High School

20 blue chip high school football prospects who are also nation's best in track and field

The track/football two-sport standout isn't uncommon in high school. Here are 20 stars who excel in both.

Bob Lundeberg

Florida High junior Micahi Danzy (8) leaps through the air in the Class 2S state semifinal matchup between Florida High and Bishop Verot.
Micahi Danzy of Florida State University School (Florida).  :: © Jack Williams/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

From Tyreek Hill to Ed Reed, some of the biggest names in football history are also known for their track and field exploits.

The trend has continued during the 2022-23 high school season as many of the nation’s best football players are shining this spring in the sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws.

Here are 20 of the top football-track crossovers who are tearing it up in both sports. 

Jarvis Anderson, sr., Taylor (Texas)

A star wide receiver and defensive back for Taylor who scored 14 total touchdowns last fall, Anderson is also one of the best track athletes in the nation. He has the second-fastest 300 hurdles time in the country this spring at 36.30. Anderson, who will compete in football and track for Stephen F. Austin, is deaf. His lack of hearing didn’t stop him from earning a Division I scholarship.

Gatlin Bair, jr., Burley (Idaho)

Photo by Julian Jenkins

Bair, a blazing wide receiver from Idaho, ran a wind-aided 10.18 100 at the Texas Relays — the third-fastest all-conditions time nationally this spring. The junior also holds an impressive personal record of 20.61 in the 200. A four-star recruit for the class of 2024, Bair holds more than two dozen football offers. He scored 18 touchdowns last fall.

Micah Bell, sr., Kinkaid (Texas)

Kinkaid Episcopal 4A SPC Championship Texas Football 110522 Tom Dendy 6
Photo by Tom Dendy

Bell, a four-star cornerback prospect who signed with Notre Dame in December, rushed for 1,395 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior. This spring, he has one of the best long jump marks in the country at 24-2.25. 

J’Dyn Bullion, sr., Bellevue West (Nebraska)

Bullion owns the nation’s best discus throw this season at 200-6. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound senior plays running back and linebacker on the football field. Bullion, a Division II Wayne State College football signee, had 77 tackles last fall and scored a pair of touchdowns on offense. He also played on Bellevue West’s state championship basketball team. 

Jackson Cantwell, fr., Nixa (Missouri)

The 6-foot-8, 285-pound Cantwell is a three-sport star who excels at left tackle (football), center (basketball) and the shot put and discus. As a football prospect, his Division I offers include Arkansas, Miami, Missouri and Texas A&M. He is the son of former United States Olympians Christian and Teri (Steer) Cantwell, both of whom were throwers. 

Micahi Danzy, jr., Florida State University School (Florida)

Micahi Danzy
Photo by Matt Christopher

Danzy dominated during his junior season on the gridiron, rushing for 1,809 yards (9.5 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. The four-star football recruit is also a standout sprinter with nationally-ranked times in the 100 (10.61) and 400 (46.16).  

Bryce Dopson, sr., Brookwood (Georgia)

Grayson vs Brookwood Football 10-21-2022 Jamie Spaar 48
Photo by Jamie Spaar

One of the best hurdlers in the country, Dopson ran a 300 hurdles time of 37.16 in March at the Gwinnett County Varsity Championships. Dopson, a three-star Georgia Tech signee, had 691 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season for Brockwood. 

Karson Gordon, jr., Episcopal (Texas)

Kinkaid Episcopal 4A SPC Championship Texas Football 110522 Tom Dendy 9
Photo by Tom Dendy

Gordon has the top triple jump mark in the county this season at 51-5.75. The junior’s big leap came at the Texas Relays. The three-star quarterback passed for 2,157 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior while running for 699 more yards and eight scores. The dual-threat QB committed to UNLV in April. 

Christopher Johnson, sr., Dillard (Florida)

Johnson, the defending Class 3A state champion in the 100 and 200, holds season-best times in those events at 10.48 and 20.73 respectively. The Miami signee is a four-star prospect who could play running back or slot receiver for the Hurricanes. 

Troy Lane, sr., Pickerington Central (Ohio)

day two ohio track and field championships gabe haferman.4
Photo by Gabe Haferman

Lane is another standout sprinter who ran a wind-aided 10.19 100 at the Texas Relays. The senior played on both sides of the ball for Pickerington Central but made his mark in the secondary, recording 59 tackles last fall. 

Riley Marx, sr., Andale (Kansas)

Marx owns a PR of 207-10 in the javelin and has already thrown 202-1 this spring. He is a four-time Class 3A state champion in football who made first-team all-state as a senior, recording 20 tackles for loss while averaging 9.7 yards per carry. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder holds Division I football offers from Old Dominion and UTEP. 

Roury McCloyen, sr., St. Joseph (Mississippi)

A Class 4A all-state offensive lineman, McCloyen is also one of the best throwers in the country. His season-best marks in the discus (192-10) and shot put (62-8.25) rank among the nation’s best. McCloyen will be a track athlete in college, staying home to compete for Mississippi State. 

Tyler Michelini, sr., Lake Park (Illinois)

In just his second season of track, Michelini’s shot put PR of 63-1.75 is one of the best in the nation this spring. The rugged 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior will play college football for Division II power Grand Valley State. 

Dakorien Moore, so., Duncanville (Texas)

Moore, one of the most coveted class of 2025 prospects, already holds more than 30 Division I football offers. He is the country’s No. 5 overall sophomore and second-best receiver, according to 247Sports. In track, Moore’s long jump PR of 24-7 ranks seventh nationally. 

Dwight Phillips, jr., Pebblebrook (Georgia)

Dwight Phillips Jr.
Courtesy of Hayes Fawcett, On3

Phillips Jr., the reigning Class 7A 100 state champion, has yet to lose a race this season and owns a PR of 10.26. He is the son of four-time world champion and Olympian Dwight Phillips. On the football field, the younger Phillips is an electric four-star athlete who committed to Georgia in January. 

Brayden Platt, jr., Yelm (Washington)

Brayden Platt Yelm 2024 linebacker football washington
Photo by Andy Buhler

An elite all-around athlete, Yelm is a four-star linebacker recruit for the class of 2024 with offers from many of college football’s top programs. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior has also been tearing it up in throwing events this spring with season-best marks of 189-7 (javelin) and 61-0 (shot put). 

Rodrick Pleasant, sr., Gardena Serra (California)

Rodrick Pleasant

One of the fastest defensive backs in the country, Pleasant is a top-100 national recruit who signed with Oregon in February. Pleasant ran a 10.14 100 during his junior track season and has a top time of 10.23 this spring. 

Eric Singleton Jr., sr., Alexander (Georgia)

Singleton Jr. shined during his senior season for Alexander, catching 65 passes for 1,115 yards and 12 touchdowns while also averaging 23.6 yards per kickoff return. The Georgia Tech signee has track speed with lofty PR times in the 100 (10.32) and 200 (20.72). 

Ben Smith, jr., Hortonville (Wisconsin)

Hortonville High School's Ben Smith competes in the Division 1 discus throw final during the WIAA state track meet on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at Veterans Memorial Stadium Complex in La Crosse, Wis.
Wm. Glasheen, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A three-sport standout, Smith racked up 126 tackles (nine for loss) in eight football games as a junior. He also wrestles and has the top shot put mark in the country this spring at 67-7.25. 

Dijon Stanley, sr., Granada Hills (California)

Dijon Stanley

The four-star Utah signee was one of the most dynamic running backs in the country last fall, rushing for 2,756 yards and 33 touchdowns. Stanley has the nation’s best 400 time (45.92) of the spring and has also shined in the 100 (10.59) and 200 (20.86). 

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

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