USA TODAY Sports and PlayVS have introduced the 2026 Esports National Signing Day, a program highlighting high school esports athletes committing to colleges. The initiative pairs USA TODAY Sports' coverage with PlayVS' high school esports platform to raise visibility for recruits and commercial opportunities in the growing scholastic esports market.
FLAG FOOTBALL High School Sports Add Topic USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America High School Flag Football Team revealed Alyce Brown Ansley Gavlak USA TODAY Aug. 18, 2026 Updated Aug. 19, 2026, 10:56 a.m. ET Hear this story USA TODAY Sports has announced its first-ever preseason All-America flag football team. The list highlights top players to watch as the sport's popularity and talent pool grow. Selections were limited to athletes from the 10 states where flag football is a fully-sanctioned fall sport. The team is divided into first-team and second-team selections, featuring players from states like California, Illinois, and Arizona. It's flag football's moment — and the talent of standouts across the country, often playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball, is only multiplying. From stars like quarterback Makena Cook at Sierra Canyon to young players already making their own impressive marks like Isla Collins, there's a deep pool to choose from. We'll be keeping an eye on everyone as play revs up, seeing how players develop and which new stars will inevitably emerge. More: USA TODAY Sports unveils preseason Super 25 Flag Football National Rankings As we wrap up the preseason, this preseason All-America team serves as a great watch list — who's arrived, who's up next and who's primed for a standout season. Without further ado, we present the inaugural USA TODAY Sports All-America flag football team. Reporters' note: This list only includes athletes from fully-sanctioned states that play flag football during the fall season. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland and North Carolina. USA TODAY Sports preseason flag football All-America first-team (alphabetically) Skylie Cid, RB/R (Newport Harbor, CA) High School Sports: The best preps coverage in the country, from rankings, scores and stats to local and national news—every team matters. Isla Collins, QB/LB (Salpointe Catholic, AZ) Makena Cook, QB (Sierra Canyon, CA) Deedee Dudley, WR (Whitney Young, IL) Izzy Greene, RB/R (Agora, CA) Ja’Mya Hamilton, R/RB (Whitney Young, IL) Savanna Hill, WR/DB/R (McClatchy, CA) Ava Irwin, WR/DB (JSerra, CA) Makenna Johnson, WR/S (Liberty, AZ) Tina Majka, LB (Maine South, IL) Jessica Manriquez, WR/S/C (Vincent Memorial, CA) Tessa Russell, WR/DB (JSerra, CA) Savannah Sevier, WR/LB (Central, AL) Kayla Tacker, WR/DB (Casa Grande, AZ) Azul Trujillo, QB (Vincent Memorial, CA) USA TODAY Sports preseason flag football All-America second-team (alphabetically) Milan Cadet, WR (Romeoville, IL) Mia Camp, RB (St. Anne-Pacelli, GA) Neveah Crawford, LB (Colony, AK) Emerson de la Cruz, ATH (Maine South, IL) Angelina “Happy” Dubois, WR/DB (Sierra Canyon, CA) Sterling Flores, R/LB/WR (JSerra, CA) Cooper Godbout, WR/DB (Glenbrook South, IL) Brooklyn Hedricks, WR/LB (Dos Pueblos, CA) Cristiona King, ATH (Warner Robbins, GA) Evania Maas, WR/DB (Xavier College Prep, AZ) Addisen Odom, QB (Greenbrier, GA) Marlie Phillips, QB (Peoria Liberty, AZ) Allyson Schmida, WR/S (Crean Lutheran, CA) Jade Skipps, RB/LB (North Pole, AK) Janiya Zamora, WR/S (Cajon, CA) USA TODAY Network spring selection committee: USA TODAY Sports national reporters Alyce Brown and Ansley Gavlak; Arizona Republic sports reporter Logan Stanley; Gadsen Times sports reporter Maxwell Donaldson; Wilmington StarNews sports reporter Michael Cuneo; Montgomery Advertiser sports reporter Jaeden Day and CCJ Coastal South sports editor William Cheney. USA TODAY Sports' Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Alabama USA TODAY Sports' Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Alaska USA TODAY Sports' Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Arizona USA TODAY Sports’ Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for California USA TODAY Sports’ Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Colorado USA TODAY Sports’ Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Georgia USA TODAY Sports’ Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Illinois USA TODAY Sports' Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for Maryland USA TODAY Sports' Super 10 high school flag football preseason rankings for North Carolina Featured Weekly Ad
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.usatoday.com
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USA TODAY Sports: USA TODAY Sports is a sports media organization partnering to launch the 2026 Esports National Signing Day.
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