 Jaelyn Duncan (Maryland commit); St. Frances as boasts three athletes on the ESPN Jr. 300, including No. 38 Shane Lee
No. 17 Miami Central (Fla.) vs. No. 4 Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
10 p.m. on ESPNU from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Miami Central travels to Las Vegas with No. 57 James Cook, running back (brother of rookie Vikings RB Dalvin Cook) and No. 263 Robert Hicks (Louisville commit)
- Bishop Gorman finished last season on a 54-game winning streak and ranked No. 1 in the country; they return two seniors who rank in the top 50 in the country
Week 3
Friday, September 15
Parkway High School (La.) vs. Pulaski Academy (Ark.)
10 p.m. on ESPNU from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Neighboring states battle it out as 2016 Louisiana 5A quarterfinalist Parkway travels to Arkansas to take on 5A state champ Pulaski
- Parkway will rely heavily on the high-profile connection between No. 9 Terrace Marshall Jr., and No. 48 Justin Rogers (TCU commit)
- Pulaski’s offense is led by head coach Kevin Kelley whose fearless, high-tempo play-calling has received national attention because he rarely, if ever, punts. Junior Hudson Henry is No. 67 in the 2019 class
Week 4
Friday, September 22
Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) vs. American Heritage (Fla.)
7 p.m. on ESPNU from American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida
- About 15 miles separates these two Ft. Lauderdale area schools, who both boast rosters full of Division I recruits
- Chaminade was the 3A runner-up in 2016, but returns with five players ranked in the ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300, led by the No. 29 Xavier Williams (Alabama commit)
- American Heritage is the returning 5A state champion, and tout seven ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300 players, including the top two ranked cornerbacks in the senior class: No. 6 Patrick Surtain Jr. and No. 8 Tyson Campbell
Mullen (Col.) vs. Bothell (Wash.)
10 p.m. on ESPNU from Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell, Wash.
- In the second game of an ESPNU doubleheader, Mullen will make the trip from Colorado to Washington to take on Bothell; both teams look to improve on 9-3 records in 2016
- Mullen features No. 172 Adrian Jackson,(Oregon commit), along with wide receiver A’Jon Vivens and offense lineman Florian McCann, who are both committed to play at Colorado State
- Bothell will look to advance past the 4A quarterfinals this year, and will depend on the play of quarterback and No. 30 Jacob Sirmon
Week 5
Thursday, September 28
Ryan High School (Texas) vs. Denton High School (Texas)
8 p.m. on ESPN2 from C.H. Collins Stadium in Denton, Texas
- North Texas cross-town rivalry game
- Ryan came up just shy of a 5A state championship appearance in 2016 when No. 112 Spencer Sanders went down in the semis with a knee injury. This season, Ryan is likely the favorite to win a 5A state title with Sanders, is back at full strength along with wide receiver Gabriel Douglas
- Denton will look to play spoiler in this one, as the Broncos hope to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season, this time under first-year head coach Billy Miller, who was an assistant coach at Ryan last season
Friday, September 29
Cathedral High School (Ind.) vs. Ryle High School (Ky.)
8 p.m. on ESPNU from Ryle Union High School in Union, Ky.
- Both 6A quarterfinalists in their respective states, Cathedral will make the two-hour trip from Indianapolis to Union, Kentucky, to face Ryle High School
- Cathedral played a tough Midwest schedule in 2016, and will look to build on that experience with the return of two ESPN 300 players: No. 54 Emil Ekiyor (Michigan commit), and top running back Markese Stepp (Notre Dame commit)
- Ryle was 12-1 last season with their lone loss coming in the quarterfinals, 42-40. The Raiders look to take the next step behind senior running back Jacob Chisholm, who had 1,700 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns last season).
Week 6 – Bye Week
Week 7
Thursday, October 12
No. 21 Carol City (Fla.) vs. Miami Northwestern (Fla.)
8 p.m. on ESPN2 from Traz Powell Stadium in Miami, Fla.
- These two Miami teams split a pair of games last season, with a total differential of only 12 points between the two games
- Carol City comes off a 6A state championship and is ranked No. 21 nationally. Notable players include No. 164 Camron Davis and junior Nayquan Wright
- Northwestern looks to redeem a second round playoff loss to Carol City last year. Notable players include cornerback Divaad Wilson. (Florida commit) and defensive back Rachad Wildgoose (Georgia commit)
Week 8
Thursday, October 19
Dalton High School (Ga.) vs. Harrison High School (Ga.)
7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 from Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga.
- Dalton was 13-1 last season, beating Harrison on the way to the 6A semifinal, where they suffered their only loss to eventual state champion, and GEICO State Champions Bowl Series participant Valdosta
- Harrison will attempt to improve on their 10-2, second round playoff season from 2016, behind Justin Fields, the No. 1 overall ranked player on the ESPN 300
Week 9
Friday, October 27
No. 18 Bergen Catholic High School (N.J.) vs. Don Bosco Prep (N.J)
6 p.m. on ESPN2 from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.
- Classic New Jersey battle between two Catholic school powers; a game that Bosco won in overtime over Bergen last season
- Bergen is ranked No. 18 and returns with quarterback Johnny Langan (Boston College commit), running back Rahmir Johnson, as well as senior Javontae Jean-Baptiste
- Bosco will be tough on the defensive side of the ball, with No. 125 Tyler Friday Marcellus Earlington and safety Kevin Brennan.
ESPN 300 Participants (Class of 2018)
| Rank | Pos. | Athlete | High School | College Commitment* |
| 1 | QB | Justin Fields | Harrison High School | |
| 2 | DE | Xavier Thomas | IMG Academy | Clemson |
| 4 | DE | Eyabi Anoma | St. Frances Academy | |
| 6 | CB | Patrick Surtain Jr. | American Heritage | |
| 8 | CB | Tyson Campbell | American Heritage | |
| 9 | WR | Terrace Marshall Jr. | Parkway High School | |
| 13 | DT | Taron Vincent | IMG Academy | Ohio State |
| 21 | ILB | Palaie Gaoteote | Bishop Gorman | USC |
| 29 | ATH | Xavier Williams | Chaminade-Madonna | Alabama |
| 30 | QB | Jacob Sirmon | Bothell High School | Washington |
| 32 | TE | Brevin Jordan | Bishop Gorman | Miami (Fla.) |
| 44 | LB | Ayodele Adeoye | IMG Academy | Texas |
| 48 | QB | Justin Rogers | Parkway High School | TCU |
| 53 | QB | Dorian Thompson-Robinson | Bishop Gorman | UCLA |
| 54 | OG | Emil Ekiyor | Cathedral High School | Michigan |
| 57 | RB | James Cook | Miami Central | |
| 64 | OT | Jaelyn Duncan | St. Frances Academy | Maryland |
| 67 | WR | Anthony Schwartz | American Heritage | |
| 81 | CB | Houston Griffith | IMG Academy | |
| 85 | DE | Stephon Wynn | IMG Academy | Alabama |
| 97 | RB | T.J. Pledger | IMG Academy | Oklahoma |
| 104 | DT | Tuli Letuligasenoa | De La Salle | USC |
| 105 | DT | Nesta Silvera | American Heritage | Miami (Fla.) |
| 109 | QB | Artur Sitkowski | IMG Academy | Miami (Fla.) |
| 112 | QB-DT | Spencer Sanders | Billy Ryan High School | Oklahoma State |
| 118 | WR | Brian Hightower | IMG Academy | Miami (Fla.) |
| 122 | OG | Curtis Dunlap Jr. | IMG Academy | Florida |
| 125 | DT | Tyler Friday | Don Bosco Prep | |
| 158 | DE | Andrew Chatfield | American Heritage | |
| 164 | RB | Camron Davis | Carol City High School | Miami (Fla.) |
| 172 | OLB | Adrian Jackson | J.K. Mullen | Oregon |
| 187 | ATH | Brendan Radley-Hiles | IMG Academy | Nebraska |
| 200 | OLB | Mike Jones Jr. | IMG Academy | Clemson |
| 223 | RB | Markese Stepp | Cathedral High School | Notre Dame |
| 263 | ILB | Robert Hicks | Miami Central | Louisville |
| 265 | OT | Reuben Unije | IMG Academy | |
| 270 | CB | Divaad Wilson | Miami Northwestern High School | Florida |
| 288 | RB | Shaun Shivers | Chaminade-Madonna | Auburn |
| 298 | WR | Gabriel Douglas | Billy Ryan High School | Texas Tech |
ESPN Junior 300 Participants (Class of 2019)
| Rank | Pos. | Athlete | High School | College Commitment* |
| 4 | DE | Nolan Smith | IMG Academy | Georgia |
| 12 | RB | Trey Sanders | IMG Academy | Alabama |
| 14 | OLB | Henry To’oto’o | De La Salle High School | |
| 22 | OG | Deyavie Hammond | IMG Academy | Alabama |
| 23 | RB | Noah Cain | IMG Academy | |
| 38 | ILB | Shane Lee | St. Frances Academy | |
| 67 | TE-Y | Hudson Henry | Pulaski Academy | |
| 114 | TE-H | Isaiah Foskey | De La Salle High School | |
| 115 | RB | Nayquan Wright | Carol City High School | |
| 130 | WR | Cameron Coleman | IMG Academy | |
| 152 | OG | Evan Neal | IMG Academy | |
| 169 | S | Keontra Smith | Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School | Kentucky |
| 250 | ILB | Charles Thomas | IMG Academy | Michigan |
| 257 | CB | Te’Cory Couch | Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School | Tennessee |
| 269 | OLB | Mikel Jones | IMG Academy | |
| 274 | OG | Darrian Dalcourt | St. Frances Academy | |
| 275 | RB | Joachim Bangda | St. John’s College High School | |
| 289 | OG | Mark Fox Jr. | Miami Northwestern High School | |
| 293 | RB | Rahmir Johnson | Bergen Catholic High School | |
| 296 | QB-DT | Jalon Jones | St. Frances Academy | Mississippi State |
*Please note: No player has signed with a school
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