Host to several top contenders for state championships once again, picking a lineup of the best football players from Oakland County is no easy feat.
Some of the top OAA and Catholic League programs alone could team up to comprise a formidable lineup.
So in picking a starting lineup of the best players in the area, there’s a limit of two players for each team, which actually makes the exercise a whole lot tougher.
Here are 22 of the best players around Oakland County who will put on a helmet this fall.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Alex Waszczenko, Sr., Clarkston: It’s yet to be seen whether Oakland County will produce a Power-4 QB from the Class of 2026, so it’s a group that arguably lacks one bonified headliner. Don’t let that fool you into thinking there’s an absence of good signal-callers, because it’s actually a deep bunch. Waszczenko gets the nod as one of its most experienced, though. Also athletic enough to take off and move the sticks, he had over 2,000 total yards as a junior, and just as impressive as his 23 TDs was that the Ferris State commit only threw two interceptions.
Running back
Jeremiah Whitley, Sr., Birmingham Groves: Last year, Oakland County seemed to have a stronger crop of players at the position. Then again, who knew about Whitley at this same time in 2025? Whitley exploded onto the scene after sitting behind some other talented guys like Noah Sanders and busted the program’s single-season rushing yards record (1,421) while finding the end zone over 15 times. Whitley, like Sanders, is destined to play on Saturdays.
Brosie Telegadas, Sr., Stoney Creek: The Cougars may not be known as a distribution line at the position, but Telegadas is a bonified athlete and has shown he can keep up with opposing stars on the defensive side of the ball. He ran for 1,001 yards (5.78 yards per carry) as a junior and flashed his ability to make plays with his hands out of the backfield last fall as well with 23 receptions for 179 yards and three scores. He’s proven he can do it in big games, also: Telegadas ran for 117 yards against Harper Woods and had four touchdowns in Stoney’s playoff victory over Eisenhower last year.
Wide receiver
Lorenzo Barber, Sr., Orchard Lake St. Mary’s: Picking between “Zo” and his counterpart, Chad Willis, is almost criminal, and although Willis is the more touted prospect, Barber gets the edge for his production in 2025. He had over 1,300 all-purpose yards for the state champs (including 800+ receiving yards), and 15 of his total TDs came via the air. He submitted his resume as one of the best in the state at Ford Field when he hauled in eight catches for 149 yards and two scores.
Tory Robinson, Sr., Waterford Mott: As good as he’s been on the basketball court for the Corsairs, the feeling is that Robinson’s greatest upside remains on a football field. With excellent size to match his agility at almost 6-foot-3, Robinson hauled in 38 catches for 907 yards and six TDs in 2025. He made an impact on defense for Mott, too, racking up 61 tackles to go along with three interceptions. He’s got the talent to find a D1 landing spot by next fall.
Tight end
Anthony Cartwright III, Sr., Detroit Country Day: Catholic League defenses will be glad to know they’ve only got one season to have to line up against the 6-foot-5 target, who also plays along the Yellowjackets’ defensive line. Versatile and armed with good hands, Cartwright had his pick of schools, but the 4-star recruit picked Oregon at the end of June.
Offensive line
Eric Anderson, Sr., Detroit Catholic Central: Take your pick from the Shamrocks, because there’s a few other contenders. But Anderson, along with Northern Michigan commit Austin Woodlock, helps ensure that the defending D1 champions and quarterback Duke Banta will have plenty of time to get the ball to their playmakers, all while dominating as a run blocker. He committed to Pitt in June.
Gabe Jankowski, Sr., North Farmington: The Raiders have a good mix of experience and youth in several facets of their defense, and Jankowski is the standout of the elders. He’s also an impact player on the opposite side of the line (he had three sacks as a junior), but the Wayne State commit should make his biggest impact having quarterback Eli Cobb’s back at left tackle.
Liam Samborski, Sr., Oxford: If you’re going to know anyone on the Wildcats’ offensive unit this season, it may as well be Samborski, a multi-sport standout who’s also one of the best 285-pound grapplers in the state. One of nine overall returners on Oxford’s offense, the Central Michigan commit is going to pave the way for the Wildcats to be a factor in the OAA Red once again.
Brayden Blackstock, Sr., Lake Orion: Offensive line is expected to be one of the Dragons’ strong suits in 2026, and no one defines strength along that unit like Blackstock, who was a state qualifier for the D1 individual wrestling finals in the 285-pound division as a junior. A three-year varsity starter, Blackstock should ensure Lake Orion returns to its winning ways this fall.
Tristan Hunter, Sr., West Bloomfield: Hunter has played with the best of them over the past several years, like Jeremiah Benson (Minnesota) and Brandon Davis-Swain (Texas A&M), and now he takes the mantle as one of the top trench talents. At 290 pounds, Hunter can plug the middle of the defensive front as he showed as a junior with 22 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, but he’s also dominating along the O-line, as evidenced by recording a dozen pancakes. Hunter committed to Findlay in July.
DEFENSE
Defensive line
Myles Smith, Sr., Farmington: There are a couple of contenders for best pass rusher within the county, but Smith might take the cake. A pretty good forward on the hardwood, too, Smith, 6-foot-4, could be a menace for Indiana, who he chose over other powerhouses like Michigan and Oklahoma. In the meantime, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reach double-digit sacks as he terrorizes LVC quarterbacks this fall.
Jayden Bell, Jr., Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice: From a purely recruiting aspect, few around the county are as coveted as Bell, who like many other teammates, has an exceptional amount of experience for being a 2028. The 6-foot-5 talent, who got to quarterbacks eight times in the Warriors turnaround 2025 campaign, is either a four or 5-star recruit, depending where you look, but either way has offers from just about every elite program in the nation, including Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
Clarkston’s Wendall Childs Jr. (13) secures the ball in a 44-22 district championship victory over Grand Blanc Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON – MediaNews Group, file)
Treighjan Gibson, Sr., Orchard Lake St. Mary’s: Choosing the most talented player on the Eaglets is tough, but Gibson might take the cake as the team’s most powerful. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Gibson was a wrecking ball for the D2 state champs, ending his junior campaign with 65 tackles (17 TFLs), nine sacks and a pair of forced fumbles and recoveries each. He pledged to UCONN back in June.
Malik Cipullo, Sr., Birmingham Groves: The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder has drawn solid praise for his work at camps, but the production has more than matched in the fall. Cipullo doesn’t just beat his man off the edge, he finishes the job, as evidenced by (in addition to 62 tackles) his 16.5 sacks as a junior. Offers since the spring for Cipullo have included Kent State, Northwood and Findlay.
Linebacker
Deondre Hill, Jr., Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice: The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder appears to been best as a linebacker who can both stuff the rushing attack and pick up receivers in coverage at the next level, so maybe this is his best place. Still, Hill is just as much a bruiser with the rock in his hands, as evidenced by rushing for nearly 1,000 yards with 13 TDs as a sophomore.
Gannon Limotte, Sr., South Lyon: The Lions didn’t get to be LVC champs last season without some dudes who can bring it, and they’re going to be frontrunners to win the league again with senior stars like Carter McGlinch and Limotte amongst their ranks. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, who also had over 1,000 total yards and a dozen scores on offense, finished with 52 tackles and three interceptions (including two pick-6s) as a junior. He’ll continue his football at Eastern Michigan after this year.
Luke Perkins, Jr., Milford: Head coach Andrew Micovich is happy to have his entire linebacking core returning intact in 2026, and Perkins is a difference-maker in the group that also includes Juliano Iljazi and Billy Ochadleus. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder brings experience, too, having started 10 games his freshman season when he accrued 79 tackles with a sack and two forced fumbles.
Defensive back
Gideon Gash, Sr., Detroit Catholic Central: If this list were numbered, he could easily be No. 1. As a junior, Gash had 60 tackles with a pair of INTs and eight pass deflections. A talent this special would be too good to limit, and the Shamrocks unleash him in all capacities, including out wide (16 catches, 400 yards, five TDs in 2025), and on special teams, where he’s always liable to break loose and take it to the house. Blessed with exceptional speed and standing at 6-foot-4, Gash is committed to Texas Tech.
Christian Gillings, Sr., Farmington: Like others, Gillings could find his way onto the offensive side of this list, also. At just 5-foot-8, he might lack the size to be a top-end recruit, but he still manages to impact the game wherever he lines up. Gillings had a breakout 2025, accounting for 1,500 yards of total offense, and on defense he picked off four passes and deflected another handful. He blocked several field goals, too.
Wendell Childs Jr., Sr., Clarkston: The Wolves’ Lukas and Griffin Boman got a ton of attention the past season or two, and justifiably so. Don’t let that fool you into believing the defense is bereft of top-end athletes now that those two have graduated, though. If it’s numbers you need as proof, Childs brings it to the table on the track as a state champion (twice, in fact) in the 800-meter run, and the 6-foot-1 Childs, whose offers include UConn, Northern Illinois and UMass, is likely to get more attention on the offensive side of the ball from Waszczenko as well.
Bryce Tillman-Jones, Sr., West Bloomfield: Lakers head coach Zach Hilbers has said to expect this year’s team to be more predicated on speed than strength compared to recent seasons, and look no further than the 5-foot-10 Tillman-Jones, who will also be weaponized by quarterback Jaxson Carver. Tillman-Jones didn’t allow any balls thrown his way to go for scores as a junior, and the Ferris State commit had five pass deflections, a forced fumble and a TD in 2025.