Carroll QB On Watchlist For MaxPreps Player Of The Year Award

Renda Looks To Follow In Footsteps Of Head Coach

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The 2025 high school football playoffs are nearly here, and that puts the spotlight on the top candidates for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year — an honor claimed in the past by NFL stars like Derrick Henry, Kyler Murray, Bryce Young and Jaxson Dart, as well as a name familiar to Carroll football fans.

Among this year’s top candidates is Carroll senior quarterback Angelo Renda, one of just 10 players nationwide on the MaxPreps National Player of the Year watch list. The spotlight carries extra significance at Carroll: current Dragon head coach Riley Dodge won the inaugural MaxPreps National Player of the Year award in 2006, leading the Dragons to a historic run of victories and a state title as a junior. Nearly two decades later, Renda, who has completed nearly 77 percent of his passes this season, has a chance to follow in his mentor’s footsteps, potentially creating a full-circle moment for the program.

"He's had a great year," Dodge said. "It's really cool that he's getting recognized nationally. He deserves it. When you're living north of 75 percent with your completion rate, you're doing some really elite things."

The MaxPreps Player of the Year watch list highlights the most dominant and influential high school athletes across all classifications, placing Renda among some of the nation’s most elite performers, among them Tyler Atkinson, a five-star linebacker from Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) who has amassed over 500 career tackles while leading his team to back-to-back state-title runs; David Gabriel-Georges, a running back from Baylor 

(Chattanooga, Tenn.) who recently posted a career-high 282 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a key rivalry win; and Myles McLaughlin, quarterback from Knox (Ind.), who is closing in on the single-season national rushing record and recently surpassed 11,000 career yards while leading his team to an undefeated record in 2025.

Renda has himself powered the Dragons to consecutive undefeated regular seasons, putting up gaudy numbers along the way. Through ten games, the senior signal-caller has accounted for more 3,000 yards and 36 touchdowns, while leading one of the most balanced and explosive offenses in Texas. His poise under pressure and command of Dodge’s fast-paced system have helped Carroll outscore opponents by wide margins all season.

Last year’s gut-wrenching loss in the Class 6A state title game still fuels Renda, a University of Pittsburgh commit, and his senior-laden Dragons. As the playoffs kick off next week, the MaxPreps Player of the Year contender's focus is on one goal: winning the ultimate game and bringing a state championship back to Carroll.