The USA Today High School Football Player of the Year is the award given by USA Today to the best offensive and defensive high school football players in America.
The award has been given since 1982, the year the newspaper began, and each player was part of the USA Today All-USA high school football team .
Winners Offense Year Player Pos. High School College NFLIndicates whether the player played in the National Football League Notes 1982 John Paye QB Menlo School Stanford Yes Two year NFL career 1983 Ryan Knight RB Rubidoux USC No 1984 Hart Lee Dykes WR Bay City Oklahoma State Yes Two-year NFL career 1985 Jeff George QB Warren Central Illinois Yes 13-year NFL career 1986 Emmitt Smith RB Escambia Florida Yes Pro Football Hall of Fame, 4x rushing champion 1987 Todd Marinovich QB Mission Viejo USC Yes Two-year NFL career 1988 Terry Kirby RB Tabb Virginia Yes Ten-year NFL career 1989 Andre Hastings WR Morrow Georgia Yes Eight-year NFL career 1990 Marquette Smith RB Lake Howell FSU / Central Florida Yes Two year NFL career 1991 Stephen Davis RB Spartanburg Auburn Yes Three-time Pro Bowler 1992 Ron Powlus QB Berwick (PA) Notre Dame Yes Played in one NFL season 1993 Josh Booty QB Evangel Christian LSU Yes Three-year NFL career 1994 Dan Kendra QB Bethlehem Catholic Florida StateSports-Reference.com: Dan Kendra No 1995 Tim Couch QB Leslie County Kentucky Yes First overall pick in NFL draft 1996 Travis MinorRB Baton Rouge CatholicFlorida State Yes Eight-year NFL career 1997 Ronald Curry QB Hampton High North Carolina Yes Seven-year NFL career 1998 Chris Simms QB Ramapo Texas Yes Eight-year NFL career 1999 Brock Berlin QBEvangel ChristianFlorida/Miami Yes Played in two NFL seasonsPro-Football-Reference.com: Brock Berlin 2000 Joe Mauer QB Cretin-Derham Hall N/A No Went to Major League Baseball; 2009 American League MVP 2001 Maurice Clarett RB Warren Harding Ohio State No Drafted, but never played in NFL 2002 Chris Leak QB Independence Florida Yes Made NFL roster for one season, did not play 2003 Brian Brohm QB Trinity Louisville Yes Three-season NFL career 2004 Ryan Perrilloux QBEast St. John (La.)LSU / Jacksonville State No Signed and released by NY Giants Played in Arena and in France Ligue Élite de Football Américain 2005 Mitch Mustain QB Springdale Arkansas / USC No Played in Arena Football League 2006 Jimmy Clausen QB Oaks Christian (Calif.) Notre Dame Yes Second-round pick in 2010 draft 2007 Terrelle Pryor QB Jeannette (Pa.) High School Ohio State Yes 2011 Supplemental draft 2008 Garrett Gilbert QB Lake Travis (Tex.) High School Texas / SMU Yes Sixth round pick in 2014 NFL draft 2009 Seantrel Henderson OT Cretin-Derham Hall Miami Yes 7th round pick in 2014 NFL draft 2010 Kiehl Frazier QB Shiloh Christian Auburn / Ouachita Baptist No 2011 Dorial Green-Beckham WR Hillcrest (Mo.) High Missouri / Oklahoma Yes Second-round pick in 2015 NFL draft 2012 Max Browne QB Skyline High School USC / Pittsburgh No 2013 Leonard Fournette RB St. Augustine High School (LA) LSU Yes First-round pick in 2017 NFL draft 2014 Kyler Murray QB Allen (TX) Texas A&M / Oklahoma Yes First overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft 2015 Jacob Eason QB Lake Stevens High School (WA) Georgia / Washington Yes Fourth-round pick in 2020 NFL draft 2016 Tate Martell QB Bishop Gorman (NV) Ohio State / Miami / UNLV No 2017 Trevor Lawrence QB Cartersville High School Clemson Yes First overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft 2018 DJ Uiagalelei QB St. John Bosco Clemson / Oregon State / Florida State – 2019 Bryce Young QB Mater Dei High School Alabama Yes First overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft 2020 Cade Klubnik QB Westlake (TX) Clemson – 2021 Cade Klubnik (2) 2022 Lamar SperlingRB Archbishop Hoban (OH) Buffalo – 2023 DJ LagwayQBWillis (TX) Florida– 2025Keisean HendersonQBLegacy the School of Sport Sciences (TX) Houston–
Defense Year Player Pos. High School College NFL Notes 1982 Henry Harris LB Columbia (Ga.) Georgia No 1983 Ron Stallworth DT Woodham (Fla.) Auburn Yes Two-year NFL career 1984 Quintus McDonald LB Montclair (NJ) Penn State Yes Three-year NFL career 1985 John Foley LB St. Rita (Ill.) Notre Dame No 1986 Marc Spindler DT West Scranton Pittsburgh Yes Nine-year NFL career 1987 Todd Collins LB Jefferson County (TN) Carson-Newman Yes Nine-year NFL career, two Super Bowl appearances 1988 Sean Gilbert LB Aliquippa (Pa.) Pittsburgh Yes Played 11 NFL seasons 1989 Oliver Gibson LB Romeoville (Ill.) Notre Dame Yes Nine-year NFL career 1990 Derrick Brooks LB Booker T. Washington (Fla.) Florida State Yes Nine-time NFL All-Pro 1991 Dexter Daniels LB Valdosta Florida Yes Played four NFL games 1992 Jammi German HB Fort Myers (Fla.) Miami (Fla.) Yes Four-year NFL career 1993 Lamont Green LB Southridge (Fla.) Florida State Yes Played in the NFL in 1999 1994 Kory Minor LB Bishop Amat (Calif.) Notre Dame Yes Four-year NFL career 1995 Andy Katzenmoyer LB Westerville South (Ohio) Ohio State Yes Butkus and Lambert award winner in college 1996 David Warren DE John Tyler (Tex.) Florida State No Played in the CFL 1997 Dennis Johnson DE Harrodsburg Kentucky Yes Three-year NFL career 1998 Cory Redding LB North Shore (Tex.) Texas Yes 12-year NFL career 1999 D.J. Williams LB De La Salle (Calif.) Miami Yes Ten-year NFL career 2000 Shaun Cody DL Los Altos (Calif.) USC Yes Seven-year NFL career 2001 Ahmad Brooks LB C. D. Hylton (Va.) Virginia Yes 11-year NFL career 2002 Antonio Cromartie DB Lincoln (Fl.) Florida State Yes 11-year NFL career 2003 Ted Ginn Jr. DB Glenville (Ohio) Ohio State Yes 14-year NFL career 2004 Kenny Phillips DB Carol City (Fl.) Miami Yes Eight-year NFL career 2005 Gerald McCoy DL Southeast (Okla.) Oklahoma Yes 11-year NFL career 2006 Marvin Austin DT Ballou (Wash., DC) North Carolina Yes Five-year NFL career 2007 Patrick Peterson DB Blanche Ely (Fla.) LSU Yes Active in NFL since 2011 2008 Manti Te'o LB Punahou (Hawai'i) Notre Dame Yes Seven-year NFL career 2009 Lamarcus Joyner DB St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) Florida State Yes Active in NFL since 2014 2010 Jadeveon Clowney DE South Pointe South Carolina Yes First overall pick in 2014 NFL draft 2011 Mario Edwards Jr. DE Ryan High (Tex.) Florida State Yes Second round pick in 2015 NFL draft 2012 Su'a Cravens DB Vista Murrieta (CA.) USC Yes Second round pick in 2016 NFL draft 2013 Jabrill Peppers DB Paramus Catholic (NJ) Michigan Yes First round pick in 2017 NFL draft 2014 Trenton Thompson DT Westover Comprehensive (GA) Georgia Yes Undrafted, Signed by Cleveland Browns 2015 Rashan Gary DT Paramus Catholic (NJ) Michigan Yes First round pick in 2019 NFL draft 2016 Shaun Wade DB Trinity Christian (FL) Ohio State Yes Fifth round pick in 2021 NFL draft 2017 Solomon Tuliaupupu LB Mater Dei USC – 2018 Kayvon Thibodeaux DE Oaks Christian School Oregon Yes First round pick in 2022 NFL draft 2019 Justin Flowe LB Upland Oregon / Arizona 2020 Ga'Quincy McKinstry CB Pinson Valley Alabama Yes Second round pick in 2024 NFL draft 2021 Walter NolenDT Powell (TN) Texas A&M / Ole Miss Yes First round pick in 2025 NFL draft 2022 Caleb DownsDB Mill Creek (GA) Alabama / Ohio State – 2023Sammy BrownLBJefferson (GA)Clemson–2025Cincere JohnsonLBGlenville (OH) Ohio State
See also USA Today All-USA high school football team
References