Here are the top 50 high school football recruits in Hampton Roads’ Class of 2025

Maury senior Ari Watford is everything you want in a football player.

He’s got size, speed and strength. But he also is a student of the game, both on and off the field.

“Teachers, coaches, they all love him,” Maury coach Dyrri McCain said about Watford, who has a 3.6 grade-point average. “He does everything that he needs to do to get the job done.”

All those traits make Watford the top high school football player in Hampton Roads’ Class of 2025.

A four-star prospect, he is rated the top senior in the state by 247Sports and No. 2 by On3, ESPN and Rivals.

He is rated No. 33 nationally in the Class of 2025 by On3, No. 55 by 247Sports, No. 67 by ESPN and No. 152 by Rivals.

At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Watford is a menacing figure on the Commodores’ defensive line who disrupts everything in his way.

The Clemson commit had more than 30 scholarship offers, including those from national powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, Penn State and South Carolina.

These annual rankings are based on previous season performances, upcoming season expectations, academic standing, consultation with high school and college coaches and national and state rankings from 247Sports, On3, ESPN and Rivals. College coaches aren’t identified because under NCAA guidelines, they aren’t permitted to speak specifically about unsigned recruits.

Here are the Class of 2025 rankings and a look at the next 50 .

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1. Ari Watford

Maury, 6-6, 235, defensive end

College: Clemson

Watford is a two-time All-Tidewater selection and all-state player who finished last season with 69 tackles and seven sacks, and he recovered four fumbles and caused three to help lead the Commodores to the Class 5 state championship. College coaches love his size, and he could easily put on 15 more pounds and it wouldn’t slow him down. He has the strength to run over would-be blockers and the speed to chase down quarterbacks and running backs. On3 has already valued his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) worth $206,000. Some evaluators say he could be an early NFL draft pick. He’s been invited to play in the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game.

2. Jaylen Gilchrist

Salem, 6-4, 305, offensive lineman

College: Maryland

Gilchrist, who was All-Tidewater and all-state last season, is rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports. He is rated the No. 3 senior in the state by 247Sports and ESPN, and No. 4 by On3 and Rivals. He is ranked the No. 73 senior nationally by ESPN, No. 91 by 247Sports and No. 116 by On3. At his position, inside offensive line, he is rated No. 3 by 247Sports, No. 6 by On3, No. 11 by ESPN and No. 31 by Rivals. He recorded 44 pancake blocks last season and didn’t allow a sack. College coaches like his combination of size and athleticism, and how he uses his hands to hold off charging linemen. He’s also a student of the game as he spends many hours studying other players. He had more than 30 offers and chose the Terrapins over Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia.

3. Kendall Daniels

Maury, 6-4, 200, defensive back

College: South Carolina

A four-star prospect, he is rated the No. 9 senior in the state by Rivals, No. 10 by 247Sports, No. 11 by On3 and No. 13 by ESPN. As a safety, he is rated No. 25 nationally by 247Sports, No. 28 by On3 and ESPN and No. 33 by Rivals. He was first-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state after he finished with 26 tackles, nine pass breakups and five interceptions to help lead the Commodores to the Class 5 state title. What college coaches like about him is he’s long and a tone-setter. In addition, he’s versatile as he can also play quarterback and is a threat to take an interception to the end zone. He will join former Maury defender Fred Johnson at South Carolina. He’s been invited to play in the 2025 U.S Army Bowl.

4. Messiah Delhomme

Warwick, 6-1, 200, athlete

College: Maryland

Delhomme, a four-star prospect, is rated the No. 3 senior in the state by Rivals, No. 4 by 247Sports, No. 6 by ESPN and No. 8 by On3. He is rated the No. 116 senior in the nation by 247Sports. He chose the Terrapins over Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Virginia. He can play on both sides of the ball as well as being a returner. Last season, he intercepted eight passes, returning two for touchdowns. In the past two seasons, he has totaled 2,144 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is rated the No. 10 athlete nationally by Rivals, No. 11 by 247Sports and On3 and No. 14 by ESPN. One college scout thinks safety is his best position, but also didn’t rule out running back because of his vision and cutback ability. A broken leg he suffered over the summer could keep him sidelined all season.

5. Matthew Outten

Norcom, 6-0, 200, athlete

College: Virginia Tech

Outten, a four-star prospect by 247Sports, is rated the No. 6 senior in the state by 247Sports, No. 7 by ESPN, No. 17 by On3 and No. 38 by Rivals. He is ranked the No. 141 senior athlete in the nation by 247Sports. He can play multiple positions and is rated the No. 5 athlete nationally by 247Sports, No. 16 by ESPN and No. 18 by On3. He chose the Hokies over Penn State, Maryland and Syracuse. “They will be getting a superb young man with a high ceiling for progress,” said Norcom coach Anthony Hawkins. “He has elite talent with the athletic ability to make special things happen on the football field with his speed, size and playmaking ability.” Last season, Outten had 53 receptions for 683 yards. He had more than 1,100 all-purpose yards with 15 touchdowns.

6. Jahmari DeLoatch

Oscar Smith, 5-10, 165, defensive back

College: Cincinnati

DeLoatch, a four-star prospect by 247Sports, is rated the No. 8 senior in the state by 247Sports, No 13 by On3, No. 15 by ESPN and No. 17 by Rivals. He is rated the No. 29 cornerback in the nation by by 247Sports, No. 33 by On3 and No. 35 by ESPN. College coaches love his speed. He finished runner-up in the 55 meters (6.45) at the Class 6 state indoor meet, and third in the 100 (10.79) and fifth in the 200 (21.90) at the state outdoor meet. He also ran on 4×200 relay that ran the second-fastest time in the nation last season. College coaches also like his aggression at the point of contact. DeLoatch, an All-Tidewater pick last season, forced teams to run and throw the other way most of the year. He finished last season with 12 pass breakups. He chose the Bearcats over Michigan, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

7. Carlton “CJ” Smith

Maury, 6-1, 210, linebacker

College: Maryland

Smith, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 6 senior in the state by Rivals, No. 9 by ESPN, No. 17 by 247Sports and No. 38 by On3. He is rated the No. 14 linebacker in the nation by Rivals, No. 31 by ESPN, No. 49 by 247Sports and No. 114 by On3. He played last season at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy, which played a national schedule. He was a second-team selection for The Baltimore Sun All-Metro team. Maury coach Dyrri McCain said Smith is a player who will contend for Defensive Player of the Year honors because of his speed, physicality and relentless style of play. He chose the Terrapins over many schools, including Penn State, Michigan, Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame. He was invited to play in the 2025 U.S. Army Bowl.

8. Jayden Anderson

Green Run, 5-11, 160, wide receiver

College: Virginia Tech

Anderson, a three-star prospect, is ranked the No. 18 senior in the state by Rivals, No. 20 by ESPN, No. 26 by On3 and No. 27 by 247Sports. He is rated the No. 91 wide receiver in the nation by ESPN, No. 93 by Rivals, No. 125 by On3 and No. 134 by 247Sports. Anderson, All-Tidewater and all-state last season, was one of the top receivers in Hampton Roads, with 48 receptions for 1,282 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for more than 300 yards with three touchdowns.

9. Christopher Spence

Kempsville, 6-2, 175, defensive back

College: Virginia

Spence, a three-star prospect, played last season at Mount Zion Prep in Maryland. He is rated the No. 14 senior in the state by 247Sports, No. 17 by Rivals, No. 27 by ESPN and No. 38 by On3. As a cornerback, he is ranked No. 30 nationally by Rivals, No. 33 by 247Sports, No. 73 by ESPN and No. 106 by On3. He chose the Cavaliers over nearly 20 offers, including from Penn State, Michigan, Florida State, South Carolina and LSU. He is a cousin of former Ocean Lakes and Florida State star defensive back Levonta Taylor.

10. Au’Tori Newkirk

Maury, 6-3, 205, quarterback

Attention is picking up on Newkirk, who in his first year as a starter led the Commodores to a 15-0 record, including regular-season victories over nationally ranked Highland Springs and perennial state power Dinwiddie. He topped it off with a victory over Stone Bridge in the Class 5 state title game. In that game, he completed 10 of 13 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 54 yards and two more scores. Newkirk, the 2023 Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year, finished the season 175 of 256 passing for 3,670 yards and 44 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. His yards rank second on the all-time single-season South Hampton Roads list. His touchdown total is fourth. He was the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year, Class 5 Region A Offensive Player of the Year and Eastern District Offensive Player of the Year. A three-star prospect, he is rated the No. 27 senior in the state by 247Sports and the No. 48 quarterback nationally. “His ceiling is very high,” said Maury coach Dyrri McCain. “And just look at his résumé and what’s he’s already accomplished. Now he has a chance to do it again.” He has more than 10 offers, including those from Toledo, Temple, Massachusetts, William & Mary, Hampton, Howard, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central, Morgan State and Delaware State.

11. LeBron Bond

Maury, 5-9, 170, wide receiver

College: Indiana

Bond, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 11 senior in the state by ESPN, No. 19 by On3, No. 28 by 247Sports and No. 39 by Rivals. He was first-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state after helping to lead the Commodores to a 15-0 record and the Class 5 state title. He possesses incredible speed as he finished runner-up in both the 100 (10.68) and 200 (21.89) at the Class 5 state outdoor meet. He also finished sixth in the 55 meters (6.47) at the state indoor meet. Bond finished last season with 47 receptions, 1,347 yards — fifth on the all-time South Hampton Roads list — and 16 touchdowns and totaled 1,754 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns.

12. Knahlij Harrell

Green Run, 6-0, 160, defensive back

College: Virginia Tech

Harrell, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 27 senior in the state by ESPN and Rivals, No. 33 by 247Sports and No. 39 by On3. He is ranked the No. 80 safety in the nation by ESPN, No. 111 by 247Sports and No. 116 by On3. Last season, he had 26 tackles and nine pass breakups, with three interceptions. He chose the Hokies over several offers, including Maryland, West Virginia and Duke.

13. Zeke Chinwike

Green Run, 6-5, 240, defensive end

College: Virginia Tech

Chinwike, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 21 senior in the state by On3, No. 32 by Rivals, No. 39 by ESPN and No. 42 by 247Sports. He is rated the No. 49 defensive end in the nation by On3, No. 152 by ESPN and No. 167 by 247Sports. The Ocean Lakes transfer will be a key addition to the Stallions. He had more than 10 offers, choosing Virginia Tech over West Virginia, James Madison, Kent State, East Carolina, Marshall and William & Mary.

14. JaVon Ford II

King’s Fork, 6-0, 200, running back

Ford rushed for 1,570 yards and 25 touchdowns last season to help lead the Bulldogs to their first outright Southeastern District championship. He was first-team All-Tidewater, first-team all-state and first-team all-region. He has more than 10 offers, including Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, West Virginia, East Carolina and James Madison.

15. K’Saan Farrar

Green Run, 6-1, 215, quarterback

College: Connecticut

Farrar, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 42 senior in the state by 247Sports, and the No. 89 quarterback in the nation. Last season, he completed 160 of 211 passes for 3,086 yards and 36 touchdowns, with five interceptions. He also rushed for 577 yards and seven touchdowns.

16. Markus Hopson

Phoebus, 6-2, 285, lineman

College: Howard

Hopson, who has a 4.2 grade-point average, is a two-time all-state lineman. He’s helped lead the Phantoms to three consecutive state titles. Last season, he was first-team All-Tidewater, all-state, all-region and All-Peninsula District.

17. Alvin “Trey” Jones III

Oscar Smith, 5-11, 165, wide receiver

College: Buffalo

Jones, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 20 senior in the state by On3 and No. 30 by ESPN. He’s the No. 118-ranked wide receiver in the nation by On3 and No. 144 by ESPN. He possesses tremendous speed as he ran on the Tigers’ 4×200 relay that clocked the second-fastest time in the nation last season. He finished with 575 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year. Expect a breakout season for him with the return of quarterback Lonnie Andrews III. Jones chose the Bulls over many offers, including those from Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana, Duke and Virginia Tech.

18. Emmanuel Taylor

Green Run, 6-1, 180, linebacker

College: Pittsburgh

Taylor, a three-star prospect, is rated the No. 34 senior in the state by ESPN, No. 34 by 247Sports, No. 35 by Rivals and No. 37 by On3. He is rated the No. 111 linebacker in the nation by On3 and No. 117 by 247Sports.

19. Noah Jefferson

Phoebus, 6-2, 190, defensive back

College: Delaware

Jefferson, who was All-Tidewater and all-state last season, helped lead the Phantoms to the Class 4 state title. He finished with 50 tackles, including 16 for loss.

20. Leon Clark

Maury, 5-9, 200, running back

College: William & Mary

Clark, a two-star prospect, is rated the No. 47 senior in the state by 247Sports and is the No. 168 running back in the country. Last season, he finished with 912 yards and 20 touchdowns to help lead the Commodores to the Class 5 state title. Clark, who has a 3.9 grade-point average, chose the Tribe over offers from North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Duke, Boston College, West Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse, Toledo, East Carolina, Temple, Buffalo, Massachusetts and Campbell.

21. Jerome Brown

Lake Taylor, 6-5, 215, linebacker

Brown, who was second-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state in Class 3, led Hampton Roads in tackles during the regular season with 149. He also had four fumble recoveries and four pass breakups. Titans coach Hank Sawyer said the defense “all starts with him and we put everything on him.”

22. I’Ziah Emery

Warwick, 5-11, 215, linebacker

Emery was first-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state last season. He finished with 111 tackles, 24 for loss, for a defense that gave up fewer than seven points a game, including eight consecutive shutouts.

23. Kaleb Tillery

Phoebus, 5-11, 185, linebacker

Tillery, a two-time All-Tidewater selection, finished with 108 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions to help lead the Phantoms to the Class 4 state title. He was first-team all-state, all-region and All-Peninsula District.

24. Trevon “Speedy” Cannon

Maury, 6-0, 165, defensive back

College: William & Mary

Cannon, who has a 3.5 grade-point average, started in back-to-back state championship games, including last season when the Commodores won the Class 5 state title.

25. Jason “Scooter” Williams

Salem, 6-3, 190, quarterback

College: Navy

Williams is a three-year starter who has compiled more than 5,600 yards and 56 touchdowns in his career.

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26. Xavier Carter

Warwick, 5-10, 190, linebacker

Carter, who was second-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state, finished the season with 105 tackles — including 25 for loss — and had four sacks for a defense that gave up fewer than seven points a game, including eight consecutive shutouts.

27. Davion Roberts

Phoebus, 5-8, 180, running back

Roberts, who was first-team All-Tidewater and all-state, finished with 1,509 yards and 29 touchdowns — including 10 in the postseason — to help lead the Phantoms to the Class 4 state title.

28. Eamon Cuffee

Granby, 6-0, 180, athlete

Cuffee, who was first-team All-Tidewater and second-team all-state, led Hampton Roads with nine interceptions — including a pick-six — with 32 tackles. He also got it done on offense as he had 43 receptions for 950 yards with seven touchdowns to help the Comets go from winless in 2022 to the playoffs last season.

29. Jayvon Wynn

Maury, 6-2, 260, lineman

Wynn, who was first-team All-Tidewater and first-team all-state, was the quarterback’s blind-side blocker for an offense that had nearly 8,000 total yards and helped lead the Commodores to the Class 5 state title.

30. Zion Copeland

Kellam, 6-3, 285, defensive lineman

Copeland is a disruptive force on the defensive line. He finished the season with 35 tackles, including 12 for loss. He is the younger brother of Virginia Tech lineman Kemari Copeland. He has offers from Old Dominion, New Hampshire, Navy, Norfolk State and Hampton.

31. Dontavius Booker

Churchland, 5-10, 180, running back

Booker, who was first-team All-Tidewater, led Hampton Roads in rushing during the regular season and finished with 1,674 yards and 21 touchdowns.

32. Fabian Wells

Salem, 5-11, 175, athlete

College: Howard

Wells does it all for the SunDevils. He had 91 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He also had 45 receptions for 804 yards and rushed for more than 200 yards, with three touchdowns.

33. Jaden Dabbs

Oscar Smith, 6-1, 170, defensive back

College: Army

Dabbs is a three-year starter who played multiple positions on the Tigers’ defense. He finished with 39 tackles, 15 pass breakups and three interceptions. Dabbs, who has a 3.6 grade-point average, chose Army over Dartmouth, Cornell, Maine and New Hampshire.

34. Chris Higgins

Atlantic Shores, 6-4, 220, linebacker

College: William & Mary

Higgins was a VISAA Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year and was second-team all-state on defense. On offense, he had 66 receptions for 1,032 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he had three interceptions. He’ll play defense for the Tribe. He also had offers from Towson, Cornell, Dartmouth, Elon and Brown.

35. Brandon Jeune

King’s Fork, 6-0, 210, linebacker

He finished the season with 87 tackles — 15 for loss — with two sacks to lead the Bulldogs to the first outright Southeastern District championship in program history.

36. Marlon Stewart

Warwick, 6-1, 230, lineman

Stewart is the anchor on the Raiders’ offensive and defensive lines.

37. Leslie Hines

Maury, 6-1, 180, linebacker

Hines, who was first-team All-Tidewater, finished with 74 tackles — 33 for loss — 12 sacks, seven fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles to help lead the Commodores to the Class 5 state title.

38. Trey Voskanyan

Indian River, 5-11, 170, defensive back

In the past two seasons, he has 12 interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. He’s getting interest from East Carolina, North Carolina A&T and Delaware State.

39. Jordan Rayner

Oscar Smith, 6-3, 255, defensive line

Rayner, who has a 3.9 grade-point average, had 65 tackles (19 for loss), seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He’s getting interest from Wofford, Army, Air Force, New Hampshire, Navy, Morgan State and Cornell.

40. Brandon Nesbit Jr.

Oscar Smith, 5-8, 205, running back

Nesbit, a punishing back who is hard to bring down, rushed for 1,120 yards and 13 touchdowns despite missing two games. He is getting interest from Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Old Dominion, Marshall, Charlotte and Morgan State.

41. Darryl Veal Jr.

Kempsville, 6-2, 190, linebacker

Veal, who has a 3.3 grade-point average, finished the regular season with 74 tackles, including 17 for loss. He is getting interest from East Carolina, Duke, Charlotte and Howard.

42. Isaiah Rembert

Warhill, 5-11, 185, defensive back

Rembert can do it on both sides of the ball. On defense, he had 79 tackles with four interceptions. He also rushed for more than 500 yards in four games.

43. Corey Williams

Atlantic Shores, 6-1, 175, defensive back

College: Virginia Military Institute

Williams was first-team All-VISAA on defense last season.

44. Elijah Williams

Warhill, 6-1, 200, linebacker

College: William & Mary

He’s a shutdown defender who had two interceptions last season.

45. Drevyon Tharrington

Granby, 5-10, 190, running back/linebacker

He gets it done on the field and off with a 3.97 grade-point average. He was all-region and All-Eastern District last season

46. Kingston Hall

Churchland, 5-9, 180, wide receiver

Hall, who has a 3.8 grade-point average, was All-Tidewater last season after he had more than 700 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a receiver and returner.

47. Johnathan Shaw

Indian River, 6-3, 200, linebacker

He had eight sacks for the Braves last season.

48. Ky’Nique Baines

Western Branch, 5-9, 170, running back

Last season, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards with 11 touchdowns.

49. Darian McKenzie

Lake Taylor, 5-9, 190, running back

A strong, quick runner who rushed for 916 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

50. Dylan Goad

Maury, 5-10, 190, linebacker

Goad, who has a 4.0 grade-point average, led the Commodores in tackles with 88, including 12 in the Class 5 state championship game. He’s a team captain and a three-year starter.

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Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com