High school students have no shortage of sports to choose from throughout the fall, winter, and spring, but the most popular high school sports are the ones that get the most attention. They not only have the most student participation, but they draw the biggest crowds on game day.
For those that played sports growing up, you understand how important they are to your growth and development through high school. They not only keep you active and healthy, but they teach you about morals, discipline, teamwork, communication, confidence, and competitiveness.
Some students use sports as a way to meet new people, some use them as an escape, and some use them as a way of staying in shape. Whatever the reason, high school sports play a major role in many studentβs lives growing up — as it did to a majority of us growing up.
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What Are the Most Popular High School Sports?
Did you know that nearly eight million high school students sign up to play sports every year? While that number has been on a slight decline in recent years, that doesnβt mean sports are any less popular than they once were. They still draw in a lot of students and participants.
The most popular high school sports are those that have the highest participation numbers each year, both boys and girls combined. It doesnβt matter which state or town youβre in, the most popular high school sports are going to be available to high school students more often than not.
As we go through our list of the 20 most popular high school sports, weβll be taking several things into consideration — including how many boys and girls participated in that sport, how many schools offer that sport, and how well that sport is received by the local community.
All statistics on high school sports participation are according to NFHS in their 2018-19 High School Athletics Participation Survey.
20. Badminton
Boy Participants: 4,781 students
Girl Participants: 13,381 students
Total Participants: 18,162 students
# of Schools: 249 for boys, 519 for girls
Badminton is a unique and entertaining high school sport for boys and girls thatβs largely played during the fall season. California and Illinois are the two states where badminton is the most popular, but itβs also popular in Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Arizona, and Minnesota.
19. Weightlifting
Boy Participants: 17,681 students
Girl Participants: 11,463 students
Total Participants: 29,144 students
# of Schools: 860 for boys, 707 for girls
Weightlifting is a sport that generally takes place in the spring season and is available for both boys and girls. Itβs most popular in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Michigan, and Ohio, but students also compete in California, Georgia, Maine, Arkansas, and the District of Columbia.
18. Water Polo
Boy Participants: 22,475 students
Girl Participants: 21,735 students
Total Participants: 44,210 students
# of Schools: 862 for boys, 881 for girls
Water Polo is a high school sport thatβs usually reserved for the winter season, drawing an equal number of boys and girls. High school water polo is dominated in California, which is home to 16,568 girl participants and 17,304 boy participants. Itβs also popular in Florida and Illinois.
17. Ice Hockey
Boy Participants: 35,283 students
Girl Participants: 9,650 students
Total Participants: 44,933 students
# of Schools: 1,638 for boys, 642 for girls
Ice hockey is a popular sport thatβs generally played during the winter season. The sport is largely dominated in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Itβs no coincidence that those states are home to some of the best hockey colleges.
16. Field Hockey
Boy Participants: 212 students
Girl Participants: 60,824 students
Total Participants: 61,036 students
# of Schools: 5 for boys, 1,768 for girls
Field hockey is largely dominated by women and is generally played during the fall season. Itβs most popular in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and California. Pennsylvania has the most girl participants with a total of 9,625 students.
15. Bowling
Boy Participants: 32,969 students
Girl Participants: 28,322 students
Total Participants: 61,291 students
# of Schools: 2,949 for boys, 2,925 for girls
Many people go bowling for fun at their local bowling alley, but thousands of high schoolers do it for competition. Itβs generally played in the winter season and is most popular in Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, and Iowa.
14. Competitive Spirit
Boy Participants: 3,938 students
Girl Participants: 161,358 students
Total Participants: 165,296 students
# of Schools: 870 for boys, 7,214 for girls
Competitive spirit, also known as competitive cheerleading, is among the top-ten most popular high school sports for girls — ranking ninth, ahead of Lacrosse. Itβs generally a fall sport thatβs most popular in California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
13. Lacrosse
Boy Participants: 113,702 students
Girl Participants: 99,750 students
Total Participants: 213,452 students
# of Schools: 3,026 for boys, 2,877 for girls
Although lacrosse doesnβt fall in the top-ten most popular high school sports for boys, it does rank 10th for girls. Itβs generally played in the spring and is most popular in California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Maryland.
12. Golf
Boy Participants: 143,200 students
Girl Participants: 79,821 students
Total Participants: 223,021 students
# of Schools: 13,590 for boys, 10,402 for girls
The high school golf season is usually in the spring or fall and is popular among boys and girls. In fact, it ranks as the sixth most popular sport for boys and just out of the top-ten for girls. Itβs most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania.
11. Wrestling
Boy Participants: 247,441 students
Girl Participants: 21,124 students
Total Participants: 268,565 students
# of Schools: 10,843 for boys, 2,890 for girls
Although wrestling doesnβt crack the top-ten most popular high school sports for girls, it ranks seventh among boys. It generally takes place during the winter months and is most popular in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Texas, and Georgia.
10. Swimming & Diving
Boy Participants: 136,638 students
Girl Participants: 173,088 students
Total Participants: 309,726 students
# of Schools: 7,704 for boys, 8,007 for girls
Swimming and diving are the 10th most popular high school sport among boys and eighth most popular among girls. It generally takes place in the spring and is most popular in California, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, Georgia, and Illinois.
9. Tennis
Boy Participants: 159,314 students
Girl Participants: 189,436 students
Total Participants: 348,750 students
# of Schools: 9,809 for boys, 10,290 for girls
Tennis is the eighth most popular sport among boy students and the seventh most popular among girl students. Itβs generally played in the spring or fall and is most popular in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
8. Softball
Boy Participants: 2,183 students
Girl Participants: 362,038 students
Total Participants: 364,221 students
# of Schools: 90 for boys, 15,877 for girls
Fast pitch softball is generally played in the spring and is dominated by girl students, though there are quite a few boy participants in California and Iowa. Among girl students, itβs the fifth most popular high school sport and is most popular in Texas, California, New York, and Ohio.
7. Baseball
Boy Participants: 482,740 students
Girl Participants: 1,284 students
Total Participants: 484,024 students
# of Schools: 16,170 for boys, 1,442 for girls
Where softball is dominated by girls, baseball is dominated by boys. Itβs generally played in the spring and is the fourth most popular high school sport among boys. Itβs most popular in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Missouri, and Alabama.
6. Cross Country
Boy Participants: 269,295 students
Girl Participants: 219,345 students
Total Participants: 488,640 students
# of Schools: 15,632 for boys, 15,345 for girls
Cross country doesnβt have as many boy participants as baseball or girl participants as softball, but it has more combined participants than both sports. Itβs the sixth most popular high school sport among both boys and girls and is most popular in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
5. Volleyball
Boy Participants: 63,563 students
Girl Participants: 452,808 students
Total Participants: 516,371 students
# of Schools: 2,692 for boys, 16,572 for girls
Volleyball doesnβt draw as much attention from boys as it does girls, but the amount of girls it draws is enough to have it rank as the fifth most popular high school sport. In fact, itβs the second most popular sport among girls and is dominated in California, Texas, and Florida.
4. Soccer
Boy Participants: 459,077 students
Girl Participants: 394,105 students
Total Participants: 853,182 students
# of Schools: 12,552 for boys, 12,107 for girls
Soccer is the fifth most popular sport among boys and fourth most popular among girls. Itβs usually played in the fall season and is most popular in California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida. Itβs also the most popular sport in the world.
3. Basketball
Boy Participants: 540,769 students
Girl Participants: 399,067 students
Total Participants: 939,836 students
# of Schools: 18,617 for boys, 18,210 for girls
Basketball is played at more high schools than any other sport and if the rosters were larger, it would have a lot more participants. Instead, itβs the third most popular high school sport among boys and third most popular among girls. California and Texas have the most participants.
2. Football
Boy Participants: 1,006,013 students
Girl Participants: 2,404 students
Total Participants: 1,008,417 students
# of Schools: 14,247 for boys, 1,918 for girls
Most of us have amazing memories of going to the Friday night high school football games growing up. Itβs one of only two sports to draw more than one million participants and is usually played in the fall season. Itβs dominated by boys and is the most popular sport among boys.
1. Track & Field
Boy Participants: 605,354 students
Girl Participants: 488,267 students
Total Participants: 1,093,621 students
# of Schools: 17,052 for boys, 17,012 for girls
While track and field ranks as the second most popular high school sport among boys, it ranks as the most popular among girls — ahead of volleyball by roughly 35,000 participants. Itβs generally played in the spring and is most popular in Texas, California, Illinois, and Ohio.
Which of the Most Popular High School Sports Did You Play?
We all had a favorite high school sport growing up. It was what helped keep us sane throughout the school year, gave us something to look forward to, is where we met a majority of our friends, and helped teach us a wide range of lessons that we utilize and apply as we step through life.
Texas (825,924 participants) and California (824,709 participants) are the two states with the most total student participants, which is no surprise due to their size and population. Florida, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois all have more than 300,000 total student participants.
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Some of the sports that are worth mentioning, but didnβt fall in the top 20, include archery, dance, flag football, gymnastics, rugby, skiing, fencing, and drill team. Is there a sport that you enjoyed in high school thatβs not listed above? If so, that makes you more unique than most people!
Arch Manning Breaks Eli, Peyton Manning’s High School Records and 20 Other High School Football Players to Keep an Eye On
Arch Manning is proving why heβs one of the best high school football players of all-time. In a recent game against Pearl River, he threw for 356 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions β bringing his 2022-23 senior season total to 1,126 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
It was a special night, considering he broke two career high school passing records with 7,395 yards and 101 touchdowns. The records were previously held by his two uncles, Eli Manning (7,268 yards) and Peyton Manning (93 touchdowns). Apparently, thereβs a new sheriff in town.
As of right now, ESPN ranks Arch Manning second among high school football players β meaning thereβs one person thatβs even better. Itβs safe to say college football has a solid group of talented and qualified players thatβll be making their debut next fall for the 2023-24 season.
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Who Are the Best High School Football Players Right Now?
As one of the best high school football players in the country, itβs a little surprising to see Arch Manning pass up the opportunity to play at powerhouse schools like Georgia and Clemson. Nonetheless, he decided to commit to the University of Texas on November 30, 2021.
The Longhorns can certainly use his expertise at the quarterback position. While they already have talent at the position, the team is just 3-2 to start the season. Their starting QB went down with an injury early and they need someone to help start a winning culture in Texas again.
Manning joins a loaded 2023 recruiting class that will produce a lot of future NFL players β so thereβs plenty to follow and keep an eye on as their senior seasons come to an end and they prepare for college life. With that said, here are the best high school football players right now!
**All rankings are courtesy of ESPN. All stats are courtesy of Max Preps.**
20. Tony Mitchell
Tony Mitchell is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior cornerback at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 87, ranking him No. 21 among high school football players, No. 2 among cornerbacks, and No. 4 among defensive backs.
On June 26, 2022, Mitchell officially announced his commitment to the University of Alabama β staying put in his home state. In four years of varsity football, he has accumulated 242 total tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions, 28 passes defensed, and 3 forced fumbles.
19. Joenel Aguero
Joenel Aguero is a 6-foot-0, 200-pound senior safety at Saint Johnβs Prep in Lynn, MA. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 87, ranking him No. 20 among high school football players, No. 2 among safeties, No. 3 among defensive backs, and No. 2 in the state of Massachusetts.
On July 23, 2022, Aguero officially announced his commitment to the University of Georgia. Heβs a physical safety that has the build and play style to be successful in college, but also shows the athleticism and technique of a cornerback β proving to be a versatile safety.
18. Makai Lemon
Makai Lemon is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior wide receiver at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 87, ranking him No. 19 among high school football players, No. 2 among wide receivers, and No. 2 in the state of California.
On December 3, 2021, Lemon announced his commitment to the University of Southern California β staying put in his home state. As a junior last season, Lemon recorded 65 catches for 1,062 yards and 15 TDs β bringing his HS totals to 165 catches, 2,602 yards, and 29 TDs.
17. Justice Haynes
Justice Haynes is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior running back at Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. ESPN is currently grading the four-star recruit an 88, ranking him No. 18 among high school football players, No. 2 among all running backs, and No. 2 in the entire state of Georgia.
On July 17, 2022, Haynes officially announced his commitment to the University of Alabama β joining Tony Mitchell. Heβs a special player, totaling 5,879 rushing yards, 260 receiving yards, and 76 total touchdowns in his first three years of varsity football β not including this season!
16. David Hicks
David Hicks is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound senior defensive tackle at Patricia E. Paetow High School in Katy, Texas. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 88, ranking him No. 17 among high school football players, No. 3 among defensive tackles, and No. 3 in the state of Texas.
On September 28, 2022, Hicks officially announced his commitment to Texas A&M University. In three years of varsity football, he has recorded 51 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Through two games as a senior, he has 4.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss.
15. Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs is a 6-foot-0, 190-pound senior safety at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 89, ranking him No. 16 among high school football players, No. 1 among high school safeties, and No. 1 in the entire state of Georgia.
On July 27, 2022, Downs officially announced his commitment to the University of Alabama β joining Mitchell and Haynes. He has accumulated 220 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 17 interceptions, 37 passes defensed, and one forced fumble since joining varsity football in 2019.
14. Jackson Arnold
Jackson Arnold is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior quarterback at John H. Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 89, ranking him No. 15 among high school football players, No. 5 among quarterbacks, and No. 2 in the entire state of Texas.
On January 24, 2022, Arnold announced his commitment to the University of Oklahoma. In 20 high school games played, Arnold has accumulated 1,603 yards, 16 TDs, and four interceptions β including 1,273 yards, 15 TDs, and two interceptions through six games as a senior.
13. Richard Young
Richard Young is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior running back at Lehigh Senior High School in Lehigh Acres, Florida. ESPN is grading the four-star recruit an 89, ranking him No. 14 among high school football players, No. 1 among running backs, and No. 3 in the state of Florida.
On July 29, 2022, Young officially announced his commitment to the University of Alabama β joining Mitchell, Haynes, and Downs. In 31 games played, he has recorded 4,123 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns β including 1,755 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior last season.
12. Eli Holstein
Eli Holstein is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior quarterback at Zachary High School in Zachary, Louisiana. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 90, ranking him No. 13 among all high school football players, No. 4 among all quarterbacks, and No. 2 in the entire state of Louisiana.
On May 24, 2022, Holstein officially announced his commitment to the University of Alabama β joining Mitchell, Haynes, Downs, and Young. In 20 games, he has thrown for 4,082 yards, 39 TDs, and 8 interceptions β including 3,264 yards, 29 TDs, and 6 interceptions last year.
11. Samson Okunlola
Samson Okunlola is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior offensive tackle at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 90, ranking him No. 12 among high school football players, No. 3 among offensive tackles, and No. 1 in the state of Massachusetts.
As of October 5, 2022, Okunlola has yet to commit to a school β though heβs heavily considering Alabama, Michigan State, Miami, Georgia, and Oregon. Heβs a physical left tackle with the speed and hands to find success on both sides of the ball. He just needs to add some strength.
10. James Smith
James Smith is a 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior defensive tackle at Carver High School in Montgomery, AL. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 90, ranking him No. 11 among high school football players, No. 2 among defensive tackles, and No. 3 in the state of Alabama.
As of October 5, 2022, Smith has yet to commit to a school. Heβs heavily considering Alabama, Alabama State, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State β along with his high school teammate, Jaquavious Russaw. Smith has found success at both defensive tackle and defensive end.
9. Kadyn Proctor
Kadyn Proctor is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound senior offensive tackle at Southeast Polk High School in Runnells, Iowa. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 90, ranking him No. 10 among high school football players, No. 2 among offensive tackles, and No. 1 in the entire state of Iowa.
On June 30, 2022, Proctor officially announced his commitment to the University of Iowa β the only future Hawkeye on this list. He has the size to succeed in college as a blind side protector, possessing the quickness to get out in front of plays and block for teammates down the field.
8. Peter Woods
Peter Woods is a 6-foot-3, 275-pound senior defensive tackle at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama β teammates with Tony Mitchell. The five-star recruit is graded at 90 and is ranked No. 9 in the nation, No. 1 among defensive tackles, and No. 2 in the state of Alabama.
On July 8, 2022, Woods officially announced his commitment to Clemson University β the only future Tiger on this list. Through 39 high school games played, Woods has recorded 218 tackles, 62.0 tackles for loss, 26.5 sacks, 52 hurries, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
7. Jaquavious Russaw
Jaquavious Russaw is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior outside linebacker at Carver High School in Montgomery, AL β teammates with James Smith. The five-star recruit is graded a 90 and is ranked No. 8 in the nation, No. 2 among linebackers, and No. 1 in the entire state of Alabama.
Like we mentioned above, Russaw will likely be joining the same college as his teammate, James Smith β the two are somewhat of a package deal, and a good one at that. He has good size and athleticism for a linebacker, but can add a little more strength and weight in college.
6. Anthony Hill Jr.
Anthony Hill Jr. is a 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior outside linebacker at Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas. ESPN is currently grading the five-star recruit a 90, ranking him No. 7 among high school football players, No. 2 among linebackers, and No. 1 in the entire state of Texas.
On July 30, 2022, Hill Jr. officially announced his commitment to Texas A&M University β joining David Hicks. In 30 high school games played, he has recorded 211 tackles, 23.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, and six forced fumbles. He also has 13 rushing touchdowns.
5. Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch is a 5-foot-10, 172-pound senior wide receiver at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 91, ranking him No. 6 among high school football players, No. 1 among wide receivers, and No. 1 in the state of Nevada.
On December 24, 2021, Branch officially announced his commitment to join the University of Southern California β joining Makai Lemon. Through 29 games played in high school, he has 98 catches for 1,947 yards and 27 TDs β including 1,094 yards and 14 TDs last season.
4. Francis Mauigoa
Francis Mauigoa is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior offensive tackle at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. ESPN is currently grading the five-star recruit a 91, ranking him No. 5 among all high school football players, No. 1 among all offensive tackles, and No. 2 in the state of Florida.
On July 4, 2022, Mauigoa officially announced his commitment to the University of Miami (FL) β the only future Hurricane on this list. Heβs the biggest player on this list, but donβt let that fool you because heβs more athletic than youβd think β running a 5.3 40-yard dash and 4.7 short shuttle.
3. Cormani McClain
Cormani McClain is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound senior cornerback at Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 92, ranking him No. 4 among high school football players, No. 1 among cornerbacks, and No. 1 in the entire state of Florida.
As of October 5, 2022, McClain has yet to announce his commitment to a school. Heβs currently considering Miami, Florida, and Alabama, and is expected to make a decision soon. In 24 games as a sophomore and junior, he had 43 tackles, 15 interceptions, and 17 passes defensed.
2. Dante Moore
Dante Moore is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior quarterback at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Michigan. ESPN is grading the five-star recruit a 93, ranking him No. 3 among high school football players, No. 3 among quarterbacks, and No. 1 in the state of Michigan.
On July 8, 2022, Moore officially announced his commitment to the University of Oregon β the only future Duck on this list. Through two games this season, he is 25/35 for 325 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He threw 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman.
1. Malachi Nelson
Malachi Nelson is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior quarterback at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, CA β teammates with Makai Lemon. Heβs currently the No. 1 ranked high school football player in the entire nation and the only player ranked higher than Arch Manning.
On November 30, 2022, Nelson announced his commitment to the University of Southern California β joining Branch and Lemon. In 29 games played, Nelson has thrown for 5,299 yards, 74 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions β including 39 touchdowns last year as a junior.
Who Are the Best High School Football Players of All-Time?
You can certainly make a case for Arch Manning as one of the greatest high school football players of all-time. His ability to find the end zone through the air and on the ground is a joy to watch β not only throwing for 101 touchdowns in high school, but adding 18 TDs on the ground.
Some of the other greatest high school football players of all-time include Jadeveon Clowney, Marcus Dupree, Rashan Gary, Ron Powlus, Robert Nkemdiche, Ernie Sims, Vince Young, Adrian Peterson, Trevor Lawrence, Peyton Manning, Ronald Powell, and Randy Moss.
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With the way football is evolving, high school football players are only going to continue growing stronger, faster, and smarter. And while itβs exciting to think about the future, itβs refreshing knowing that we have high school football players like those listed above to watch right now.
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