Maryland High School Football Player Makes History for Under Armour Next Selection

A versatile offensive lineman competing in Maryland High School Football’s Class 2A/1A made history for his 2025 Under Armour Next Football Team selection. As reported by WBAL-TV 11, Dunbar High School’s Joshua Blackston became the first student-athlete from Baltimore City Public Schools to be included in the All-American Team of the famous sports apparel brand.

His inclusion also means he will participate in the Under Armour Next All-America Football Game on January 2025 at the Spec Land Municipal Stadium in Florida. Before that game, Blackston and 99 other football standouts will attend camps to gain invaluable knowledge from esteemed coaches and NFL players.

Blackston has been an asset for the Dunbar Poets because he can line up at either guard or tackle on both sides of the offensive line. His imposing presence allowed Dunbar to finish their season with a perfect 11-0 record.

What’s more impressive are their seven shutout victories, starting with Baltimore Polytechnic, Edmondson-Westside (twice), and Patterson. Blackston and the Poets also dominated Digital Harbor, Western, and Fallston. Meanwhile, that unblemished mark makes them the 13th-best team in the state, per the Maryland On3 Composite Rankings.

His dominance doesn’t end there, as his efforts helped Dunbar earn a 36-0 shutout victory over Fallston in the Maryland High School Football Class 2A/1A quarterfinals. That win earned Blackston and the Poets a semifinal game on the road against Fredrick Douglass on Nov. 30.

Meanwhile, Blackston deflected his individual accolade by considering the opportunity he could afford for his fellow athletes in Baltimore.

He shared with WBAL-TV 11:

“I just want to share the great things we do here, the great athletes that were here. It’s a lot of underdogs in my city and a lot of people who are unappreciated and not seen for their talents. So, for me to put my city and my school, most importantly, Dunbar, on the map, I’m very happy to do so.”

.@AthleticsDunbar's Joshua Blackston made history as the first @BaltCitySchools student-athlete named to the @UnderArmour @UANextFootball Team!

11 News was there for the surprise announcement — Watch it in the WBAL-TV app: https://t.co/wmjI5Efth6 pic.twitter.com/HCwm9HaepW

— WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) November 22, 2024

When he finishes his career with Dunbar, Blackston will play for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, honoring his commitment to the Big Ten team last June. He received offers from 11 other universities, including Ohio State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Maryland, among others.