December 14, 2023 – PHILADELPHIA, PA
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

MAXWELL CLUB NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS

Maxwell Football Club Executive Director Mark Wolpert announced today the 2023 semifinalists for the Club’s National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year awards. Fifteen players on each side of the ball have been selected based on their performance during the 2023 high school season. There are players from 12 different states represented on the semifinalist list.

Players are listed below in alphabetical order.

Offensive Player of the Year Semifinalists

Jason Brown RB O’Dea High School Seattle WA
Terry Bussey WR Timpson High School Timpson TX
Ny Carr WR Colquitt County High School Norman Park GA
Cameron Coleman WR Central High School Phenix City AL
Courtney Crutchfield WR Pine Bluff High School Pine Bluff AR
Jeremy Hecklinski QB Walton High School Marietta GA
DJ Lagway QB Willis High School Willis TX
Carter Nelson TE Ainsworth High School Ainsworth NE
Dylan Raiola QB Buford High School Buford GA
Jaden Reddell TE Raymore-Pecuilar Sr. High School Pecuilar MO
Julian Sayin QB Carlsbad High School Carlsbad CA
Jordan Seaton OL IMG Academy Bradenton FL
Jeremiah Smith WR Chaminade-Madonna College Prep Hollywood FL
Andrew Sprague OL Rockhurst High School Kansas City MO
Taylor Tatum RB Longview High School Longview TX

Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists

KJ Bolden DB Buford High School Buford GA
Sammy Brown LB Jefferson High School Jefferson GA
Zabien Brown DB Mater Dei High School Santa Ana CA
Chris Cole LB Salem High School Salem VA
Aaron Flowers DB Forney High School Forney TX
LJ McCray DL Mainland High School Daytona Beach FL
Williams Nwaneri DL Lee’s Summit North High School Lee’s Summit MO
Zaquan Patterson DB Chaminade-Madonna College Prep Hollywood CA
Brayden Platt LB Yelm High School Yelm WA
Ellis Robinson DB IMG Academy Bradenton FL
Elijah Rushing DL Salpointe Catholic High School Tucson AZ
Colin Simmons DL Duncanville High School Duncanville TX
Kyngstonn Villiamu-Asa LB St. John Bosco High School Bellflower CA
Amaris Williams DL Clinton High School Clinton NC
Justin Williams LB Oak Ridge High School Conroe TX

Caleb Downs (Mill Creek HS – Alabama), the 2022 winner, leads the Crimson Tide defense and ranks fourth in the SEC with 99 stops, including 3.5 for loss. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year and All-American by Pro Football Focus and USA Today. Downs is also a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Award for Outstanding Freshman of the Year.

The formal presentation of this year’s Maxwell Club National High School Player of the Year awards will be held Friday March 8, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. Maxwell Awards event tickets will be on sale starting December 18th.

The Maxwell Club National HS POY is selected by the Club’s selection committee. All questions concerning the winners or the awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club can be directed to Mark Wolpert, Maxwell Football Club Executive Director, at mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org, or to John Schmid, Director of High School Awards at jschmid@maxwellfootballclub.org

ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, Montage Mountain Resort, the Bradley Law Firm, and the Edward T. Coombs Foundation. To learn more about our story visit http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org.