**This press release was updated on August 8, 2018 to reflect the ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300 rankings which became available after the original distribution date.
- Seven Games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
- Kickoff Features 38 Players in ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300 and 21 Players who have committed to Division 1 College Football Programs
- 10 States Represented, Including Seven 2017 State Champions
The 2018 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff will conclude Summer of Next, taking place on August 24-26. The seven-game slate will feature 38 players ranked in ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr. 300, including three in the top 10: No. 4 Pierce Quick (Hewitt-Trussville, Ala.), No. 6 Owen Pappoe and No. 7 Wanya Morris (both of Grayson, Ga.) The annual event, in its ninth year, will have 10 states represented, and 21 players who have already committed to top college football programs including Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas and USC. Games will be on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.
California, Georgia and Florida lead the way with the most recruits participating, with 25 of the 38 ranked players hailing from those three states. The 2018 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff preludes the GEICO ESPN 2018 High School Football Showcase.
2018 ESPN GEICO High School Football Kickoff Schedule
Notes: All times are ET. Player Rankings are per ESPN 300 and ESPN Junior 300..Team rankings per USA TODAY SPORTS Super 25 Expert Rankings
Friday, August 24
No. 25 Warren Central (Ind.) vs. Trinity (Ky.)
6 p.m. on ESPNU from Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky.
Play-By-Play: David Neal
Analyst: Barrett Jones
- Trinity went 15-0 on their way to a state championship and a top ten national ranking in 2017. They return No. 171 Stephen Herron Jr., a Stanford commit at DE
- Warren Central will try to avenge a 42-41 loss to Trinity last season, and will look to their standout WR, No. 229 David Bell to help do so
No. 4 Mater Dei (Ca.) vs. No. 12 Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
9 p.m. on ESPNU from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev.
Play-By-Play: Mike Corey
Analyst: Rene Ingoglia
- Mater Dei is coming off a record year, going 15-0, capturing the CIF Open Division state title and earning a No. 1 national ranking. They will remain hard to beat with four players ranked in the ESPN 300 and five in ESPN Jr. 300
- Bishop Gorman boasts a talented roster with ten players holding D1 offers, and will be motivated to redeem a 14 point loss to Mater Dei last season
Saturday, August 25
Pinson Valley (Ala.) vs. No. 10 Hoover (Ala.)
Noon on ESPN from the Hoover Met, Hoover, Ala.
Play-By-Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Craig Haubert
Sideline Reporter: Tom Luginbill
- A matchup between the 6A and 7A Alabama state champs from 2017
- Pinson Valley was 15-0 last season and returns their signal caller, QB Bo Nix, the No. 50 ranked player in the country
- Defending 7A champ and perennial state power Hoover will be a test for Pinson Valley. Hoover features No. 95, WR George Pickens and No. 52 Jr. QB Robby Ashford
Cedar Grove (Ga.) vs. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.)
3:30 p.m. on ESPN from the Hoover Met, Hoover, Ala.
Play-By-Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Craig Haubert
Sideline Reporter: Tom Luginbill
- Cedar Grove had just one loss in 2017, advancing to the Georgia 3A semifinals with a young team. Their offense returns WR Jadon Haselwood (Georgia commit), the No. 12 player overall, while the defense has DT Rashad Cheney up front, the No. 212 ranked player
- Hewitt-Trussville’s only loss was to Alabama 7A Champ Hoover, and they return a trio of Alabama commits on offense with No. 4 ranked player Pierce Quick at OT, QB Paul Tyson, the great-grandson of legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant, throwing to No. 71 Jr. WR Dazalin Worsham; No. 190 Jr. CB Malachi Moore and No. 289 Jr. DT Eric Taylor return on defense
Tucker (Ga.) vs. No. 3 Grayson (Ga.)
6 p.m. on ESPNU from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga.
Play-By-Play: Tiffany Greene
Analyst: Jay Walker
- Grayson is one of the most talented teams in the country, with five players ranked near the top half of the ESPN 300 (including two in the top 10), and another six players with major D1 offers
- Tucker advanced to the Georgia 6A semifinals last season and returns No. 280 ranked player in the Jr. class, ATH Isaiah Dunson. Tucker is led on defense by Derrick McLendon who is fielding offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, LSU and Michigan to name a few
DeMatha (Md.) vs. No. 11 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
7 p.m. on ESPN2 from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Play-By-Play: Bill Roth
Analyst: John Congemi
- Both DeMatha and St. Thomas Aquinas are coming off of uncharacteristic “down-seasons” in 2017, but that does not mean there is any lack of fire-power on either side for these two national power-house programs
- Thomas Aquinas has an impressive eight players ranked in the ESPN 300 and ESPN Jr.300, four in each class
- DeMatha features No. 129 Nick Cross at S, ATH DeMarcco Hellams, the No. 133 ranked player who is an Alabama commit, and a pair of Jr. 300 ranked players: RB Marshawn Lloyd at No. 48 and No. 119 Coziah Izzard at DE
Sunday, August 26
Phillips (IIl.) vs. No. 22 Pickerington Central (Ohio)
12:30 p.m. on ESPN from Otterbein University in Westerville, Oh.
Play-By-Play: Mike Couzens
Analyst: Rocky Boiman
- This Midwest matchup between respectivestate champions will showcase recruits on both teams with offers from the Big 10 and SEC
- Phillips was 14-0 last season, capturing the 5A state title in Illinois, the first Chicago Public School to ever win a state championship in football
- Pickerington Central dropped only one game a season ago, on their way to a Division 1 state title in Ohio
ESPN 300 Participants (Class of 2019)
| Rank | Player | Position | High School | College Commitment* |
| 4 | Pierce Quick | OT | Hewitt-Trussville (AL) | Alabama |
| 6 | Owen Pappoe | OLB | Grayson (GA) | Auburn |
| 7 | Wanya Morris | OT | Grayson (GA) | Tennessee |
| 12 | Jadon Haselwood | WR | Cedar Grove (GA) | Georgia |
| 50 | Bo Nix | QB | Pinson Valley (AL) | Auburn |
| 56 | Mase Funa | OLB | Mater Dei (CA) | Oregon |
| 62 | Jeremiah Criddell | ATH | Mater Dei (CA) | Oregon |
| 76 | Bru McCoy | ATH | Mater Dei (CA) | |
| 86 | Anthony Solomon | OLB | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | Miami (FL) |
| 93 | Kenyatta Watson | CB | Grayson (GA) | Texas |
| 95 | George Pickens | WR | Hoover (AL) | Auburn |
| 105 | Kevin Harris | DE | Grayson (GA) | Alabama |
| 127 | Jordan Battle | S | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | Ohio St. |
| 129 | Nick Cross | S | DeMatha (MD) | |
| 133 | DeMarcco Hellams | ATH | DeMatha (MD) | Alabama |
| 157 | Trente Jones | OT | Grayson (GA) | Michigan |
| 171 | Stephen Herron Jr. | DE | Trinity (KY) | Stanford |
| 175 | Jaden Davis | CB | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | Oklahoma |
| 212 | Rashad Cheney | DT | Cedar Grove (GA) | Alabama |
| 229 | David Bell | WR | Warren Central (IN) | |
| 259 | Braylen Ingraham | DE | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | |
| 294 | Sean Dollars | RB | Mater Dei (CA) | Oregon |
ESPN Junior 300 Participants (Class of 2020)
| Rank | Player | Position | High School | College Commitment* |
| 16 | Elias Ricks | CB | Mater Dei (CA) | |
| 22 | Bryce Young | QB | Mater Dei (CA) | USC |
| 31 | Myles Murao | OG | Mater Dei (CA) | |
| 48 | Marshawn Lloyd | RB | DeMatha (MD) | |
| 52 | Robby Ashford | QB | Hoover (AL) | |
| 63 | Marcus Rosemy | WR | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | |
| 71 | Dazalin Worsham | WR | Hewitt-Trussville (AL) | Alabama |
| 119 | Coziah Izzard | DE | DeMatha (MD) | |
| 141 | Marcus Dumervil | DT | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | |
| 147 | Darion Green-Warren | CB | Mater Dei (CA) | Oklahoma |
| 187 | Derek Wingo | ATH | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | |
| 190 | Malachi Moore | CB | Hewitt-Trussville (AL) | |
| 259 | Sefita Tupe Jr. | DT | Mater Dei (CA) | |
| 275 | Devon Betty | OLB | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | |
| 280 | Isaiah Dunson | ATH | Tucker (GA) | |
| 289 | Eric Taylor | DT | Hewitt-Trussville (AL) |
*Please note: No player has signed with a school
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For further information on the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff and to request media credentials, please contact rkelner@paragonmarketing.biz
ESPN media contact:
Kimberly Elchlepp at kimberly.m.elchlepp@espn.com or 860-424-2923; @kimelchlepp
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