Top high school football players to watch on kickoff weekend: Standout commits, prospects coast-to-coast

ESPN's annual High School Football Kickoff got underway a week ago when Carrollton (Ga.) and USC commit Julian Lewis topped College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy, 24-14.

But this weekend it really gets going, with five games over the next four days: one on Thursday, one on Friday, a doubleheader on Saturday and the finale on Sunday. Several of MaxPreps' top 25 teams are in action .

Whether you're a diehard recruitnik or a casual fan who'd just love to watch some good football over the weekend, here's what you need to know.

The schedule

Thursday's opener to the weekend is an Alabama-Georgia battle, with Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson kicking off its season when it hosts Grayson (Ga.) at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The action shifts to the Sunshine State for Friday night's matchup between Milton (Ga.) and Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The twin-bill on Saturday first features the host, St. Thomas Aquinas, against Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna against Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Those three games will be played at Brian Piccolo Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

The weekend rounds out with Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nachoochee School visiting Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School in a game that kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

There will be a slew of Top247 prospects from the 2025 and 2026 classes as well as members of the inaugural Top 100 for the class of 2027 featured in the five games.

Thursday's game: Grayson vs. Thompson

Thompson has one of the premier edge rushers in the country in Auburn commits Jared Smith , the No. 19 overall player in the country in 2025 and the No. 2 edge. Another top 100 prospect who's also committed to Auburn is safety Anquon Fegans . Tulane defensive line pledge Nikolas Alston lines up next to Smith. Offensively, 2027 quarterback Trent Seaborn , the No. 9 quarterback in his class, lines up behind center.

Grayson has one of the best 1-2 punches at linebacker in the country, both in the 2026 class, in Tyler Atkinson , the No. 2 'backer nationally, and fellow four-star Anthony Davis . Their defensive line features four 2025 commits: Georgia Tech edge commit Andre Fuller , Florida defensive line commit Joseph Mbatchou, Boston College commit Josiah Victor, and Georgia State commit Chandler Covington. Four-star 2025 tackle Nick Brooks , one of the top uncommitted recruits left in 2025, is their headliner on offense.

Friday's game: Milton vs. American Heritage

Milton has a loaded 2025 squad, featuring eight of the top 100 players in the Peach State. Their top recruit in the 2025 class is Clemson commit Brayden Jacobs , an offensive tackle who is the son of former NFL running back Brandon Jacobs. Tight end Ethan Barbour , who lines up next to Jacobs, will stay in-state and play for Georgia , and fellow tight end Ryan Ghea is committed to Auburn. Split out wide will be Florida State receiver commit CJ Wiley. Defensively, Arkansas defensive line commit Caleb Bell and Tennessee cornerback commit Tyler Redmond anchor that side of the ball.

American Heritage is headlined by Texas quarterback commit Dia Bell , the No. 4 quarterback nationally in 2026 and the No. 3 prospect in Florida in the class (and the son of former NBA guard Raja Bell). He has fellow 2026 classmates Malachi Toney and Brandon Bennett as his primary targets at receiver. From the 2025 class, Florida State safety commit Gregory Xavier Thomas patrols the secondary, and NC State defensive line commit Omarian Abraham anchors the trenches.

Saturday's first game: Bishop Gorman vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

Bishop Gorman may be home to the best offensive line in high school football -- all five of their starters and their first lineman off the bench are FBS-bound. The bunch is led by Tennessee tackle commit Douglas Utu , Miami offensive line commit Seuseu Alofaituli , Oregon tackle commit Alai Kalaniuvalu , Arizona State line commit Alema Iosua, and Hawaii commit KJ Hallums, as well as lineman Stewart Taufa. That doesn't even take into account five-star receiver Derek Meadows , the No. 1 player in the state in 2025, two-way standout Jett Washington, the No. 1 player in the state in 2026 (and the nephew of Kobe Bryant), or 2027 top 100 defensive back Hayden Stepp . Their defense also features Utah defensive line commit Sione Motuapuaka and Stanford linebacker commit Landon McComber, plus top 100 2026 defensive lineman James Carrington.

Aquinas features some pretty impressive bloodlines on their squad. 2026 cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick is the brother of NFL defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, while 2027 running back J ulius Jones Jr. is the son of former NFL back Julius Jones and nephew of former NFL back Thomas Jones . From their 2025 class, notable players include East Carolina cornerback commit Tavius Horne, Illinois running back commit Cedric Wyche, Maryland linebacker commit Travares Daniels, and USF tackle commit Caleb Harris.

Saturday's second game: St. John Bosco vs. Chaminade-Madonna

St. John Bosco doesn't have the upper-class talent like previous teams did, though UCLA edge commit Epi Sitinalei and receiver Kamryn Jones are their top two 2025 recruits. Their 2026 class is stacked, especially at receiver. Four-star Daniel Odom and receiver Madden Williams are a formidable 1-2 punch, while Oregon edge commit Dutch Horisk and USC cornerback commit Josh Holland hold down the defense.

While Jeremiah Smith , the No. 1 player in the country in 2024, is gone and at Ohio State , Chaminade-Madonna doesn't lack for talent. They have two of the top five players in the state in the 2026 class, receiver Jabari Brady and athlete Derrek Cooper , plus Penn State 2025 receiver commit Koby Howard and Auburn 2026 receiver commit Denairius Gray, all ready to fill the void left by Smith. Miami has two future players on the team in cornerback commit Chris Ewald and defensive line pledge Donta Simpson.

Sunday's game: Rabun Gap-Nachoochee vs. Baylor School

Rabun Gap-Nachoochee has Georgia Tech tackle commit Justin Hasenhuetl , a four-star, anchoring their offensive line, and tight end Marshall Pritchett is their top target. Their defense features Cincinnati cornerback commit Patrick Williams, Syracuse linebacker commit Antoine Deslauriers, and Wake Forest defensive line commit Terry Nwabuisi-Ezeala.

Baylor has a four-star in the 2025 class who is still yet to make a decision: Cameron Sparks, a top 10 athlete nationally, while Ole Miss running back pledge Shekai Mills-Knight is their workhorse back. Baylor also has a Georgia Tech line commit in Jimmy Bryson. Newcomer Gabriel Osenda, a 2026 offensive lineman originally from Canada, is their top junior.

MORE: Kickoff weekend primer from 247Sports on top prospects to watch