Before they take the field as college football players on Saturdays, some of the top recruits in the 2023 and 2024 ESPN 300 are playing underneath the lights on weeknights.
Running back Mark Fletcher (No. 251 overall in 2023, No. 15 RB) ran for three touchdowns during American Heritage High School's (Florida) 43-7 win on Nov. 14 over Inlet Grove High School (Florida). Fletcher, who decommitted from Ohio State Nov. 16, also added 121 yards on the ground in the victory. He has 1,398 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the year.
Georgia-bound linebacker Troy Bowles (No. 37 overall in 2023, No. 3 LB), the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coach Todd Bowles, had a pair of pick-sixes in Jesuit High School's (Florida) 45-10 victory over Gaither High School (Florida) on Friday.
Bowles wasn't the only one to take one to the house on Friday, as Notre Dame recruit Peyton Bowen (No. 14 overall in 2023, No. 2 S) did the honors for John Guyer High School (Texas).
Here's how some other of the nation's top recruits looked this week.
Buckeye bound
Brandon Inniss (No. 30 overall in 2023, No. 4 WR) is one of three highly-ranked wide receivers headed to Columbus, Ohio, next fall. He had a touchdown in American Heritage's (Florida) win over Inlet Grove (Florida) on Nov. 14.
Good W from last night game, 43-7. 3 receptions 78 yards 134 all purpose yards 1 touchdown. Onto the next!! #4more #roadtostates🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/p3835zIeOL
— Brandon Inniss (@brandon5star2) November 15, 2022
With his three receptions for 78 yards on Monday, he broke former Georgia and current Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie's school single-season records for receptions and receiving yards, set in 2013. For the season, Inniss has hauled in 48 receptions for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Arnold amazes
Jackson Arnold (No. 8 overall in 2023, No. 1 QB-DT) had six touchdowns (four rushing) during John Guyer's (Texas) 63-42 win over Highland Park High School (Texas) on Friday.
10:48, Q3 - Denton Guyer, hello.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) November 19, 2022
Oklahoma pledge Jackson Arnold (@_JacksonArnold_) drops a dime to Landon Sides (@landon_sides) from 31 yards out to open the second half.
Guyer 35, Highland Park 28. @SportsDayHS #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/WLB2kpEuyo
Arnold, the soon-to-be Oklahoma Sooner, entered Friday with 2,636 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes to go with just three interceptions.
Owens II opts for history
Louisville-bound running Rueben Owens II (No. 42 overall in 2023, No. 4 RB) had two touchdown runs despite seeing his decorated high school career end on Friday for El Campo High School (Texas).
With this two yard carry El Campo senior Rueben Owens II (@ii_rueben) reached 7,000 rushing yards in his career mid-way through the second quarter against Kilgore. pic.twitter.com/E4AImangrN
— Wharton County Newspapers Sports (@WhartonCoSports) November 18, 2022
Owens crossed the 7,000-yard mark for his career with a two-yard run in the second quarter of El Campo's 34-20 loss to Kilgore High School (Texas).
Hale's hops
Jalen Hale (No. 45 overall in 2023, No. 9 WR) is one of the many reasons Alabama possesses the top class in the entire country. Hale had this nice touchdown in Longview High School's (Texas) 38-17 win over Lone Star High School (Texas) on Friday.
TD Longview!!!!! Jordan Allen to Jalen Hale and he does the rest on the 77-yard score and the lead is now 21-10, 6:16, 3Q #txhsfb @Lobo_Football pic.twitter.com/x6FPiCN1Jm
— Devin Hasson (@DevinHasson) November 19, 2022
Hale, who had 35 receptions for 784 yards and 11 touchdowns heading into Friday's game, will be joined by a pair of ESPN 300 quarterbacks, Eli Holstein (No. 22 overall in 2023) and Dylan Lonergan (No. 26 overall in 2023), who had a highlight of his own on Friday.
Van Buren breaks free
St. Frances Academy (Maryland) quarterback Michael Van Buren made a huge leap in ESPN's latest rankings for the 2024 class (No. 51 to 10), and he kept his team competitive in a 27-16 loss to IMG Academy (Florida) on Friday.
Call them the comeback kids? St. Frances Academy scores a touchdown led by QB Michael Van Buren @mike3k_ against IMG Academy. The team is still down 27-16 in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/C51e9eqSLr
— Next Level Sports and Entertainment (@ItsNxtLevel) November 19, 2022
Van Buren is the second-best quarterback in the junior class behind Ohio State-bound Dylan Raiola.
He had thrown for 1,632 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions coming into this week and he owns offers from Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oregon.