LaDamion Guyton, Jackson Cantwell top high school football recruits entering 2025 season
As we move closer to the start of the 2025 high school football season this fall, many of the nation’s top recruits continue to separate themselves from the field atop their respective classes.
When taking a deeper look at this group, many of those same names have been in the conversation as their respective class’s top prospect for years now, while others have begun to emerge in the last year.
A big reason for this has been each’s respective on-field performance over the last couple of years, both during the season and in the offseason through camps and 7-on-7 events.
Just who are those players, and where do they rank among high school football’s best at the moment?
According to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, here are the nation’s Top 10 highest-rated recruits entering the 2025 high school football season, regardless of class.
NOTE: This list is current as May 22, 2025.
10. Zion Elee, Edge Rusher, St. Frances Academy (MD)
A long-time commit to Maryland, Zion Elee is considered the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect in the 2026 class and the top edge rusher in the cycle. An in-state prospect for the Terrapins, the five-star recruit attends national power St. Frances Academy in Maryland. Elee is coming off a junior season in which he compiled 56 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.
9. Jamier Brown, Wide Receiver, Wayne (OH)
Two wide receivers are featured on this list, the first of which is Jamier Brown, the nation’s No. 6 overall player in the 2027 class out of Wayne High School in Ohio. A long-time commit to Ohio State, the five-star prospect is coming off a sophomore season in which he hauled in 63 receptions for 1,035 yards and 15 touchdowns.
8. Joshua Dobson, Cornerback, Catawba Ridge (SC)
Two cornerbacks make this list, the first of which comes from the 2027 cycle in Joshua Dobson, the nation’s No. 5 overall player in his class out of Catawba Ridge High School in South Carolina. Dobson, a five-star prospect, is coming off a sophomore season in which he compiled 48 tackles with three interceptions.
7. Tristen Keys, Wide Receiver, Hattiesburg (MS)
Tristen Keys is the nation’s top wide receiver recruit, regardless of classification, ranking as the No. 3 overall player in the 2026 cycle out of Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi. A five-star prospect who is currently committed to LSU, Keys is coming off a junior season in which he hauled in 58 receptions for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns.
6. Jared Curtis, Quarterback, Nashville Christian (TN)
The nation’s highest-rated quarterback recruit at the moment is Jared Curtis, who is considered the nation’s No. 2 overall player in the 2026 class. The five-star QB attends Nashville Christian School in Tennessee. A Georgia commit, Curtis is coming off a junior season in which he completed 70.2% of passes for 2,830 yards and touchdown-to-interception ratio of 40-to-3. He also rushed for 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on 88 attempts last season.
5. Kennedy Brown, Offensive Tackle, Kingwood (TX)
The top five of this list is loaded with prospects from the Class of 2027, the first of which is Kennedy Brown, who is considered the nation’s No. 4 overall player in that cycle. A five-star prospect out of Kingwood High School in Texas, Brown is currently uncommitted and is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2027 class.
4. John Meredith III, Cornerback, Trinity (TX)
John Meredith III is considered the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class and the top cornerback nationally. Rated as a five-star prospect, Meredith is currently uncommitted entering his junior season at Trinity High School in Texas.
3. Zyron Forstall, Edge Rusher, Jesuit (LA)
A member of the 2027 recruiting class, Zyron Forstall ranks as the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect in the cycle and as the No. 2 edge rusher. Rated a five-star prospect, Forstall is currently uncommitted entering his junior season at Jesuit High School in Louisiana.
2. Jackson Cantwell, Offensive Tackle, Nixa (MO)
A recent Miami commit, Jackson Cantwell out of Nixa High School in Missouri is currently considered the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 class. A five-star offensive tackle, Cantwell will enter the 2025 season off an impressive junior campaign in which he was labeled among the nation’s top overall players, regardless of position.
1. LaDamion Guyton, Edge Rusher, Benedictine (GA)
The nation’s highest-rated high school football recruit entering the 2025 season comes via the 2027 class in LaDamion Guyton, a five-star edge rusher out of Benedictine Military School in Georgia. An uncommitted prospect, Guyton is ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the 2027 class and is set to play for Benedictine this fall after transferring from in-state Savannah Christian, where he amassed 52 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, and 6 ½ sacks as a sophomore.
