7 on 7 highlights of Mission Bay WR Lamarriel Taylor

We caught up with Mission Bay (Calif.) high school wide receiver Lamarriel Taylor. These are highlights of his 7 on 7 and camp performances from this spring and summer from events such as the NLA 7 on 7 tournament, Mountain West 7 on 7, and B2G elite camp.

The Illinois native was offered this summer by the Indiana Hoosiers and reports interest from UNLV and San Jose State University. We'll provide updates on the talented pass catcher over the course of the season to track the progress of his recruitment.

Click the link below to view highlights. Courtesy of Under The Radar Sports Media

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brp1Mqh7LF0

Southwestern College 7 on 7 wrap up

ATH Isiah Olave Chula Vista (Calif.) Eastlake

A projected cornerback; Olave made plays on both sides of the ball. As a receiver he was explosive off the line and gained consistent separation. He showed exceptional leaping ability attacking the ball in the air and plucking it over the head of defenders. Defensively, he was sticky in coverage and showed great awareness, able to get his hands on several passes.

WR Jalen Davis La Mesa (Calif.) Helix

Davis has made a name for himself on the defensive of the ball the last two years. However, this weekend it was as a receiver where he had the most impact. He was a consistent target on all three levels of the field, but was most impressive as a vertical threat, separating from defenders with his burst to the ball and winning on contested passes with explosive leaping ability.

DB Traylon Reed (2016) Chula Vista (Calif.) Eastlake

Reed is making the transition from a running back/strong safety type and making the switch over to free safety. The rising sophomore displayed impressive range in coverage and was frequently around the ball. Reed has an impressive frame for his age (5’10" 180) and just scratching the surface of his potential.

ATH Latray Jacquess (2017) San Diego Lincoln

An exceptional talent, Jacquess was one of the most explosive players we observed during the tournament. The incoming freshman lined up at various positions on the field but had the most success on offense operating from the slot. He showed a nice mix of agility and long speed and caught most of everything thrown his way.

DB DeVaughn Murray Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel

Though he lined up on both sides of the ball, Murray was at his best patrolling the deep middle at free safety. His team didn't play a ton a cover two in the games we observed. Murray was primarily deployed as a single high safety and did a great job jumping routes. He was at his best in a game versus Lincoln as he stopped two drives with end- zone interceptions. His best play however, was probably a leaping one- handed PBU that nearly resulted in another pick. He was impressive.

QB Clayton Dale San Diego Cathedral Catholic

Of all the quarterbacks in attendance, Dale probably displayed the most impressive arm strength. He flashed the diversity in his game as the tournament moved on. He showed and strong,  accuracy arm on vertical throws, and was able to power the ball to the boundary on deep-out routes. He mixed speeds as well and showed great touch on fades and bucket throws.

QB Joe Joe Hudson San Diego Saint Augustine

He simply gets better every time we see him. Once again he rolled through his progressions with ease, delivering the ball with rhythm and timing. However, one area in which Hudson stood out was the ball placement he displayed on his passes. There were games in which his wide receivers were not always able to create much separation. It didn’t matter as Hudson was impeccable in his ability to fit the ball into small windows and put it in places in which only his receivers could make the catch.

WR Ryan Harris San Diego Saint Augustine

The “Blond bomber” was at it again. He opened the tournament getting free and attacking defenses vertically. On the second day of play he showed off even more elements of his repertoire, shaking free of defenders at the top of his routes and making leaping grabs in the end zone on fade routes. Harris showed off nice footwork and lateral explosion to compliment his ability to stretch the field.

DB Frank Buncom IV 2015 San Diego Saint Augustine

A press-corner with safety size, the four- star defender used his tools to consistently knock receivers off their routes and disrupt the rhythm and timing of the oppositions passing game. But one of the best aspects of his game is the suddenness he shows coming out of his backpedal to drive on the ball, which is very impressive for a defender of his size (6’1” 180).

RB Elijah Preston 2016 San Diego Saint Augustine

The rising sophomore was the most impressive pass- catching back at the tournament. He ran crisp routes and displayed soft hands. And in format not always conducive to yard after catch, Preston created several explosive plays catching swing passes and getting out into space.

Other notables: 

Marquel Jones ATH, Lincoln

Adrian Petty RB, Helix (2016)

Daniel Edwards ATH, Lincoln

Francois Sims LB, Saint Augustine (2016)

The State of Arizona: A second look

By Derrell Warren

In a previous post we highlighted the rise of prep football in the state of Arizona. Shortly after that piece was published, San Diego State University held 7 on 7 tournaments in consecutive week that were won by Chaparral High School and Salpointe Catholic, respectively. Those results served to further validate the area as a burgeoning hot bed for individual talent and home to powerful squads capable of competing with any team in any region.

In, recent years one of the best developments in high school football has been the increasing number of quality match-ups featuring teams from different states. Tucson power, Salpointe Catholic will test their mettle traveling to Los Angeles county for an early season match-up versus Encino (Calif.) Crespi high school. Meanwhile, Hamilton (Az.) will take on the Eastlake Titans from of the San Diego area.

Now let’s take a look at two elite recruits from the area.

ATH Cameron Denson

Salpointe Catholic

Tucson, Arizona

A mid-four star recruit, Denson's name perhaps hasn't been mentioned as much as similarly rated players this recruiting cycle. This is most likely due in large part to his early pledge to the local Arizona Wildcats.

Early commitments often (But not always) remove recruits out of the rumor/speculation aspect of the process. In a lot of these cases, folks tend to forget the talents brought to the table by the recruit that warranted the acceptance of such an early commitment in the first place.

Though most project him to play cornerback in college, Denson also lined up at wide receiver was the best player on the field during the San Diego State passing tournament held this past June. In addition to passing for over 400 yards; he registered 1026 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on only 69 carries as a dual threat quarterback. He added 585 yards on 37 catches lining up as a wide receiver as well.

Denson committed to the hometown Wildcats on January 12^th of this year over offers from such schools as Arizona State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Oregon State. Follow his commitment he picked up subsequent offers from Big-12 schools West Virginia and Oklahoma State.

Sophomore highlights

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/979583/highlights/17539374

Junior film

Casey Tucker

Offensive Tackle

Hamilton (Az.) High School

Simply put, Tucker is a highly coveted player who would be a welcomed addition at programs nationwide. He is a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top 10-12 players in the nation at a premium position. Last summer Tucker was early commitment to the USC Trojans. He gave them his pledge less than two months prior to his junior season. This April however, Tucker de-committed from USC and re-opened the recruiting process.

At this juncture, the 6’6” 270 pound lineman holds offers from USC, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Arkansas, and Michigan State. Not sure of any timetable for a decision. But, whenever that does indeed happen they’ll be a very fortunate college program who’s earned the services of one the nation’s premier blindside protectors.

USD 7 on 7 tournament wrap-up

By Derrell Warren

USD Tournament Standouts:

QB Joe Joe Hudson San Diego Saint Augustine

Hudson was masterful in his performance at USD. He worked through progressions quickly and threw the ball with anticipation and timing. He often delivered the ball before his receiver had come out of his break, or just prior to him crossing the face of the defender and creating a throwing lane.

QB Nick Robinson JSerra high school (2015)

Robinson was also listed as a standout performer based on his appearance in the Mountain West 7 on 7 tournament held at San Diego State two weeks prior. And just as he did in that performance, he displayed the strongest arm at this event as well. He did however, throw the ball with great touch on fade routes and displayed great vision distributing the ball to all level of the field and working through all the level of his progressions.

WR Ryan Harris San Diego Saint Augustine high school

Harris got open repeadedly at the event and made big plays all day. He was the premiere deep threat but got open using a variety of stop, digs, crossing, and 'stop and go' route to confound defenders through pool play through the tournament portion of the event. I personally observed him play three games and in all three he scored multiple touchdowns. He punctuated that streak with a four score performance versus Roosevelt high school.

WR Lawrence Dickens Spring Valley (Calif.) Steele Canyon

Fresh off an impressive performance at San Jose State camp the previous evening, Dickens displayed the skills that allowed him to be further sought out as a slot receiver by a growing number of schools. He got in and out of breaks cleanly, showed explosiveness over the middle of the field, and showed great agility in being able to high point the ball on fades and make plays in the back of the end zone.

WR Anthony Spencer Eastvale (Calif.) Roosevelt

The big receiver from Riverside county was an exciting play-maker. After initially not being targeted a lot during pool play the rising senior began to assert himself during the tournament portion of the event. Using his combination of size and speed, Spencer began to exploit opposing defenders as he posed a mismatch for the majority of the defensive backs in attendance.

DB Frank Buncom IV San Diego Saint Augustine (2015)

Likely the most coveted recruit at the event-regardless of class-Buncom IV lived up to his billing with physical press coverage. He also demonstrated the ability to plant, drive, as he was able to get his hands on several passes.  The rising junior is already a coveted recruit and demonstrated the size and skill-set to justify such a lofty designation as he won the vast majority of his one on one battles throughout the day.

DB Jordan Brooks San Diego Saint Augustine (2016)

New to the position,Brooks is still adjusting after making the transition from running back. Despite that, the rising sophomore was one of the top cover men at the event. Brooks lined up as both an outside corner and in the slot as well. The speedster was able to stay attached to hip of receivers running vertically down field and displayed improving reactive quickness that will only get better the more reps he gets at the position. He even garnered praise for his play from opponents in-between contests.

DB Andre Joseph Eastvale (Calif.) Roosevelt (2015)

Joseph has great size at the cornerback position at close six-feet. He flashed versatility by  using his increased size (listed at 138 pounds last year but is much bigger) to re-route receivers through zones but also showing the ability to run down the field with them vertically. 

Recruiting update with Limihai Hifo and Sione Takitaki

Interview by Derrell Warren

This past Friday I had the chance to speak with running back Limihai Hifo and three star jumbo athlete Sione Takitaki  of Menifee (Calif.) Heritage. I was able to catch up with them just minutes prior to their first game of pool play in the 2013 San Diego State 7 on 7 tournament. The guys gave a brief rundown of where things stand in their respective recruitments as well as their thoughts on the tournament. 

Program on the rise: Heritage Patriots

By Derrell Warren

Jamal Morrow and Darius Allensworth this past National Signing Day (February 6th, 2013)





For the past two decades prep football in Southern California football has been ruled by powers such as Long Beach Poly, Mission Viejo, Mater Dei, Bishop Amat, Dorsey, and Crenshaw. These programs have left an indelible mark on both the regional and national high school sports landscape. Not only have they established themselves as annual favorites for league and CIF championships, but they have also proven themselves to be constant sources of elite-level talent for college programs. 

  

Now, even though the football program at Menifee, California’s Heritage high school has only competed at the varsity level for seven years, it has established as a burgeoning resource of college-level gridiron talent. This past February defensive back Darius Allensworth (Cal) and 2,000 yard rusher; Jamal Morrow (Washington State) signed on to play at Pac-12 programs (teammates Julio Calix and Marvin Hifo both signed on to continue their careers at division II Western New Mexico, respectively). 


2013 however, is the season that Heritage stands poised to kick down the door and produce an even greater number of football signees as an impressive 37 total colleges visited the Patriots to observe spring practice. 

This past weekend, the Patriots ventured to San Diego to compete in the annual 7 on 7 competition hosted by San Diego State University. After going 3-0 in pool play on Friday, the Patriots went 4-1 in Saturday's tournament competition. Good enough for a quarterfinal appearance.

Before the tournament we caught with defensive back McKinley Grant, tight end Evan Rodriquez, and athlete Matthew Palmer. We discussed not only the tournament, but also recruiting, and how they've used the off-season to improve their individual games. Enjoy!

SDSU 7 on 7 tournament wrap-up

By Derrell Warren

Top performers:

Offense

QB Andrew Cota Tucson (AZ.) Salpointe Catholic

Probably the most impressive signal caller in the event, Cota went through his progressions and worked the field at all three levels. The ball came out of his hand quickly and he showed great confidence and accuracy as he consistently exploited passing windows over the middle of the field.

RB Michael Garner San Diego Madison

A true all-purpose back, Garner terrorized defenders as he was able to get open deep on a series of wheel routes. It’s not often that you see running backs (successfully) used as vertical threats in these events, but Garner was just way too explosive for any linebacker to handle in open space. A versatile performer who can line up anywhere from running back, wide receiver, or can work from the slot.

RB Limihai Hifo Manifee (Calif.) Heritage

In the games covered, Hifo was probably targeted the most of any running back in the entire event. That strategy was justified as he excelled and caught nearly everything thrown his way. A bigger running back (5'11" 225), he displayed good speed in the open field as he was able to rack up yards after catch. Most wouldn't think his physical style of play (in pads) would translate to this type of format, but he excelled.

RB Adrian Petty La Mesa (Calif.) Helix (2016)

Running backs rarely shine in roles other than pass catchers in this type of event. However, Petty displayed top notch elusiveness on draw runs by consistently eluding the initial defender and getting into second level. He showed creativity as a runner and often made multiple defenders miss. Petty was utilized in the passing game as well, lining up both in the backfield and slot, showing soft hands and running good routes.

WR Cameron Denson Tucson (AZ) Salpointe Catholic

The four-star Arizona commit was superb. Recruited primarily as a cornerback; the 6'1" 170 pound future wildcat did most of his damage at wide receiver. He used his athleticism to get open and 'climbed the ladder' to make plays in the air over outmatched defenders. He displayed the short area quickness to get open and pick up first downs over the middle. In addition, he created big plays via deep posts and fade routes. A true talent who was constantly in the end zone during the games covered.

WR Vincent Parrish San Diego Madison

Parrish was one of the most consistent route runners we observed during the tournament. He was very precise and showed good burst coming out of his breaks. He was consistently able create separation over the middle of the field and showed great agility in being able to elevate, extend, and snatch the ball out of the air.  

TE Sione Takitaki Menifee (Calif.) Heritage

In a potent Patriot offense Takitaki was probably its most consistent pass catcher. A two-way player, he excels on defense as a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid. The athleticism and burst he uses to create havoc off the edge translated over to offense, as he lined up as a tight end and h-back. He consistently got open over the middle of the field and displayed great hands, finishing plays whenever he was targeted.

TE Mason Vineyard La Mesa (Calif.) Helix (2016)

Blessed with great size and tremendous upside, Vineyard was one of the most impressive prospects on hand at San Diego State, regardless of class. He has a chance to be the best tight end the San Diego area has produced since former Helix Highlander and NFL draftee (Falcons) Levine Toilolo. 

Defense

DB Amaurie Johnson (2015) San Diego Madison

He was one the most impressive lock-down cornerbacks at the tournament. Johnson displayed the ability to mirror receivers on sharp breaking routes and the long speed to stay attached to them vertically down the field. He exhibited a fierce competitive streak as he thrived when being challenged by opposing quarterbacks.

DB Kaelin Deboskie Tucson (AZ) Salpointe Catholic

Although he played on both sides of the ball during the tournament, Deboskie really made his presence felt in the defensive backfield. Playing corner, he display his long speed by staying attached to the hip of wide receivers on vertical routes. An explosive athlete, he was impressed with his ability to drive and close on short and intermediate routes as well. His weekend was highlighted by a leaping, twisting interception early in the tournament championship versus in-state rival Hamilton high school.

DB Matthew Palmer Menifee (Calif.) Heritage

A two way player for his high school team, Palmer was primarily utilized on the defensive side of the ball this weekend. A bigger defensive back (6'3" 195), Palmer was able to mirror routes effectively. He used his length to generate several PBU's. And although he didn't rack up a ton of picks during the event; smaller, quicker, receivers couldn't create a lot of separation versus the rangy defender.

DB Jalen Glover Menifee (Calif.) Heritage (2016)

A rising sophomore, Glover is transitioning over to cornerback full-time after being the lead runner on the Patriots JV team last season as a freshman. He displayed impressive closing burst on hard in-breaking routes and competed in the air versus fade patterns. He will be a fun player to watch progress over the next few seasons.