Hidden Gems: Under the Radar 2021 Prospects, Part 3

New Mexico has always been an underutilized source of football talent. For some reason, the players in this state generally don’t receive the recognition they deserve (being geographically located next to the football-obsessed state of Texas is possibly a major factor) and continue to fly under the radar from a recruiting perspective. In  Part 3 of a multi-part series, we highlight five 2021 prospects who are all poised for breakout seasons and deserve the opportunity to play at the next level: <strong>Jaret Griffin, Carlsbad: </strong>As inconceivable as it sounds, a talented 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver and defensive back that runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds is flying under the radar. Griffin recently competed at the Blue-Gray Combine in Las Vegas and performed well. Eventually, his rare combination of size and speed won’t be overlooked by colleges for much longer. In fact, he is starting to generate interest. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26196" first="Tommy" last="Lujan"], Rio Rancho: </strong>Strong, fast and tough, Lujan was one of Rio Rancho’s best defenders in 2019 with 43 tackles and three interceptions. He runs the 100 in just over 11 seconds and also competes on the Rams track team. New Rio Rancho head coach Gerard Pannoni, who has seen plenty of good players in 20 years as a head coach, will be counting on Lujan to spearhead the Rams defense in 2020. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26203" first="Johnny" last="Jimenez"], Clovis</strong>: A prolific offense doesn’t just happen. Of course, you need some talented skill position players to make it work (and Clovis has plenty of those guys), but you also need a quality offensive line and that’s where the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Jimenez comes in. He’s an all-district and all-state performer on the O-Line (going into his third year as a starter) and also plays baseball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26186" first="Luke" last="Padilla"], Capital (Santa Fe)</strong>: Arguably the top 2021 prospect in Santa Fe, Padilla posted video-game comparable numbers last season by rushing for nearly 2,000 yards to lead Capital into the Class 5A playoffs. He’s just 5-foot-9 but runs as fast as the wind with a clocking of 4.48 seconds in the 40 and benches 255 pounds. Santa Fe is often overshadowed by Albuquerque in high school football, but this guy is the real deal. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="26193" first="Aaron" last="Deller"], St. Pius X (Albuquerque)</strong>: The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Deller is one of the top linemen in Albuquerque, earning All-District and All-Metro honors last season for the Sartans. He is starting the generate some interest on the recruiting trail. Deller visited South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, SD and the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Co. this past weekend and according to his Tweeter feed appears to have had productive visits at both places. His first offer should be coming soon. https://twitter.com/AaronDeller/status/1287912654145691648 https://twitter.com/johnnyjimenez62/status/1287136518138744832