Here’s a look at the TribLive High School Sports Network’s Terrific 25 football all-stars for the 2025 season.
Terrific 25
Brendan Alexander
Central Valley, OL/DL
6-4, 225, senior
Alexander was again a two-way standout on the line for Central Valley. He was credited with 103 total tackles, including 52 solo stops, 15 tackles for a loss and five sacks. The Warriors reached the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. On the offensive side, Alexander helped the team rush for more than 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns. Still uncommitted, Alexander drew more than two dozen college offers, most recently from Wake Forest and N.C. State.
Watch Brendan Alexander highlights
Da’Ron Barksdale
Steel Valley, RB/DB
5-11, 190, senior
A Pitt recruit, Barksdale was dominant late in the season. He scored 36 touchdowns, including 10 combined in his team’s first two playoff games. In all, he rushed for 2,086 yards on 285 carries while averaging more than 160 yards per game for the WPIAL Class 2A runners-up. He finished the year with 2,459 all-purpose yards. A future college defensive back, Barksdale added 44 tackles, four interceptions and two defensive TDs.
Watch Da’Ron Barksdale highlights
Ashton Blatt
Central Catholic, DE/TE
6-4, 230, senior
Central Catholic repeated as the WPIAL Class 6A champion and returned to the state finals behind a disruptive defense. Leading those efforts was Blatt, an edge rusher who had a team-high 16 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. The North Carolina recruit finished with 57 tackles, including 35 solo stops, and two forced fumbles. The Vikings held conference opponents to less than a touchdown per game.
Peter Bonnet
Avonworth, OL/DL
6-6, 300, senior
Bonnet anchored an Avonworth offensive line that won a second consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title and this time added the team’s first state championship. The Antelopes often ran behind Bonnet, whose blocks at left tackle helped them rush for 3,345 yards and 43 touchdowns. Avonworth finished 15-0 as the only undefeated team in the state. Bonnet is a Navy commit.
David Davis
Imani Christian, RB/WR/DB
6-0, 195, senior
Davis was a versatile playmaker for Imani Christian on both sides of the ball. The two-way standout is a highly ranked defensive back who signed with North Carolina and Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. Along with scoring 18 touchdowns, Davis caught 20 passes for 569 yards and added 700 rushing yards for the WPIAL Class 3A runners-up. Defensively, he had four interceptions and 30 tackles.
Nolan DiLucia
Peters Township, QB/DB
6-2, 215, senior
A three-year starter at quarterback, DiLucia graduates as the third-leading passer in WPIAL history with 8,822 career yards. This season, he passed for 2,782 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading Peters Township to the WPIAL Class 5A title. DiLucia completed 177 of 286 passes. The WPIAL title was the team’s second in three years. The Villanova recruit also was a multi-year starter at safety where he made 37 tackles and one interception this season.
Watch Nolan DiLucia highlights
Tyler Eber
Thomas Jefferson, RB/DB
5-10, 185, junior
Proven as a durable, workhorse back, Eber scored 30 or more touchdowns for the second year in a row. He also carried the ball more than 700 times in those two seasons combined. This fall, he rushed for 1,885 yards on 340 carries and scored 31 touchdowns. He was the top source of yards for a Thomas Jefferson offense that reached the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals. He topped 100 rushing yards in 10 of the team’s 12 games.
Joey Felitsky
North Catholic, QB
6-1, 175, senior
It’s no exaggeration to say Felitsky had one of the best-ever seasons by a WPIAL quarterback. He passed for 3,388 yards, a single-season total that ranks seventh in WPIAL history. He tossed a league-leading 46 touchdowns this fall while completing 192 of his 257 attempts. The WPIAL’s leading passer for the second year in a row, Felitsky had 6,370 yards and 69 touchdowns combined in the past two seasons. Uncommitted, he lists college offers from Gannon and John Carroll.
Watch Joey Felitsky highlights
Colsen Gatten
Central Catholic, LB/TE
6-1, 215, senior
Gatten was one of two Central Catholic linebackers to surpass the century mark in tackles this season. The Duke recruit made 101 tackles with 52 solo stops for the two-time defending WPIAL Class 6A champions. He made a game-high 12 tackles in the WPIAL finals and led all players with 14 in the PIAA finals. Gatten also contributed on offense, making 22 catches for 407 yards and four touchdowns at tight end.
Watch Colsen Gatten highlights
Lincoln Hoke
North Allegheny, OL/DL
6-2, 270, senior
One of the WPIAL’s best two-way linemen, Hoke was a difference maker for North Allegheny on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Pitt recruit had seven sacks and 12 tackles for a loss among his 80 tackles. His play up front bolstered a defense that returned to the WPIAL Class 6A finals. Hoke earned first-team all-conference honors for the third year in a row (offensive in 2023, defense in 2024 and ’25). His father is former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke.
Gabe Jenkins
Imani Christian, QB/DB
6-2, 185, junior
Jenkins’ college future is surely on defense, but he excelled as a dual-threat quarterback for Imani Christian. He led the Saints to the WPIAL Class 3A finals while passing for 1,763 yards and rushing for 1,411. He tossed 29 touchdown passes and rushed for 15 more scores. Ranked by 247Sports as the 11th-best safety nationally in the 2027 class, Jenkins, a former Penn State commit, has College Football Playoff teams Indiana and Ole Miss among his two dozen offers.
Reston Lehman
Peters Township, LB/TE
6-4, 240, senior
Lehman’s five forced fumbles probably best showed how he could change a game from his linebacker spot. The Pitt recruit made 39 tackles, including 20 tackles for a loss and nine sacks, for a WPIAL-winning defense that held conference foes to 37 points combined. Lehman also intercepted two passes and had a defensive score among his six touchdowns. On offense, the tight end caught 23 passes for 422 yards and five TDs.
Watch Reston Lehman highlights
Brandon Murphy
Clairton, WR/LB
6-1, 185, sophomore
The talented sophomore was the leading tackler for a dominant Clairton defense that shut out nine opponents, but he also starred on offense as the Bears ultimately won a PIAA Class A title. Murphy had 104 tackles along with 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and three interceptions. On offense, he caught 39 passes for 704 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia and Indiana are among his college offers.
Watch Brandon Murphy highlights
Luca Neal
Avonworth, WR/LB
5-10, 190, senior
A do-it-all weapon on offense, Neal’s versatility was one key to Avonworth’s title success. The wide receiver, running back and wildcat quarterback caught 48 passes for 1,028 yards and 11 touchdowns, but also rushed 72 times for 763 yards and 12 scores. In the PIAA Class 3A final, Neal scored three TDs as the Antelopes won their first state championship. Neal also added 30 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Uncommitted, he lists college offers from Marist, Gannon, Fairmont State and Slippery Rock.
T.J. Sabatucci
Canon-McMillan, TE/DE
6-3, 235, senior
Sabatucci was a two-way stalwart for a Canon-McMillan team that reached the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. The standout tight end caught 31 passes for 587 yards and four touchdowns, but he also ran for three scores as a wildcat quarterback. In three seasons, Sabatucci had 51 career catches and nine receiving TDs. On defense, the Buffalo recruit had eight sacks and a forced fumble among his 39 tackles.
Watch T.J. Sabatucci highlights
Lucas Shanafelt
Peters Township, LB/TE
6-4, 235, senior
Shanafelt teamed with Lehman to form arguably the best outside linebacker tandem in the WPIAL this season. Shanafelt had 33 tackles, including 10 tackles for a loss and six sacks. The Stanford recruit also intercepted three passes for a defense that held opponents to 9.5 points per game. Peters Township won the WPIAL Class 5A title. Shanafelt also contributed on offense as a tight end and caught 26 passes for 479 yards and four touchdowns.
Watch Lucas Shanafelt highlights
Matt Sieg
Fort Cherry, QB/DB
6-1, 190, senior
Sieg had a historic high school career. The West Virginia recruit set WPIAL career records for offensive yards (12,592) and touchdowns (139). He graduates as the second-leading rusher in WPIAL history with 7,958 yards. He passed for more than 4,600 yards, joining former Jeannette star Terrelle Pryor as the only 4,000/4,000 players in league history. This season, Sieg rushed for 1,774 yards and scored 28 TDs for the WPIAL Class A semifinalists.
Scoop Smith
Woodland Hills, WR/DB
5-7, 150, senior
Always a big-play threat as both a dangerous receiver and kick returner, Smith upped his career total to 62 touchdowns. Smith rolled up more than 1,300 yards from scrimmage this season and scored 21 times. The Miami (Ohio) recruit caught 50 passes for 842 yards and rushed for 539 yards on 31 carries. His longest scoring plays this fall included a 73-yard run, a 91-yard punt return and a 99-yard kickoff return.
Kemon Spell
McKeesport, RB/DB
5-11, 211, junior
Considered the top junior running back prospect nationally, Spell showed everyone why. The explosive runner rolled up 1,755 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns in nine games while leading McKeesport to the WPIAL Class 4A finals. He scored 32 touchdowns in all, reaching the end zone in four different ways, including kick and punt returns. Labeled a five-star college recruit, Spell has Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) and Ohio State among his offers. Formerly a Penn State commit, he reopened his recruitment in November.
Aaron “Oobi” Strader
Pine-Richland, QB
5-11, 175, junior
Strader guided the highest-scoring offense in WPIAL Class 5A and led Pine-Richland to the finals for the second year in a row. The Rams averaged 45.5 points per game thanks to the dual-threat quarterback. Strader passed for 2,217 yards and 34 touchdowns and rushed for 762 yards and 12 more scores. Only a junior, he has already surpassed 4,000 passing yards for his career. Akron, Kent State, Syracuse and Temple have offered him scholarships.
Watch Aaron Strader highlights
Daiveon Taylor
Moon, LB/RB
6-2, 225, senior
A newcomer this season at Moon, Taylor fit right into the Tigers’ plans. On defense, Taylor made a team-high 86 tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. The Kent State recruit also forced three fumbles and recovered three. He added 221 rushing yards and four touchdowns, helping the Tigers reach the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. Taylor has 38 career sacks and earned all-conference honors at three different schools (Moon, Bishop Canevin and Aliquippa).
Watch Daiveon Taylor highlights
Khalil Taylor
Pine-Richland, WR/DB
6-0, 185, junior
Taylor continued to be one of the WPIAL’s biggest touchdown threats at Pine-Richland after transferring from Seton LaSalle. He scored a team-high 36 TDs, which helped the Rams average better than 45 ppg. Taylor caught 33 passes for 571 yards and finished the year with more than 1,600 all-purpose yards. He added three interceptions and 23 tackles on defense. A four-star college prospect, Taylor reopened his recruitment after initially committing to Penn State.
Watch Khalil Taylor highlights
Roman Thompson
Central Catholic, RB/LB
6-0, 200, junior
Central Catholic coaches kept Thompson busy. He made a team-high 113 tackles, including 65 solo stops and four sacks, for the WPIAL Class 6A champions but also rushed for a team-best 882 yards and 29 touchdowns. He carried the ball 117 times, helping the Vikings reach the state finals for the second year in a row. Also a standout wrestler, Thompson received college football offers from both Pitt and Penn State, among others. He had 10 tackles in the WPIAL finals.
Watch Roman Thompson highlights
Jay Timmons
Pine-Richland, WR/DB
6-0, 185, senior
Timmons showed this fall why the nation’s top-ranked college teams were after him. The Ohio State recruit was a two-way standout for Pine-Richland, which reached the WPIAL Class 5A finals this fall. Timmons caught 35 passes for 637 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 37 tackles. Ranked as the fourth-best cornerback recruit nationally, Timmons was previously committed to Indiana and later Florida State before flipping to the Buckeyes in November. His father is former Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons.
Jonah Williamson
Trinity, QB
6-2, 215, senior
Williamson used his dual-threat skills to surpass 5,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in his high school career. This season, Williamson passed for 1,494 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,000 yards and 17 more scores. He completed 103 of 166 attempts. A Harvard recruit, Williamson led Trinity to its first conference title in 39 years by winning the Big Six.
Watch Jonah Williamson highlights