Arizona’s best high school football players: Part 3 of SBLive’s countdown

The 2020 Arizona high school football season kicks off this week, and leading up to Friday night, we’ll be counting down our list of the 25 best players in the state.

The 2020 Arizona high school football season kicks off this week, and leading up to Friday night, we’ll be counting down our list of the 25 best players in the state.

Note that this list is based on players’ expected performance this season at the high school level. It is not merely a list of top recruits, and college potential/longterm upside is not considered.

Read more of our 2020 high school football preview content here.

Nicco Marchiol (Hamilton) photo by Annalisa Masunas

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Top 25 Players in Arizona HS Football — Part 3

15. Devin Brown, QB, Queen Creek, 6-4, 185, Jr.

The USC commit has one of the liveliest arms in the state and can extend plays. He passed for 1,319 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Bulldogs after sitting out the first five games last season following his transfer from Casteel. 

14. Dorian Singer, WR/DB, Pinnacle, 6-1, 175, Sr.

Singer, a transfer from Tartan in Oakdale, Minn., was an all-Metro second-team selection by the Minneapolis Star Tribune after catching 35 passes for 813 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. The three-star recruit also intercepted five passes.

13. Nicco Marchiol, QB, Hamilton, 6-2, 215, Jr.

Marchiol transferred in March from Regis Jesuit of Aurora, Colo., where he threw for more than 4,200 yards and 43 touchdowns in his first two seasons. He immediately jumped to No. 2 on the 247Sports list of Arizona’s junior recruits and makes the Huskies one of the favorites to play for the Open Division title.

12. Xander Werner, QB/TE, Saguaro, 6-3, 225, Sr.

The second-team all-region selection a year ago offers the Sabercats a wealth of talent at the quarterback position alongside Ridge Docekal. Werner also plays tight end, where he caught 12 passes (four touchdowns) last season. He holds offers from Air Force, Army, Texas State and Hawaii. 

11. Anthony Lucas, DT, Chaparral, 6-4½, 280, Jr.

This high-motor interior lineman is rated by 247Sports as the state’s top junior recruit — and for good reason. His freakish size and strength have helped him draw offers from several Power 5 schools after making 29 tackles, including 10 for loss and six sacks, in nine games as a sophomore.

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