GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff: Top recruits set to face off

A little more than a week remains until the unofficial start of the high school football season, and a number of elite prospects are set to square off on national television. As part of its High School Football Kickoff, ESPN will broadcast seven games Aug. 25-28, each of which features a host of players ranked inside the 2023 and 2024 On300 rankings.

Thursday, August 25
Lake Travis (Texas) vs. Arlington Martin (Texas)
8 p.m. ET on ESPNU from Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas

This showdown between two of the elite programs in the state of Texas features Michigan State quarterback commit Bo Edmundson and Lake Travis facing off against top-35 2023 prospect Javien Toviano (considering Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma) and a loaded Arlington Martin squad.

Friday, August 26
Mill Creek (Ga.) vs. Norcross (Ga.)
7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Norcross High School in Norcross, Ga.

Mill Creek features two of the country’s best defensive players in this class: five-star safety and Alabama commit Caleb Downs, and four-star Clemson linebacker commit Jamal Anderson (No. 7 LB in the On300). Norcross, meanwhile, brings a talented offense to the table led by Georgia four-star tight end commit Lawson Luckie, and wide receivers Nakai Poole (Mississippi State commit) and Zion Taylor (Georgia Tech commit).

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Saturday, August 27
St. Joseph’s Prep (Penn.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
Noon ET on ESPN from Brian Piccolo Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

St. Thomas Aquinas, winners of the last three FHSAA 7A titles, brings another loaded squad into this year. Four-star Penn State commits King Mack (No. 88 in the On300) and Conrad Hussey (No. 203) anchor a talented secondary. On offense, the Knights feature On3 Consensus top-60 wide receiver prospect James Madison II and four-star Chance Robinson.

Among the notable players for St. Joseph’s Prep are West Virginia linebacker commits Josiah Trotter and James Heard, while four-star cornerback Omillio Agard backs them up in the secondary.

Los Alamitos (Calif.) vs. American Heritage (Fla.)
4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Brian Piccolo Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Few matchups over the course of the season will feature as much elite talent as this one. Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson (USC commit) and No. 10 wideout Makai Lemon lead a loaded offense, while three-star ATH Damian Henderson (Colorado State verbal) and 2024 top-15 prospect T.A. Cunningham anchor the defense.

They’ll face off with one of Florida’s best talent factories over the past decade in American Heritage. Five-star wideout Brandon Inniss (Ohio State commit), four-star running back Mark Fletcher (Ohio State commit) and three-star wideout Santana Fleming star on offense, with cornerback Damari Brown (No. 236 in the On300) holding things down on defense.

Duncanville (Texas) vs. South Oak Cliff (Texas)
7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Dallas ISD Kincaide Stadium in Dallas, Texas

Few programs are loaded on a yearly basis like Duncanville, which showcases three elite junior prospects. At the top is On3 Consensus No. 10 prospect Colin Simmons. Joining him on defense is Ka’Davion Dotson-Walker (No. 126), while running back Caden Durham leads a potent offense.

South Oak Cliff, meanwhile, won its first 5A Division II State Championship last season. And their only loss came to Duncanville the first game of the year. The Bears feature Texas CB commit Malik Muhammad (No. 30 in the On300), Texas A&M CB commit Jayvon Thomas (No. 66 in the On3 Consensus) and 2024 top-50 prospect Jamyri Cauley.

Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.) vs. Thompson (Ala.)
9 p.m. ET on ESPNU from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala.

Lipscomb finished 13-1 last season on their way to the Tennessee 2A State Championship. On defense, the Mustangs feature top-100 2024 prospect Edwin Spillman and four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley.

Thompson was also 13-1 last season, capturing their third straight Alabama 7A state title. The defense features five-star Clemson defensive line commit Peter Woods and five-star Alabama safety commit Tony Mitchell. The offense is anchored by recent Michigan state tackle commit Stanton Ramil (No. 207 in the On3 Consensus).

Sunday, August 28
Saint Xavier (Ohio) vs. Loyola Academy (Ill.)
1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois.

Loyola went 12-1 last season and will look to get over the hump in Illinois this season. Senior defensive end Brooks Bahr (On3’s No. 53 DL) is a Michigan commit.