High School Sports

Meet the top 25 high school football players in North Carolina

Faizon Brandon of Greensboro’s Grimsley High is the reigning N.C. Mr. Football in North Carolina and the top player in the state heading into the 2025 season this fall.

Brandon, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback, will start his senior season in August. He is the No. 1- ranked player in the nation by 247 Sports and has committed to Tennessee.

Last season, Brandon led Grimsley to a 15-0 record and the N.C. 4A state championship. He completed 157 of 204 passes for 2,632 yards and 33 touchdowns. He threw one interception.

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Greensboro Grimsley QB Faizon Brandon at Wednesday’s Carolina Panthers’ Keep Pounding media day at Bank of America Stadium on May 7, 2025
Greensboro Grimsley QB Faizon Brandon at Wednesday’s Carolina Panthers’ Keep Pounding media day at Bank of America Stadium on May 7, 2025 Kelly Hood Special to The Observer

This year, Grimsley returns 25 lettermen and 11 starters, including four on offense. Sports Illustrated ranked Grimsley No. 16 nationally in its top 25 preseason rankings. The Whirlies were the highest- ranked teams from the Carolinas.

“I would say all that just makes you want to work harder,” Brandon said Wednesday. “I just want to prove myself, you know, that we can go back to back. And that’s the main thing, to win the state championship.”

Grimsley coach Daryl Brown said having Brandon back makes his team a target, but it’s one that he said he welcomes.

“We’re different than last year’s group,” he said. “We lost some key players on the defensive side of the ball, for sure, like (defensive lineman) Bryce Davis (who will play at Duke this fall). So we’ve got a lot of work to do, but this group is hungry. We’ve been in this situation before. Back where we’re from, around Greensboro, everybody’s kind of gunning for us. Again, we don’t really worry about it. We’re trying to focus on being the best we can be each day.”

Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) rushes for yards against Rolesville’s PJ Hartsfield, Jr. (5) and Jayden Griffin-Haynes (24) during the second half. The Rolesville Rams and the Greensboro Grimsley Whirlies met in the NCHSAA 4A football Championship Game in Chapel Hill, N.C. on December 20, 2024.
Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) rushes for yards against Rolesville’s PJ Hartsfield, Jr. (5) and Jayden Griffin-Haynes (24) during the second half. The Rolesville Rams and the Greensboro Grimsley Whirlies met in the NCHSAA 4A football Championship Game in Chapel Hill, N.C. on December 20, 2024. Steven Worthy

North Carolina’s top 25

Rk.NameSchoolHometownPos.College
1.Faizon BrandonGrimsleyGreensboroQBTennessee
2.Rodney DunhamMyers ParkCharlotteDLNotre Dame
3.Ekene OgbokoSouth GarnerDurhamOLUndecided
4.Aiden HarrisWeddingtonMatthewsDLUndecided
5.Kendre HarrisonReidsvilleReidsvilleTEOregon
6.Leo DelaneyProvidence DayCharlotteOLUndecided
7.Camdin PortisMyers ParkCharlotteDBMiami
8.Samari MatthewsHoughCorneliusDBUndecided
9.Pierre DeanWest ForsythClemmonsOLUndecided
10.Noah ClarkC.E. JordanDurhamDLUndecided
11.Elijah LittlejohnWest MecklenburgCharlotteDEUndecided
12.Thomas Davis Jr.WeddingtonMatthewsLBNotre Dame
13.Trashawn RuffinNorth DuplinMt. OliveDLUNC
14.Keshawn StancilClaytonClaytonDLUndecided
15.Gordon SellarsProvidence DayCharlotteWRClemson
16.Ebenezer EwetadeSouth GarnerGarnerDENotre Dame
17.Zavion Griffin-HayesRolesvilleRolesvilleDEUndecided
18.Ben BoulwareOak GroveWinston-SalemDLUndecided
19.Damaad LewisMyers ParkCharlotteDLUndecided
20.Jace McCollumHickory RidgeHarrisburgDEUndecided
21.Manny LewisMarvin RidgeWaxhawDEUndecided
22.Terande SpencerRichmond SeniorRockinghamDEUndecided
23.D’Various SurrattCrestBoiling SpringsDBUndecided
24.Andrew HarrisWeddingtonMatthewsDLUndecided
25.Keysaun EleazerSoutheast RaleighRaleighDEUndecided
Langston Wertz Jr.
The Charlotte Observer
Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.” Support my work with a digital subscription
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