When the 2018 Heisman finalists were young(er)
It wasn’t so long ago that the three 2018 Heisman finalists were tearing it up in high school.
Dwayne Haskins, Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa made it to New York this week by very different routes, but they were all highly-sought-after players. Here’s a look at their high school careers.
Dwayne Haskins
Haskins was a coveted prospect from The Bullis School in Potomac, Md. (Fla.). The first-team consensus all-Maryland quarterback completed 170 of 286 passes as a 2016 senior for 2,217 yards and 20 touchdowns. Considered more of a pocket-style passer, he was a consensus 4-star recruit and who picked Ohio State over Florida, LSU, Alabama and Clemson.
Here is a collection of his senior year highlights at The Bullis School:
Here’s a breakdown of how the internet recruiting services regarded Haskins in high school:
| Recruiting Service | Rating | Position Rank | Overall Rank | Evaluation Quote |
| Rivals.com | 4 star | 5 | 100 | Haskins is an outstanding distributor of the football and he can really spin it. His accuracy, ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and his decision making are all strengths of his game. |
| ESPN | 4 star | 4 | 63 | Haskins has a chance to develop into a really impressive prospect both as a passer and athlete. Naturally strokes the football and has a nice feel for the game. |
| 247Sports.com | 4 star | 7 | 91 | Haskins has plus arm strength, makes good pre-snap reads and throws a pretty deep ball. |
Kyler Murray
Murray was arguably the most highly-regarded of the three finalists coming out of Allen (Texas) High. He ranked as one of most accomplished Texas high school players ever after leading Allen to three straight state titles and never losing a game as a starting quarterback (43-0). He rolled up 14,500 rushing and passing yards and totaled 186 touchdowns in his three seasons and was named Mr. Texas Football Player of the Year in 2014 as well as National Player of the Year by Parade, Gatorade, MaxPreps and USA Today. He completed 278 of 433 passes (64.2 percent) for 4,713 yards and 54 touchdowns against just eight interceptions and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry on way to 1,485 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior
Here’s Murray at Allen High:
Here’s a breakdown of how the recruiting services regarded Murray in high school:
| Recruiting Service | Rating | Position Rank | Overall Rank | Evaluation Quote |
| Rivals.com | 4 star | 5 | 71 | Murray has the running ability; it just depends on the passing. Can he be a guy who can be dangerous with his arm? We’ve seen how dangerous he can be with his legs. We know how fast he is. High school level to college level is completely different. |
| ESPN | 5 star | 1 | 13 | Murray is a poised playmaker who projects as a dual-threat college QB in a spread system only. Could get recruited in another role and shows potential at slot, corner and as a returner. Overall he is an explosive prospect. |
| 247Sports.com | 5 star | 1 | 34 | He is a very accurate passer and can place the ball exactly where he wants it to go. He is very savvy as to when he decides to pull the ball down and run. A true dual-threat at the position. |
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa prepped at St. Louis High in Honolulu, the same school that produced 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. He finished his career with 8,158 passing yards, the most in Hawai’i high school football history, while adding 84 passing touchdowns. He threw for 3,932 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior in 2016 and helped St. Louis and head coach Cal Lee capture the 2016 HHSAA District 1 State Championship.
Here are highlights of Tagovailoa at Saint Louis:
Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Tagovailoa in high school:
| Recruiting Service | Rating | Position Rank | Overall Rank | Evaluation Quote |
| Rivals.com | 4 star | 3 | 53 | Murray has the running ability; it just depends on the passing. Can he be a guy who can be dangerous with his arm? We’ve seen how dangerous he can be with his legs. We know how fast he is. High school level to college level is completely different. |
| ESPN | 4 star | 1 | 57 | Murray is a poised playmaker who projects as a dual-threat college QB in a spread system only. Could get recruited in another role and shows potential at slot, corner and as a returner. Overall he is an explosive prospect. |
| 247Sports.com | 5 | 1 | 32 | He is a very accurate passer and can place the ball exactly where he wants it to go. He is very savvy as to when he decides to pull the ball down and run. A true dual-threat at the position. |
