Gorney Awards: Best of the high school season

Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney has been all over the West Coast this season, scouting top high school prospects from the 2025, 2026, 2027 and even 2028 classes. Here are his awards for the top performances he saw in person.

THIS SERIES: Greg Smith’s awards for this season | Sam Spiegelman’s awards | John Garcia Jr.’s awards

MORE GORNEY: Ten biggest weekend visits

Coming into Chandler (Ariz.) Basha’s game against Mission Viejo, Calif., I expected Roberts to have some nice contributions but he ended up being one of the best running backs I saw all season. He was fast and elusive – but also patient behind his blockers. The 2027 four-star definitely has future star written all over him.

Roberts, who landed offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State and many others throughout his sophomore season, should rush for more than 1,000 yards and already has 17 touchdowns this year. He has superstar written all over him in the 2027 class.

Hildebrand looks like someone from the Midwest that got dumped in the Phoenix suburbs and decided to eat red meat and dominate football games. For a 2027 offensive lineman to be that physically dominant – and that athletic – against elite competition at Mission Viejo, Calif., was very impressive.

The 6-foot-5, 277-pound prospect is already big with little bad weight but he could easily play around 300 pounds so there’s still some room to fill out.

Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M and a dozen others have already offered and many more should be on the way for the elite offensive lineman in the West.

Say what you will about his future position, Utu simply does not lose reps. The five-star offensive lineman from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman plays right tackle since BYU commit Alai Kalaniuvalu anchors the left side of the line and no one – no one! – can get around him either inside or outside. It’s been that way for years.

Maybe Utu’s body is developing that he moves inside and is a long-term guard in college and the NFL but the way he plays the game, his physical prowess and his technique, everything is written on this guy that he’s a 10-year NFL veteran along the offensive line.

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Dixson is already one of the best cornerbacks in the country but what I’ve loved about seeing Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei numerous times this season is he continues to bring elite intensity throughout the game.

Dixson likes to chirp a lot to receivers and get in their heads. He hits hard, he gets after it and the four-star cornerback could dial it back a notch since his future is with the Nittany Lions but that’s just not in his DNA.

He plays hard, he shuts down his side of the field and that level of toughness and intensity should be a very welcome addition in the Penn State secondary.

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There was a reason why Alabama wanted Lee Jr. so badly and why Georgia and Texas A&M won’t stop trying to flip him. He’s a phenomenal natural athlete who is as smooth as they come playing the cornerback position.

From athleticism, to length, to instincts, to ranginess and ball skills, the Mission Viejo cornerback has it all. He is not yet a five-star but will absolutely be in that discussion by the end of this rankings cycle.

Mission also uses him on offense some because of his playmaking ability and he’s one of the prettiest athletes in the class so he has potential first-rounder written all over him.

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Ploog had more than 1,000 receiving yards in his junior season. The four-star tight end from Fullerton (Calif.) Troy had 1,148 yards and 17 touchdowns this year and continues to prove he’s one of the best players at his position naturally.

And it’s tough to exactly pin down his position because Ploog is such a phenomenal athlete that he’s almost more of a big receiver than a traditional tight end. A recent flip from Washington to Oregon was huge for the Ducks, who have done such a great job with their tight ends, and now they have another massive weapon.

Cox does not play in the traditional Southern California strongholds so his name is not mentioned nearly enough as arguably the best running back in the state. But his numbers back it up and UCLA could have a star in its backfield for the coming years.

The other thing that hasn’t necessarily helped Cox’s exposure is that save for the Under Armour LA Camp, the four-star from Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills hasn’t done many events or played a lot of 7-on-7. Still, there is no arguing with Cox’s 1,248 yards and 27 touchdowns on 147 carries this season and all the innovative ways UCLA coach DeShaun Foster – a former RB himself – can get Cox touches.

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If there is a throwback player in this class, Taylor would be right out of central casting.

The high three-star UCLA defensive end commit can play more of an edge rusher or off-ball linebacker who just runs all over the field making plays and getting things done. From the Rivals Camp Series event in Los Angeles to this fall season, Taylor has shown a willingness to be physical, tough and hard-nosed. He gets after the football wherever it is. He’s a locker-room guy and should be a great fit with the Bruins.

I drove more than two hours to nearly the U.S-Mexico border to see Arrington this season and I’m more than happy I did because the Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel two-way athlete is incredibly impressive.

Arrington has amazing speed to burn defensive backs deep, he has tremendous length and might be the closest thing in high school to Sauce Gardner. What surprised me about Arrington (who has Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oregon and others high on his list) was his physical nature.

The high four-star will be in the five-star discussion. He pops people, head hunts and does not shy away from contact. There’s a tremendous amount to like about Arrington’s game on both sides of the ball even though he probably projects more as a defensive back.

Wesley is one of the best prospects in the 2027 class and is listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds. Kayvon Thibodeaux was a five-star prospect and is now listed at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds with the New York Giants. That’s just one of many uncanny comparisons between the two players.

Wesley is incredibly physically developed beyond being just a sophomore in high school as he blitzes off the edge and causes havoc. The Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout (who actually plays in Thibodeaux’s old league when he was at Westlake Village Oaks Christian) has the same crazy length and finishing ability of Thibodeaux.

It’s no shock that Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft coming out of Oregon. Unsurprisingly, Wesley’s top two teams are USC and Oregon.