MaxPreps 2014 Preseason National High School Football Player of the Year Watch

Jake Browning of Folsom and Allen's Kyler Murray are the obvious choices for the top National High School Football Player of the Year candidates, but there are several other players who could potentially find their names in the mix.

Here's an early look at 10 players who can't be overlooked when it comes time to hand out the postseason awards.


Jake Browning, Folsom (Calif.)

Browning's records and potential records have been well documented here. He'll have a good chance to lead the nation in passing, but even more significantly Browning now has a better chance at winning a state championship. The California Interscholastic Federation has chosen to discontinue the Open Division regional games. Folsom lost the past two years in the NorCal regional playoff game to De La Salle. This year, Folsom, if it continues to play as it has the past two seasons, will either be chosen to play in the Open Division state bowl game or it will play in the Division I regional playoff game. Either way, Browning, who will play at Washington next year, has a better chance of ultimately playing in a state championship game and possibly cementing his place as a National Player of the Year.

Kyler Murray, Allen (Texas)

Murray has already been named the National Player of the Year, as he was chosen for the award by MaxPreps in 2013. He has a chance to repeat that honor, but it will be a little more difficult this year for Murray and the Eagles. For one, Murray will not play a home game this year as the Allen stadium was ruled unplayable due to faulty construction. So Allen will play all of its games at another high school. While technically they will be home games on the schedule, the games won't be played in Allen, eliminating a significant home-field advantage.

Damarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill (Texas)

There were some who felt Lodge was the best player in the state of Texas last year after leading Cedar Hill to the state championship. He now plays on a team ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. If Lodge can help keep Cedar Hill No. 1 and win another title, it will be hard to overlook him as the top player in the country.

Josh Rosen, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

St. John Bosco was loaded with talent last year so it was easy to overlook the performance of Rosen, who still managed to throw for 3,200 yards and 39 touchdowns. In Bosco's opener, Rosen thew for 252 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score. Rosen, who is headed to UCLA, is ranked as the top quarterback recruit in the state ahead of Browning.

Travis Waller, Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)

The Trinity League is stacked with talented teams this year, but the most versatile athlete in the conference might be Waller, who threw for 1,669 yards and ran for 1,293 yards last season. Servite will play a tough schedule, however, including this week's matchup with Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), a game at De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) on Sept. 27 and then the imposing Trinity League schedule.

Drew Lock, Lee's Summit (Mo.)

Lock already got off to a good start against Truman in an 81-14 win as he completed 17 of 21 passes for 343 yards and seven touchdowns. Lock is headed to play for Missouri next season.

Brett Rypien, Shadle Park (Spokane, Wash.)

Rypien could become the all-time leading passer in Washington, surpassing Max Browne's record of 12,953 yards. Rypien has 8,506 career yards and threw for over 4,200 as a junior. He has had numerous big outings already in his career, throwing for a state record 613 yards in one contest last year.

Austin Kafentzis, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)

Kafentzis could accomplish the unique feat of becoming the state's all-time passing and rushing leader by the time the season is over. He got off to a slow start through the air in a 29-22 win over Fremont, throwing for just 135 yards on five completions. However he did rush for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Jordan Scarlett, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

A transfer from University, Scarlett is headed to Alabama next season. As the top running back on one of the top teams in the country, Scarlett figures to be in the running for postseason honors. In a preseason win over Dillard, Scarlett ran for 94 yards on just six carries with a 66-yard touchdown run.

Preston Williams, Lovejoy (Ga.)

Williams was already the state offensive player of the year last season when he caught 56 passes for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lovejoy went 10-2 last year, but it has a new coach in Edgar Carson. Williams is listed by Georgia High School Football Daily as the top Player of the Year candidate in the state.