High School

5-star football prospect is the fastest sprinter in California

Brandon Arrington, one of the nation’s top high school football prospects in the class of 2026, is making waves not only on the gridiron but also on the track

Roland Padilla

Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington after winning Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year in 2025 as a sophomore
Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington after winning Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year in 2025 as a sophomore / Courtesy of Brandon Arrington

Mount Miguel (California) five-star athlete Brandon Arrington is currently ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect and the No. 1 athlete in the class of 2026 for football.

In addition to receiving over 40 football scholarship offers, he has already built an impressive résumé in track. This past weekend, he set new personal records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races.

His new times—10.24 in the 100M and 20.37 in the 200M—rank as the second-fastest ever recorded in California high school history, only behind the great Olympic gold medalist Michael Norman in the 200.

These marks currently place him No. 9 in the U.S. for the 100 and No. 1 in the 200—leading by more than a quarter of a second in the 200. Below is a clip of his nation leading 200M race from 3/29.

It will be fascinating to see what path Brandon chooses, as he has elite-level potential in both football and track. However, his recent performances suggest that his true calling might be on the track. Only time will tell and we will follow along this season with close eyes on his performance as he aims to claim the all-time No. 1 marks in both sprint events.

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Roland Padilla
ROLAND PADILLA

Roland Padilla is a high school sports journalist, NIL specialist, and analytics strategist covering primarily West Coast track and field, basketball, and football for High School On SI. He began his career in 2015 reporting on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Thunder era for ClutchPoints before moving into full NBA coverage. He later worked directly with the founder/CEO of Ballervisions, shortly leading programming and cross-platform social strategy during its viral 2016 rise covering the Ball brothers—a run that helped propel the brand toward its eventual ESPN acquisition and evolution into SportsCenter NEXT. A three-sport alumnus and current throwing coach at Damien High School, and a former NCAA track athlete at UC San Diego, Roland blends athlete-development knowledge with advanced analytics in his role as a Senior Analyst at DAZN and Team Whistle. He has supported content strategy for major global and U.S. sports properties including World Rugby, FIFA Club World Cup, the New York Mets, MLS, X Games, the Premier League, the NFL, and the Downs2Business podcast. With a strong background in NIL rules, athlete branding, and recruiting, Roland helps families, athletes, and readers navigate the rapidly changing high school sports landscape—bringing national-level storytelling and clarity to the next generation of athletes.

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