High School

36 Texas high school football players selected in 2025 NFL Draft

The Lone Star State produced more NFL draft picks than any other state this year

Cody Thorn

Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Clemson Tigers safety RJ Mickens (9) tackles Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Kentron Poitier (1) during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Clemson Tigers safety RJ Mickens (9) tackles Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Kentron Poitier (1) during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Lone Star State was well represented at the NFL Draft last weekend.

Texas high school players accounted for 36 of the 257 picks in the draft and had 10 more than any other state.

According to High School Football America, this was the first time since 2022 that Texas led the nation in high school draft picks. 

West Columbia High’s Cam Ward became the 15th Texan to go No. 1, according to MaxPreps. Four of the previous five have been QB1 as well — Matthew Stafford (Dallas Highland Park, 2009), Andrew Luck (Houston Stratford, 2012), Baker Mayfield (Austin Lake Travis, 2018) and Kyler Murray (Allen, 2019).

Southlake Carroll, Texarkana Pleasant Grove and Spring Klein Cain all had two picks. This was the first time that Carroll had two Dragons drafted in the same draft. 

One of the Carroll draft picks was R.J. Mickens, whose dad, Ray, was a defensive back in the NFL. There are other bloodlines from this year’s draft.

The most notable is Shedeur Sanders, whose father Deion in Colorado’s head coach and an NFL Hall of Famer. 

Shedeur Sanders
ASU Sun Devils defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper (96) tries to block the pass of Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) at Mountain America Stadium on Oct 7, 2023. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 1 pick Cam Ward has two cousins with NFL backgrounds — DB Quandre Diggs and Quentin Jammer. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Spring Klein Cain’s duo of Matthew Golden and Jaydon Blue are the first from their school to make it in the NFL. Teammates Landon Jackson and Nick Martin became the first from Pleasant Grove, too.

That is the case with some others. 

Jalen Milroe (Katy Tompkins), Alfred Collins (Bastrop Cedar Creek), Caleb Rogers (Mansfield Lake Ridge), Elijah Arroyo (Frisco Tyler Loop (Lucas Lovejoy) and Korie Black (Waco Connally) were each the first pick from their schools.

Shemar Turner becomes the 9th DeSoto player in the NFL now and 24th overall. That is tied 4th with John Tyler High from Tyler. 

Galveston leads Texas with 27 players in the NFL, followed by Longview and Dallas South Oak Cliff with 25.

Here’s a list of the 36 Texans drafted in Green Bay.

(1) OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Humble Summer Creek — Saints

(1) CB Jahdae Barron, Pflugerville Connally — Broncos

(1) WR Matthew Golden, Spring Klein Cain — Packers

(1) G Donovan Jackson, Bellaire Episcopal — Vikings

(1) RB Ashton Jeanty, Frisco Lone Star — Raiders

(1) QB Cam Ward, West Columbia — Titans

(2) DT Alfred Collins, Bastrop Cedar Creek —49ers

(2) TE Elijah Arroyo, Frisco Independence —Seahawks

(2) DE Nic Scourton, Bryan — Panthers 

(2) DL Shemar Turner, DeSoto — Bears 

Shemar Turner
Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner (5) defends in coverage against the New Mexico State Aggies during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

(2) S Andrew Mukuba, Austin Lyndon B. Johnson— Eagles 

(3) DT Vernon Broughton, Cypress Ridge — Saints 

(3) DE Landon Jackson, Texarkana Pleasant Grove — Bills

(3) LB Nick Martin, Texarkana Pleasant Grove — 49ers 

(3) DE Princely Umanmielen, Manor — Panthers 

(3) WR Savion Williams, Marshall — Packers 

(3) QB Jalen Milroe, Katy Tompkins — Seahawks 

(3) OL Caleb Rogers, Mansfield Lake Ridge — Raiders 

(3) CB Upton Stout III, Galena Park North Shore — 49ers 

(4) S Craig Woodson, South Grand Prairie — Patriots

(4) S Billy Bowman Jr., Denton Billy Ryan — Falcons

(5) QB Shedeur Sanders, Cedar Hill Trinity Christian — Browns

(5) RB Jaydon Blue, Spring Klein — Cowboys

(6) RB Ollie Gordon II, Euless Trinity — Dolphins

(6) K Tyler Loop, Lucas Lovejoy — Ravens

(6) OL Chase Lundt, Arlington Martin — Bills

(6) OT Cameron Williams, Duncanville — Eagles

(6) OL Hayden Conner, Katy James E Taylor  — Cardinals

(6) S R.J. Mickens, Southlake Carroll — Chargers

(7) OT Marcus Bryant, Round Rock Cedar Ridge  — Patriots

(7) RB Damien Martinez, Lewisville — Seahawks

(7) S Kitan Crawford, John Tyler — Cardinals

(7) QB Quinn Ewers, Southlake Carroll — Dolphins

(7) TE Caleb Lohner, Flower Mound — Broncos

(7) CB Korie Black, Waco Connally — Giants

(7) DB Kobee Minor, Cornith Lake Dallas — Patriots

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Cody Thorn
CODY THORN

Cody Thorn is a veteran journalist who covers high school sports across the state of Texas and Missouri. He is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has covered sports and news since 1999.

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