The nation's Nos. 1 and 2 teams in MaxPreps' 2025 high school football rankings, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, had big wins in Florida. In addition, Orange Lutheran (Calif.) jumped in to the national top 25 rankings with an upset win over then No. 11 ranked Miami (Fla.) Northwestern.
Also, Mission Viejo (Calif.) won a nail-biter over Santa Margarita (Calif.) in a game that matched up a pair of top-10 Golden State teams and Folsom (Calif.) smashed Sacramento (Calif.) Grant in a game matching a pair of top 25 ranked in-state teams.
We've now had a chance to watch all five games, and there were several impressive performances.
On Monday, we looked at the senior standouts who caught our eye. Today, we take a look at a dozen underclassmen from the class of '27 and '28 who shined on the big stage.
Danny Lang, '27, DB: We've always viewed Lang as a hybrid defensive back who could play safety or corner but after seeing him over the weekend, corner looks like the meal ticket for him. Lang had a pair of textbook tackles, blowing up wide receiver screens and had multiple pass breakups down the field as well. It's rare to see a young corner in trail technique not panic or clutch and grab at a receiver. Lang has ideal length, the speed to run with a receiver down the field and does a great job playing the football. He's a physical player who hits like a safety but frame wise, his body is probably better suited for corner. He has a nice edge in his game and is the ultimate, 'box checker' who can do so many things well. He's definitely a stock up guy after what we saw on Saturday and one of the elite defensive backs in the entire '27 class.
Marcus Fakatou, '28, DL: Fakatou had two sacks, one an impressive spin move in the first half and then on a huge 4th down play on Northwestern's final drive. The thing that jumps out about Fakatou is as good as he is now, there's so much he can do to get better. He has a massive college body at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, grown man strength and can physically stand his ground, even against a double team. He flashes quickness to the edge and the ability to track back and run down plays from behind. He's still raw in some areas, in particular his get-off and ability to find the football. There were several times when he was the last defensive lineman to get-off on the snap and it looked like he wasn't watching the center but waiting for the opposing tackle or guard in front of him to move before he would. There is still so much to like as a long term prospect and the fact that Fakatou is far from a finished product and can take another big jump in his development is actually very encouraging.
Rob Larson, '27, WR: Folsom has a deep wide receiver corp with a pair of '26 pass catchers already committed to Ole Miss (Jameson Powell) and Nevada (Isaiah Williams) respectively. Larson brings a unique skill set to the table and has a nice combination of size, hands, body control and sneaky athleticism. He's pushing 6-foot-2, is a dynamic route runner and runs well after the catch. In Folsom's big win over Grant, Larson caught 9 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns against what was an athletic secondary. Larson was one of the stars of the off-season as well, standing out at several college camps as well as the Under Armour Camp in Utah and he's definitely a player worth talking about when discussing the top receiver prospects in the West Coast '27 class.
Jordan Hicks, '28, DB: The Diablos are on a heater when it comes to producing next level defensive backs. Over the last few years, the school has produced Akili Arnold (Oregon State/USC), Trey Tolmaire (Boise State), Dijon Lee (Alabama) and Jeron Jones (Washington) and Hicks is next man up. At the same stage, Hicks might be the best of the group and we love his upside. He has a safety frame and hitting ability but the athleticism of a corner. He closed well on the football and was physical getting down hill in run support. He projects as an easy national recruit.
DJ Clanton, '27, LB: Clanton played primarily as an edge rusher as a sophomore but is making the transition to full time linebacker and had a strong game against St. Thomas Aquinas. Clanton has natural pass rush skill and can still play some edge but has a middle 'backer frame, can stuff the run and is a big hitter. He's quick enough to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage and is an excellent open field tackler. He shows good closing speed and can continue to improve his overall athleticism and as he does, we think he can take his game to another level.
Ca'ron Williams, '28, DB: We really like this '28 defensive back class in California and Williams is yet another talented corner who does everything well. He's sticky in coverage without being overly handsy, plays with sound technique, shows quickness breaking on the football and isn't afraid to come down and put a hit on a ball carrier. Williams had six tackles in the Eagles tough loss to a very good Mission Viejo team, all solos, two passed defended and was lock down in coverage much of the night. The frame checks out as well and he has plenty of length to disrupt and re-direct and can hang with the bigger pass catchers. When you combine his skill set, football IQ and physicality, there's a lot to like here.
Lucas Rhoa, '27, OL: Orange Lutheran went up against a stacked Northwester defensive front and Rhoa was the guy who jumped out for us on that Lancer offensive line. He's among the most athletic and fluid tackle prospects in the region right now and gets a little better every time we see him. As a sophomore, he was used often as a tight end in heavy fronts and in this game, was used in motion a few times to take advantage of his feet and balance. Physically, he's still growing and looks all of 6-foot-5 and wears 300+ pounds extremely well. The stage of California hasn't produced a ton of national recruits at the tackle position but Rhoa has all the physical tools along with some toughness and edge, to have his pick of any college he wants by the time he's a senior.
Luke Gazzaniga, '27, TE: Gazzaniga just looks the part of what a next level tight end is supposed to look like at the H.S level. He has the long, 6-foot-4, 230 pound frame, soft hands, doesn't fight the football, can catch it through contact, is a strong blocker and offers something after the catch. He has a nice physical edge to him and had a few blocks where he just laid out an opposing Diablo. The Eagles were shut out in the 2nd half and we thought part of that was not going to Gazzaniga enough after a strong first half. He looks like a true go to threat and the kind of third down security blanket quarterbacks love to have on the field.
Montana Toilolo, '27, DL: After playing a backup role as a sophomore where he was essentially the 3rd defensive tackle a year ago, Toilolo looks set for a breakout junior year and we liked what we saw over the weekend. Playing on a pretty stacked defensive front, Toilolo is the quickest tackle on the team and might have the highest ceiling because of his athleticism and growth potential. He carries 250 pounds really well and will have no problem adding another 20 pounds or so of good weight when he gets to college. He plays with good pad level, has strong hands, can disengage and get in to the backfield. He's active with a high motor and shows the positional versatility to play just about anywhere along the defensive line.
Ethan Coach, '27, LB: The Braves have a loaded linebacker corp but in one half of action, it was Coach who jumped out for us. He's able to play as a traditional linebacker or come off the edge and looked twitchy and explosive no matter where he lined up. He has some natural pass rush skill and can beat an opposing tackle with his quickness and looked physical in run support as well. He wasn't asked to do it much in this game but he's very solid as a cover 'backer too and is among the more versatile front seven players in the state.
Koa Malau'ulu, '28, QB: Malau'ulu came out of the gate strong with a very efficient night. Playing only one half of ball due to weather, Malau'ulu completed 9-12 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He got the ball out quick, was accurate, especially on the shorter to intermediate throws and protected the football. He moved around and extended plays when he had to and was decisive in his reads. It was just one half of football but Malau'ulu looks more comfortable in the offense as you would expect a quarterback making the jump between freshman and sophomore year. The real challenge will come in two weeks against a loaded St. Francis team that might have the most talented defensive roster we've seen in a long time and Malau'ulu's ability as a dual-threat will definitely be tested.
Nico Bland, 27, WR: There's a lot to like when it comes to Bland and where his game is currently trending. He's a player we first saw as an 8th grader and he was expected to make a big slash. He had a solid freshman season but missed much of his sophomore year due to injury. He had a really strong off-season at several camps and then ran several sub 10.8-100-meter times on the track with a personal best 10.65 time. In the Lancers big upset over Northwestern, Bland caught both touchdowns including a nice run-after catch and showed a nice all around game. He has a solid 6-0 frame with strong hands and has plenty of twitch as a route runner to go with the top end speed and looks poised for a real breakout junior year.
MORE NEWS AND NOTES
- Orange Lu '27 quarterback Reagan Toki won a tight battle over freshman Ezrah Brown for the starting job and played a really nice all around game. Along with the two touchdowns, it was his ability to make plays with his legs that sealed the deal late in the game.
- St. John Bosco has not just one but two legitimate Power 4 quarterback prospects in the '28 class. Brodie Scheinberg has made a big jump in the last year and has some of the best pure arm talent in the region.
- When Mission Viejo star receiver Vance Spafford went out early with an injury, junior tight end Luke Karby and junior receiver Jack Junker stepped up. Karby had a team high five catches and used his 6-foot-4 frame to create mismatches. Junker had the games only touchdown on a really nice 33 yard throw and catch from quarterback Luke Fahey.
- Folsom junior lineman Lua Deberry plays full time on both sides of the ball but projects as interior defensive lineman at the college level. He's a naturally strong player who's very tough to move around in the middle of the line.
- There's yet another talented Mosley coming up and just like older brothers Emmett and Trent, Grant Mosley will be playing college ball too. The '28 receiver had four catches including a nice one hander near the sideline and shows the same kind of ball skills and burst of his brothers.
- He wasn't targeted much but '27 receiver Gavin Honore made his one catch count. He caught a post down the seam and outran the St. Thomas defense for a 61 yard touchdown. The Georgia commit is an excellent route runner and has plenty of juice after the catch.
- We mentioned St. John Bosco has a loaded linebacker corp and junior linebacker Josiah Poyer is another player who flashed for us. He's a tough kid who stands up opposing blockers, can disengage and run to the football.
- Sophomore wide out Darren Tubbs just makes plays. The Bosco '28 pass catcher had a touchdown reception for the Braves and is about as reliable as they come when you need someone to get open and make a clutch catch.