The GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff returns for its 14th year, Aug. 18- 27. It will be spread out over two weekends and four days. Four of the games will be televised on Aug. 26.
2023 ESPN GEICO High School Football Kickoff Schedule
All times are ET; Player rankings from ESPN 300 (Seniors in the Class of 2024) and ESPN Junior 300 (Class of 2025)
Friday, August 18
Langston Hughes (Ga.) at Carrollton (Ga.)
6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 from Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Ga.
Langston Hughes is the reigning Georgia 6A state champion, having gone undefeated in 2022. The Panthers will be hard to stop again this season with Air Noland returning at QB. The Ohio State commit is the No. 28 ranked senior in the nation, and he is protected up front by No. 162 ranked junior Dontrell Glover, an Alabama commit.
Carrollton came up just one game shy of a state title last season, losing only to Mill Creek in the Georgia 7A finals. TE Caleb Odem is the No. 112 ranked senior (Alabama commit) and will have QB Julian Lewis passing to him again. The sophomore signal caller is considered the top recruit in the class of 2026, if not the top overall high school prospect in the country.
Friday, August 25
Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.) at Saraland (Ala.)
8 p.m. on ESPN from Saraland High School in Saraland, Ala.
Lipscomb won the Tennessee Class II-AAA state title last season with a 13-0 record that included impressive wins against out-of-state opponents Milton (Ga.) and Thompson (Ala.). The Mustangs secondary will be hard to beat, with No. 166 senior Kaleb Beasley – CB (Tennessee commit) and No. 251 junior C.J. Jimcoily – S, along with No. 221 junior Chauncey Gooden – OG up front.
Saraland is the Alabama 6A state champ and the Spartans look to stay on top with three ESPN Junior 300 ranked players: No. 3 Ryan Williams is committed to Alabama as the top ranked WR in the class of 2025, while QB K.J. Lacey is the No. 48 junior, bound for Texas. No. 220 Antonio Coleman – DT provides defensive support up front.
Saturday, August 26
St. Frances (Md.) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)
Noon on ESPN from Brian Piccolo Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Seven ESPN ranked players return to a St. Frances team that lost only one game (to IMG) last season. The Panthers senior class includes two Oregon commits, No. 23 Michael Van Buren – QB and No. 129 Ify Obidegwu – CB, while No. 261 DeJuan Williams will stay close to home at Maryland. Their juniors include No. 30 Blake Woodby – CB, No. 167 Trent Wilson – DT, No. 196 Carlton Smith – OLB and No. 223 Kevyn Humes – CB.
Chaminade-Madonna suffered only one blemish last season (a loss to Bishop Gorman, NV in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series), on the way to their fifth state title in seven seasons. The Lions feature six ESPN ranked players of their own, including four seniors: No. 9 Jeremiah Smith – WR (Ohio State commit), No. 11 Joshisa Trader – WR (Miami commit), No. 76 Zaquan Patterson – S and No. 299 Davion Gause – RB (North Carolina commit). Juniors include No. 129 Chris Ewald – CB (Michigan commit) and No. 219 Kamare Williams – WR.
St. John Bosco (Calif.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
4 p.m. on ESPN2 from Brian Piccolo Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
John Bosco finished last season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country; the Braves return four ESPN 300 ranked seniors from that squad: No. 98 Marcelles Williams – CB (USC commit), No. 107 Peyton Woodyard – S (Georgia commit), No. 157 Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa – OLB and No. 236 Jason Mitchell – S.
Thomas Aquinas won their fifth straight Florida state title last season and is consistently a top-ten ranked team nationally. The Raiders return firepower on offense with No. 212 Chance Robinson – WR (Miami commit) and No. 284 James Madison II – WR (Missouri commit). No. 247 junior Julian Marks – DT anchors up front on the defensive side of the ball.
IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.)
7 p.m. on ESPN2 from Carey Stadium in Ocean City, N.J.
IMG returns 15 ESPN ranked players, including No. 1 senior Ellis Robinson IV – CB (Georgia commit) and No. 6 senior David Stone – DT. The Ascenders lost only once last season (to Miami Central) and return as a top-five nationally ranked team.
Joseph’s Prep won their seventh state title in ten years last season (with their lone loss coming to St. Thomas Aquinas in the GEICO ESPN HS Football Kickoff). Samaj Jones leads at QB, as the No. 250 senior (Cincinnati commit) along with No. 264 senior Omillio Agard (Wisconsin commit). The Hawks junior class includes three ESPN Junior 300 ranked players: No. 124 Anthony Sacca – OLB, No. 161 Maxwell Roy – DT and No. 297 – RB Isaiah West.
Mater Dei Catholic (Calif.) at Carlsbad (Calif.)
10 p.m. on ESPN2 from Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad. Calif.
Carlsbad features the No. 3 overall player in the senior class Julian Sayin, the No. 1 ranked DT-QB who is committed to Alabama. Fellow senior OLB Luke Ferrelli leads the defense and is committed to Stanford.
Mater Dei Catholic claimed their second straight CIF-San Diego Section title last year. The Crusaders return RB Anthony McMillian (San Diego State commit) and DB Isaiah Buxton (Arizona commit). This game was decided by just one point last year, with Carlsbad winning 36-35 early in the season.
Sunday, August 27
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) vs. St. Edward (Ohio)
1 p.m. on ESPN from First Federal Lakewood Stadium in Lakewood, Ohio.
Traditional Maryland power Good Counsel will take to the road in this top 25 national matchup. The falcons are never short on talent, this season included, with No. 57 senior Aaron Chiles ILB (Florida commit), No. 123 senior Dilin Jones – RB (Wisconsin commit), and No. 53 junior Faheem Delane – S.
Edward is the back-to-back Div. 1 state champion in Ohio. The Eagles consistency starts with one of the best offensive lines in the country, as Ben Roebuck (Michigan commit) and twins Deontae and Devontae Armstrong (Ohio State commits) return up-front.
