Results from High School on SI football positional player polls

Here are the winners from recent fan-led voting polls

Waukee Northwest's Mack Heitland (14) throw the ball to an open receiver during a game against Roosevelt on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, at Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

High School on SI recently ran a series of fan-led voting polls in regards to who the top returning Iowa high school football players are by position.

Those results have been tabulated and are now final.

For voting purposes, players were placed in the classification they competed in last year. The Iowa High School Athletic Association has since released new districts and classes for schools, which may result in changes.

Players are listed in order of percentage of the votes they received, starting with the most to the second-most to the third-most in each classification.

Top Returning Quarterbacks in 2025

5A

• Mack Heitland, Waukee Northwest
• Joey Schlosser, Dubuque Senior
• Drake DeGroote, West Des Moines Valley

4A

• Caden Klein, Newton
• Chase Engel, Dallas Center-Grimes
• Tru McBride, Fort Dodge

3A

• Gabe Arkfeld, Harlan
• JP Elbert, Dubuque Wahlert
• Kellen Haverback, Mount Vernon

2A

• Jaxon Paulsrud, Cherokee
• Brady Gogel, Monticello
• Noah Harris, Clarinda

1A

• CeJay Jones, Ogden
• Judah Lock, Grand View Christian
• Amani Robinson, Columbus Catholic

A

• Jackson Verschoor, Woodbury Central
• Eli Harpenau, MMCRU
• Brady Wall, Maquoketa Valley

8-Player

• Numbers not available

Top Returning Running Backs in 2025

Arena Elite 15U’s Kasen Thomas (9) hauls in a pass during a 7-on-7 football tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

5A

• Jaden Montgomery, Dubuque Hempstead
• Seth Reiland, Muscatine
• Emri Jones, Johnston

4A

•  Braydan Doss, Lewis Central
• Trevor Kuennen, Decorah
• AJ Walker, Oskalossa

3A

• William Weichert, Algona
• Zandrik Allison, Fairfield
• Kasen Thomas, Bishop Heelan

2A

• Evan Hildring, West Lyon
• Blake Lovell, Cherokee
• Michelet Sedam, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock

1A

• Savion Miller, Iowa City Regina
• Kolby Hodnefield, South Hamilton
• Jett Sornson, Treynor

A

• Wyatt Gould, BCLUW
• Joe Crawford, ACGC
• Korben Michels, Saint Ansgar

8-Player

• Aaron Hindt, St. Edmond
• Carson Ingles, Edgewood-Colesburg
• Brody Koch, Calamus-Wheatland

Top Returning Wide Receivers in 2025

Wahlert Catholic's Tate Schope (35) and Humboldt's Chase Flaherty (20) reach for a pass during the Iowa high school Class 3A championship Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

5A

• David Fason, Cedar Rapids Prairie
• Jordon Green, Waukee Northwest
• Andrew Brandhorst, Ankeny

4A

• Leonardo Tatum, Lewis Central
• David William, Storm Lake
• Tycen Augustine, Le Mars

3A

• Chase Flaherty, Humboldt
• Ezekiel Symonds, Independence

2A

• Adam Brophy, Anamosa
• Jacoby Johnson, Vinton-Shellsburg
• Asa Jacobsen, Okoboji

1A

• Brayden Hoben, Grand View Christian
• Tyler Lass, Ogden
• Sam Benson, South Hardin

A

• Emerson Bridgewater, Madrid
• Jayden Lloyd, Woodbury Central
• Zach Nelson, Tri-Center

8-Player

• Jaxson Schnell, GTRA
• Hudson Clark, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
• Kevin Hagen, North Iowa

Top Returning Defensive Player in 2025

5A

• Jaden Montgomery, Dubuque Hempstead
• Dawson Whitinger, Ankeny
• Kenyon Purnell, Davenport North

4A

• Tegan Bogh, Le Mars
• Jace Bellamy, Winterset
• Paxton Blanchard, Lewis Central

3A

• Luke Argo, Davenport Assumption
• Jaxon Anderson, Mount Vernon
• Kyler Jensen, Solon/Will Welbes, Dubuque Wahlert

2A

• Ayden Antonelli, Anamosa, 
• Kaden Kos, Mid-Prairie
• Trevon Keely, Greene County

1A

• Luke Jordan, Grand View Christian
• Gabe King, East Sac County
• Hayden Hill, Wilton/Julian Kramer, Beckman Catholic

A

• Numbers not available

8-Player

• Luke Lansing, Springville
• Trey Edeker, WACO
• Landon Lindgren, Lamoni

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