5 College Football Recruits Who Had an Explosive Week

The 2014 high school football season has hit its final stretch across the nation, with several states already moving on to the winter sports slate. The teams left competing remain in contention for championship glory, giving players an opportunity to create lasting legacies in their communities.

Throughout the fall, we've focused on weekly standouts from various recruiting classes. Some of these prospects are now just months away from beginning college careers, while others will return to lead high school squads again next year.

We keep the spotlight on recruits who continue to rise to the occasion when it matters most. Here's our latest look at those who shined last weekend.

5-star 2015 quarterback Kyler Murray, Allen High School (Allen, Texas)

Time and time again during his career, Murray has shown a refusal to lose. That spirit helped lift the Eagles to a late victory over Euless Trinity High School in the Class 6A state quarterfinals.

Murray completed 25 passes, including a 3rd-and-20 conversion that set up a game-winning field goal with 44 seconds left, per Matt Wixon of The Dallas Morning News. He threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns in the 30-27 win, pushing Allen one step closer to a third straight state title.

The 5'10", 180-pound Texas A&M pledge improved to 40-0 as a varsity starter. He has 175 total touchdowns during that span, including 68 through 14 games this season.

4-star 2015 running back Mark Walton, Booker T. Washington High School (Miami, Florida)

Booker T. Washington cruised to a third consecutive Class 4A state championship with Walton leading the way. He earned Most Valuable Player honors by scoring five total touchdowns, including three on the ground, in a 54-35 win over Jacksonville Bolles High School, per J.T. Wilcox of SFHS Sports.

Walton rushed for 184 yards and three scores on 19 carries, collecting an additional 89 yards and two touchdowns through the air. His performance helped punctuate the team's latest title run and extended its win streak to 40 games.

He scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

“Being a part of history was a big thing to us,” Walton told Wilcox. "I wasn’t going to let my teammates – the seniors on this teams – down and let us lose. That’s why I turned it on in the second half and did whatever I could to help my team win."

Credit: 247Sports

The 5'10", 179-pound playmaker committed to Miami in September 2013. Several offers have arrived since, including one from Florida just days after the arrival of new Gators head coach Jim McElwain.

3-star 2015 running back Nick Ralston, Argyle High School (Argyle, Texas)

The 6'0", 215-pound rusher put the offensive game plan on his back during a Class 4A quarterfinal win over Kennedale. Argyle rallied from a 17-point deficit as Ralston ran for 214 yards and five touchdowns on 38 carries, according to The Dallas Morning News.

He scored a go-ahead 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give his team a 52-48 victory in the battle of unbeaten teams.

Arizona State landed his commitment in February. The Sun Devils coaching staff paid him a visit this weekend after the dominant effort:

Through 14 games, Ralston is averaging nearly eight yards per carry. He has 2,324 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground, per MaxPreps.

Credit: 247Sports

4-star 2015 quarterback Brandon Wimbush, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, New Jersey)

Wimbush and St. Peter's Prep avenged a 2013 state title game loss by defeating Paramus Catholic in a championship rematch. The 6'2", 205-pound passer picked apart the opposing defense with his arm and legs, flashing the skill set that makes him America's No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings.

He completed 18 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-18 win, per Braulio Perez of 247Sports. Wimbush was most dangerous as a rusher, gaining 158 yards on 11 carries.

His 63-yard fourth-quarter scoring sprint put the final nail in the coffin for reigning champion Paramus Catholic.

"This is an unbelievable feeling for us right now," Wimbush told Perez. "Just to be able to capture it all with these guys is special. I wouldn't go out like this and win a state championship with another group of dudes."

He flipped his commitment from Penn State to Notre Dame in October. Wimbush finishes as the all-time leader in touchdown passes at St. Peter's Prep.

4-star 2017 quarterback Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)

The sophomore signal-caller capped off his first season at the Nevada powerhouse by playing a pivotal role in a state championship victory. Martell, who took over the starting role in late August, completed three early touchdown passes en route to a 70-28 demolishing of Reed High School, per Jim Krajewski of the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Each of his first three tosses resulted in touchdowns, including a strike to 4-star 2015 wide receiver Cordell Broadus on the second play from scrimmage. Martell maximized his 12 pass attempts, tallying 162 yards and the trio of scores.

Bishop Gorman has now won six straight titles and makes a strong case to be considered the country's top team. Martell will return as the face of this premier program in 2015.

The highly touted underclassman transferred from California before the season and completes his sophomore campaign with 3,000 total yards and 41 touchdowns, per MaxPreps. The journey included a nationally televised victory over St. John Bosco (California) and 5-star UCLA quarterback commit Josh Rosen.

Martell committed to Washington while in middle school and has remained loyal to the Huskies despite a coaching change. However, offers from Texas Tech and USC could make things interesting down the road.

Credit: 247Sports

Recruit ratings and info courtesy of 247Sports.