Meet the Nation’s 12 Best High School Athletes
Sports Illustrated highlights the 12 recipients of the 2025–26 Gatorade National Player of the Year award. These high school student-athletes were selected from a pool of 610 candidates across various sports for their excellence in athletics, academics, and community service.
Why it matters
This award serves as a significant indicator of future professional and collegiate athletic talent, continuing a legacy of recognizing stars like LeBron James.
Emma Baccellieri , Kevin Sweeney , Zach Koons | For most of us, the high school experience is filled with classes, crushes, college prep and Friday night football games. But for a select group of kids, these formative years are a time to shine, in and out of the classroom, and a pathway to the next level. The 12 athletes awarded the title of Gatorade 2025–26 National Player of the Year represent the country’s best high school student-athletes, chosen from a pool of 610 from every state and Washington, D.C., across football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, cross country and soccer.
The article is a straightforward report on an annual awards program without political or social commentary.
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