Vote: Who Should be the 2024 New Jersey High School Football Offensive Player of the Year

Here are 13 nominees for your voting consideration

Just a sophomore, St. John Vianney's Abdul Turay, is already one of the most explosive offensive performers in New Jersey. / Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another exciting season of New Jersey high school football is in the books with two final state champions being crowned.

Now comes the time to pick the best of the best. There were some incredible offensive performers in the Garden State this year, from 2,000-yard rushers to record-setting receivers to a 4,000-yard passer.

Which one of them was the best?

Here are 13 nominees to consider. Voting ends Dec. 20, 2024.

Abdul Turay, sophomore, RB, St. John Vianney

In his second varsity season, Turay exploded for a school-record 2,517 yards to lead New Jersey in rushing. He had 37 touchdowns and finished with eight games of more than 200 yards rushing with a high of 255 in a regular-season win over St. Joseph-Metuchen. He boasts offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia and Northern Illinois.

Jack Moran, senior, QB, Hun School

Moran was one of the most prolific passers in the country with 4,513 yards and 47 touchdowns for the Raiders, who finished 9-1. The Charlotte commit had five games of 500 or more yards passing, including 608 yards and 7 touchdowns against Maryland’s Mt. Zion Prep. The Raiders are not an NJSIAA team, so they did not compete in the New Jersey state playoffs.

Lotzeir Brooks, senior, WR, Millville

The Alabama recruit finished his dazzling career with 1,260 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns on an average of 22.5 yards per catch this season. The Thunderbolts (10-3) won a sectional title, and Brooks finished his career with state records for receiving yards (4,615) and touchdown catches (67).

Owen O’Toole, senior, QB, Rumson-Fair Haven

O’Toole threw for a school-record 2,893 yards and 25 touchdowns and ran for nine touchdowns for a Rumson-Fair Haven team that went 13-0 and captured the NJSIAA Group 2 title. The Bulldogs averaged 40.8 points per game with O’Toole at the helm, and he finished his career with more than 7,000 yards passing.

Tylik Hill, senior, RB, Pope John XXIII

The explosive Hill rolled up 2,336 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns on 7.4 yards per carry against one of the toughest schedules in New Jersey. He helped the Lions reach the Non-Public B championship game, where he rushed for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns against a loaded DePaul squad. He also had 389 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns in a 58-47 loss to St. Peter’s Prep.

Quincy Porter, senior, WR, Bergen Catholic

A big and physical receiver who has signed with Ohio State, Porter finished with 57 catches, 969 yards and 11 touchdown catches for the No. 1 team in New Jersey. He had 6 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown against perennial national power IMG Academy of Florida.

Stephen Paradiso, senior, QB, Cedar Grove

The senior signal-caller for the small Group 1 school led all NJSIAA quarterbacks with 3,713 yards passing and 41 touchdown passes for a team that reached a state final. He had six 300-yard passing games, with a high of 381 and 4 touchdowns in the Group 1 semifinals. Paradiso finished his career with nearly 8,000 yards passing, and his top receiver, senior Jackson Morrice, led the state with 1,831 yards receiving and 21 touchdown catches.

T.J. Valerio, senior, QB, Toms River North

Valerio had 3,268 total yards and 38 total touchdowns for an undefeated Toms River North team that won its third straight title in Group 5, which features the largest public schools in the state. He had a school-record 2,427 yards passing and 30 touchdowns for an offense that averaged 37.6 points per game and scored 41 in the state final.

Brody Deiter, senior, WR, Rancocas Valley

The senior wideout finished with a school-record 1,337 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns, which included eight 100-yard receiving games. His high was a 254-yard, two-touchdown game against sectional finalist Camden.

Jalen Parker, sophomore, QB, Winslow Township

Parker set school single-season records with 2,916 yards passing and 43 touchdown passes to help Winslow Township win the Group 4 title. The Eagles finished undefeated for the first time since 1969, and Parker threw for 238 yards and two scores in the state championship game.

Nolan James, senior, RB, DePaul

It’s a tough choice to pick just one player on a team that also includes star quarterback Derek Zammit, Ohio State-bound wideout De’zie Jones and Notre Dame-bound wide receiver Elijah Burress. James stood out with 1,921 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on almost 8 yards per carry against one of the state’s toughest schedules. He also had 27 receptions for 340 yards and four touchdowns. The Notre Dame recruit erupted for 244 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the Non-Public B final in a showdown with Pope John’s Tylik Hill.

Kenny Smith, senior, RB, Glassboro

It’s hard to pick one player between Smith and FBS talents Amari and Xavier Sabb, but Smith led South Jersey with 1,809 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns on an eye-opening 12.8 yards per carry. He saved his best for last with 402 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns in the Group 1 state final to help Glassboro finish undefeated.

Rahmel Anderson, senior, QB, Lakewood

Anderson’s team didn’t have the same success as the others, but he still put up his second straight 2,000-yard rushing season with 2,244 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns for Lakewood. He had three games of more than 300 yards rushing on his way to finishing as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,426 yards.