Everybody loves a good football drama. At long last, all eight seasons of the teen soap All American are now streaming on Netflix in the US. The series, which premiered in 2018 on The CW and recently wrapped its final season, starts out as an underdog story about high school football player Spencer James, a rising talent from South Central Los Angeles who moves to Beverly Hills to pursue his college football dreams. From Ransom Canyon creator April Blair, the show stars Daniel Ezra, Taye Diggs, and Samantha Logan.

Whether you’re looking for your new favorite drama series or have been waiting for a chance to catch Season 8, here’s everything you need to know about All American. 

When will All American be released?

Stream all eight seasons on Netflix now.

Who’s in the cast of All American?

• Daniel Ezra (Blood Cells) as Spencer James
• Bre-Z (Empire) as Tamia “Coop” Cooper
• Greta Onieogou (Heartland) as Layla Baker (née Keating)
• Samantha Logan (13 Reasons Why) as Olivia Baker
• Michael Evans Behling (Grey’s Anatomy) as Jordan Baker
• Cody Christian (Teen Wolf, Pretty Little Liars) as Asher Adams
• Karimah Westbrook (Suburbicon) as Grace James
• Monet Mazur (40 Days and 40 Nights) as Laura Fine-Baker
• Taye Diggs (Chicago, Rent) as Billy Baker
• Jalyn Hall (Till) as Dillon James
• Ella Simone Tabu (New Girl) as Amina Simms (Seasons 3–5)
• Alexis Chikaeze (Miss Juneteenth) as Amina Simms (Seasons 6–8)
• Nathaniel McIntyre (The Equalizer) as Kingston “KJ” Jeremy
• Antonio J. Bell (Manhunt) as Khalil Edwards 
• Osy Ikhile (Black Mirror) as Cassius Jeremy
• Angel Parker (Lab Rats) as Ava Jeremy

What happens in All American?

All American follows Spencer James (Ezra), a rising high school football prodigy from South Central Los Angeles. Spencer is the star wide receiver of Compton’s South Crenshaw Chargers, where his talents are noticed by Beverly Hills High School head football coach Billy Baker (Diggs). Billy approaches Spencer and recruits him, saying he has better opportunities and a shot at pursuing his dreams of playing in the NFL if he makes the move to Beverly Hills. But the path there isn’t easy — in order to transfer, Spencer reluctantly moves in with the affluent Baker family. This proves to be a culture shock for the young man, who comes from a very different socioeconomic background. As he follows his dreams, Spencer navigates having one foot in both worlds and the changing dynamics of his relationships with his mother, Grace (Westbrook); his younger brother, Dillon (Hall); and his closest friends back in Crenshaw, like Tamia, aka Coop (Bre-Z).

What happens in All American Season 7?

Everyone’s all grown up at the end of Season 6 of All American. As the season wraps, so do some of the main characters’ stories. So while Spencer and a few other fan-favorites make guest appearances in Season 7, the latest installment of the sports drama primarily follows Jordan (Evans Behling), Layla (Onieogou), and Coop as they navigate the next chapter of their personal and professional lives. Coop is building a life and community as she finds her footing in law school, and Layla is still producing music for her record label, ForMonica Records. She and Jordan are now happily married and living in the Baker family home, and Jordan follows in his father’s footsteps — in more ways than one — as the new quarterback coach at South Crenshaw High School.

What happens in All American Season 8?

Six months after Crenshaw beat Beverly Hills in the playoffs, cousins and rival coaches Jordan and Cassius Jeremy (Ikhile) (the latter of whom took over as the Beverly Hills coach in Season 7) are attempting to build a relationship outside the gridiron. But that’s easier said than done when Coach Cassius and his son, KJ (McIntyre), who’s also his quarterback, learn that their football futures could be on the line. Meanwhile, Crenshaw’s star quarterback, Khalil (Bell), is riding high on a successful season and fielding interest from D1 schools — if he can keep his grades up. He might be able to do so with help from Coop, who’s now dating her former law school professor (Sasha Lance). And Layla returns home from touring with one of her artists to realize that life has gone on without her, which prompts new-found feelings of surprise and concern.

Is All American based on a true story?

Yes, the series is partially based on true events. All American draws inspiration from the life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, who’s a co-producer on the show. (You can also find the former New York Giants linebacker on the sidelines of the Beverly Hills Eagles in Season 2, when he makes a cameo as Assistant Coach Davis.) Like Spencer in the series, Paysinger grew up in South Los Angeles and was recruited to play football at Beverly Hill High School. In an interview with New England Sports Network, Paysinger said many of the storylines that take shape on All American “are rooted in the truth.” He added, “Obviously, to create a compelling CW show, we have to sort of bend the truth a little bit and take a digression from what originally happened. But for the most part, a lot of the stories do ring true.”

Where does All American take place?

The series takes place in Los Angeles.

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