The Dallas-Fort Worth area will be well-represented during this weekend’s conference championship games, from Dallas sports icons to newcomers who’ve broken out over the last few seasons, here is a list of the notable former Texas high school players from the D-FW area playing for the remaining four teams this weekend.
AFC Championship: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, Sunday at 2 p.m.
NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday at 5 p.m.
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Denver BroncosLinebacker Drew Sanders, Denton Ryan
Drew Sanders was one of the most dominant utility players in recent memory for Texas high school football at Denton Ryan. He played linebacker, edge rusher, receiver and wildcat quarterback for a Ryan program that eventually won the 2019 state championship. At the end of his high school career, he had over 500 yards passing, 1,000 yards rushing, 900 yards receiving, 147 tackles and 10.5 sacks.
High School Sports
Wide reciever Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Southlake Carroll
The former Texas Longhorn is a product of Texas powerhouse Southlake Carroll where he was an all-state athlete with over 1,200 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards to his name as a senior in 2015. He had over 1,800 yards rushing as a junior and also played basketball and competed in track and field.
Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., Frisco Lone Star
Marvin Mims had one of the greatest single-seasons in Texas high school football history as a senior at Frisco Lone Star in 2019 setting a new single-season mark with over 2,600 yards receiving with 5,485 yards, fourth all-time.
Los Angeles RamsQuarterback Matthew Stafford, Highland Park
One of the most decorated players in Texas high school football history came from Highland Park where Matthew Stafford threw for over 4,100 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior in 2005 when he also led the program to the Class 5A state championship. He had over 9,000 career yards and 94 touchdown passes and was named to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Guard Steve Avila, South Grand Prairie
Steve Avila is a D-FW product through and through coming from South Grand Prairie as a four-star recruit in 2018 before signing with TCU where he was an integral part of the program’s first-ever trip to the national title in 2022.
Honorable Mention:
Cam Lampkin, Mesquite Poteet
Rams practice squad
New England PatriotsCornerback Charles Woods, Kimball
In 2017, Charles Woods played all over the field at Kimball but was primarily a defensive back receiver on offense where he recorded 453 yards as a senior. He also took snaps at quarterback throwing 22 passes.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, The Colony
Christian Gonzalez was a two-way athlete at The Colony in 2019 at both receiver and defensive back. Offensively, he registered over 1,000 career yards and 14 touchdowns while recording 46 tackles and three interceptions.
Safety Craig Woodson, South Grand Prairie
Craig Woodson was named a unanimous all-district selection as a senior recording 96 tackles and two interceptions. He also had two blocked field goals and scored four touchdowns.
Safety Kobee Minor, Lake Dallas
Kobee Minor was a former first-team all-district selection at Lake Dallas where he earned a three-star rating as a recruit in the Class of 2020. He recorded 97 tackles his junior season and recorded nine total interceptions throughout high school.
Defensive lineman Milton Williams, Crowley
Milton Williams registered over 300 tackles, 22 sacks and four touchdowns with Crowley before enrolling at Louisiana Tech. Williams was underrecruited out of high school with his only other offers coming from Tulsa, New Mexico, and Stephen F. Austin.
Seattle SeahawksDefensive lineman Byron Murphy II, DeSoto
Byron Murphy II was an all-state defensive lineman at D-FW power DeSoto and played varsity all four years in high school. As a senior he recorded 79 tackles and 14 sacks when he emerged as a four-star prospect in 2019.
Wide receiverJaxon Smith-Njigba, Rockwall
Alongside Mims, Jaxon Smith-Njigba also had one of the best seasons for a receiver in Texas high school football history in 2019 finishing with 2,094 yards receiving and 35 touchdowns for Rockwall. He finished his high school career second all-time in receiving yards just 21 yards shy of record-holder Jordan Shipley.
Cornerback Riq Woolen, Fort Worth Arlington Heights
Tariq Woolen played receiver in high school at Fort Worth Arlington Heights. As a senior he recorded 536 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016 and was named first-team all-district before transitioning to defensive back during his sophomore year of college at UTSA.
Honorable Mention:
Elijah Arroyo, Frisco Independence
Seahawks injured reserve
Waxahachie’s Shane Tolleson to be Denton Ryan’s next head football coach
Before being hired at Waxahachie, Tolleson served as defensive coordinator under previous Ryan head coach Dave Henigan for seven seasons
UIL won’t change when Division I, Division II split happens for upcoming realignment
Sports other than football will continue to wait until the playoffs start to determine which bracket teams will be in.