The Freshman List

Most of the time in high school football, the varsity team is dominated by upperclassmen and even some sophomores. However, some teams in Arizona will have freshmen who will make an immediate impact on their team and even see the field right away.

Here are a few of the top freshman in the state of Arizona that you will see during the 2025 season;

Maryvale

One of the more intriguing teams in the 4A conferences is Maryvale who debuted at 15 in our preseason rankings.. 

The Maryvale Panthers are looking to turn their football program around, and it all began when they hired co-head coaches Marcus and Mark Carter. The Carter brothers are well-respected in the Arizona high school football scene after their time and success with South Mountain and Desert Edge, and are looking to rebuild Maryvale into a similar contender. 

One thing that the Carter brothers did right away during the summer was make Maryvale more appealing to local freshman. It also wasn’t just about talented freshmen wanting to come to Maryvale for co-head coach Marcus Carter, but those players also being guys that want to help revive the Maryvale community.

“What I'm really excited about is we have guys that want to come in, they want to compete, and not even that, but they're taking on the pressure and the responsibility of resurrecting a community,” Carter said. “They're ready, they're self-made, they're ready to go.”

The two freshman standouts on their team are defensive end/tight end Kevin Smith and wide receiver/defensive back Alijah Cross. 

Kevin Smith 

Kevin (Scatter) Smith is a 6’3, 200-pound defensive end and tight end for Maryvale. 

Smith was a key addition this summer for the Panthers, as he was a highly touted player that any school would have loved to have. Ultimately, though, he ended up choosing Maryvale, and co-head coach Marcus Carter couldn’t be more thrilled about him being on the team. 

“He could have gone to any school that he wanted to, to be honest, but he chose Maryvale,” Carter said. “We’re excited to have him.” 

Traditionally, winning comes down to how good the trenches are on the team. Smith will have a big task at hand when it comes to playing on the defensive line and making sure the defense is playing its best. Smith will be able to cause havoc on defense early on in his high school career with his size and skill set. This will help him get more spotlight from what he already has now and help Maryvale make a push to the playoffs.

“Ever since I came to Maryvale, I have had a big recognition coming over here,” Smith said. “Some of my goals are to play all 10 games without injury and make it to the playoffs.”

Alijah Cross

Alijah Cross is the other standout freshman player at Maryvale. Cross stands at 5’10 and is 140 pounds. He plays defensive back and wide receiver for the Panthers. 

He's going to be relied on a lot to play on the field a majority of the time, as co-head coach Marcus Carter has a vision for him. 

“We're heavily relying on them. They're going to be playing offense. They're going to be playing defense. They're going to play special teams,” Carter said. “They're going to play a lot. They're going to be on the field.”

The expectation of playing a lot doesn’t mean just performing well on the field; it also means having the responsibility to be a leader early on. With a rebuilding team like Maryvale, it is crucial that players like Cross can be leaders in their first year so that later on they can be captains of the team. 

Cross is ready to be an impactful leader right away and make a change outside of the field as well. 

“I think it's a big opportunity because most people at our age don't get to be that type of leader on defense or offense,” Cross said. “My goals for the season are just competing, going out with the boys, making it to the playoffs, and changing the community.”

Maryvale will be in good hands as long as they have players like Cross and Smith, and other young talent, being ready to tackle whatever obstacles they may face and making Maryvale a staple in football once again. 

Mountain Pointe 

The Mountain Pointe Pride hope to get back to their 2010s success under new head coach Jon Roberts and get back to being a nationally-recognized program.

Similar to Maryvale, Mountain Pointe has a first-year head coach and will rely on freshman players to play right away. Roberts doesn’t like putting labels on kids because of what age or grade they are in, but how well they can perform.

“If a kid can do it, he can do it, so you don't really put an age,” Roberts said. “We've been fortunate enough to have three kids that we think could come in and contend for starting jobs and they've done a heck of a job doing that.” 

The three kids he is referring to are Kai Cooks, Sonny Norwood, and Aj Anderson. Roberts and these three freshmen hope to be the next faces of Mountain Pointe football. 

Kai Cooks

Kai Cooks is a two-way athlete, playing defensive back and some offense for Mountain Pointe and is listed at 5’10 and 145 pounds. Cooks originally was planning to attend Brophy, but then saw a golden opportunity for himself with the Pride and hasn’t looked back since.

The knowledge and pure talent he possesses are something that Roberts is proud of. Even praising how he can play a lot of different positions if they need him to.

“He is a dynamic kid, really, he knows it from a knowledge point of the game,” Roberts said. “[He] could play all four defensive back positions if need be.”

Even though he might be one of the youngest guys on the team, he doesn't shy away from competition with some of the older guys.

“I'm still bringing the same mentality,” Cooks said in regards to his transition from youth to varsity level football. “I'm just looking at the older guys as my competition and still bringing that aggression from youth to the older guys and just working on my craft.”

The mindset he brings will be useful during the season as well as Cooks is ready to play against some of Mountain Pointe's rivals. 

“The thing I'm most excited for is my first actual rivalry game against Desert Vista and Desert Edge,” Cooks said.”It’s probably going to be the biggest game of the season.”

Sonny Norwood

Sonny Norwood is a 5’5 and 153-pound all-around athlete for the Pride. His skill set makes him considered to be one of the more talented players in the 2029 class.  

Norwood is a player who can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end and even provide some kickoff returns on special teams. 

Due to how talented a player he is, Norwood is going to play at a lot of different positions for Mountain Pointe and Roberts even compares him to one of the more dynamic players in the NFL. 

“He plays a little bit of receiver, slot, and kick return. He plays a little bit of our wildcat quarterback as well in some of our packages,” Roberts said. “This is an all-around dynamic guy. I'm a 49ers fan, I refer to him like our Deebo Samuel, he does a little bit of everything.”

Even with lofty expectations Norwood may have, he isn’t letting the light get too bright for him. He is seen as one of the more talented players in the class of 2029, but the main thing he’s focused on is winning football games. 

“I think that we're going to be able to go far this year with the coaches we have, the pieces we have,” Norwood said in regards to the upcoming season. “The thing I’m looking forward to is playing all 10 games, helping out my team and dominating on the field.”

Aj Anderson

Aj Anderson stands at 5’11 and is 145 pounds and plays defensive back for the Pride. Anderson's journey to football started at a young age when he wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps. Anderson's father is Drew Anderson, a former NFL linebacker who played for the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. 

Anderson is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs in the class of 2029 in Arizona and will be an immediate impact player on the defensive side of the ball for Mountain Pointe. Roberts thinks he has everything it takes to be a great player in his first season. 

“He has all the tools, and I think he’s going to end up being a very dynamic player for us now and in the future,” Roberts said. “He works extremely hard, not just on the field but in the classroom; he absorbs a lot of knowledge.” 

With all the tools and talent in the world, he could be an even bigger household name after the 2025 season. He is ready to showcase his ability he has been working on since he was younger and put on the pads and win games with his teammates.

“One of the things I'm most looking forward to is winning with my team, getting a bigger bond with my teammates, and getting my name out there so people all around the world can know my name,” Anderson said. “My main goal, the main thing I'm excited for, is winning.”

Even though it will be a change of scenery for Roberts, Cooks, Norwood and Anderson, their goals are those of a contending team in the 5A conference. Winning their region and making a deep push in the playoffs. 

McClintock

Just like Maryvale and Mountain Pointe, McClintock will have a first-year head coach, Nick Offenberger, taking the helm of the program. 

Offenberger has a rich experience in coaching youth football in Arizona with Future U, so it is not surprising that he has a few talented freshmen on his team this season. A few of the freshmen who will be playing on Friday nights for McClintock are Michael Rivera, Tanoah Kauhi and Kaiden Ikaika Agbunag. 

Michael Rivera

Michael Rivera is a 6’1 280 280-pound offensive lineman for the Chargers. 

Before even playing in a high school football game, Rivera already holds one D-1 offer from Sacramento State. 

Rivera will be a key piece to an offensive line that will help McClintock’s offense to being back at the top. 

Tanoah Kauhi

Tanoah Kauhi stands at 6’0 and plays wide receiver for the Chargers. 

Kauhi already holds four D-1 offers from Hawaii, Sacramento State, Georgia State and Texas State. 

He will look to replicate some of the same production from guys like Kemon Jackson and Khalil Bender last year.  

Kauhi has the necessary skillset to have a big 2025 season. 

Kaiden Ikaika Agbunag

Kaiden Ikaika Agbunag is listed as 5’11 and 180 pounds. He is going to be the starting quarterback for McClintock this season. 

Just like his teammate Tanoah Kauhi, Agbunag already holds an impressive four D-1 offers. His offers include Hawaii, Georgia State, Sacramento State, and Abilene Christian. 

One of the few freshman starting quarterbacks in Arizona, Agbunag is looking to start his high school football career off with a great freshman campaign. 

With many great freshman players on their offense, McClintock is set to have a bright future and perhaps even a playoff push this season.

Roman Oliver, Hamilton DB/WR

Hamilton is always considered a contender in the 6A conference. Led by head coach Travis Dixon, the Huskies are always a competitive team. 

That’s why it's so impressive that players like Roman Oliver, a freshman, can see the field at such a young age.

Roman Oliver is listed at 5’10 and 150 pounds and he plays both defensive back and wide receiver for the Hamilton Huskies. 

Oliver already holds a D-1 offer from Southern Miss, showcasing what rare talent he already has. After the season, he is expected to have a few more D-1 offers. 

His brother Roye Oliver III is a sophomore at Hamilton and was a freshman starter for the Huskies last year. Oliver will be looking to follow in his older brother's footsteps and put together an impressive freshman season. 

Aydin Rodriguez, Highland DB

The Highland Hawks are one of the more premier teams in the 6A conference. They have had eight straight winning seasons, and a lot of that can be credited head coach of the program, Brock Farrel, and his ability to get the most out of and develop his players. 

Another player who has entered the Highland football scene this season is freshman defensive back Aydin Rodriguez.

Aydin Rodriguez is listed at 5’10 and 170 pounds for the Highland Hawks. Rodriguez has already found himself to be a key piece to a contending 6A team this season.

He flashed during 7 on 7s this summer, and it put his name and face on the Arizona high school football map. Already at a good height and size for his age and position, there is no question whether he will be impactful right away, but how much better he can get over his next four years at Highland.

Colin Godfrey, Cactus Shadows WR/DB

Cactus Shadows has gained a new identity in the past few years. After a rebuild that was led by head coach Chris Dixon, Cactus Shadows has positioned itself as an early 2025 5A contender. 

The Falcons are a contender due to their returning players and some new faces, including Colin Godfrey.

Colin Godfrey is a 6’0 and 150-pound two-way player for the Falcons. 

The past two summers, Godfrey has made great strides. Last summer, he dominated during his time with the 13U Scottsdale Firebirds.

Then again, this summer debuting with the 7 on 7s team, showcasing his ability to play both ways for Cactus Shadows.

Godfrey is expected to make many Friday night lights appearances this season and keep improving the way he has already. 

DaMarcus “DJ” Stinson, Casteel DB/WR

After two straight seasons of 6-6 records, the Casteel Colts are looking to break over the .500 hump. 

In order to get over the hump, they will look to get quality playing time out of DaMarcus “DJ” Stinson this year. DJ is a defensive back and wide receiver who is listed at 5’11 and 165 pounds. 

Stinson will look to bring elite athleticism to the Colts roster this season. As not only is he a football player, but a track star as well. 

His speed matched with his verticality will give Casteel the versatility they have been needing to make a push in their region and in the 6A conference. 

Yuen Taufete’e, Brophy OL

The Brophy Broncos have become a nationally known team due to their winning ways and big-time players on the roster. 

Brophy has developed D-1 football players and continues to have them come through their program. 

Freshman offensive lineman Yuen Taufete’e is another one of those players who can be cemented as another Brophy great after four years. Taufete’e is 6’3 and 300 pounds. 

Already showcasing how good of an offensive lineman he can become, he has already earned himself an in-state D-1 offer from the University of Arizona. 

Taufete’e could already be an immediate varsity impact for the Broncos, and when it is all said and done, he could be one of the top linemen in the class of 2029 in Arizona. 

Final Thoughts

It is not often that freshman players can play on Friday night lights off the bat. However, these are some of the few players in the state of Arizona that you should expect to see their names a lot more as the 2025 season gets rolling tonight. 

The Class of 2029 is stacked with talent and we are excited to see what they will accomplish in their high school careers.