Best high school football sophomores in the nation: These 20 players showed out as freshmen

Expect even more out of these freshman superstars during their sophomore season this fall

The maturity gap between freshmen and seniors playing high school football is typically large, but these 20 rising sophomores weren't typical in 2022.

They head toward their sophomore season this fall having already thrived at the varsity level, with a few of them already boasting two years of varsity football experience since they played in eighth grade.

Here are 20 sophomore high school football players across the nation who showed out as freshmen and can be expected to play even bigger this fall.

Tyler Atkinson, Grayson OLB (Georgia)

Atkinson played right away for one of the best teams in Georgia as a freshman, piling up 112 tackles (22 for loss) and eight sacks. One of the top-ranked sophomore recruits in the country regardless of position, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder already holds offers from just about every major college program in the nation.

Kaiden Drinkwater, Leominster WR (Massachusetts)

Drinkwater exploded onto the scene as a freshman, making 46 catches for 783 yards and 11 touchdown receptions. He scored three touchdowns in Leominster's final game of the season, a Thanksgiving Day win over 116-year rival Fitchburg for the program's 800th win.

Manoah Faupusa, Los Alamitos DL/OL (California)

A 6-foot-2, 300-pound menace on both sides of the ball, Faupusa started at nose guard and offensive tackle for Los Alamitos as a freshman, and the rugby player also moved to fullback in some short-yardage situations. He will pair alongside fellow sophomore lineman Kapono Mao as a dynamic duo in the trenches this fall.

Deuce Geralds, Collins Hill DL (Georgia)

Geralds is coming off a freshman season in which he made 66 tackles (17.5 for loss) while piling up 10.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound pass rusher already holds a bunch of Division I offers.

Kodi Greene, Eastside Catholic OL (Washington)

At 6-foot-6, 270 pounds and still growing, Greene looks poised for a big sophomore season after starting at right tackle as a freshman. He earned honors as overall MVP among offensive and defensive linemen at the Avery Strong College Showcase last month.

Jalen Harris, Chester QB (Pennsylvania)

Harris set his school record with 20 touchdown passes just five games into his freshman season, and he didn't stop there. The 6-foot-1 quarterback finished with 2,260 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes and six interceptions while leading Chester to its first 10-win season since 1986.

Keisean Henderson, Legacy School of Sport Sciences QB/WR (Texas)

Henderson thrived as a wide receiver last season, but the 6-foot-3 athlete is expected to shift to starting quarterback this year. He finished his freshman season with 75 catches for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 370 passing and 141 rushing yards.

Chris Henry Jr., Withrow WR (Ohio)

The son of former West Virginia and Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Chris Henry, Chris Henry Jr. held several Division I offers before even starting his ninth-grade year as a 6-foot-2 receiver. He heads into his sophomore year standing 6-foot-6 and an even bigger target for the top college programs in the nation. Former NFL star Pacman Jones adopted Henry and his brother DeMarcus — a rising freshman who's a star basketball player — last year.

O'Mari Johnson, Wesson WR (Mississippi)

After scoring eight touchdowns playing varsity as an eighth-grader in 2021, Johnson had an even bigger "second freshman" campaign. He scored 20 total touchdowns (13 through the air, seven on the ground), catching 60 passes for 1,026 yards and rushing for 431 yards with an 8.3-yards-per-carry average.

Photo by Colin Hubbard

Julian Lewis, Carrollton QB (Georgia)

The 6-foot-1 quarterback threw for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns to lead Carrollton High to the state finals last fall in Georgia's biggest classification. The top college prospect in his class, Lewis set a state finals record with 531 passing yards and five touchdowns. 

Jaylen McGill, Broome RB (South Carolina)

McGill rushed for 1,036 yards and 23 touchdowns on 142 carries as a freshman, good for an average of 7.3 yards a carry. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back who holds offers from South Carolina and Virginia Tech led Broome to its first winning season since 2017 last year.

Sabby Meassick, Tohopekaliga QB (Florida)

Meassick is coming off a freshman season in which he passed for 3,044 yards and 38 touchdowns. He looked primed for the fall in Tohopekaliga's lightning-delayed spring game in May and already holds offers from Florida, Wake Forest and Marshall, among others.

Corey Sadler Jr., Cass Tech WR/DB (Michigan)

Sadler starred on the gridiron and basketball court as a freshman, earning All-State honors in football as a 5-foot-10 receiver who also thrived in the return game. His game of the year in the fall came in a six-touchdown performance (all receiving and return touchdowns) against Renaissance in a 66-0 Cass Tech win. He recently added Alabama to his list of 15 offers.

Ansu Sanoe, Lakeridge RB/TE/LB (Oregon)

"Athlete" is the most appropriate label for Sanoe, as he can play so many positions that it's unclear where the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder will play in college. But major programs including Georgia, Miami, Oregon and Tennessee have already offered him.

D'Antae Sheffey, State College RB (Pennsylvania)

Following a stellar freshman season in which he rushed for 1,725 yards and 22 touchdowns, Sheffey is primed for a big fall season. The 6-foot, 190-pound running back holds Power 5 offers from Pitt, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Rutgers and has taken visits to Oklahoma and Texas A&M. 

Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park QB (California)

Smigiel is coming off a record-setting season in which the 6-foot-5 quarterback threw for 3,479 yards and 46 touchdowns, both California records for a freshman. He's picked up offers the past couple of months from Oregon, Oregon State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Nebraska.

Jahkeem Stewart, St. Augustine DT (Louisiana)

Stewart has been piling up Division I offers since middle school. Once the stars come out on the national recruiting websites for the Class of 2026, Stewart is likely to have five of them across the board. Nicknamed "Thanos," the 6-foot-6, 280-pound defensive tackle will continue being a menace to offensive linemen this fall.

Malachi Toney, Plantation American Heritage WR (Florida)

A 5-10 receiver, Toney followed an outstanding freshman season with 144 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the FBU All-American Bowl. He had 35 catches for 621 yards and eight touchdowns last fall despite playing on the same team as incoming Ohio State freshman Brandon Inniss.

Braylen Williams, Nettleton QB (Mississippi)

A classic dual-threat quarterback, Williams led his team in passing and rushing as a freshman after also getting some varsity playing time as an eighth-grader in 2021. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder threw for more than 2,000 yards and 35 touchdown passes last fall while running for more than 700 yards.

Jonas Williams, Bolingbrook QB (Illinois)

Williams finished his stellar freshman campaign with 2,737 passing yards and 37 touchdowns in 10 games. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound signal-caller enters his sophomore season already holding offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Michigan, Purdue and Illinois.