12 High School Football Factories
Each year during the NFL draft, a handful of colleges such as Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and USC are among the programs labeled as NFL factories.
However, there are a handful of programs on the prep level that can make a similar claim.
Talent-producing hotbeds such as California, Florida and Texas are natural places to look for prep powerhouses, but there are few programs outside of those three states that have staked a claim for producing top NFL prospects.
Which high schools are producing the most college and NFL prospects?
*Schools listed in alphabetical order.
St. Thomas Aquinas: Fort Lauderdale, FL
1 of 12School Name: St. Thomas Aquinas
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Notable alumni: Giovani Bernard, Lamarcus Joyner, Dezmen Southward
When it comes to quantity and quality, St. Thomas Aquinas stands alone as the nation's biggest talent-producing factory, as noted by MaxPreps.
The Aquinas factory began under former legendary coach George Smith, and the Raiders have continued to keep it going under his replacement, Rocco Casullo.
The pipeline isn’t drying up with college studs and future pros such as Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene and Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa becoming All-Americans.
With talents such as 4-star running back and Miami commitment Jordan Scarlett set to enter college, Aquinas is still pumping out some of the top talent out of the Sunshine State.
Central: Miami, FL
2 of 12School Name: Central
Location: Miami, FL
Notable alumni: Willis McGahee, Devonta Freeman, Stanley Jean-Baptiste
The Central Rockets have emerged as a powerhouse in one of the nation’s most fiercely competitive areas in the prep ranks: Dade County in the heart of Miami.
Former Florida State standout running back Devonta Freeman enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons.
His replacement at Central and now in Tallahassee—freshman phenom Dalvin Cook—is among the standouts primed to make noise on the college level for years to come.
Da'Vante Phillips—a 4-star receiver in the 2015 class—is a top talent who helped lead the Rockets to their third consecutive state title in 2014.
J.T. Curtis: River Ridge, LA
3 of 12
School Name: John Curtis Christian High School
Location: River Ridge, LA
Notable alumni: Joe McKnight, Malachi Dupre
No prep program in the country can match the dominance of John Curtis Christian High School located just outside of New Orleans.
The Patriots have won 26 state titles under legendary head coach J.T. Curtis, son of the school’s founder and namesake.
Last year, the Patriots produced a trio of signees at three Pac-12 schools in addition to sending former 5-star receiver Malachi Dupre to LSU.
This year, the Patriots have a pair of stud recruits in 3-star safety Hunter Dale and 3-star defensive end and current Notre Dame pledge Bo Wallace.
With 2016 4-star offensive lineman Willie Allen already a national prospect, the Curtis program is showing no signs of letting up as one of the nation’s most trusted factories for producing talent.
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De La Salle: Concord, CA
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School Name: De La Salle
Location: Concord, CA
Notable alumni: D.J. Williams, Maurice Jones-Drew, T.J. Ward
After going more than a decade without losing a game from 1992-2003 under legendary coach Bob Ladouceur, the Spartans are in the midst of another dominant stretch under new coach Justin Alumbaugh.
The Spartans have lost just two games in the last five years.
With noted underclassmen such as 4-star defensive end Devin Asiasi and 4-star defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa, the Spartans have a load of talent still coming through their storied program.
DeMatha: Hyattsville, MD
5 of 12School Name: DeMatha Catholic High School
Location: Hyattsville, MD
Notable alumni: Brian Westbrook, Cyrus Kouandjio, Arie Kouandjio
DeMatha High School has been known as a basketball powerhouse in the past, but the Stags football program has become a stout force on the gridiron.
After watching brother Cyrus get selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, current Alabama offensive lineman and former Stag Arie Kouandjio is in position to be a high draft choice in the 2015 draft.
Additionally, players such as 2016 5-star defensive end Shane Simmons and 2017 4-star running back Anthony McFarland give DeMatha a strong foundation of studs to build on moving forward.
DeSoto: DeSoto, TX
6 of 12
School Name: DeSoto High School
Location: DeSoto, TX
Notable alumni: Von Miller, Cyrus Gray
Nestled in an ultra-competitive district in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, DeSoto High School has grown into a powerhouse in recent years under Claude Mathis.
The program known as DeSoto U had loaded classes in 2013 and 2014—including stud athlete and current TCU receiver Desmon White.
White’s successor at quarterback for DeSoto—2016 4-star quarterback Tristen Wallace—has the looks of becoming the next big thing to emerge from the Eagles program.
Dorsey: Los Angeles, CA
7 of 12
School Name: Dorsey High School
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Notable alumni: Keyshawn Johnson, Rahim Moore, Johnathan Franklin
While Dorsey High School has fallen on hard times in recent years, the Dons program has been a factory for producing NFL talent.
In fact, Dorsey has produced at least one NFL draft pick in five of the last six years.
According to MaxPreps, Dorsey is one of just 10 schools that has sent at least 10 players to the NFL over the last two decades.
Glenville: Cleveland, OH
8 of 12
School Name: Glenville High School
Location: Cleveland, OH
Notable alumni: Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith, Donte Whitner
Ohio is another state that produces its share of prep talent. Cleveland’s Glenville High School has developed into a powerhouse under the direction of head coach Ted Ginn Sr.
Ginn has led the Tarblooders to at least 10 wins seven times since the 2004 season.
His program has been a pipeline to Ohio State—with current Buckeyes starting quarterback Cardale Jones being another Glenville alum.
Northwestern: Miami, FL
9 of 12
School Name: Northwestern High School
Location: Miami, Florida
Notable alumni: Teddy Bridgewater, Lavonte David, Amari Cooper
Northwestern High School had a stretch from 2005-09 when it went 63-7—including back-to-back 6A state titles in 2006-07.
The University of Miami’s 2008 recruiting class featured seven former Bulls—including quarterback Jacory Harris, defensive tackle Marcus Forston and linebacker Sean Spence.
If current Alabama star Amari Cooper enters the draft, he’ll give the Bulls program its second consecutive draft with a first-round selection after Teddy Bridgewater was taken by the Vikings with the 32nd pick a year ago.
Peachtree Ridge: Suwanee, GA
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School Name: Peachtree Ridge High School
Location: Suwanee, GA
Notable alumni: Cameron Heyward, Kevin Minter, Bradley Roby
Located in the metro Atlanta area, Peachtree Ridge High School has developed into an athletic power in the last decade.
Former Lions and Ohio State stars Cameron Heyward (2011) and Bradley Roby (2014) were each selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
The current Lions squad fields one of the youngest and most talented rosters in all of Georgia—with Cameron’s younger brother Connor headlining a group of underclassmen with NFL bloodlines.
Poly: Long Beach, CA
11 of 12School Name: Poly High School
Location: Long Beach, CA
Notable Alumni: Jurrell Casey, DeSean Jackson, Marcedes Lewis
Poly High School out of Long Beach, California, has been one of the most consistent talent-producing programs in the country.
According to MaxPreps, the Jackrabbits—who are now coached by former NFL star Antonio Pierce—have had 16 players drafted into the NFL since 1993, which is second only to Aquinas nationally.
Iman Marshall—who is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 corner in the 2015 class—is the latest star from Poly to be on the lookout for in the years to come.
Serra: Gardena, CA
12 of 12School Name: Junipero Serra High School
Location: Gardena, CA
Notable Alumni: Marqise Lee, Paul Richardson, Robert Woods
Located just south of Los Angeles, Serra High School has produced a number of stud recruits in recent years.
The Cavaliers program has been a pipeline to USC lately—with former stars such as George Farmer, Adoree' Jackson, Marqise Lee and Robert Woods all moving on to star for the Trojans.
Serra has three players—4-star athlete Stanley Norman, 4-star linebacker John Houston and 5-star defensive tackle Rasheem Green—who rank among the nation’s top 150 prospects.
With juniors such as receiver Brandon Burton and defensive end Oluwole Betiku already having multiple offers from Power Five schools, the Cavaliers program is primed to keep college recruiters on campus early and often.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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