Top Inland Empire Offensive Linemen (1-5)

While Los Angeles and Orange County get a lot of media attention, the Inland Empire is full of top programs and players that are just as worthy of the media attention. Centennial of Corona is one of the top public school programs in the country. Riverside is full of rising programs like Hillcrest and Orange Vista. The Temecula and Murrieta areas feature many great football programs. The Inland Empire consists of major communities like Corona, Riverside, Ontario and San Bernardino. Pretty much anything west of LA and Orange County all the way out to Palm Springs and Coachella Valley. Earlier this week, I highlighted <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/09/top-inland-empire-offensive-linemen-6-10/">five of the best offensive linemen</a> the Inland Empire has to offer. Here is a look at the top five offensive linemen in the Inland Empire: <strong>5. [player_tooltip player_id="25280" first="Maika" last="Matelau"], Upland, Upland, 2022</strong> Matelau is a physically dominant right tackle. In the passing game, defensive ends try to bullrush him and he frequently bats their hands away, catches them leaning and they end up on their face with his 6-foot-4, 320 pound body on top of them. He overpowers linemen in the running game and it’s a luxury for the Upland coaching staff because when they use a tight end, they don’t need to use him to combo block with Matelau, he can handle any defensive lineman himself. He has four offers: Arizona State, BYU, Kansas and Nebraska. Matelau is LDS but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will land at BYU. I expect him to garner many more offers after his junior season. https://twitter.com/MaikaMatelau/status/1299455314014527488?s=20 <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11604695/5dd217ab3448b510b4488a18">Hudl link</a></strong></em> <strong>4. [player_tooltip player_id="25110" first="Austin" last="Barry"], JW North, Riverside, 2021</strong> Barry isn’t the biggest or strongest left tackle in Southern California but he his aggressiveness and motor more than make up for it. He never gives up on his block in the running game and you will often see him holding his block five yards up the field. As a pass blocker, he has a wide base and quick feet and is very difficult for defensive ends to get around. JW North is a Division 10 team and while they do play a difficult nonleague schedule, they play in a a less than stellar league. Despite the slightly lower level of competition, Barry stands out on film and it earned him a scholarship to Arizona State. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10145981/Austin-Barry">Hudl link</a></strong></em> <strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id="25409" first="Francis" last="Mauigoa"], Aquinas, San Bernardino, 2023</strong> According to 247Sports, Mauigoa is the No. 4 overall prospect in the country for the class of 2023. He is easily the top offensive lineman in the state for his class and one can argue he is the best in the country. He is 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds but did not simply rely on his size like some freshman do. He doubles as a defensive lineman and that’s where he shows his athleticism. Mauigoa can line up as a nose tackle, a one or three technique and he has the speed and motor to make plays on the opposite side of the line in the running game. Offensively, he shows his athleticism when bouncing to the next level in the running game. He already has 17 offers from most of the major schools and by the end of the season every elite college program will offer him. <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/4945493/Francis-Mauigoa">Hudl link</a></strong></em> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="25088" first="Garrett" last="DiGiorgio"], Serrano, Phelan, 2021</strong> DiGiorgio is one of the most dominant run blockers in Southern California. The Serrano coaching staff is very creative with him. They move him around the line, sometimes put him as the third offensive lineman on one side with a wing back behind him and run the ball in his direction. He knocks defensive ends on their butts and lays big hits on linebackers. He was dominant at right tackle in Serrano’s CIF championship win against Cypress. DiGiorgio is a major reason why Serrano rushed for 3,000 yards and won a championship. He had 13 offers before committing to UCLA on July 4. https://twitter.com/Rivals/status/1287047456396587008?s=20 <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9793360/Garrett-DiGiorgio">Hudl link</a></strong></em> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="25065" first="Elia" last="Migao"], Chaparral, Temecula, 2021</strong> Migao is massive at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds and was the top uncommitted offensive lineman in the state before he committed to BYU earlier this month. He is a physically imposing run blocker and when he and former teammate CJ Warren would double team, the defensive lineman would end up 10 yards down the field. He makes big downfield blocks in the screen game and is a good pass blocker. He plays tackle at Chaparral but is projected to be a guard in college. Migao committed to BYU on the same day as his brother Enoka, who plays defensive end. He is the second offensive lineman in BYU’s recruiting class, joining Weston Jones from Romeo, Michigan and the third player in California in BYU’s class ([player_tooltip player_id="25119" first="Enoka" last="Migao"], [player_tooltip player_id="25114" first="Bentley" last="Redden"]). https://twitter.com/chaparralpumafb/status/1260644539074662401?s=20 <em><strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9609894/Elia-Migao">Hudl link</a></strong></em>