ESPN High School Football Kickoff features dozens of top 2025 and 2026 recruits

The ESPN High School Football Kickoff will continue its decade-and-a-half long tradition of showcasing some of the elite talents in high school football again in 2024.

The six-game slate features more than 20 prospects ranked in among the top 300 in both the 2025 and 2026 On3 Industry Ranking, as well as top national programs like Carrollton (Ga.), Thompson (Ala.), Milton (Ga.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.), and St. John Bosco (Calif.).

CLICK HERE to watch high school’s games on NFHS Network now!

Below are the key names to watch as these programs kick their seasons off on national television:

2024 ESPN High School Football Kickoff Players to Watch

(All times Eastern)

Saturday, August 24

Bishop Gorman (Nev.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
4 p.m. on ESPN

Bishop Gorman

4-star IOL S.J. Alofaituli (Miami commit)
4-star IOL Douglas Utu (Tennessee commit)
4-star IOL Alai Kalaniuvalu (Oregon commit)
4-star WR Derek Meadows (LSU commit)
2026 4-star ATH Jett Washington
2026 4-star DL James Carrington

St. Thomas Aquinas

3-star RB Cedric Wyche (Illinois commit)
3-star SAF Travares Daniels (Maryland commit)
2026 4-star SAF Justice Fitzpatrick

St. John Bosco (Calif.) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)
8 p.m. on ESPN2

St. John Bosco

2026 4-star WR Daniel Odom
2026 4-star ATH Madden Williams
2026 3-star ATH Joshua Holland (USC commit)

Chaminade-Madonna

4-star CB Chris Ewald (Miami commit)
2026 4-star WR Jabari Brady
2026 4-star RB Derrek Cooper
2026 4-star WR Denairius Gray (Auburn commit)

Sunday, August 25

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, (Ga.) at Baylor School (Tenn.)
1 p.m. on ESPN

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School

4-star IOL Justin Hasenhuetl (Georgia Tech commit)

Baylor School

4-star WR Cameron Sparks
4-star RB Shekai Mills-Knight
3-star WR Joakim Dodson (Tennessee commit)

Friday, August 16
Carrollton (Ga.) 24, Woodward Academy (Ga.) 14
8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga.  

Carrollton

5-star QB Julian Lewis (USC commit)
3-star DB Shamar Arnoux (USC commit)
2026 4-star SAF Zelus Hicks
2026 4-star CB Dorian Barney (Alabama commit)
2026 4-star WR Ryan Mosley
2026 4-star IOL Zykie Helton

Woodward Academy

3-star WR Jerome Bettis Jr. (Notre Dame commit)
3-star WR Josiah Abdullah (Virginia commit)

Thursday, August 22

Grayson (Ga.) 15 at Thompson (Ala.) 14 — OT
8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala.

Grayson High School

3-star EDGE Andre Fuller (Georgia Tech commit)
3-star DL Josiah Victor (Boston College commit)
2026 4-star LB Tyler Atkinson
2026 4-star LB Anthony Davis Jr.

Thompson

4-star EDGE Jared Smith (Auburn commit)
4-star SAF Anquon Fegans (Auburn commit)
2027 QB Trent Seaborn

Friday, August 23

Milton (Ga.) 37, American Heritage (Fla.) 28
7 p.m. on ESPN

Milton

4-star TE Ethan Barbour (Georgia commit)
4-star WR C.J. Wiley (FSU commit)
4-star QB Luke Nickel (Miami commit)
3-star TE Ryan Ghea (Auburn commit)
3-star CB Dylan Lewis (Tennessee commit)
3-star DL Caleb Bell (Arkansas commit)
3-star CB Tyler Redmond (Tennessee commit)

American Heritage

2026 4-star QB Dia Bell (Texas commit)
4-star WR Brandon Bennett
4-star RB Byron Louis