College Football Recruits Who Dominated High School State Championship Games

Another sensational high school football season is history after state championship runs concluded across the country. Teams left standing were often led by college-bound playmakers who aimed to deliver a new trophy to their community.

We've spent the past four months keeping a close eye on top 2015 prospects as they took on the task of carrying programs to the promised land. Here's a look at several standouts who turned ambitious goals into reality during recent weeks.

4-Star QB Brandon Wimbush (Jersey City, New Jersey)

Credit: 247Sports

Brandon Wimbush didn't waste his shot at redemption in a state title rematch against Paramus Catholic. The 6'2", 205-pound St. Peter's Prep passer picked apart the opposing defense, avenging a 2013 championship game defeat.

He completed 18 attempts for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Wimbush added another 158 yards and a score on the ground, spearheading a 34-18 win.

"This is an unbelievable feeling for us right now," he told Braulio Perez of NJ.com. "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."

Wimbush put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with a 63-yard sprint.

He finished the season with more than 3,900 total yards and 46 touchdowns, completing nearly 75 percent of his passes. 

Wimbush flipped his commitment from Penn State to Notre Dame in October.

5-Star WR Christian Kirk (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Christian Kirk capped off his career at Saguaro High School with a third state title run. He contributed to a 2011 championship journey as a freshman and served as the catalyst for consecutive unbeaten seasons as an upperclassman.

The 5'10", 191-pound playmaker accounted for four touchdowns in a 45-21 victory over Williams Field High School, per Tony Gennario of the East Valley Tribune. Kirk changed the contest's complexion by breaking a 21-21 tie with a 98-yard kickoff return.

He set a new state record in the process, establishing a new career-high mark of 103 total scores. His senior season saw him take on an expansive role in the rushing attack, punctuated by 188 yards on the ground against Williams Field.

Kirk, who committed to Texas A&M in December, rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this season. He also tallied a third straight 1,000-yard receiving campaign.

"The main thing was setting my goals high and going out and accomplishing them," Kirk told Richard Obert of AZCentral.com.

4-Star QB Jake Browning (Folsom, California)

Jake Browning bowed out in style at Folsom High School, tying a national record during his team's title victory. He threw for 443 yards and six scores in a 68-7 win over Oceanside High School, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.

The 6'2", 185-pound Washington commit tied the all-time single-season mark with 91 touchdown passes as a senior. He already held the all-time career record, which now stands at 229 touchdown tosses. 

Browning directed an offensive attack that produced 915 points during a 16-0 season, the most ever posted by a high school team. He averaged more than 360 passing yards per game, but threw just seven interceptions.

Despite all the accolades, Browning manages to keep things in perspective.

“The trophies and records are nice, but it’s the friendships that mean the most," he told Joe Davidson of The Sacramento Bee. "I don’t know how many touchdowns I have this season, but I can name everyone on our team, when I met them, and tell you a funny story about each one.”

4-Star RB Mark Walton (Miami, Florida)

Credit: 247Sports

Miami pledge Mark Walton helped claim a third straight state championship for Booker T. Washington High School, concluding an unbeaten season in dominant fashion. He erupted for 184 yards—including 155 after intermission—in a 54-35 victory over Bolles High School, per Bill Daley of the Miami Herald.

Walton scored three touchdowns and turned on the jets for a 75-yard scoring burst in the second half. The 5'10", 179-pound rusher averaged 15 yards per carry on 11 attempts in the third and fourth quarters.

"I told my teammates at halftime that I was going to pick it up, and I did," Walton told Daley. "Whatever I needed to do, I would go out and do. I came out in the second half, and the game wound up evolving around me, and that’s the way I wanted it. I wanted to carry this team.”

Though he began the year as a junior, Walton accumulated enough credits to graduate early and reclassified as a member of the 2015 recruiting class. He capped off his "senior" season with 1,472 yards rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns.

5-Star QB Kyler Murray (Allen, Texas)

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Kyler Murray closed out his high school career in storybook fashion. The 5'10", 180-pound standout led Allen High School to a third straight state title, extending the team's win streak to 43 games.

Murray was the starting quarterback in 42 of those contests and never ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. He led two double-digit deficit comebacks during the playoffs to set the stage for a championship clash with Cypress Ranch High School.

Murray took care of business again on the big stage, completing 22 of 32 pass attempts for 317 yards and five scores, per Corbett Smith of The Dallas Morning News. He identified the final title run as his finest.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with three great teams, but this one’s probably my favorite, just because of all the adversity we faced as a team,” Murray told Smith. “Key injuries throughout the season, everyone falling and the next man standing up.”

He accounted for 186 total touchdowns and 14,500 yards in three seasons behind center.

3-Star QB Joe Burrow (The Plains, Ohio)

Credit: 247Sports

Joe Burrow is the lone member of this list who didn't come away with a championship trophy. However, his effort in a narrow title game defeat warrants a place among these top performances.

The 6'4", 205-pound Athens High School quarterback put on a one-man show to keep his team competitive throughout a 56-52 loss to Central Catholic High School. Burrow set Division III state championship records for passing yards, completions and touchdowns, per Bill Landis of Cleveland.com.

He connected on 26 of 45 pass attempts, tallying 446 yards and six scores. Burrow added 69 rushing yards on 10 carries.

However, the five points that separated him from a championship weighed heavily in the immediate aftermath.

"Nothing matters except that loss," Burrow told Landis. "Put in all the hard work to get here, just couldn't make enough plays in the end."

It sounds like the Ohio State commit will arrive in Columbus motivated by unfinished business.

4-Star WR Damarkus Lodge (Cedar Hill, Texas)

Credit: 247Sports

Damarkus Lodge earned offensive MVP honors in the state title games for a second straight year. The 6'2.5", 190-pound receiver caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over Katy High School, per Matt Wixon of The Dallas Morning News.

He jolted a Cedar Hill High School offensive attack that failed to find the end zone during first-half action. Lodge hauled in scoring passes of 26 and 61 yards in the third quarter, rallying the team from an early deficit.

His senior campaign concluded with a career-high 25 touchdown receptions. He caught 134 passes for 2,475 yards and 46 scores during the past two seasons, per MaxPreps.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.